Cheap DIY Gun Punch Set

Have you ever found yourself in need of a small pin pinch to drive out a small roll pin and nothing you've got on hand is the right size? Yeah, me too. Usually it's in the middle of the night and the hardware store is closed, so you can't go buy a punch the right size, that is, even if the right size happened to be on the shelf.

The last time that happened to me I came up with a low cost solution that has worked out rather well. I ground down a small screwdriver from one of those cheap screwdriver sets. Here's the details on making yourself a econo punch set:

Start out with a small screwdriver set like these. This set was a buck in the dollar department of the hardware store.

Cheap screwdriver set.

Clip off the swivel top with your side cutters.

Clip off the screwdriver bit end too.

Square up the tip on the bench grinder.

Square up the "Hammer" end too.

Finished set of pin punches.

As you would expect, these are still CHEAP punches, and I would highly recommend ordering yourself a good set of gun punches from someplace like Brownell's, but in a pinch, these will usually get the job done.