Picture of a Punch

[whcoyote]

Originally Posted by Ron Wood

You can chuck up a nail in a redneck lathe (an electric drill clamped in a vise) and turn one out with a file. Takes some time and you need to fire up your Bernzomatic torch to heat treat it. But for free and a little care you would be hard pressed to tell it from an original. You can buy one from Simpsons but a did-it-my-ownself is kinda satisfying.

By the way, the only two uses for a pin punch that I can tell is to push out the pin that holds in the magazine bottom, and to drift out the pin that secures the thumb safety (which isn't too likely). Can't think of any other operations that would be done by a soldier in the field. Any other ideas?

Ron:
My experience is that a nail does not have enough Carbon content to harden very well. I think something like a piece of drill rod would work better - file it to shape and then heat it cherry red and quench it in water (Do not use a drill, use drill rod. This is the stuff they make drills out of but it hasn't been hardened yet) Then polish it bright with wet/dry emery cloth (400 grit). Apply heat to the head (hammer end) and watch very carefully as the color runs down the punch to the tip. When the straw color gets to the tip, remove the heat IMMEDIATELY!! Polish it back bright and you have a nice tool.