For a Do-It-Yourself Gunsmith or an actually professional, the Apex Tactical Armorers Block & Tooling Plate comes in handy for supporting Smith & Wesson M&P or Glock pistols for disassembly and modification. While not entirely necessary for taking down a pistol for cleaning or certain modifications, its a great support when a hammer and punch is called for. I also found the reversibility of the block to also be hand for reassembly, or even just stippling the frame one side at a time.

I would recommend both the Armorers Block and Tooling Plate to anyone taking an armorer's course, or interested in adding some new internal parts to their Glock or M&P pistol.

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame: The Apex Polymer Armorer's Block and Tooling Plate provide a raised surface for you to work on your M&P and Glock Pistols.

Target Market: Law Enforcement, competition shooters, and individuals who own a S&W M&P

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

Supports S&W or Glock pistols for armory work and detail disassembly
Pre-positioned bosses, slots and holes remove pressure from critical function surfaces while pins are driven in and out
Thumb Safety and Magazine disconnect drop into holes and slots to prevent damage no matter what position they are in
High Density Polymer construction prevents marring of the frame while driving pins in and out
Retaining slots on each side of the block hold the striker
One side of the block is for the 45 striker, and the other is for the 9/40/357 striker.
Moveable bosses are easily adjustable to position frames quickly and easily
Raised walls on each side of the block position the trigger bar within the trigger to easy trigger swappin
Made in The USA
Instruction videos are available here.

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?: N/A ArmorersBlock-3

What others are saying?: "Whomever dreamed this up is a genius. It is great when you need to remove pins, and it is even better when you want to replace a striker spring, which had always been a particular pain in the neck for me because it required either a third hand or some field expedient for one. This block is even better than a third hand. " -Lawrence Plasek, Apex Tactical Website Review

Price point:

MSRP = Polymer Block $29.95, Armorers Tray and Pin Punch $24.95

Retail = Same price on Brownells

I need it now! Availability Available on Brownells or direct thru Apex Tactical

Our Rating:

Pros:

Bosses are finger tightened and no tools necessary to adjust
Magnet "donut" in core of tray helps capture rogue pins or springs
Works for most Polymer pistols including M&Ps and Glocks

Cons:

Wish the Armorer's Block and Tray/Punch were a set
Roll pin punch not suited for all pin punching tasks, a taper or flat tip punch would also be helpful with some Apex parts

Score: 8.5