Sometimes a particular tool may not be an absolute necessity, but it makes life a whole lot easier. For 20+ years I have been using a Caldwell shooting rest in my shop to hold long guns when I work on them. I think that it is safe to say that I have used it thousands of times. It worked ok, but without a clamping system a rifle could shift or roll at a crucial moment. I finally broke down and bought a CTK Precision P3 gun vise. It seems pretty good. I will say that it took me a couple of hours to assemble it. It seems to be quite sturdy and secure. Adjusting for height and length is easy. I mounted several different air rifles in it and they all worked. Air rifles seem to be a bit oddly configured compared to traditional powder burners, but this vise handles the variety well. Including being able to clamp a scoped rifle upside down. The one potential flaw that I see is that the round dowel that the clamping screw goes into is made of plastic. I question how long it will last. When I have time I will turn a steel one on my lathe and drill and tap a hole through it. I also added a magnetic flexible led light and a level. I have already used the vise to mount a scope in my new Cricket.
