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That Barrel is Tight

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britrifles View Drop Down
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    Posted: April 14 2020 at 4:40am
I attempted to remove the F52 barrel on the Long Branch No. 4 Mk 1/2 for refinishing.  I’ve got a 3 foot extension bar on the receiver wrench and the barrel vice as tightened down as much as I can.  The barrel is spinning in the vice at about 150 foot lbs torque, maybe more, and it won’t break free.

I’m only snugging up the receiver wrench and letting it bear up on the lower shoulder to avoid clamping down on the threads.  Any suggestions?  It’s a good barrel, so I’m not going to cut it.  Heat the receiver wrench and freeze the barrel vice and assemble quickly? 





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paddyofurniture View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote paddyofurniture Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 14 2020 at 5:49am
Try tighting it a hair of the cat and see if that free's it up.

Put everything in the freezer and give it a try. Two different steel, barrel and receiver, might give a bit.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 14 2020 at 6:45am
Did you use rosin on the barrel?
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Goosic View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Goosic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 14 2020 at 7:38am
Hit the end of the receiver wrench with a 5 Lb hand sledge. The shock will break the assembly free.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Honkytonk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 14 2020 at 7:46am
When I worked in oil and gas, when they were trying to break nuts loose on flanges that had been Hytorked and tensioned (basically they'd stretch the bolts a bit while tightening) they would do what Goosic said. Apply a big sudden force as if to loosen, then the same as if to tighten. That, and Kroil. Always seemed to work... and I'm talking big big studs and nuts torqued to huge specs. Good luck!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pukka Bundook Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 14 2020 at 7:49am
Yes, as above, a good fast belt with a big hammer.
If it keeps spinning, try brown grocery sack on the barrel. Two wraps will do.
 
Good luck.
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britrifles View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote britrifles Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 14 2020 at 7:55am
Thanks guys, I’ll try these suggestions.  I am using powdered rosin on the barrel.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote englishman_ca Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 14 2020 at 8:59am
No.4 barrels breech up on the shoulder of the barrel reinforce and the front face of the receiver ring. They are on there tight.

If the receiver is to be junked, a hacksaw cut around the receiver ring close to the edge will relieve the crush on the shoulder. Drastic and a last ditch effort, but it works.
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britrifles View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote britrifles Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 14 2020 at 10:29am
I tried a 4 lb sledge on the end of the receiver wrench, no joy,  after a few hard hits, it spins in the barrel vice.  I’m going to have to work more on the aluminum insert and get more contact area around the chamber.  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Goosic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 14 2020 at 10:34am
Make a wider cut in the aluminum sleeve and place it inline with the barrel flat or inline with the King screw post. When you tighten it,tighten it as much as you possibly can to the point of crushing the sleeve. Packing the sleeve where the barrel flat is with some epoxy helps with adhesion and grip.
This is just from personal experience...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WilliamS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 14 2020 at 10:55am
What about making a barrel wrench and wedge to fit on the knoxform and lock against the flat?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote englishman_ca Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 14 2020 at 2:57pm
Mounting the vise onto a wooden bench, although strong, the wood acts as a shock absorber when you hit the receiver wrench with the FBH.  Can you mount the vise by bolting it onto a heavy steel beam or similar?

Using the flat to gain purchase on the barrel is a gamble. If you have a it wedged and there is ANY movement of the vise on the barrel, you will blur the edge of the flat. Akin to rounding off the corners on a hex head bolt or nut with a spanner.  

It might work, yay! But if it spins, doh!

So if you wedge something onto the flat, make sure that nothing moves, and up until now, sounds like you have not been too successful in doing that. I wouldn't try it.

I have exactly the same barrel vise and receiver wrench as you do. Try moving the barrel into the taper more, right up to the receiver. You can exert enough force using those bolts on the vise to actually squish the aluminum, so grease the threads and crank down on them.

Be prepared to accept the fact that the bugger aint coming off with hand tools without relieving the shoulder crush.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Doco Overboard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 14 2020 at 6:06pm
Unbolt your barrel vise and then rebolt it to a 2x4 or something temporarily that will allow you to load the extractor slot up with Kroil. While its temporarily suspended with the Kroil soaking in, hang a decent weight on the end of your cheater and action wrench that is not" tightened up all the way just enough to give a little bit of purchase" no warp no metal damage and let it work for about 24 hr.
Unbolt your tools and replace the rigging the correct way again and start with a good whack on the wrench handle. If that doesn't do it apply cheater with a good snap and I bet it comes loose.

Detail clean and dry your vise blocks and put the rosin back on there. I bet you can hear that one when it comes loose so make sure you don't lose your footing.
One other thing I noticed is to make sure the bolts on your barrel vise are not bottoming out in a blind hole or the shoulder of the bolts preventing them for being tightened all the way.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Stumpkiller Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 14 2020 at 6:50pm
I'm not a gunsmith and have never pulled a barrel from a receiver . . . but I have a 1956 tractor I keep to shag wood, deer and run a 6' mower deck.  My order of unsticking a nut or bolt is PB Blast overnight.  Then heat.  Then a three foot cheater bar.  But I don't have to worry about heat treating and, often, I shear a bolt (and once the pawls on a 3/4" Craftsman socket wrench).

But if your wrench is spinning on the barrel after all that you may have to choose which piece to keep. 

I'm thinking the last time I saw my No.4 Mk 1/2 barrel it had flats.  Have a mill?
Charlie P.

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britrifles View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote britrifles Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 15 2020 at 6:47am
Alright, I’ve got the barreled receiver up on the muzzle, plugged the chamber and the gas vent and filled The extractor groove and area around breech with Kroil.  The rubber stoppers probably won’t stop the Kroil, but I’ll top it up during the day for the next week.  I’ll have to work on the barrel vice insert to get full contact across its width, I don’t see how this would have ever worked the way it came, that insert would only give a very narrow contact.  It will take more sanding to fit.  Times like this, I wish I had a lathe. 

I do not want to destroy this barrel, it has a lot of life left in it and shoots good.  If the above does not work, it will stay on that receiver forever.  I can still refinish it.  Part of this exercise is a dry run for barrel changing.   

I appreciate everyone’s input.

Geoff



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote englishman_ca Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 15 2020 at 7:48am
My vise came with three aluminium bushings with different sized internal tapers. It was ordered as a Lee Enfield vise.

The one bushing was turned to match the Lee Enfield's barrel reinforce taper. Pretty exact. It has full length contact on the barrel for 360 degrees. (MLE).
The other bushings that came with it I suspect are for a Mouser etc.

If you don't have the right bushing, that might be part of your problem.
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