Gunsmithing Barrel vice question

craigp40

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 31, 2005
287
26
SW PA
Guys, I'm getting to ready have a switch barrel rifle built and I'm starting to look at the tools I will need to perform the switching. Looking at the barrel vices, I'm wondering why a good standard vice can't be used with the proper blocks and bushings. Is it possible to use a heavy table vice for this operation when utilizing a rear entry action wrench?
 
Re: Barrel vice question

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: craigp40</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Wow, no one has tried this? Figured somebody would have at least once. I may be the first... </div></div>

Yes it's been tried it just not the preferred method of doing it. The vise doesn’t distribute the force evenly around the barrel based on how a vise works. For that reason I don't know anyone that does it.

Plus for those benchrest guys that change barrels at the range it’s kind of hard to drag the very large bench top vise from the garage to the range.
 
Re: Barrel vice question

For the benchrest part... I bolt mine to the loading / cleaning table where I do 99% of everything while I'm there. A friend that owns a rather large motorhome has a barrel vise bolted to a piece of 2" square tubing that fits in his trailer hitch receiver.
 
Re: Barrel vice question

just go to brownells and do a search for "barrel vise" Pay $60 for a good vise and move on to bigger and better things.
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Re: Barrel vice question

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Victor N TN</div><div class="ubbcode-body">For the benchrest part... I bolt mine to the loading / cleaning table where I do 99% of everything while I'm there. A friend that owns a rather large motorhome has a barrel vise bolted to a piece of 2" square tubing that fits in his trailer hitch receiver. </div></div>

So do I but were not talking about a large 20 + lbs bench top pip fitters vise either.