sick and tired of factory barrel removal

[matthias]

i am looking for input on a barrel vice that will hold a freaking factory barrel with out spinning. i have the wrenches and a wheeler barrel vice with oak blocks and rosin. i have tried to my patience end and i have decided there is a better way. i just dont have the answer at the moment.

very frustrated ,

i have done 93 removals and really dont have a set way of doing it

nine out of ten barrels will come off no issue . then there is the other one. i would rather cut the damn thing off but the customer still wants it.

how do you remove stubborn barrels?
what hardware do you use ?
really annoying because i have used all the tricks i know of
heating , cooling, kroil, wd40 , etc

 

[Dans40X]

Brownells Bbl vise w/ aluminum bushings & appropriate Brownells action wrench has served me well for 25+ years.
I turn/size my 3" long Bbl bushings for cut down 3"x5" card stock shims to protect Bbl finishes.

 

[jrm850]

Well it's not the easy estate or safest solution but it's what I was taught in school and it definitely works... pour lead vice blocks for each barrel.

 

[carlsbad]

The wheeler will work. the only one I've had to machine off was a 100+ yr old spanish mauser. Use large wrenches, cheaters, and a strong back. You'll break some oak. --Jerry

 

[matthias]

You will break some oak.

Yeah no kidding. It cracks and splinters all over the place.

What do your oak blocks look like? Other than blocks of wood? V cut or round etc?

The wrenches I am using are a combination of wheeler and brownells action wrenches with 36" handles I made for them from 1" bar stock . The barrel vice seems to be the issue. I will look at the brownells with the bushings.

 

[Ggmac]

If the customer insists on reusing the barrel ,just tell him he needs to use a thicker recoil lug. Put a small parting line a few thou in front of receiver , unscrew with a rear action wrench . Or , cut steel split bushings to contour of barrel line with rosin , brass shin stock , get biggest pipe wrench you have and go at the split bushings . You will mar the split bushings but they are cheap or using the Contoured bushings as before ,turn OD to fit wheeler , brownells action wrench and go at it . When I do not part , I use split bushings and pipe wrench . I hope you get what I'm trying to say , I'm not to good expressing myself .
Gary
Pm me for phone #

 

[Terry]

I found placing the barreled action in the deep freeze overnight helps.

 

[jkohler]

Brownells Bbl vise w/ aluminum bushings & appropriate Brownells action wrench has served me well for 25+ years.
I turn/size my 3" long Bbl bushings for cut down 3"x5" card stock shims to protect Bbl finishes.

+++1 the brownells vice is the best one. I made one just like it for removing factory barrels

 

[matthias]

I will have to give the brownells one a try . Thanks

 

[gotcha]

Matthias, Before you do that Google: Northland shooters supply, Vise jaw inserts. Pics on line under tools heading. I'm not a Smith but this tool REALLY works especially on the tough ones. This includes removing old Spanish Mauser barrels or using a 18" cheater. BTW you'll have no blemishes on the removed or installed barrel either since it works on the same principle as the Brownell's tool but doesn't rely on metal sleeves.

 

[Danny1788]

I made a barrel vise to use oak blocks and it never worked for removing factory barrels. I bought the Viper Barrel vise from Grizzly on sale for around $50 worked great and took the first barrel off with no problems. I had broke probably 4 sets of wood blocks trying to take that barrel off and the viper vise took it right off!

 

[missed]

I got a cheap 8" 4 jaw chuck, put the action in there, with aluminum jaw covers

I have a 16" pipe wrench that I made some smooth soft iron over jaws for, I usually beat on it with a big ass hammer. The impacts work better than just brute force and leverage.

 

[fguffey]

I hold the barrel vise with a shop press, the oak blocks are cute and not much better with rosin. I have other tools that use different methods and techniques, one is used with different hammers, if the action does not come loose, use a bigger hammer.

F. Guffey

 

[Steve Blair]

I use heavy leather inside the oak blocks and a long cheater. The only barrel I could not remove was a Remington Rolling Block because I feared damaging the receiver.

 

[Dans40X]

Spin the Bbl off of an ArmaLite AR-30 or AR-50 receiver.

Everything else is child's play!

 

[jdh47]

I use rosin and paper bedding tape.

 

[mayday1648]

Buy a Harbor Freight Hydraulic 12 or 20 ton Press and put your barrel vise into the press. The extra pressure helps me. Thanks Rich

 

[LHSmith]

While it seems counterintuitive, Delrin makes a great bushing material to replace the ineffective oak bushings when used with rosin ......and they last forever.

 

[Rustystud]

It is hard to beat the "steel" bushings rosin, and the Brownells barrel vice". I have both aluminum and steel bushings cut for the factory tapers. Steel by far is better.

Brute force can ruin both barrels and actions. I look at factory barrels as the lessor expensive part. They may have to become sacrificed in the removal process. It is not worth ruining an action. Take a parting tool and make a cut in front of the recoil lug. When the tension is relieved the barrel will screw off by hand.

Nat Lambeth

 

[matthias]

the parting tool on front of the recoil lug is what i wanted to do . the customer wants the barrel saved. i will speak with him and i may need to adjust my shop policy.

in the mean time i have ordered some stuff. the viper vice and the brownells vice with some inserts so hopefully thigs go well. i will let you know