Gunsmithing Barrel Vise
- Thread starter NorCal Vu
- Start date
For what? If its bolt bolt guns I would get the Brownells. I use the Aluminum by Davidson one for tightening barrels on new actions and the 4 bolt steel one for removing factory ones.
barrel vise at Brownells
barrel vise at Brownells
Yup, for bolt rifles, and to take on and off barrels from custom builds. I don't think I will be taking a part any factory rifles.
Thanks!
Vu
Thanks!
Vu
I have a Brownell's that I'm not going to use. PM me if you're interested in it. I'll sell it cheap.
I have built a number of barrel vises for myself and friends over the years.
I just take 1.5" steel, bolt two pieces together with a 0.15" spacer, and then drill and bore a 1.5" hole.
I buy lengths of 1.5" round 6061 Aluminium rods:
Enco - Guaranteed Lowest Prices on Machinery, Tools and Shop Supplies
I put 1.5" lengths of the rods in the lathe and bore them out to fit the barrel.
Some get tapers.
I cut slits in the bushings.
Some bushings get cut in half.
I bolt the barrel vise to a 300 pound steel bench.
I clean the barrel with alcohol, unless it has wax on it.
I started out using Brownells rosin on the barrel.
Then I used powdered sugar.
Now the wife has suggested to me that the coefficient of friction with corn starch is best.
I started out with 1/2-13 bolts, but even grade 5 were snapping off with rusty military barrels.
I switched to 7/8-14.
You will need that tooling for making reloading dies anyway.
I am an amatuer gunsmith, but Randy Ketchum is a pro. He made his barrel vise with a huge hydraulic jack on his heavy bench. He can get the barrel in and out fast.
Meanwhile I am left pulling on a 3/4" drive 3' long socket wrench to tighten and loosen. I can put as much as 600 foot pounds on the action wrench and not get barrel slippage. That is needed to pull rusty old surplus barrels.
Robert Gradous suggested the Wilcox vice that uses the car jack for the Surgeon switchbarrel he's building me. It's on the same page that was linked to brownells above.
