Vern Evans
If you’re the kind of person who loves wrenching on your own gear, Harbor Freight is probably already your happy place. It’s a treasure trove for DIY homeowners, mechanics, and yes—even us part-time gunsmiths who like to tinker on the weekends.
Let’s be honest: gunsmithing tools can get stupid expensive real quick. If you’ve ever filled a shopping cart with Wheeler tools, you know what I’m talking about. They’re solid, no doubt. But if you’re just installing a new grip, swapping a muzzle device, or poking around with Glock internals on your day off, there’s a more affordable route worth exploring.
That’s why I decided to swing by my local Harbor Freight and see what I could round up for us DIY gun guys and gals.
You can put together a surprisingly capable Harbor Freight gunsmithing tool kit for under $75.
My Harbor Freight Gunsmithing Tool Haul
If you’re just here for the tool list, here’s what made it into my kit:
Altogether, these Harbor Freight gunsmithing tools give you everything you need to handle the most common firearm maintenance and upgrades.
The best part? It’s portable. Toss the box in your truck, and you’ll be ready when a buddy texts, “Hey, can you help me install this new trigger?”
Honorable Mentions (AKA Stuff I Already Had)
While this Harbor Freight setup covers the basics, I threw in a few extras I already had in the garage. You might want to add them down the road, too:
- Flat File – Handy for fitting new sights on pistols like Glocks.
- Small Tek Mat or Towel – Something soft to work on that keeps parts and tools from scratching your dining room table (ask me how I know).
- AR-15 Armorer’s Wrench – Not essential, but nice to have. If you don’t have one, a little creativity (and caution) with a pipe wrench, channel locks, or a punch-and-hammer combo can get the job done. Just watch those threads and buffer tubes!
Final Thoughts
If you own more than a couple of firearms, you owe it to yourself to put together a basic kit like this.
This $75 kit of Harbor Freight gunsmith tools punches way above its price point.
No, it’s not fancy. But for the weekend gunsmith, it gets the job done—and does it without draining your ammo budget.
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