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First build: Bighorn + Proof Research + TriggerTech + ADG + Area 419 + AI

kylepmcg

Supporter
Supporter
Minuteman
Jul 18, 2022
44
5
PA, USA
So I got a bin of parts as follows:
•KRG Bravo LA
•Proof CF 26” sendero 1/9”
•Bighorn Origin LA
•TriggerTech diamond
•AI magazine
•Area 419 hellfire match brake

I bought the anti seized in the attached photo, but overall I am still a bit unsure of how hands on I should be with this build. I have a torque wrench and makeshift barrel vice but no action wrench. Any tips on how to get these parts from a pile to a rifle would be appreciated.
 

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The term “makeshift barrel vise” definitely makes me a bit nervous. But otherwise, you need an action wrench, the torque wrench is optional but since you already have it carry on.

Clamp the shank (thickest metal part, right next to the tenon threads) of the barrel in the barrel vise, with a business card or two wrapped around it to protect the finish. Torque the vise bolts down more than you think you need to; you should be giving it enough elbow grease that you start worrying you’re going to damage the barrel. Don’t clamp the carbon, only the steel shank.

Apply the anti-seize to the tenon threads, then gently wipe away any excess. Try to make sure there’s none on the shoulder of the barrel (the flat face that locks against the action when the action is all the way on).

Thread the action on by hand, all the way til it stops. Make sure the recoil lug is properly aligned as you do this. If anti-seize squirts out, back the action off, wipe off the two flat mating faces, then screw the action back on all the way.

Insert the action wrench into the action, all the way to the breech (beginning of the barrel), then apply the torque wrench and go for it. 75-100 ft-lbs is good. If the barrel starts turning in the vise, stop cranking the action and start cranking those vise bolts/nuts further. Torque wrench on the action wrench, crank til it clicks.

Loosen the barrel vise, gently remove the barrel from the vise, then check headspace with go/no-go gauges. If you don’t have those, you can use factory brass and scotch tape; both methods are described elsewhere.

If headspace is good, install the trigger using the two pins, install the barreled action into the Bravo per the manufacturer instructions, and you’re all done. When I install BA’s into stocks/chassis, I tilt the muzzle up to ensure the recoil lug is snugged against the stock before tightening the action screws.

If headspace is bad, come back here for help. Odds are you are doing something wrong, the Hide will help you troubleshoot. It’s possible the headspace actually is bad, in which case you call your barrel seller up and start a warranty process.

Here’s a video walking through the process:


This video vastly understates how much you’ll have to tighten the barrel vise when he removes the existing barrel; he shows it better around the 9:00 mark, and talks about how he’s cranking those nuts tight.

ETA: It looks like the Origin scope rail extends past the front face of the action; make sure there’s enough room for this to not hit the barrel vise when the action is screwed all the way on. You do NOT want to crank that rail into the vise.
 
The term “makeshift barrel vise” definitely makes me a bit nervous. But otherwise, you need an action wrench, the torque wrench is optional but since you already have it carry on.

Clamp the shank (thickest metal part, right next to the tenon threads) of the barrel in the barrel vise, with a business card or two wrapped around it to protect the finish. Torque the vise bolts down more than you think you need to; you should be giving it enough elbow grease that you start worrying you’re going to damage the barrel. Don’t clamp the carbon, only the steel shank.

Apply the anti-seize to the tenon threads, then gently wipe away any excess. Try to make sure there’s none on the shoulder of the barrel (the flat face that locks against the action when the action is all the way on).

Thread the action on by hand, all the way til it stops. Make sure the recoil lug is properly aligned as you do this. If anti-seize squirts out, back the action off, wipe off the two flat mating faces, then screw the action back on all the way.

Insert the action wrench into the action, all the way to the breech (beginning of the barrel), then apply the torque wrench and go for it. 75-100 ft-lbs is good. If the barrel starts turning in the vise, stop cranking the action and start cranking those vise bolts/nuts further. Torque wrench on the action wrench, crank til it clicks.

Loosen the barrel vise, gently remove the barrel from the vise, then check headspace with go/no-go gauges. If you don’t have those, you can use factory brass and scotch tape; both methods are described elsewhere.

If headspace is good, install the trigger using the two pins, install the barreled action into the Bravo per the manufacturer instructions, and you’re all done. When I install BA’s into stocks/chassis, I tilt the muzzle up to ensure the recoil lug is snugged against the stock before tightening the action screws.

If headspace is bad, come back here for help. Odds are you are doing something wrong, the Hide will help you troubleshoot. It’s possible the headspace actually is bad, in which case you call your barrel seller up and start a warranty process.

Here’s a video walking through the process:


This video vastly understates how much you’ll have to tighten the barrel vise when he removes the existing barrel; he shows it better around the 9:00 mark, and talks about how he’s cranking those nuts tight.

ETA: It looks like the Origin scope rail extends past the front face of the action; make sure there’s enough room for this to not hit the barrel vise when the action is screwed all the way on. You do NOT want to crank that rail into the vise.

ETA: the scope rail comes off on an origin to avoid that entirely.

Why would you disassemble and redo if you have a little antiseize on the faces?
 
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The term “makeshift barrel vise” definitely makes me a bit nervous. But otherwise, you need an action wrench, the torque wrench is optional but since you already have it carry on.

Clamp the shank (thickest metal part, right next to the tenon threads) of the barrel in the barrel vise, with a business card or two wrapped around it to protect the finish. Torque the vise bolts down more than you think you need to; you should be giving it enough elbow grease that you start worrying you’re going to damage the barrel. Don’t clamp the carbon, only the steel shank.

Apply the anti-seize to the tenon threads, then gently wipe away any excess. Try to make sure there’s none on the shoulder of the barrel (the flat face that locks against the action when the action is all the way on).

Thread the action on by hand, all the way til it stops. Make sure the recoil lug is properly aligned as you do this. If anti-seize squirts out, back the action off, wipe off the two flat mating faces, then screw the action back on all the way.

Insert the action wrench into the action, all the way to the breech (beginning of the barrel), then apply the torque wrench and go for it. 75-100 ft-lbs is good. If the barrel starts turning in the vise, stop cranking the action and start cranking those vise bolts/nuts further. Torque wrench on the action wrench, crank til it clicks.

Loosen the barrel vise, gently remove the barrel from the vise, then check headspace with go/no-go gauges. If you don’t have those, you can use factory brass and scotch tape; both methods are described elsewhere.

If headspace is good, install the trigger using the two pins, install the barreled action into the Bravo per the manufacturer instructions, and you’re all done. When I install BA’s into stocks/chassis, I tilt the muzzle up to ensure the recoil lug is snugged against the stock before tightening the action screws.

If headspace is bad, come back here for help. Odds are you are doing something wrong, the Hide will help you troubleshoot. It’s possible the headspace actually is bad, in which case you call your barrel seller up and start a warranty process.

Here’s a video walking through the process:


This video vastly understates how much you’ll have to tighten the barrel vise when he removes the existing barrel; he shows it better around the 9:00 mark, and talks about how he’s cranking those nuts tight.

ETA: It looks like the Origin scope rail extends past the front face of the action; make sure there’s enough room for this to not hit the barrel vise when the action is screwed all the way on. You do NOT want to crank that rail into the vise.

Thank you for the input. I cut a 1” hole in a chunk of 2x4, split the chunk along the grain, chamfered the sharp edges, and added rubber strapping to give it some grip and cushion. We will see how well it holds but by my calculation I will need 1000lbf clamping force to apply 60ft*lb torque without slippage, 1667lbf to apply 100ft*lb without slipping.

I should be able to pop off the pic rail with one screw while doing this— it’s just one screw.

The headspace part kind of seems sketchy to do with a piece of factory ammo or brass. Realistically it sounds like it should be fine, but it just seems like I should be using real gauges.
 
You do not have to jam the barrel all the way up to the action in the vise. You can have it a few inches out in front of the action. Mine is usually about 6" out. Been changing them for years and no issues. No need to take the scope base off at all.

You also don't need anti seize. Some use it but some don't. I use a little grease on the threads and they screw on and off just fine.

My advise is to buy an actual barrel vise. A makeshift one might work but having the right tool for the job helps. It's also not overly expensive. You will need an action wrench also. Order this on soon. They go out of stock fast.

 
You do not have to jam the barrel all the way up to the action in the vise. You can have it a few inches out in front of the action. Mine is usually about 6" out. Been changing them for years and no issues. No need to take the scope base off at all.

You also don't need anti seize. Some use it but some don't. I use a little grease on the threads and they screw on and off just fine.

My advise is to buy an actual barrel vise. A makeshift one might work but having the right tool for the job helps. It's also not overly expensive. You will need an action wrench also. Order this on soon. They go out of stock fast.

The one thing is the exposed steel only extends maybe 2” before the carbon fiber starts— so unless I clamp on that— im pretty close to the end. My neighbor is a gunsmith so he’s lending me his rear-entry Remington 700 action wrench. Can’t really use his barrel vice because its this gigantic cast iron thing. I’d have him do the install but he tells me he doesnt use any torque spec— just a big cheater bar as a spud wrench.
 
The one thing is the exposed steel only extends maybe 2” before the carbon fiber starts— so unless I clamp on that— im pretty close to the end. My neighbor is a gunsmith so he’s lending me his rear-entry Remington 700 action wrench. Can’t really use his barrel vice because its this gigantic cast iron thing. I’d have him do the install but he tells me he doesnt use any torque spec— just a big cheater bar as a spud wrench.

Well if you have to take it off then take it off but if it was going to be a regular switch barrel it would be a giant pain in the ass. Seems like this is just a put together and stay that way so you can take some more time and take the base off if it's in the way.

A 700 wrench may require you to take the ejector out of the action as it may hit it. If he is a gunsmith then he should be able to do it pretty easy.

Honestly a lot of smiths don't use torque wrenches. A very well known and trusted company here on the Hide doesn't. They use a T handled action wrench and screw action in until it touches, back off a little and then slams it home. That's it. It's tight when steel hits steel. More people get worked up over exact torque specs for barrel installs and they don't really need to.
 
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I don’t use a torque wrench and haven’t had issues, but that’s just one data point. Nothing wrong with using it if you have it; you could just loan yours to your neighbor?

Why would you disassemble and redo if you have a little antiseize on the faces?
Almost certainly unnecessary, but I’m just a lil OCD. I would be mildly concerned about headspace, just because I personally don’t know how thick that layer would be, and it’s super simple to take that concern away for myself. I wouldn’t break it apart if it has been fully torqued, but it’s easy peasy if you’re still in the hand-tightening phase.
 
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ETA: the scope rail comes off on an origin to avoid that entirely.

Why would you disassemble and redo if you have a little antiseize on the faces?

I thought the scope rail was pinned on and could not be easily removed. (Still waiting for mine).
 
What barrel vise does everyone use? I have one of these and its fine, but it also sort of sucks. I'd like something nicer, withouth spend 450 bucks on the SAC. Seems like I don't see much recommended that is in between these two options.

My vise: https://www.ebay.com/itm/352875629417?hash=item522906cb69:g:B3QAAOSwFShaz3P6
I bought this one used, it's ok but it came to me bent so it's a little hard to work with. Why don't you like the one you linked?
 
I bought this one used, it's ok but it came to me bent so it's a little hard to work with. Why don't you like the one you linked?

Its two pieces of steel with some holes drilled in it. The shims suck (IMO) and none are tapered, so taking off tapered barrels fucking blows. Its about as simple as simple gets, there is no thought or engineering put into it.

I am probably being picky, but I DIY pretty much everything and my other big hobby is wrenching on cars. I appreciate/like using decent tools.
 
A bunch of decent barrel vises out there that don’t cost a lot. This one is like mine and it works fine for $60.

 
@KnowNothing256 and @Rob01 how do those work for tapered barrels? Would be nice to have something that makes it easier to take off f'n Tikka barrels, which as everyone knows is a bitch.
 
Work fine. I have used it on med Palma, M24, MTU, and Proof Comp Contour barrels and worked on all.
 
I'm usually able to get mine up close to the shank, where it's a straight cylinder, no taper. Still, because it's got four screws instead of two, you can get a better clamp on the skinny end of the taper, shouldn't be an issue.
 
I got my barrel vise and action wrench from PMA Tools, which had been recommended to to me by a buddy anal enough, er, particular enough that he cuts H4350 kernels for benchrest loads. Prompt service. Prices have gone up since I got mine a couple years ago.