One of the "advantages" of a tiny shop is that some things are not really an option. So for me, it's probably a benchtop or nothing.

I've been looking at the Little Machine Shop lathe and mill, which are both fairly small and cheap. About $1k for the "hi-torque" mill, and $600 for the lathe (currently on sale).

Here's the mill: https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=3990&category=
And the lathe:
https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=4959&category=1271799306

I've gotten the impression from some online info that the benchtop setups might not be well suited to precision work with steel.

I would have some other non-gun related uses for both, but I'm trying to think realistically about whether it's worth the investment.

Jim