M14 Tooling Blueprints
- Thread starter bigtex
- Start date
A barrel vise and action wrench isn't something you'd use regularly. They're used when removing and installing barrels only.
A combo tool is the only tool you'd ever use regularly. Comes as part of the issue field cleaning kit. Marstar lists the kits at $21.95. Includes ratcheting chamber brush, combo tool, four piece carbon steel rod, cleaning patch holder, and canvas rod case.
A combo tool is the only tool you'd ever use regularly. Comes as part of the issue field cleaning kit. Marstar lists the kits at $21.95. Includes ratcheting chamber brush, combo tool, four piece carbon steel rod, cleaning patch holder, and canvas rod case.
SunRay,
I am removing barrels and installing new ones. I have 6 M14's and some of them are getting shorty barrels. So that is why I am asking the masses for their help in getting tool blueprints or pictures of the tools that they use.
BuckBrush,
Thanks for the tip.
BigTex
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Brownell's sells barrel vises and action wrenches. None of which are cheap. $189.99US for the vise with M14/Garand bushings. They sell generic action wrenches too. $67.12US.
Good pictures on Brownell's site to make either. It's not terribly difficult. Does take access to a machine shop.
Got access to and the skills to use a milling machine? Made a vise and generic action wrench, long ago, just from looking at a picture. Was working in a gun shop and taking night machining classes at a Community College.
Two hunks of steel that are machined flat on the meeting sides with two bolts(used 5/8-11 hex head bolts myself. Far bigger than necessary though) to close it tight and a hole drilled through the middle(side on) to take bushings. Special purpose steel for both and mild steel bushings for the wrench. The bushings were tapered internally to match several milsurp rifle barrels(Lee-Enfield's and M1 Carbine's mostly. Very few semi'd M14's around in those days. Early 80's. Nobody was doing anything to them or M1A's, then. No aftermarket barrels like there is now.). Measured a barrel near the receiver and at about 2" out on the barrel. Figured out the taper and turned 'em on a lathe. Cut in half lengthwise. The cut gave enough distance for tightening in the vise.
Did most of the fabricating on a radial arm mill. Nothing else has enough strength. Mind you, the vise I made was considerably heavier than any commercial barrel vise. Made it out of 2" bar stock, as I recall. The vise and wrench worked just fine changing No. 4 and Carbine barrels. We used a 4 foot, 2", Al bar as a hammer. More over kill, but it worked really well.
Got a milsurp .45 Government Model in trade for the vise and wrench. Had to sell it a few years later to pay a friggin' lawyer.
You'll need a set of headspace guages too. Brownell's again. $27.40US each for Forster guages. You'll need the whole set of three. No Field guage from Clymer through Brownell's.
Good pictures on Brownell's site to make either. It's not terribly difficult. Does take access to a machine shop.
Got access to and the skills to use a milling machine? Made a vise and generic action wrench, long ago, just from looking at a picture. Was working in a gun shop and taking night machining classes at a Community College.
Two hunks of steel that are machined flat on the meeting sides with two bolts(used 5/8-11 hex head bolts myself. Far bigger than necessary though) to close it tight and a hole drilled through the middle(side on) to take bushings. Special purpose steel for both and mild steel bushings for the wrench. The bushings were tapered internally to match several milsurp rifle barrels(Lee-Enfield's and M1 Carbine's mostly. Very few semi'd M14's around in those days. Early 80's. Nobody was doing anything to them or M1A's, then. No aftermarket barrels like there is now.). Measured a barrel near the receiver and at about 2" out on the barrel. Figured out the taper and turned 'em on a lathe. Cut in half lengthwise. The cut gave enough distance for tightening in the vise.
Did most of the fabricating on a radial arm mill. Nothing else has enough strength. Mind you, the vise I made was considerably heavier than any commercial barrel vise. Made it out of 2" bar stock, as I recall. The vise and wrench worked just fine changing No. 4 and Carbine barrels. We used a 4 foot, 2", Al bar as a hammer. More over kill, but it worked really well.
Got a milsurp .45 Government Model in trade for the vise and wrench. Had to sell it a few years later to pay a friggin' lawyer.
You'll need a set of headspace guages too. Brownell's again. $27.40US each for Forster guages. You'll need the whole set of three. No Field guage from Clymer through Brownell's.
Big Tex
man i was gonna p.m. you some info but got side tracked and been crazy busy for the past months.
I'll endeavor to take some measurements and pics.
Lazerus2000 made his own vice and receiver wrench and passed them on to me a year ago. They have seen dozens and dozens and dozens of barrelling jobs and will continue to do so for a long time coming
I have a second Vice that was custom machined and is near identical to the brownells version as it also uses specific bushings for standard and heavy barrels for the m14.
more to come after i take pics.
man i was gonna p.m. you some info but got side tracked and been crazy busy for the past months.
I'll endeavor to take some measurements and pics.
Lazerus2000 made his own vice and receiver wrench and passed them on to me a year ago. They have seen dozens and dozens and dozens of barrelling jobs and will continue to do so for a long time coming
I have a second Vice that was custom machined and is near identical to the brownells version as it also uses specific bushings for standard and heavy barrels for the m14.
more to come after i take pics.
