EASY Way To Break Barrel Nut Loose!

Alright, so I did a barrel change recently and discovered an awesome way to remove the barrel nut that is cranked on with 3,000 ft/lbs of torque. I didn't have any oak barrel blocks, so I made barrel blocks out of a 2x4 (douglas fir). I'm sure many people have tried this, and it doesn't really work because you can't tighten them down enough to prevent the barrel from slipping. I too struggled with this, and as I was pondering where I could find talcum powder or some other rare powder that supposedly adds grip, a lightbulb came on.

DUCT TAPE!

I wrapped a single layer of duct tape around the barrel, put the blocks right over the duct tape, and cranked it down tight in the vise. ONE whack with a ball peen hammer and the nut loosened up like my girl after she's had a few too many. I took it out of the blocks, took the duct tape off, and the barrel looked like new. It had a tiny bit of residue from the tape still on it, but that came right off with some solvent. The bluing is in perfect shape, and you can't even tell it's been in a vise. Someone else try this out so I can get a witness!

-James.

Powdered sugar will work for a gripping agent.

You just had to rain on my parade. :D

Midway also sells bags of powdered rosin. ;) I may try duct tape though next time. Good idea!

Carpenters snap line, string line, chalk works also. Plus, I clamp the action instead of the barrel & thread a 1/4" cap screw into the block against the recoil lug, preventing the action from turning. A 3' "persuader" on the breaker bar & nut wrench, steady pressure, & this approach hasn't failed me yet. :)

Well james, I like your duct tape suggestion, so thank you.

+1 i always have duct tape around, but try to find where i put that %^(()%$ chalk line, or the powdered sugar....that would take days....Thanks for the tip...makes the forum that much more helpful....rsbhunter

I definitely have to try the duct tape in the future.

Baseball pitchers rosin works great.

Barrel vise & action wrench from Sinclair

Nut wrench from SSS or Midway.....

Can of Kroil & a hair dryer to warm the bbl nut

Scrap leather to pad the barrel in the vise

You might all laugh at me when I tell you how I do it. But I have about 6 done this way so that is ok. I always figure that since I am going to put on a good barrel, I might as well pitch in for a new recoil lug. So I just put the recoil lug in a big vise, and there is no slipping. Pitch the scared up recoil lug, install the new one. I use a strap wrench around the action to tighten the new barrel on.

I am beginning to wonder if I got a bad Stevens. I just put a new (new to me) barrel on a Stevens. The first barrel I changed was one of the new fangled smooth nuts. That was a pain in the... But I just changed a barrel on a new Stevens. Put the action in the action wrench. Put the barrel nut wrench on in a good starting position and put slow gentle pressure on it until it came loose. I didn't even need to use a cheater bar. I just used the handle on the action wrench and it worked just fine.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lomfs24

I am beginning to wonder if I got a bad Stevens. I just put a new (new to me) barrel on a Stevens. The first barrel I changed was one of the new fangled smooth nuts. That was a pain in the... But I just changed a barrel on a new Stevens. Put the action in the action wrench. Put the barrel nut wrench on in a good starting position and put slow gentle pressure on it until it came loose. I didn't even need to use a cheater bar. I just used the handle on the action wrench and it worked just fine.

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Yours is just fine, I haven't had to use a cheater pipe or any fancy techniques yet but some have, my method is put barreled action on carpeted floor, hold her down and smack barrel nut wrench with dead blow hammer

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nuclabuyer

I use a strap wrench around the action to tighten the new barrel on.

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Quite a few on different forums have made statements about using a strap wrench for
this. Where and what brand/size do you use for tightening the barrel nut?

I have never thought about using a strap wrench to put the thing back together. I bought a strap wrench to try to take apart one of the new fangled smooth barrel nuts...yeah, didn't work out. The gorilla at the factory that day was a little extra angry. I'll bet it would work great to put it back together though.

I bought mine at the local Ace Hardware store in the plumbing section. It's just a nylon strap that the handle claps down on. My strap is long enough looks like it would go from about 1" diameter all the way up to about 5" diameter. If memory serves, it was somewhere in the $15 range.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by james86

Alright, so I did a barrel change recently and discovered an awesome way to remove the barrel nut that is cranked on with 3,000 ft/lbs of torque. I didn't have any oak barrel blocks, so I made barrel blocks out of a 2x4 (douglas fir). I'm sure many people have tried this, and it doesn't really work because you can't tighten them down enough to prevent the barrel from slipping. I too struggled with this, and as I was pondering where I could find talcum powder or some other rare powder that supposedly adds grip, a lightbulb came on.

DUCT TAPE!

I wrapped a single layer of duct tape around the barrel, put the blocks right over the duct tape, and cranked it down tight in the vise. ONE whack with a ball peen hammer and the nut loosened up like my girl after she's had a few too many. I took it out of the blocks, took the duct tape off, and the barrel looked like new. It had a tiny bit of residue from the tape still on it, but that came right off with some solvent. The bluing is in perfect shape, and you can't even tell it's been in a vise. Someone else try this out so I can get a witness!


James, just a couple of technical questions! Whats your girls telephone number and her beverage of choice? LOL Yep the duct tape will work in a pinch.

-James.

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" ONE whack with a ball peen hammer and the nut loosened up like my girl after she's had a few too many.
-James. "


What's the world coming to, not one smart remark, really. I can't believe it.

???Really...nothing.

Garett

with a wrench