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Posted: 12/27/2019 11:30:37 PM EDT
So I have a gemtech suppressor and it’s getting some serious buildup in the flash suppressor building up around the bore. The flash suppressor is not budging as I think it’s carbon locked and there’s nothing to grab ahold of the barrel with a wrench other than using my hand to unscrew the flash suppressor. Any suggestions?
Link Posted: 12/27/2019 11:41:00 PM EDT
[#1]
Barrel block.
Link Posted: 12/27/2019 11:43:41 PM EDT
[#2]
I think everyone who does their own work should have one of these: upper receiver vice block
Link Posted: 12/27/2019 11:44:17 PM EDT
[#3]
Heat the flash suppressor up with flame.
Barrel vice clamps.
Link Posted: 12/28/2019 12:10:13 AM EDT
[#4]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
I think everyone who does their own work should have one of these: upper receiver vice block
View Quote
I have one of those. I’m afraid I’m going to break it trying to unscrew it.
Link Posted: 12/28/2019 1:01:55 AM EDT
[#5]
Get something that engages the locking lugs like a bev block from magpul
Link Posted: 12/28/2019 1:21:35 AM EDT
[#6]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
I have one of those. I’m afraid I’m going to break it trying to unscrew it.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
I think everyone who does their own work should have one of these: upper receiver vice block
I have one of those. I’m afraid I’m going to break it trying to unscrew it.
Those blocks are tough. The advice to apply heat is also good, as is letting some lube penetrate the barrel/suppressor threads. Use the block and you'll have no issue with the upper assembly hitting the floor or buggering up.
Link Posted: 12/28/2019 1:25:07 AM EDT
[#7]
Might the muzzle device be pinned?
Link Posted: 12/28/2019 1:53:00 AM EDT
[#8]
If it was installed with Rocksett just leave the muzzle submerged  in a jar of water overnight.
Water for Rocksett
Heat for Locktite
Link Posted: 12/28/2019 2:14:16 AM EDT
[#9]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
I think everyone who does their own work should have one of these: upper receiver vice block
View Quote
Those are great, and it's also not the fixture for removing a stubborn muzzle device.
The proper thing is to use a barrel block/vise as was previously suggested.
Link Posted: 12/28/2019 2:32:14 AM EDT
[#10]
Best tool I have found for barrel and MD installs. It’s expensive but worth every penny

MI Upper Receiver Rod
Link Posted: 12/28/2019 2:39:51 AM EDT
[#11]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Might the muzzle device be pinned?
View Quote
No
Link Posted: 12/28/2019 3:35:43 AM EDT
[#12]
Link Posted: 12/28/2019 7:05:21 AM EDT
[#13]
If it's frozen, DO NOT attempt to remove it without a barrel vise. You can usually get away with removing muzzle devices using a vise block or reaction rod, but if it's frozen on there for some reason you're going to run a serious risk of unthreading your barrel from the extension.
Link Posted: 12/28/2019 3:59:22 PM EDT
[#14]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
If it's frozen, DO NOT attempt to remove it without a barrel vise. You can usually get away with removing muzzle devices using a vise block or reaction rod, but if it's frozen on there for some reason you're going to run a serious risk of unthreading your barrel from the extension.
View Quote
This is what I’m afraid of.
Link Posted: 12/28/2019 4:30:06 PM EDT
[#15]
Yep, barrel vise.
You could try to make your own, but the key is having a vise.
Link Posted: 12/28/2019 4:36:10 PM EDT
[#16]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Yep, barrel vise.
You could try to make your own, but the key is having a vise.
View Quote
If you have a 20 ton shop press, you can use that and clamp the barrel in vise blocks. That's actually what I use when I'm building something that direct threads into the action, like bolt actions and M1s and whatnot. It's always worked out fine for me, and I've seen other people do it on youtube, so I'm not the only one to think of it. Sure beats paying 250 dollars for a barrel vise that's essentially a smaller version of the same thing.
Link Posted: 12/28/2019 5:52:52 PM EDT
[#17]
$250 for a barrel vise!??????

We must have different defintions of what a barrel vise is.

Presuming one already has a vise, work can be done with rubber mat thru aluminum angle.
Link Posted: 12/28/2019 5:57:20 PM EDT
[#18]
Amazon Product
  • Barrel vise with 3 Oak Bushings
  • The vise provides plenty of holding force
  • The vise includes two pre-drilled Oak Blocks, 1" and 3/4" and one solid block for custom Drilling

I’ve used it more times than I thought I would, only way I do muzzle devices now.
Link Posted: 12/28/2019 6:36:11 PM EDT
[#19]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
$250 for a barrel vise!??????

We must have different defintions of what a barrel vise is.

Presuming one already has a vise, work can be done with rubber mat thru aluminum angle.
View Quote
Not unless the barrel has flats on it. You'll never get a vise tight enough. I know because I've tried. The barrel just spins.
Link Posted: 12/28/2019 8:14:30 PM EDT
[#20]
Decent bench vise, wood blocks and some rosin to start.
Link Posted: 12/29/2019 12:45:56 AM EDT
[#21]
Link Posted: 12/29/2019 3:44:19 AM EDT
[#22]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
I’ve tried it. Vise doesn’t have enough force. Barrel just spins.

And if you put the wood blocks in a shop press they’ll just split.

You need steel blocks in a barrel vise, with either a jack or bolts.

If it’s just an AR FH you can get away with aluminum blocks, maybe even nylon. But definitely not pine.
Link Posted: 12/29/2019 4:34:10 AM EDT
[#23]
This is when having a pinned A-frame FSB is great, since it's easy to clamp in a padded vice.

Spray penetrating oil at the suppressor threads, and let it sit an hour with gravity pulling the oil into the threads.

Then clamp the barrel as best you can in a padded vice, and heat the suppressor with an oxy-acetylene torch. The penetrating oil will catch fire, but NBD. Keep the flame off the barrel to prevent discoloring it.
Unscrew using a wrench.
Link Posted: 12/29/2019 2:41:39 PM EDT
[#24]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

I’ve tried it. Vise doesn’t have enough force. Barrel just spins.

And if you put the wood blocks in a shop press they’ll just split.

You need steel blocks in a barrel vise, with either a jack or bolts.

If it’s just an AR FH you can get away with aluminum blocks, maybe even nylon. But definitely not pine.
View Quote
They work fine for me . . .
Link Posted: 12/29/2019 4:08:02 PM EDT
[#25]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

I’ve tried it. Vise doesn’t have enough force. Barrel just spins.

And if you put the wood blocks in a shop press they’ll just split.

You need steel blocks in a barrel vise, with either a jack or bolts.

If it’s just an AR FH you can get away with aluminum blocks, maybe even nylon. But definitely not pine.
View Quote
My oak blocks don’t split
Link Posted: 12/29/2019 5:08:27 PM EDT
[#26]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
I've tried it. Vise doesn't have enough force. Barrel just spins.
View Quote
Powdered rosin (like from a sporting goods store) will help grip it.
Thin rubber-padded aluminum vice inserts have worked for me.
Link Posted: 12/29/2019 5:24:24 PM EDT
[#27]
I'm cheap so an old thick leather belt wrapped around barrel clamped in a vise.
Link Posted: 1/1/2020 10:12:36 AM EDT
[#28]
Home made wooden barrel clamp worked for me.

I agree with the soaking in water with the assumption that Rocksett was used.  I just took one off an just set it barrel down in a bowl of boiling water for about 15 minutes and it came of fairly easily.  Not sure if hot water helps but I figure it wouldn't hurt to get it to soak into the Rocksett faster.
Link Posted: 1/1/2020 10:48:05 AM EDT
[#29]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

I’ve tried it. Vise doesn’t have enough force. Barrel just spins.
View Quote
That is why you put powdered rosin on the block. Brownells use to sell a lifetime supply in a plastic bottle but they don't seem to carry it any more. You can get it on Amazon.

B
Link Posted: 1/1/2020 10:54:52 AM EDT
[#30]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

That is why you put powdered rosin on the block. Brownells use to sell a lifetime supply in a plastic bottle but they don't seem to carry it any more. You can get it on Amazon.

B
View Quote
Yea it's getting hard to find for some reason.
Link Posted: 1/1/2020 11:06:06 AM EDT
[#31]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Yea it's getting hard to find for some reason.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:

That is why you put powdered rosin on the block. Brownells use to sell a lifetime supply in a plastic bottle but they don't seem to carry it any more. You can get it on Amazon.

B
Yea it's getting hard to find for some reason.
Not sure if true but I’ve read that powdered sugar works as a substitute for rosin.
Link Posted: 1/1/2020 11:30:52 AM EDT
[#32]
Muzzle down over night soak of the brake in this:
https://www.boretech.com/products/c4-carbon-remover
Link Posted: 1/1/2020 11:50:06 AM EDT
[#33]
Barrel clamping blocks in my bench vise.

Just using the receiver clamp pieces in the vise scares the hell out of me (looks like something is going to slip or break.)
Link Posted: 1/1/2020 12:06:58 PM EDT
[#34]
Line your barrel block with paper or cardboard and it will prevent spinning and help grip the barrel without damaging the finish. The trick is to get the vise tight and using the right size of barrel block. I sometimes have to hit my vise handle with a rubber mallet to get it tight enough.
Link Posted: 1/1/2020 12:08:54 PM EDT
[#35]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

I’ve tried it. Vise doesn’t have enough force. Barrel just spins.

And if you put the wood blocks in a shop press they’ll just split.

You need steel blocks in a barrel vise, with either a jack or bolts.

If it’s just an AR FH you can get away with aluminum blocks, maybe even nylon. But definitely not pine.
View Quote
I made a set from 1x hard maple, if you drill the barrel hole perpendicular to the grain they won’t split.  I agree pine would be too soft.

Clamp two pieces of 1x stock with a piece of cardboard or tag board in between to space them apart slightly, then drill the hole centered on the cardboard.  That way you can clamp the barrel without the blocks touching each other and the full clamping force is applied to the barrel.
Link Posted: 1/1/2020 2:04:26 PM EDT
[#36]
There seems to be a pissing contest over what is the best way to clamp a barrel.  I’m not wading into that mess, but I will say you want something that directly clamps the barrel.

You do not want this, nor this, or this.  You’d stand the very real possibility of unscrewing the barrel from the extension.

Those tools serve a purpose, I own each of the three, but they are not the right tool for this project.
Link Posted: 1/1/2020 3:26:25 PM EDT
[#37]
I have a bench vise, so I took an old leather belt and cut two pieces the length of the vice jaws.  I gorilla glued the leather pieces to my vise jaws.  I'll put some powdered rosin on the barrel and then tighten the vise jaws.  With enough rosin and the jaws nice and tight the barrel won't spin.
Link Posted: 1/1/2020 4:03:44 PM EDT
[#38]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Not unless the barrel has flats on it. You'll never get a vise tight enough. I know because I've tried. The barrel just spins.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
$250 for a barrel vise!??????

We must have different defintions of what a barrel vise is.

Presuming one already has a vise, work can be done with rubber mat thru aluminum angle.
Not unless the barrel has flats on it. You'll never get a vise tight enough. I know because I've tried. The barrel just spins.
I’ve always used a leather strap and a bench vice. Works fine for me.
Link Posted: 1/1/2020 5:21:44 PM EDT
[#39]
Leather belt and bench vice.
Link Posted: 1/3/2020 5:01:52 PM EDT
[#40]
Link Posted: 1/3/2020 5:02:10 PM EDT
[#41]
Double tap
Link Posted: 1/8/2020 10:34:07 AM EDT
[#42]
Back in PA I had acess to an old vise it looked like a Prentiss BULL DOG Bench Vise No. 53, never had anything slip in that vice, as a kid I ruined more parts with over clamping than I can to admit.  You just don't see these for sale like the old Parker or Prentiss anymore,

as posted always clamp closet to where you are working, I've used hard maple for blocks and crush the wood to fit or I'd cut a set of V blocks out of hard maple.

Using any kind or upper receiver block clamping fixture for muzzle work is just asking for trouble.
Link Posted: 1/16/2020 5:51:05 PM EDT
[#43]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Not unless the barrel has flats on it. You'll never get a vise tight enough. I know because I've tried. The barrel just spins.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
$250 for a barrel vise!??????

We must have different defintions of what a barrel vise is.

Presuming one already has a vise, work can be done with rubber mat thru aluminum angle.
Not unless the barrel has flats on it. You'll never get a vise tight enough. I know because I've tried. The barrel just spins.
Brownells sells Rosin and various size blocks out of hardwood just for this.

The barrel will not spin.  You need a good vice though...
Link Posted: 1/26/2020 5:57:56 PM EDT
[#44]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Best tool I have found for barrel and MD installs. It’s expensive but worth every penny

MI Upper Receiver Rod
View Quote
This.  Did you figure it out, OP?
Link Posted: 1/26/2020 6:25:30 PM EDT
[#45]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
$250 for a barrel vise!??????

We must have different defintions of what a barrel vise is.

Presuming one already has a vise, work can be done with rubber mat thru aluminum angle.
View Quote
A couple pieces of wood or a lot of rags/paper towels work as well.
Link Posted: 2/19/2020 3:05:43 AM EDT
[#46]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

This.  Did you figure it out, OP?
View Quote
No. I think I'm going with the barrelvise, because it's as if green loctite was used on it. I have what the 3rd poster suggested, and as someone who's been in the mechanical field (Currently electrician) I knew that wasn't going to work. There's a lot of different barrel vices I am looking at, at the moment. Lots of great suggestions though in this thread!

@abnk

Even what you possibly linked I'm wondering if I could twist the barrel. That flash suppressor is on there, and no it isn't pinned. I can see carbon like concrete built up on the sides where it meets flash suppressor to the throat of the muzzle. It's why I'm wanting to take the flash suppressor so I can clean it. I'm guessing it's build up from the crappy foam cleaner I was using and the carbon from the suppresor. I switched up barrel cleaners. I'm now using Bore tech eliminator which is amazing!
Link Posted: 2/19/2020 3:44:03 AM EDT
[#47]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Muzzle down over night soak of the brake in this:
https://www.boretech.com/products/c4-carbon-remover
View Quote
When I get the funds to get a decent way to take it off, that's what I'm going to use first. That stuff is amazing. Best bore cleaner I've ever used.
Link Posted: 2/19/2020 8:52:17 AM EDT
[#48]
Green loctite can sometimes be broken free by a deep freeze...if you have a good freezer, it may not hurt to try.
Link Posted: 2/19/2020 9:34:52 AM EDT
[#49]
Brownells Action Clamp

This.

Just used mine on Monday. Still works great.
Link Posted: 2/19/2020 9:52:41 AM EDT
[#50]
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