As human beings, it's only natural for us to wish for more free time for the fun and rewarding feelings that hobbies can bring. Unfortunately, like most things in life, having fun takes money and the feeling often quickly diminishes once the start-up cost for a particular pursuit is determined. While the same can be said for gunsmithing, company's like Wheeler Engineering offer plenty of quality offerings and value for the casual tinker and professional gunsmith alike. Its Delta Series AR Armorer's Vise serves as an extremely versatile platform from which to do a variety of tasks.
At the heart of its versatile design is a built-in mag-well insert that interfaces with the magazine release and securely cradles the lower receiver. A knob fosters a wide range of adjustment to offer, which not only the best vantage point and easy access while you work. (Think of it as having a second set of hands at your disposal.) This feature alone has provided a huge benefit when installing everything from fire-control components like, to making your buffer-tube nut isn'f overtorqued after replacing the receiver end plate, which could result in unnecessary damage and an unsightly crooked buttstock. The top of the mag-well insert contains a hammer stop to prevent damage caused by dry-fire. There's even a notch along the spine of the mag-well insert that serves as a bolt-service station, an ideal feature when you need to replace an extractor or enhance extraction by adding a D-Fender D-ring.
A tapered trough on the front support holds the fore-end in place and is also angle adjustable, which suggests the vise is capable of being pressed into service as a cleaning aid.
The base boasts rigid-steel construction and is recessed, which is good for keeping small parts from rolling off your bench. Nonslop rubber feet keep the vise in place, and there are even holes in the base should you wish to anchor it in place. Whether you wish to personalize your AR or build one from scratch, this is one tool that will rapidly prove invaluable.
