building and testing tools

[woodchopper]

so here is another one I built recently... Enfield receiver wrench

I had a deactivated receiver with a barrel stub that I thought would work fine as a test subject

now I have not built the barrel vise and just used a pipewrench with a cheater (6' pipe) as the stub is not really useful for much but it came off and the receiver was not damaged or marked

 

[dan belisle]

Good job. I find I always seem to need to cobble something up for every third project or so. - dan

 

[tiriaq]

That is a serious receiver wrench!
This is my barrel vise. Two steel bars, bit less than half a hole in each, clamped with two 7/8" bolts, 1 1/2" diameter bushings. I have an assortment of bushings, make additional ones as needed.
Sprinkled with powdered rosin, clamped down hard, barrels do not tend to slip. I think I bought the steel bar stock from Metal Supermarkets, the 1 1/2" aluminum bushing stock is from aircraftspruce.ca

I used to grab the vise in my monster 6" vise. More recently, I have mounted it to a piece of heavy angle iron, secured to the front edge of the bench.

 

[woodchopper]

I've got some big chunks of steel kicking around that I have been cutting pieces off for projects

it was picked up as scrap, the biggest is 1 1/2" thick and 24"x24" its huge

the smaller plates are manageable.

I will be building some sort of barrel vise out of some 1" stock

 

[tiriaq]

I did really well at an auction and bought a brand new Brownells receiver wrench. Using aluminum bar stock from aircraftspruce.ca I made additional blocks to fit other receivers. It can now handle Remington 700s, Winchester 70s, large and small ring Mausers, Lee Enfields, M-1, etc.



For flat sided receivers, the tool made from 1" square bar stock works nicely. The other is a M-1 wrench. For most all installations on two lug bolt action rifles I use an internal wrench. Much faster than a clamp on external setup. The internal is for installations; I prefer an external wrench for removing barrels. I always cross my fingers when removing a barrel. Some can be challenging. Over the years I have damaged two receivers on removal. Makes one sick. Proper setup is critical.

 

[Potashminer]

I found many barrels at shoulder close to 1.25" or so - older military, usually, or barrel blanks - so I bought some lengths of aluminum 1.5" round bar - my barrel vice made from 1.5" square material - similar to the one shown above - with a 1.5" hole drilled through with 1/8" or so spacer between the halves - lets me cut lengths of that 1.5" round bar and then ream out to shape that I need for any particular barrel - must by 5 or 6 "inserts" made up so far - I found a single layer of ordinary note paper between the barrel and the aluminum insert seems to prevent aluminum marks on the metal - does not affect "grab" - at least what can not be countered by how tight the clamp bolts get snugged up. I found that if I am "ragged" with my boring tool on the lathe, or miss the angle by a small bit, that the aluminum seems to "flow" under pressure to conform to the barrel.

Your Lee Enfield action wrench looks very "skookum" - I think those are generally very soft actions - important to apply torque pressure ONLY on the shoulders near bottom of receiver under that front action ring, without deforming that "spigot" for the action screw. Is many examples here and with an acquaintance - some one used a bar (or similar) through the action to undo a barrel - dents in action, action twisted, etc. We presume barrel was likely being held in a shop bench vise - likely crazy marked up, and the action pretty much ruined for future use. Both acquaintance and I keep a twisted / dented one - at least to be able to show what NOT TO DO with a Lee Enfield action.

 

[STR8 Shot]

Great job gentlemen, was thinking of making something like this myself.

I may just send you folks my barreled receivers LOL

 

[tiriaq]

I made an aluminum plate cut for the lug on the bottom of the Lee Enfield receiver ring, It is clamped between the flat bottom 0f the receiver and the flat of the action wrench. Clamping pressure on the flat, lug is protected.

That little flat receiver wrench made form two 1" square bars... I've used on Ruger singles, M94 Winchesters, even barrels with flats.
M94s can be debarreled using the rope trick. Hold the receiver in a machinist's vise and wrap a doubled rope around the barrel. Hardwood handle through the rope loop. Rope winds tight and acts like a strap wrench. The receiver must be clamped without crushing, of course.

 

[Potashminer]

In picture below - lower - that is Brownells action wrench handle, with the adapter plate that they sell for Lee Enfield receivers that is used with a Small Ring Mauser "head" - I think that all goes with the "normal" length cap screws, which are recessed into the "head". With a good solid barrel vise to hold the barrel solidly, that system seems to work fine, so far.

In back ground is a "home made" internal receiver wrench for receivers that have two bolt lugs. Somewhere, is a home-made external receiver wrench for P14 - M1917 Enfield, but I can not find that one right now. I do not use it very often, since I got that Brownells system.

 

[tiriaq]

The little aluminum Lee Enfield bar I made is like the one above, but shorter - fits between the screws.

Incidentally, if making barrel vises, clamp the pieces in the 4-jaw chuck with a cardboard, etc., shim between the blocks. Drill and bore, 1 1/2" in my unit. Incorporating the gap between the blocks allows the vise to pull up tight on the barrel. Took this photo when I was rebarreling a Cooey-Carcano to 7.62x39.

 

[bearhunter]

In picture below - lower - that is Brownells action wrench handle, with the adapter plate that they sell for Lee Enfield receivers that is used with a Small Ring Mauser "head" - I think that all goes with the "normal" length cap screws, which are recessed into the "head". With a good solid barrel vise to hold the barrel solidly, that system seems to work fine, so far.

In back ground is a "home made" internal receiver wrench for receivers that have two bolt lugs. Somewhere, is a home-made external receiver wrench for P14 - M1917 Enfield, but I can not find that one right now. I do not use it very often, since I got that Brownells system.

View attachment 760161

I don't have pics but I have homemade wrenches, similar to those offered at Brownelle's. The No4 receiver has a larger "flat" area on the bottom, so I have two bottom pieces, one for the No1 and one for the No4.

My wrench is built in reverse to the one in your photo, makes it much easier to assemble when the barrel is clamped tight.

These receivers are "soft" and flexible, very easily ruined or damaged.

 

[woodchopper]

looks like I need to buy some aluminum bar stock

I have been using aluminum shims in the receiver wrench and just clamping the barrel in some hardwood blocks up to now

the hardwood blocks have not been very effective

and I want to have a system where I can use an impact gun to take the barrels off the deWalt I have is rated for 1400FtLbs

 

[woodchopper]

I have cut off a chunk of 1 1/2" x 2" x 3" steel for making up a barrel vise

I'll need to pick up some 1 1/2" aluminum bar stock for bushings

I may just make 2 smaller ones for just using on enfields (No1 and No4) and use some aluminum shim stock to line them.

 

[Potashminer]

If it helps in your planning that out - I just ignored the "nocks form" or Knox form on the No. 4 barrels - I just set them in there so the flat area points to left or right - the halves of the aluminum inserts were reamed out on my lathe to roughly match to the taper on the barrel, though. So barrel vise and action wrench like 1/8" apart when installed. I have seen on Internet where user had their barrel vise like 8 or 9 inches from the receiver - in my mind, I think that would twist some of the No. 4 barrels that I have removed. Some required a good smack with 6 pound sledge hammer on action wrench handle to break that thread loose - so barrel vise has to be really torqued up good, and the action wrench needs to be good and snug - I think really torquing on that action wrench connection might "squish in" on those barrel threads - so I do not tighten the action wrench nearly as tight as I torque on the barrel vise. I never tried to use an impact wrench to remove a barrel - I will be interested to hear how that works out for you.

 

[bearhunter]

I have cut off a chunk of 1 1/2" x 2" x 3" steel for making up a barrel vise

I'll need to pick up some 1 1/2" aluminum bar stock for bushings

I may just make 2 smaller ones for just using on enfields (No1 and No4) and use some aluminum shim stock to line them.

It's your call on aluminum bushings but I went away from those a long time ago. All of my barrel clamps are now made from square steel, drilled and profiled for the barrel contour at the area I'm going to clamp it, then cut in half and a thin brass shim between 3-5 thou is either wrapped on the barrel or just inserted in the clamp orifice. The brass shims stop any marring of the finish and don't leave smears which aren't easy to remove.

Aluminum works, so if you're happy with it, by all means use it.

My barrel clamp blocks are sometimes drilled and tapped on the edge for countersunk 1/4 NC hex head bolts to hold the shims in place while clamping them in the vice.

They last forever and the shim is thrown away after each use.

A wipe with very fine Dollar Store grade steel wool, will easily wipe away any brass bloom with a few swipes. If it's a bit resistant, add a few drops of Wipe Out.