Barrel Vise Recommendations

[waspocrew]

So from the SAC offerings - the Bravo with Tikka insert seems the way to go then?

I missed the sale but want to get this freaking barrel removed haha.

Ended up going with the Bravo kit. Like all SAC products, this is very well made. Won't have a chance to test it for a few days, but hoping to have my barrel swapped out soon enough.

Tikka 6 ARC has been a long time coming.

 

[hereinaz]

They are hard to remove, without the right tools and knowledge.

They are easy to remove with both the above.

Dozens of removals with Brownells Action Wrench and SAC vice, never a mar or mark. And, tighten the vide absurdly tight and use a good heavy hammer to impart some shock. Cheater bars create problems.

I am testing a steel Buffalo Creek barrel vice and custom action wrench and will report on that. I like it a lot so far.

Video might still be uploading.

 

[Nine Banger]

Lots of swapping barrels in this thread, but what do you all use to just attach a muzzle device? Do you still clamp into a barrel vice, or is there another method for those of us without barrel vices?



My experience has all been with AR15s where I just stick an action rod through the upper receiver.

Thanks.

I use two of these to crank on my thread adapters when I get a barrel that has to be threaded 1/2x28:



I don't use muzzle breaks or flash hiders but if I did I'd probably just stick an allen key or screwdriver into or thru the device, put the butt of the stock between my feet and turn it by hand as tight as I can. With rocksett or Loctite.

 

[hereinaz]

I use a screwdriver in the port most of the time with shims and Rokset or Loctite if it does not self time.

 

[nm.otter]

tighten the vise absurdly tight and use a good heavy hammer to impart some shock.

Thanks -- good to see that in action (pun intended).

If you have a chance, could you throw a 1/2" torque wrench on it and put a number on 'absurdly tight'?

Also would be worth knowing what size and pitch of fasteners the various vices employ, and if/how they are lubricated.

 

[RWT]

Curious what is a better and internal or external action wrench?

 

[hereinaz]

Thanks -- good to see that in action (pun intended).

If you have a chance, could you throw a 1/2" torque wrench on it and put a number on 'absurdly tight'?

Also would be worth knowing what size and pitch of fasteners the various vices employ, and if/how they are lubricated.

I can put torque wrench on it. It will be between male orangutan and silverback gorilla… short of putting a cheater bar on the allen key or a hammer, it’s pulling almost full force until it stops moving.

Kinda funny the drywall tape has an imprint of the engraving like braille.

The Buffalo Creek vice is steel, which I like. I can see the amount of stress on this aluminum SAC vice is significant.

 

[nm.otter]

My old school 1/2" micrometer wrench is about two feet long. Have to be careful sometimes or I break stuff.

I'm also curious about these.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Curious what is a better and internal or external action wrench?

For removal? External, no question.

 

[hereinaz]

My old school 1/2" micrometer wrench is about two feet long. Have to be careful sometimes or I break stuff.

I'm also curious about these.

The bushings don’t work on the curves/tapers. I had it and sold it years ago. With the right bushings it would work.

I had it back when I didn’t know as much, but it worked on the heavy profile match barrels.

 

[hereinaz]

For removal? External, no question.

Factory removal, external only.…

Everything else, internal. I can use an internal wrench and a sporter viper vice to swap barrels at the range and not take it out of the stock or remove the scope.

Did that and shot these groups with four identical brand new barrels. Interesting that the POI did not move much at all.

 

[nm.otter]

The bushings don’t work on the curves/tapers. I had it and sold it years ago. With the right bushings it would work.

No specifics, but this seems to indicate he does offer those now.

 

[nm.otter]

I can use an internal wrench and a sporter viper vice to swap barrels at the range and not take it out of the stock or remove the scope.

Nice.

How much torque on new barrels, and do you use any kind of thread locker?

 

[hereinaz]

I torque barrels to 100 and use anti seize. Never loctite. I used 80 ft lbs on personal barrels for years. It’s not an issue with them coming off.

 

[lintond]

Lots of swapping barrels in this thread, but what do you all use to just attach a muzzle device? Do you still clamp into a barrel vice, or is there another method for those of us without barrel vices?



My experience has all been with AR15s where I just stick an action rod through the upper receiver.

Thanks.

I ordered some magnetic jaws for my normal work bench vise and glued some leather to them. I now use this for gun smithing tasks. Cleaning, mounting scopes, brakes, etc


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SBR Sarge]

I ordered some magnetic jaws for my normal work bench vise and glued some leather to them. I now use this for gun smithing tasks. Cleaning, mounting scopes, brakes, etc


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This sounds perfect. Thanks!

 

[lintond]

This sounds perfect. Thanks!

These are what I got https://a.co/d/9wkvTHR and they work for what I paid. Not perfect but serviceable.

To be clear I don’t use it for barrel removal.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dballsmithda3rd]

My vote is on the Python HD

 

[LRI_Chad]

I have been making and selling these for the better part of 13 years. Nobody has ever broke it, wore it out, or returned one for a refund.


(Shown with optional Color Case Hardened finish)



To put this in perspective. We (LRI) hang around 100-120 barrels a month. Each of those barrels will go onto the receiver a minimum of 4 times before leaving here. (figure barrel fitting, engraving, test fire, final assembly, etc..) At 100 barrels a month, that's a minimum of 400 duty cycles monthly. X12 months, 4,800. Now figure the last 13 years. It approaches 63,000 duty cycles. The same vise, same collets. I did have to replace the 1" diameter grade 8 bolts about 5 or so years ago as the old ones were starting to feel funny. Keep in mind that the numbers I am quoting are conservative, as they do not account for the actual gunmaking side of my business. A full build from us might have the barrel on/off a dozen or so times before the thing leaves here.

Next, we are not a shop buying "Brand X custom clones" and screwing a barrel blank onto them at 100lbs/ft. I get stuff most of my competitors try to avoid. Mausers, Howa, 03 Springfields, Tikka, Ruger RPR, Weatherby, etc.. These are guns that do not like to come apart. I made this vise because I killed most of the ones sold in the Brownells catalog. It was born out of necessity.

Happy to help.

C.

LRI SuperDuty Series: Professional Gunsmithing Barrel Vise

The "LRI SuperDuty Series" of products are made to answer the need for commercial-grade tools specific to the gunsmithing industry. These tools have been vetted in our own facility for years (sometimes in excess of a decade) prior to being offered to the public. The SuperDuty Barrel Vise has...

www.longriflesinc.com

 

[DavidReed]

@LRI_Chad Have you ever considered making an action wrench to to accommodate non-R700 receivers to complement your barrel vise?