Standard Tapered-Blade Screwdriver on Gunsmith Bench?

Question: It seems that every gunsmith who has ever written anything, including you, has warned against using standard tapered blade screwdrivers on gun screws. Recently in a photo in one of your articles I noticed just such a screwdriver on your bench. What gives? If it's so bad, why are you using it?

Answer: You are a very sharp-eyed reader and you are 100 percent correct! I do keep one large standard tapered blade screwdriver on my bench. I use it to open paint cans, scrape gunk out of stocks, clean the bottom of my shoes, and just about any other dirty job where I wouldn't dare use my good Forster or Brownell gunsmith screwdrivers. That ol' Craftsman screwdriver is used in all sorts of jobs other than removing or installing gun screws. That task is always reserved for gunsmith screwdrivers with precision made parallel blades.

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