Action wrench

woodchopper

woodchopper

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Ok I've decided to just get on with things


Anyone tell me where I can get a fairly cheap action wrench for a No4 Enfield

and will ship to Canada, without a whole lot of paperwork

hell anyone with used one they want to sell


or unless anyone knows what the NSN is for one I may be able to order one :D
 
Not cheap, but Brownells sells an action wrench, and lists the adapters for Lee Enfields. No export controls on this sort of tool.
One can be made easily enough.
 
tiriaq said:
Not cheap, but Brownells sells an action wrench, and lists the adapters for Lee Enfields. No export controls on this sort of tool.
One can be made easily enough.
Click to expand...


:D now thats more like it :D

I have a lathe but no milling machine I suspose with the 4 jaw chuck I should be able to machine the parts,

then with a end mill in the 3 jaw and the part mounted on the tool post I could machine out for the lug

anyone have good pictures of what I ned to make :D



yes I am a cheap bastard :)
 
Here is how I would make a receiver wrench: Actually, I would make 2, because the process produces an extra part.
Cut 2 pieces of 1" or larger square barstock about 5" long. Clamp them together in the 4 jaw chuck, centred where the 2 pieces come together. Drill and bore a hole through (1/2 hole in each) slightly larger in diameter than the receiver ring of the rifle. Extra space is for a brass or aluminum shim to prevent marking. Cut one or two pieces, same stock, about 10" long, drill a hole for the lug on the bottom of the receiver to drop into offset about 1/3 of the way along the bar. Centre drill the ends, turn one end round for about 4 or 5", to fit inside a pipe handle. Align the 1/2 hole in the one piece with the lug clearance hole in the second piece. Drill a couple of holes through both, threading the holes in one piece, clearance holes in the other; 1/2" x13 bolts will work for clamping the pieces together on the receiver ring.
To use, place a shim over the receiver ring, one piece wraps around the receiver ring, the second part goes against the bottom flat on the receiver, with the lug protected in its hole. Clamp tight with the two 1/2" bolts. Clamp the barrel in barrel vice, apply pipe handle to the receiver wrench, have at it.
With the right sized half hole, and turned split bushing halves of the correct diameters, the wrench will work on any round top, flat bottom receiver. Reverse the half holed piece, flat to flat, and the wrench will grab flat receivers, like a 94 Winchester. Use longer clamping screws, and it will work on a M-1/M-14.
 
Making one takes a mill. Cold rolled steel will do nicely. It doesn't need to be hardened, but the dimensions must fit the dimensions of the receiver where the barrel is screwed in. Have a look at the action wrenches on Brownell's site. That'll give you an idea what you need to do.
 
Something to consider if rebarrelling No. 4s - A new barrel should pull up hand tight about 14 degrees off top dead centre, and take about 120 ft.lbs torque to index. 40# pull on a 3' handle. This is more torque than is the case for most commercial rebarrels.
Removing the original barrel can be a bit of an adventure. One scrapper that I disassembled as an experiment took over 600ft.lbs to break loose. (Me hanging on the end of a 3' cheater, let go with a sharp snap). This was dead pull, rather than impact; impact can make quite a difference. If the old barrel isn't worth saving intact, it can help to cut a relief groove in front of the receiver to release some torque. If necessary, the barrel can have its shoulder cut back, and a breeching ring fitted.
Be careful not to damage the receiver. Sort of defeats the purpose to install a new barrel on a tweaked receiver.
The receiver wrench can also be made with two handles. This can equalize the application of torque.
 
Thanks all

Judging from all the various pictures of action wrenches, they all look sufficiently crude enough that a monkey with the proper tools could make one. :D So on that note I'm going to give it a go.

I built a set of tapered bushings to fit the enfield barrel knox allready so I guess its an action wrench next.
 
"...can be a bit of an adventure..." Yep. In the shop I worked in long ago, we used the barrel vise I had made(far bigger than a commercial vise. Bigger than necessary too.) with a real No. 4 wrench and bashed the wrench handle with a 4 foot, 2" diameter, Al bar. Worked every time.
 
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