Barrel removal tricks, parker hail?

[sdeering]

Any tricks to get the barrel off of a 30-06. When I was on my rebluing mission I wanted to remove the barrel so I could spin it between centers in the lathe. I couldn't get it to budge. I take it they are a tread fit and a right hand one. Whats a good method of holding the barrel?
STephen

 

[guntech]

The best advice I can offer is take it to a gunsmith who has the tools...

I have seen more than one 98 action damaged by a do it yourselfer...

The job is really simple - place the barrel in a barrel vice and clamp a correctly designed action wrench on the outside of the action. Smack the wrench with a heavy hammer anti-clockwise, unscrew the action.

 

[Ishootguns]

+1 for what Guntech said. Without the right tools you can twist the action.
Dave

 

[sdeering]

Thanks guys. I don't want to take it to a smith. I am way too cheep.
Anyone know what a barrel vice looks like?
Stephen

 

[SIGP2101]

http://www.e-gunparts.com/DisplayAd.asp?chrProductSKU=809780&chrSuperSKU=&MC=

 

[guntech]

Thanks guys. I don't want to take it to a smith. I am way too cheep.
Anyone know what a barrel vice looks like?
Stephen

Cheap is one thing but have you checked out what it would cost?

If someone comes to me with a stripped barreled action that they want the barrel removed I usually charge nothing if they are a regular customer or maybe $10 if I have no scope/mounts/stock to remove.

 

[sdeering]

Yes 10.00 would be nice then a 1/2 to 1 hr drive my time to take it there.
Then take it back when i want to reassemble it.
I would still want to do it myself even if it was for free.
Thanks for the picks sig.

 

[tiriaq]

There is no reason that you can't do it yourself, IF you make the proper tools. Without the proper tools, there is a good chance that: the barrel won't be removed, or, there will be damage to the barrel, receiver or both.
I doubt that the barrel vice shown would work on a really tight barrel, even with powdered resin on the blocks.
I have made a few barrel vices. Current one uses two 1 1/2' square steel bars, several inches long. They are drilled for 7/8" x 14 clamp bolts. The bars were clamped together in a lathe chuck, and a 1 1/2" hole was bored through them, half the hole in each bar. 1 /2" aluminum rounds are cut to 2" long, or so, bored to fit the barrel, then split, to make bushings. Used with powdered resin. Made a couple of action vices, they work the same way as the one pictured. Catch is, you want to hold the receiver ring solidly, unable to shift or move, but without crushing it. Yes, that can be done.
You mention spinning the barrel on a lathe to polish it, so I assume that you could do the machine work required.

 

[Casull]

There is a method described by P.O. Ackley in Brownell's "Gunsmith Kinks" books using rope and a wooden handle. Apparently it works quite well, Why_Not? here on the board told me he tried it once and it worked fine. Do you have access to these books? I could type it all out I guess if you get stuck. I wouldn't buy a barrel vice and action wrench for one use.

 

[tiriaq]

I've tried the rope trick. Have removed 94 barrels, ml breechplugs. Have never been able to pull a barrel on a Mauser, Enfield, etc. with this method. Have broken 1/2" nylon rope trying.

 

[guntech]

Barrel Vice

This vice has never failed. It has a 1.5 inch hole with steel bushings turned to match the barrel. I use powdered rosin in the bushings. The clamping pieces of steel are 1.5 inches front to back and 2 inches in height each. It is mounted on a heavy steel plate bolted to the workbench. With a proper fitting clamping external action wrench for round top, flat bottom actions I have always been able to break a barrel loose without damage to anything.

 

[sdeering]

Hey now thats the kind of stuff I was looking for.
I was actually trying to lold the barrel in the vice between a good layer of cloth. Trying to turn the action with a cressent wrench protecting the steel with more cloth. The slippage was the barrel. The cressent was working good and leaving no marks.
Thanks guys you are a wealth of knowlege.
Stephen

 

[guntech]

The Crescent will most likely mark or crush the receiver. You need to be able to clamp over the recoil lug and to be able to hit the wrench handle with a good blow from a 2 pound hammer. The shock breaks the barrel loose if it is really tight.

 

[SIGP2101]

There is a method described by P.O. Ackley in Brownell's "Gunsmith Kinks" books using rope and a wooden handle. Apparently it works quite well, Why_Not? here on the board told me he tried it once and it worked fine. Do you have access to these books? I could type it all out I guess if you get stuck. I wouldn't buy a barrel vice and action wrench for one use.

Can you describe that method, may have some other applications as well?

 

[10x]

The best advice I can offer is take it to a gunsmith who has the tools...

I have seen more than one 98 action damaged by a do it yourselfer...

The job is really simple - place the barrel in a barrel vice and clamp a correctly designed action wrench on the outside of the action. Smack the wrench with a heavy hammer anti-clockwise, unscrew the action.

It takes about twenty to two hundred pounds of torque on the wrench when you give it a sharp rap with a 2+ pound hammer.
And your barrel vise has to be extremely tight.
Do not subsitute anything else for the correct action wrench.

 

[gunrunner100]

I just did a PH on Saturday. I had to hit the wrench with a 5 lb lead deadblow hammer more than once to get it to break free from the rust and crush. Soaked the action and barrel with Aero-Kroil for almost 3 days prior to applying the wrench and vise. Take it to a gunsmith, that way you won't end up with a sprung action and a bag of parts.