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Posted: 5/25/2003 7:46:40 PM EDT
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. . . is a PITA! The rear ones are easy. I used an angle grinder to knock the tops off of the old rivets so I can get the sheet metal off. How in the world do you get the rivets out? There is not enough space between the barrel and trunion to slip out the rivet bases. God, I wish I had a barrel press . . . Anyone have an easy way to do this? Rich |
| I wish you did too. It's sooooooooo easy with a press it would make you sick. Without one, I don't know what to tell you. Some people drill out what they can, then use a dental pick to try to get out the remains of the rivets. I press out the barrel pin, then press out the barrel just enough to get the rivet bases out then press the barrel back on. I don't press it completely out of the trunion, so I don't have to re-align the trunion and barrel. Works great. |
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The trunnion is supported at the lower magazine catch and on two points on the top of the trunnion. www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=4&f=51&t=54478 |
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shortfal offers press plans for cheap. the materials cost about $20-$30 and other than some welding and simple machining skills...it's a no brainer. the bbl. is pressed anginst the trunnion. the trunnion is the only thing solid enough to press against. yes, EVERY time a bbl. is re-installed (even to its' original pinned position) you must check the headspace for safety. gages aren't cheap, but your face/eyes costs a whole lot more. i remove the rivets by end-milling them down to a very thin inner head (which will usually spin when the cuttergets tru the rivet's shank. a sharpened screwdriver and a dental pick remove the debris. to remove a bbl., i position the stripped rec./bbl. on a plate with a hole in it...muzzle down on the h-frame press. a steel pusher bar makes short work of popping the bbl.. pushing out the bbl's. cross pin usually gives me more trouble than the bbl., itself. |
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Darn it guys! I guess I'm going to have to go against my normal nature - I'm going to break down and do this right. Anyone have contact info for ShortFal? Campy, do you think that it is possible to mill that trunion support with a drill press with an X-Y vise? I've never done anything like that - it looks fun! Or, do you guys think that I would be better suited with a standard press? If so, what kind of tonnage? I like to have as many general purpose tools as possible . . . Rich |
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Campy, do you think that it is possible to mill that trunion support with a drill press with an X-Y vise? yes. you can chuck up an end mill...just be warned that a drill press does not spin as true as the spindle on a milling machine...more runout. iirc, shortfal's press used a 6 ton ram. i press on a 20 ton H-frame press and rarely approach 2 tons. an H-frame press is far more versatile, but requires you to make up some custom blocking to supprt things...and safety strapping to keep things from flying. the dedicared press, once built, is far easier to use and much safer, imo. |
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The other way is to grind the rivits flush with the trunnions, clamp it together so the mag and cover fit,drill holes through the receiver in about the right places and weld through washers. If you want screws,tap it to the right depth and put them in. Saves about a week of work but you don't get to buy a bunch of cool tools! |
| I drilled out what I could of the rivets with out damaging the barrel or trunnion. Then I sharpend a 3/32 pin punch into a chisel point and chopped up the remains of the rivet head stuck between the barrel and trunnion. A magnatized scribe removed the rivet pieces! |
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