What tools are needed?

Thanks

CRC

You need the receiver clamping device that fits over the upper receiver and allows you to hold it in a vise.  Then you need a barrel wrench to be able to remove and tighten the barrel nut.  You should have a torque wrench so that you can torque the barrel to specs and then tighten it a bit more until you line up the teeth in the barrel nut so the gas tube will line up.  Other than those three tools, you would need a punch to drive out the roll pin for the gas tube.  

Charles Tatum
Alamo Professional Arms

You need an upper receiver vice block or a set of barrel vice blocks, a barrel wrench, and a 5/64 punch to remove the roll pin that secures the gas tube to the front sight base.  You will also need a hammer, a vice, and a 1/2" drive socket. A torgue wrench is required to reinstall the barrel. I highly reccomend getting the USMC technical manual as well.  I also reccomend getting the upper reciever vice block instead of a set of barrel vice blocks.  As long as you use common sense when clamping it you won't damage the upper receiver. Some folks use reqular flat punches instead of roll pin punches on roll pins, but I think spending a little extra for a set of roll pin punches is worth while. Regards.

A lot of people are talking up the white derlin receiver block...it goes up into the receiver, and doesn't clamp around it.  Either one will work, though. Don't get the barrel vise, it doesn't seem to have a very good reputation these days.  

The Technical Manual says you need a torque wrench to install the barrel...but a lot of folks here never use one, myself included.  I've only done 2 barrel installs, but all I did was tighten the barrel nut to hand tight, then crank it down 'til the next gas hole, and leave it.  You'll get some very strong responses to this method, both for and against, but so far, both my barrels are still on...and the "anti" torque folks will tell you that 90% of barrel installs done the way the TM says result in overtorquing or other problems.  

I used the DMPS armorer's wrench..it has a variety of uses, including the ability to install regular barrel nuts, CAR stocks, float tubes, and even has a nice big blade on the end to do the upper buttstock screw.  

As far as special punches, they're good to have, but you won't need 'em for knocking out the taper pins that hold the front sight block on...good strong punch will do...you're gonna have to hit it pretty hard to get 'em started.  If they're taper pins, obviously one side is small than the other, knock them out accordingly.  BTW, my one barrel had a removable gas block, and the other one didn't use taper pins...so I don't know which side to knock the taper pins out from.

The most important piece of equipment is the reciever block...I learned a valuable and expensive lesson trying to do it without one [:D].  

Screw the torque wrench! Dude asked how to get barrel OFF!!!

As for getting it back on, SCREW THE TORQUE WRENCH! People try to make this simple operation SO difficult. It's a easy as twisting a nut until the next hole lines up.

What you DO want is a real solid bench and vise, and a NICE barrel wrench, not the $12.00 square dingus thing. The Bushmaster wrench is very solid, and makes like easy. I bet the DPMS is good, too.

Then you need a set of common drift punches, $13 at your local harware store.

It's easy- unless the barrel nut is stuck. Then  get a 300 pound biker friend to come to your house and help twist... no, don't do that!

Pete

What do you use instead, and how do you use it, etc?

Yes we need more details ?

Thanks guys!

CRC

why pete, whatever do you mean lol.  BTW, here's his new bike:
[img]http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-8/188491/bike1.jpg[/img]

Correct. But, good luck finding a 5/64 punch.  This was impossible for me to find.  I used a 1/16 punch.  Worked fine for me.  I have driven out the tube pin four times using the 1/16 punch.  I got mine from Sears (Craftsman black oxide).

Also - no one mentioned a heavy vice.  Go to Lowe's or Home Depot to purchase a QUALITY (not that damn cheap model) 4" vice.  Don't forget to grab 4 of those 3/8 diameter bolts and nuts to secure that puppy.

Another question, along the same lines.

There is a nice looking tool in the Brownells catalog that is made to fit into the barrel extension from the receiver side, the same tool some make by using just a bolt head.  Is this tool really needed?  Is it just for stubborn barrels, stubborn barrel extensions, or what?  Does anyone really need this thing?

I think you're describing a barrel extension tool, made for installing... barrel extensions. You will never need it. I have an unused one that is several years old that someone gave me.

It is, and thanks imcoltsguy, you just saved me some money!