Welcome to TonyBen, LLC!
My name is Tony Benavides. I began my professional career in 1991 when I joined the US Marines and became an avionics technician on CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters. I served as aircrew and a door gunner, deploying with the 15th MEU in 1994 and the 13th MEU in 1996. I served for nine years, total, before leaving for the private sector where I was initially employed in the semiconductor industry working in computer chip factories in Hillsboro for the next seven years. I then took a job working in laser and optics where I remained for the next fifteen years as an engineering technician working in the research and development.
While I have always been passionate about firearms, I got into M14’s around 2007. I joined the M14 forum and was instantly captivated by the platform. I collected parts and eventually had Ted Brown build my first rifle off a LRB M14SA receiver.
I read everything I could about the M14 and eventually started writing tutorials/pictorials for other owners. I eventually got a video camera and in 2011, using information I gleaned from military NM armorers and seasoned M14 builders, I began filming and posting “How To” videos on YouTube. Since posting my first video, I have built the only exhaustive M14 “How To” video library on the internet. My content spans from basic disassembly to maintenance and care, and even covers advanced gunsmithing topics, such as M14 rifle building, chamber cutting and bedding.
This exhaustive library had eventually earned me the reputation of “the M14 expert” and my tutorials are frequently touted as essential viewing for anyone wanting to learn how to maintain their M14 variant rifles.
In March of 2015 I built my first M14 off a LRB M25 receiver and documented everything on video. Shortly after, people asked me to do work on their rifles. After much thought, I obtained my federal firearms license, and in 2016 I officially began working part-time on and building and modifying customer rifles.
Since then, I have continuously purchased more and more machinery, tools, and equipment to expand my work on M14’s and M1 Garands, as well as other common platforms, like the AR-15 family of rifles, the Remington 700, the Savage-110 series and the Winchester Model 70.
I have built many M14-variant rifles in that time, including standard wood stocked rifles, lugged and double-lugged rifles in McMillan stocks, EBR’s and other chassis system based rifles.
Originally operating out of Oregon, I relocated to Auburndale, Florida in 2022, where I currently operate and am now gunsmithing and building full-time.
Thank you for visiting my site. I look forward to doing business with you.
-Tony.