Gunsmithing Barrel Vise
- Thread starter Tony1320
- Start date
Look at the Short Action Customs. Mark has a pretty well thought out design that’s somewhat modular. I just talked to him this AM on it. Pretty spendy but design and modularity of it look good. Just an option.
I looked at that option as well but for all I'm going to do I didnt see the value
sorry to hijack this thread.
i've only done barrel swaps with pre-fit/barrel nut barrels with the action clamped in an action vice.
my next barrel is a shouldered prefit and will be using a rear entry action wrench to spin action onto the barrel.
i have those magnetic soft vise jaws with the "barrel channel groove". is that enough clamping force to install a barrel? or would I be better off with an ACTUAL barrel vice?
i've only done barrel swaps with pre-fit/barrel nut barrels with the action clamped in an action vice.
my next barrel is a shouldered prefit and will be using a rear entry action wrench to spin action onto the barrel.
i have those magnetic soft vise jaws with the "barrel channel groove". is that enough clamping force to install a barrel? or would I be better off with an ACTUAL barrel vice?
If you have a bench vise just get a piece of hard wood cut a 1”-1.2” hole in it, cut that in half and use something like rubber as a liner. Works just fine.
If you don’t mind spending 80-100$ the viper vise is decent. I hate the springs on them and the top of the vise is eh. I have bent mine many times.
If you don’t mind spending a decent amount on a much better design the SAC vise is amazing.
If you don’t mind spending 80-100$ the viper vise is decent. I hate the springs on them and the top of the vise is eh. I have bent mine many times.
If you don’t mind spending a decent amount on a much better design the SAC vise is amazing.
We used the Brownells and the VIPER in the shop for several years. They do well but have their detracotrs. Especially on cerakote painted barrels.
I ordered up one of the SAC vises and then immediately ordered a second.
The less expensive ones will do the job for you as a hobbyist though the difference in price of the Brownells with 1 set of bushings and the SAC vise with a full set of bushings is covered by the first cerakote paint job you gouge with the cheaper vise. Ask me how I know.
I ordered up one of the SAC vises and then immediately ordered a second.
The less expensive ones will do the job for you as a hobbyist though the difference in price of the Brownells with 1 set of bushings and the SAC vise with a full set of bushings is covered by the first cerakote paint job you gouge with the cheaper vise. Ask me how I know.
I bought a MechForce scratch and dent model last summer. I've used it twice and worked well both times.
It comes with leather pieces between the jaws. I bought some rosin to help increase the amount of friction between the leather and the barrel, but it wasnt necessary. The leather would have held very well on its own.
https://mechforce-usa.com/mechforce-professional-grade-heavy-duty-barrel-vise/
It comes with leather pieces between the jaws. I bought some rosin to help increase the amount of friction between the leather and the barrel, but it wasnt necessary. The leather would have held very well on its own.
https://mechforce-usa.com/mechforce-professional-grade-heavy-duty-barrel-vise/
I have a Davidson and a Viper. I love the springs! I asked the Bob Pastor, the guy who makes Viper vices, to add them to my Davidson. I think they keep the top off the barrel until I am ready to tighten everything down. I am surprised that you bent the tops. I torque the nuts with about 25-30-ft/lbs. The action always comes loose, the top has never bent, and since I dumped the leather the barrel never slips in the vice.
About protecting the barrel finish, after 25 years of using a variety of leather, rubber, wood, etc between the vice jaws and the barrel, I now use the cores from toilet paper roll cut lengthwise.
I am not especially fussy about the finish on my barrels. If I want a different look or I mess up something, I hit them with spray-paint. When I used leather, sometimes the barrel slipped. The combination of the leather and the slip abraded the finish on a couple of barrels. Spray paint, done.
I have a couple of barrels coated with Green-T. That stuff is pretty slick. Toilet paper rolls work great.
I bought the Viper to remove a factory Remington barrel based on comments here.. I wanted the one from SAC but couldn't justify the cost for a 1 or 2 barrel job.
The Viper hasn't worked so far but only got a couple of tries before I had to stop due to shoulder surgery schedule last week. It had soaked in Kroil for 2 weeks with heat every day or 2 from a heat gun to 200-210 F. I torqued the top to 45, 50, 55 ftlb and still couldn't hold the barrel using a 4ft cheater. I also used toilet paper rolls around the barrel for protection.
Guess I am going to have to look for help on this one. Not sure what else to do. Anyone in the Houston area???
I debated buying the one off ebay as he guy said he would custom cut a bushing for my barrel profile.
It should work for my AW's (barrels already removed and reinstalled) and going to try the TRG when I am allowed and can move that arm.
The Viper hasn't worked so far but only got a couple of tries before I had to stop due to shoulder surgery schedule last week. It had soaked in Kroil for 2 weeks with heat every day or 2 from a heat gun to 200-210 F. I torqued the top to 45, 50, 55 ftlb and still couldn't hold the barrel using a 4ft cheater. I also used toilet paper rolls around the barrel for protection.
Guess I am going to have to look for help on this one. Not sure what else to do. Anyone in the Houston area???
I debated buying the one off ebay as he guy said he would custom cut a bushing for my barrel profile.
It should work for my AW's (barrels already removed and reinstalled) and going to try the TRG when I am allowed and can move that arm.
Removing factory barrels is hard, they are installed with a lot of torque. You're on the right forum.
Dan Dowling (last I knew, a BR smith in Palisades Colorado) had a barrel vice that would work. Cast iron pedestal stand, about 4 feet tall, bolted to the floor, roughly a 12-inch circular pattern. The clamping mechanism used hardwood blocks bored to fit the barrel. Seems to me they were captured inside a kind of box structure to keep them from being crushed by the clamping forces. The clamp tightening arm was about 4 feet long and about an inch in diameter. Dan told me that he could easily remove a Mauser barrel from the receiver - apparently this is no mean feat. He popped a factory barrel off a Remington PSS receiver for me, no sweat.
Dan Dowling (last I knew, a BR smith in Palisades Colorado) had a barrel vice that would work. Cast iron pedestal stand, about 4 feet tall, bolted to the floor, roughly a 12-inch circular pattern. The clamping mechanism used hardwood blocks bored to fit the barrel. Seems to me they were captured inside a kind of box structure to keep them from being crushed by the clamping forces. The clamp tightening arm was about 4 feet long and about an inch in diameter. Dan told me that he could easily remove a Mauser barrel from the receiver - apparently this is no mean feat. He popped a factory barrel off a Remington PSS receiver for me, no sweat.
I have a couple spots on one barrel that is messed up the cerakote from the brownells vise. The viper seems easier on the finish which is why I switched to it for most of my work. I want to try the SAC vise but I don't want to spend that much money for what I do.
Could be two things here.
What type of action wrench?
If it is one of the brownells/wheeler type that encloses the action, you can tighten those down two much and bind the action around the tenon.
Loosen the clamping screws a bit and try again.
otherwise, you may have to cut a relief groove.
Also looking to pick up a vise that isn't overly expensive as I'll only switch barrels maybe once or twice a year. Gonna put a steel barrel on for summer match season and my carbon Hardy on for hunting season.
Any recommendations on a vise or techniques for carbon barrels? I'm assuming you'd want to grab right at the shoulder to remove?
Any recommendations on a vise or techniques for carbon barrels? I'm assuming you'd want to grab right at the shoulder to remove?
