Enfield Barrel removal - building tools

[woodchopper]

So enough was enough.....

I had an EAL that some ham head drilled for a scope base and drilled 2 crooked holes in the receiver with one that went through the receiver into the chamber. I want to do something with it and the barrel was going to come off. So after heat and messing around the last 4 months, building barrel blocks with aluminum inserts and the barrel spinning in the blocks and a 3/8" grade 80 bolt snapping off under tension... I was fed up with it.... it was time for something a little more drastic......

30" pipe wrench and a 3' cheater... Barrel was already damaged so not much to lose getting it loose.

So with the wrench snugged up on the knox there was not a lot of damage to the top of the barrel and just some groves from the wrench on the bottom that I could file out if I wanted to set back the barrel.

with that done I looked around the shop.... Oh an Ishy rifle that I got as salvage because it was a drill rifle that the buyer just wanted the wood for another project. Hardened steel pin blocking the chamber. Well looks like its poorly welded on one side only and a little proud on the other... lets see what the 10T press will do... well the pin popped out with minimal effort, I suspect less then a ton, happened so quick I didn't even have time to look at what the gauge was reading. Into the receiver block and another twist with the pipe wrench and cheater and that come off fairly easy.

I think the solution for taking off enfield barrels will be to build a specific wrench that is exactly the same profile as the barrel knox and have an insert welded in to match the flat, going to need one for the No1 and one for the No4 as they seem to be slightly different.

Big pipe wrench is fine for buggered up barrels but I have a few other ideals in my head and I will need to screw on a barrel in the near future

(C No 7 NOS receiver and barrel just sitting in my parts bin)


Yes pictures of the receiver block will e posted later.

 

[woodchopper]

so here is the receiver block I built, oh all steel blocks and I like stamping them with what they are for and what bolt size and TPI



and here is how it holds the receiver, machined out so that I have access to the entire knox



and a family picture of other blocks for barrels and inserts that I have been working on

 

[Snider shooter]

Here’s mine. Also made out of aluminum. I have blocks for the barrel that I put in a shop press. 3 ft bar goes on the square bar. I put some pressure on the bar and wack it with sledgehammer. Hasn’t failed yet.

 

[woodchopper]

ok yesterday I built wrenches that fit snuggly to the barrel knox for the No1 and No4, they are different profiles and breach up a little different.

used blocks 2" x 3" x 1" thick and set up in the 4 jaw chuck and set up the cross side to bore out the holes.

then cut out a 1/2" slot to match the flat on the knox and welded in a block, then cleaned them up.

tested the one for the No4, worked really easy.

I'll post some pictures later, I didn't have my phone with me in the shop.

 

[woodchopper]

and this is the EAL I pulled the barrel off. You see bubba not only drilled the receiver crookerd he also drilled all the way into the chamber.