A few weeks ago, I wrote about Real Avid and their “Smart-Torq” driver set. Normally I wouldn’t write about a company again so soon, but once again they’ve impressed me. The catalyst for this is their “Master Gun Vise.” I got this a while back, and it sat in a corner for a while. I finally got it mounted, and learned all its features. After working with it I can safely say, “If you need a vise, this is the one to get.”

My small shop has six different vises scattered about. Yes, sometimes you need one in a specific location, but the main reason for having so many is that they all have different capabilities. The “Master” vice can easily replace five of the six in the shop. So far, this vise has done everything needed, and better than anything else I’ve used.

This vise is made for working on firearms, as opposed to taking an existing design and making do. The head will adjust in any direction on the articulating ball/socket base. Once positioned properly you lock the angle down with the heavy-duty lever. In addition to this the head has a fine adjustment knob with six degrees of pivot. This micro-adjustment feature is ideal for leveling long guns when mounting optics. For tasks that require heavy torque there’s a pin to secure the ball at its vertical angle.

A major concern anytime you’re clamping on a firearm is the possibility of damaging it from the vise jaws. The “Master Vise” comes with the expected steel jaw plates, which are reversible. It’s also supplied with Real Avid’s “Gun Sleeves.” The sleeves fit over the standard jaws. They’re also reversible. One side is hard plastic, with vertical and horizontal slots for clamping unusual shapes. The opposite side has foam lining.

The best part of the “sleeves” is that you can pin them in place on the vise. This is always one of my torments in the shop. You’ve got a piece ready for clamping, with the appropriate materials stacked between it and the hard surface of the jaws and then – they move, shifting just slightly. The supplied locking pins also work with Real Avid’s “Lug-Lok” vise block for clamping AR receivers in the vise. (I haven’t had the chance to try mine yet.)

Working, modifying and even cleaning firearms requires two things. First, the proper knowledge to perform the work. Second, the correct tools for the job. You don’t want to be the shooter who takes a box of parts to the gunsmith for reassembly. Or, even worse, damage parts that need replacing -- which may be hard to find and/or expensive.

Yes, good tools like the “Master Vise” are expensive. Think about it this way. You could buy something else that might work. But, when you find something, it doesn’t do you’ll have to buy another, and maybe another. (At the same you’re taking up more and more bench space.). It’s often more affordable to buy the proper tools and equipment than paying for expensive repairs. Real Avid is the place to go for a gun vise. It’s quality you won’t regret.

Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy. He is the author of The Book of Two Guns, AR-15 Skills and Drills, has a regular column in American Handgunner and makes some cool knives and custom revolvers. Visit Shootrite’s Facebook page for other details.