Gorilla tightened my barrel nuts!

Today I figured I'd attempt my first swap, taking a factory 204 barrel off a 12FV and replacing it with a factory takeoff 223 12FV barrel.

I got some oak blocks, drilled a hole, put the barrel nut wrench on the nut (Wheeler wrench from Midway required "coaxing" to go on my 12FV nut) secured the barrel in a shop vise with the blocks, and proceeded to try to loosen it.

And tried.

And tried.

Using my own weight/strength and even a deadblow hammer on the wrench, I cannot get the barrel nut to budge - the whole assembly just twists in the blocks on the vise.

So I figured I'd try removing the factory 270 sporterbarrel from the 110 that I plan to use for my 260 build. Different style barrel nut than the 12FV (rounded slots vs. square) and the wrench went on really easy...but again, the nut wouldn't break loose - just the whole assembly spinning in the blocks.

I'd prefer to not have to buy an action wrench or proper barrel vise...so for those who have been here before, what would you advise?

Try spraying some penetrant oil (Kroil, PB Blaster, etc) and let it soak for a few hours, a full day would be even better. Also it'd be good to use something on the wood blocks to help the barrel from rotating (rosin powder is best but in a pinch I've used brown sugar, it's is better than nothing). Make sure you clamp the blocks real tight on the vise. Applying some heat to the nut right before you put the wrench on it might help as well (be careful not to overheat it, the way I gauge it is I want it hot to the touch but not too hot that it would burn the skin).

I would use some double sided carpet tape on the blocks. I have used it with good success.

I never had any luck with the wood blocks. Bought an action wrench and had the barrel off in less than 10 minutes. well worth the money. You can always resell it if you dont plan to use it again.

Don'tcha really hate it when your nuts are too tight?

+1 on the action wrench suggestion.

I take mine and chuck it up in the bench vise and with a barrel nut wrench and a 5 lb. dead blow hammer I have never had one not loosen with the first "tap".

And as the man said....when you are through with the tools there is always a ready market here on this forum.

uj

I be damned, but brown sugar in the block grooves actually worked for me to get the barrel off the 110! It spun a little in the blocks but 4-5 hard whacks with a dead-blow and the nut broke free. Now I just gotta figure out how to get the bit of hardened sugar off the barrel; RemOil & a shop cloth weren't quite cutting it earlier ;)

Perhaps tomorrow I'll tackle the 12FV.

Try water.

uj

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Originally Posted by Uncle Jack

Try water.

uj

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+1

Hot water will do it.

It's most likely ben suggested, but using a heat gun on the barrel nut, getting it good and hot helps.

Also Resin powder on the wood blocks gives them much better grip and usually won't hurt the finish of the rifle.

I've always just used an action wrench, held in a vise and don't bother with the barrel blocks.

You can always sell the action wrench, but they are not too expensive and good to save for future projects.

Midwayusa has the best price on them.

John K

your deadblow 1# or 3#s?

I agree, spring for the action wrench. I tried too with the wooden blocks, heated the barrel with a heat gun, soaked in penetrating oil, etc... no go... When I got the action wrench, i had to use that AND a breaker bar which I put a metal pipe around for extra leverage. It came off super easy that way. I should have just bought the wrench in the first place!

anyone have a picture or link to a picture of the action wrench?

Where would one such individual find the rosin?

Wood

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Originally Posted by NefariousD

anyone have a picture or link to a picture of the action wrench?

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Here you go!

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct...tnumber=710783

works like a charm!

Rosin is easy, a visit to your local music store. They have it for violin bows.

BU - I drill my oak blocks for the action. I use string line chaulk, haven't acquired rosin yet. I have a 1/4 x 20 threaded hole in the oak block that I screw a socket head capscrew in that sets against the recoil lug. This prevents everything from moving. I use a 3' "persuader" with gently increasing pressure & this method has not failed me yet. Oh yes-always remove the scope bases because the front screw can sometimes reach down into the barrel threads & act as a "set" screw. I always stone that front screw short enough that it doesn't reach the threads. Good Luck ;) Jim

I've seen it done that way also and it does work.
I still prefer the action wrench. When tightening the nut, the barrel will move foreward a little, so you have to have the barrel backed of just a little so that when the nut is tightened, the barrel turns to the correct HS.
It takes a few times to get it right sometimes.
Don't have the bolt closed with the HS guage in the chamber when tightening the barrel nut, if the barrel goes past where it should be, you can put too much pressure on the guage.

I like to set the HS tight on a target rifle so that there is just a very slight drag on the bolt by the HS guage when the bolt is closed on the guage.

For a hunting rifle, it's better to have it a little looser, if hunting dangerous game, you want it even looser, but not loose enough for the bolt to close on a no go guage. This is to insure that the cartridge will chamber.
If it's a little tight on a target rifle, no big deal, but on a hunting rifle, you want to be sure the cartridge will chamber with no problems.

Once the HS is set, you can use the OOL bullet guage to find the correct length to set the bullet seating depth.

John K

I have pulled the barrel off 5 different rifles since I got my nut wrench this summer. Everyone of them came off very easily with just a good whack with a decent sized ball peen hammer. It bangs the wrench up a bit but I think the shock of the steel hammer pops it loose nicely.

It's not that they over-tightened them, it's that they blue them after assembly and bluing salts leak into the threads and form a chemical bond. Kroil or penetrating oil on the threads is your best bet for helping ameliorate that.

I had the same problem awhile back and was dissatisfied with the way the woods blocks worked, so I destructively modified mine to allow the recoil lug and the front action screw to provide additional slippage assiatance. I didn't clean this up as it was just meant for one-time use.....the flanges for the recoil lug to bear against are cut-down 1/8" aluminum angle, screwed in with wood screws...

See below - you probably have stuff in your shop to do this, but if you're going to be switching barrels often, an action wrench is the better solution. But I wanted mine done NOW..

[img width=600 height=450]http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h28/elkbane/ActionBlocks_1.jpg[/img]

I had to trim the width of the block a little on a table saw to match the distance between the magwell and recoil lug and drill a hole in the bottom for the action screw, then relieve for the recoil lug pin.....But when you put the top block on and mount this in a vise, it's pretty stout - no more slippage.

Elkbane