Need something to clamp the barrel for installing muzzle devices, what do you guys recommend? Since it won't be used much I'd like to try to keep the price down. Right now I've been trying to use some wood blocks but they just dont' work that good, no matter how tight I clamp them in the vice the barrel still wants to rotate on me.

Wrap an old leather belt around the barrel and clamp in a vice, tight.

Two chunks of 2x4 to pad the vise jaws, and clamp at the (pinned) front sight base.

If it's got a clamp-on or set-screw gas block, you'd better use those boards with some near-barrel-sized grooves drilled or routered into them, and the grooves coated with resin. Or the old belt mentioned above.

This.
I used an old belt and cut specific pieces and lengths to clamp barrels and other items.

Why are you not just using an upper block for a vice? The white dpms are best for me but the cheap black wrap around guntecs work fine too. I recently did 70 in a row with one.

I have always used barrel blocks to install the muzzle device, been doing it since I was in the service, lessens the chance of shearing an index pin and I have seen that done more than a few times in the years I have been working on these guns.

Just hold it between your legs and tighten that sucker down.

You can buy rubber vise jaws for about 10 bucks.
There are a lot of different styles, many of them have a slot for pipe shaped things.
For about 20 bucks ypu can buy aluminum blocks specifically for barrel vise jaws.

for about .20 cents I can drill a hole through a 4" section of scrap 4x4 and cut it in half and clamp a barrel.

If your using a crush washer just sit on it. Use an old kitchen chair where the stock can go through the back and sit on the receiver sections, cover with a towel to cushion and go for broke. Done it plenty of times.

Vice, upper block, wrench, and some muscle.

Or you can be the cheapest possible and ask someone to hold it while you wrench the muzzle. Not the brightest way to do it, FYI.

Because shearing index pins and cracking upper receivers is a waste of money?

Can it be done successfully?  Yes, but you'll eventually break something, especially if you're having to use a good amount of torque to install/uninstall a muzzle device.

OP, this is what I use.  Not the cheapest, but I've used them for countless muzzle device install/uninstalls (to include some really stuck on muzzle devices mounted with WAY too much Rocksett) and they just plain work.

Methinks you need harder wood.  I use two pieces of maple with a shallow V cut in each.  Work great.  I expect oak, ash, elm or any other hardwood would as well.

Thats what I do as well.  Works pretty well.

I'm probably in the 2000 range for how many I've done, strange it has not happened yet but I suppose anything is possible....

This is the exact solution I was thinking of. Maybe make the hole the next size smaller than the barrel, but this should be a cheap and easy solution.

This.

Thanks guys, I'll have to give the leather belt a try. The only wood I had laying around was some cheap soft wood so that's probably a lot of the problem. I did make some plastic pads for my vice but they are too slippery to get a good grip so I gave up on them pretty quick.

I thought about using the receiver clamshell but I thought that would put too much stress on the index pin or upper.

they have nice teflon vise/clamp blocks for about 8$ on ee bay. i p/u one a couple years ago and have used it for multiple things since... and essentially, thats one of the most important parts of your build, if you're going to do it, do it right with the right tools... especially if you spent 300$ on a barrel, isnt she worth 8$ more?

THIS.  Or actually, take two short lengths of 2x4 clamp them together, and drill a hole down the middle between them.  1/2" drill bit should do the job, IIRC.  If you got some scrap lumber and a drill bit the cost is ZERO, and if you only need it once you can throw it away when you are done, or save it for the next build.

I wound up using resin from a sporting goods store for grip in aluminum vise blocks.  It worked OK, but I learned the hard way that you have to make sure you actually fit the blocks to the barrel properly.

Let's say you're making your own blocks from hardwood.  Easy-peasy, right?  Kinda.

The basic idea is that you use two identical blocks and bore a hole of the right diameter through both while they're clamped together.  BUT...  If you do it exactly this way, you're going to have some size issues.  Your blocks will touch each other in the vise, which may allow the barrel to turn.

Instead, put several layers of heavy card stock between the two pieces - anything like breakfast cereal box material - before you bore the hole.  This will give you a bit of space between the pieces when they hold the barrel, allowing you to put more pressure on the barrel.

I own the Wheeler blocks, as well as a set of un-lined aluminum barrel blocks.  They work fine for barrel installation (when using the proper size section of the blocks), but sometimes they're too wide for certain muzzle device work.  With short barrels, you may need to do something different.  Which is why I mentioned making your own blocks.  Muzzle devices typically only get 20-30 ft-lb of torque, so you don't need a huge amount of clamping space to hold the barrel, but you still want to hold it firmly.

If your barrel slips in your home made wood blocks use a piece of inner tube between the barrel and block  for traction. A wrap or two around the barrel should do fine.

I'm going to replace the A2s on my rifles with MI blast cans. I have a maple block that I can bore to the barrel ID, then run through a table saw to make two blocks. The material lost in the saw kerf should allow the blocks to tighten on the barrel. I'll still use rosin or some inner tube to prevent slippage.

Try to keep it as close as possible to the actual (measured) barrel diameter.  That will ensure your block makes the most surface area contact with the barrel.  The more contact area, the better the grip.

Just because you were careful and got away with it does not make it best practice.  You really should use the upper receiver vice for work on the upper or close to it, and shen working on the muzzle end of a barrel grip it as close to the work as possible.

It cost nothing, just a discarded strip of leather held tightly in the bench vise to do it safely and securely.

That is valid point and I do appreciate it. Considering the amount I do with 15" rails and the volume and speed I do them in, I see no reason to change but can appreciate this thread and other methods. I use a barrel vice for long guns.

Can anyone tell me if the Wagoner Industries Soft Jaws are sturdy enough to hold a barrel tight for flash hider removal/installation?

I have a Bev Block but have read differing opinions on whether they are adequate for removal/installation of muzzle devices.

The Soft Jaws look like they could be handy for other applications as well.

TX.