Need some reassurance on my re-barrel job

[Leonardo63]

Got my barrel vice today, have a action wrench= First off, this vice looks big enough to work on a howitzer- the size of everything is making me think this barrel is going to be tight- So, put some rosin in the block and on the action and crank it down right? I will use my torque wrench, I see there are torq specs. This should get it done right? Any other tips one might add?
Thanks!

[308law]

Some factory barrels can be really tight, and it is kind of hard to hold on the barrel, that's why it looks so heavy. Sounds like you are on the right track, you might want to use a dead blow or big rubber mallet on your barrel nut wrench. I don't use a barrel vice, I use an action wrench and a barrel nut wrench but I see the advantages of a good barrel vice, you don't have to remove magazine box and front scope mount.

[thomae]

I have used a barrel vise as well as an action wrench. When I have applied large amounts of force slowly (i.e., standing on the nut wrench) I have never been able to keep the barrel from slipping in the barrel vise. I didn't use a torque wrench to tighten the barrel vise, I used a Big Honkin' wrench about 18 inches long and hogged down as hard as I could to tighten up the big nuts. It still slipped. Even with rosin or duct tape. however when I whacked the barrel nut wrench with my deadblow hammer instead of standing on it, the barrel nut broke free from the barrel and I could turn it off. Long story short, use the deadblow hammer and whack it hard! ::)

[Leonardo63]

Thanks for the confidence building!
In comparison, I was thinking the nut won't be too tight based on the beef of the nut wrench. I'm crackin her loose tonight, or tearing my bench off the wall-it's 30 feet long so I think it may hold.
Thanks again

[devildogandboy]

good luck big guy! ;D ;D ;D

[mattri]

You never forget your first. Let us know how it goes.

[drybean]

+1 on the dead blow

drybean

[Dennis]

I use a vise and I put my weight in the wrench two times to tighten the nut! May equal 100/125 ft lbs. I have never had one back off!

[Leonardo63]

Well, piece of cake! didn't even need the action wrench. Cracked the nut loose with a hammer, couple light whacks. screwed the action off by hand. Nut was a different story. tight all the way. Now, the common problem I see often, need to dremel the end out of the nut where the threads are machined off. Got the thick lug from Jim@NSS and she stops at the end of the thread on the new SS barrel. I measured it all up and I have plenty of no thread on the taper of the nut.

One thing of concern, I thought the new barrel would be tighter. When screwed down to the bolt face without the nut/lug, it's sloppy. I know the nut tightens it up, but the factory barrel was at least firm all the way out. I mic'd the thread OD and the new barrel is actually larger OD on the threads, but obviously that doesn't mean a thing. I thought it would be smaller is why I measured it. ???

[thomae]

Hopefully, you don't need to dremel the nut off. Put the barrel in the barrel vise and whack the nut wrench with the deadblow hammer to unscrew the nut it toward the chamber end of the barrel.

[Leonardo63]

Got the nut off-no problem-I may not have explained it correctly. Problem is screwing it (nut) up on the new barrel. When the end of the nut gets to the end of the threads-dead stop. there's about a 1/4" of the inside of the threads machined off, allowing the nut to hide the barrel threads. This area is too tight to go any further.

[Leonardo63]

Another small slice of cake- OK- my first one ever! locked on and headspace set! Now back to more sanding on that barrel channel :)
Thanks for all the replies!

[thomae]

Got the nut off-no problem-I may not have explained it correctly. Problem is screwing it (nut) up on the new barrel. When the end of the nut gets to the end of the threads-dead stop. there's about a 1/4" of the inside of the threads machined off, allowing the nut to hide the barrel threads. This area is too tight to go any further.


Ok, understand now. Yup. That's how they are all made. It should still work.

Congratulations. Feels good, doesn't it? (Let the addiction begin...Bwa Ha Ha Ha.... ;D)

[mattri]

Well done!

[Leonardo63]

Thanks again, with all your help and all the knowledge around here I feel like an expert overnight! This is what gives me the confidence to make it my own on my own.