STRIKER BARREL CHANGE-NEW BARREL VISE

[joeb33050]

After a lot of looking around I bought a barrel vise from Paul Becigneul, Pbike4466@directv.net. I paypaled the $ Friday Dec. 9, 2011 and received the vise the following Monday-3 days later. The vise is nice, big and well made and completely without wood blocks of any kind. Paul's instructions recommend wrapping the barrel-where it is held in the vise-with a 4" X 6" card. I used a piece of a manila folder.
The barrel nut came loose after a good yank or two on the Wheeler nut wrench, but the action was still tight on the barrel. I loosened the action from the barrel using a BIG screwdriver in the action port. I can't explain how, but if you look at the port you'll see.
I put the new 22-250 barrel on the action using a fired full-length-sized cartridge case to set headspace. Again, with the BIG screwdriver and the Wheeler nut wrench, the bolt closed on a ctg. case but had a lot of resistance to closing on a ctg. case with 1 piece of scotch tape on the head of the case. This all done with several f.l. sized cases, several with scotch tape.
This is my 2nd barrel change. Reports on the Wheeler action wrench were mixed, so I went to the bbl vise. The vise was $79 delivered, and I'm very happy.
joe b.

[Blue Avenger]

you forget to remove the front scope base screw that bottoms out on the barrel threads?

[joeb33050]

you forget to remove the front scope base screw that bottoms out on the barrel threads?

No, it hadn't bottomed out. There was some white-brown stuff on the barrel/action threads. It took a while to get it off the threads after the barrel came out of the action. Sealant?? I put silicon grease on the new barrel threads.
joe b.

[pdog06]

blued action and barrel? pretty common if so. Seems to me they have always been a tad harder to get off than a stainless one.

Gotta say that the thought of using the screwdriver made me cringe. Hope you didnt force it and warp the action. Alot of times just pouring some Kroil on the threads and letting it soak in for a few hours will make those alot easier to spin off.

Got any pics of the barrel vise this guy sells? or is it pretty much the same as most others? Did the barrel want to spin in the vise any when using the pc of manila folder in it?

[gotcha]

NSS has a pair of notched, magnetic vise jaw inserts for this work. I've used on three builds & a few chamber HD SP jobs. The magnets are super strong. Not like the Harbor freight junk I had previously. For those who might be interested I'd rate Jim's vise jaws A1+. About $35.00 to $40.00 as I recall. Your BBL will NOT spin in these jaws, nor will it be scratched. There's no need for rosin, oak inserts or the like. Thanks for a fine product NSS ;)

[joeb33050]

blued action and barrel? pretty common if so. Seems to me they have always been a tad harder to get off than a stainless one.

Gotta say that the thought of using the screwdriver made me cringe. Hope you didnt force it and warp the action. Alot of times just pouring some Kroil on the threads and letting it soak in for a few hours will make those alot easier to spin off.

Got any pics of the barrel vise this guy sells? or is it pretty much the same as most others? Did the barrel want to spin in the vise any when using the pc of manila folder in it?


The barrel didn't turn when held with the piece of manila folder. I've used masking tape and sheet rubber in the past for holding things in vise-like setups, and was surprised at how well the manila folder worked.
Screwdriver was the only way to get a grip on the action after the barrel nut was off/loose. If you look at the savage action you'll see how the screwdriver will fit across/in the loading port-no damage or danger of damage to the action. If the action hadn't come off the barrel easily, I'd have stopped.
There's a picture on the cite I mentioned above.

Regarding vise jaw magnetic inserts. I must do all my work on a small light kitchen table. No bench, no vise, no tools to speak of. Therefore, magnetic inserts are N/A for me.
joe b.

[joeb33050]

My mistake, pix of the vise and action wrench are here:

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index.php/topic,3762965.0.html

joe b.

[tinkerer]

Wheeler action wrench + wheeler nut wrench on the floor in the living room. Foot on each and step down slowly. Has worked on all but one stubborn action, that one took a hammer too.

Larry
Tinkerer