Armorers and gunsmiths are people whose duties include repairing and configuring firearms. One class of tools that have been commonly used is armorer's blocks and magazine posts. Armorer's blocks, also called bench blocks, are typically items that can be laid on a bench and have cavities, openings, slots, and holes that ease various tasks such as driving pins into and out of a firearm or steadying a workpiece. Armorers and gunsmiths typically have and use a variety of armorers block in their day-today labors. Armorers and gunsmiths working on semiautomatic firearms also use magazine posts.
Magazine posts are posts that can hold a semiautomatic firearm. For example, a bench vise can hold the bottom portion of a magazine post while the top portion of the magazine post is in the magazine well of a semiautomatic firearm. One popular magazine post is configured to slide into the magazine well of an AR-15/M-4 style rifle/carbine and to engage the magazine release mechanism. The lower portion of the AR-15/M-4 magazine post can be clamped in a vise to solidly hold the firearm's lower receiver in a fixed position.
Magazine posts and armorer's blocks are prized tools in a gunsmith's toolbox because they significantly improve a person's ability to work on a firearm. The currently available tools, however, are not ideal for many modern day semiautomatic handguns or for modern day workbenches. Systems and methods for fixedly holding modern day semiautomatic handguns are needed.