I know that I will need a barrel wrench to remove my old one, but I have never done anything like this before.   Is it pretty simple or should I have a Gunsmith do it???  I feel more comfortable doing certain things myself but is this above my ability???

www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=4&t=202467, Tacked to the top of the "Build IT Yourself Forum"

Mike

Quoted: I know that I will need a barrel wrench to remove my old one, but I have never done anything like this before.   Is it pretty simple or should I have a Gunsmith do it???  I feel more comfortable doing certain things myself but is this above my ability???

So long as you have the tools it is easy as can be.  Barrel wrench, torque wrench, vice, vice blocks, a hammer and a couple of pin punches.

Yikes so I need all those tools.....?   Maybe I wont do this myself.   I was thinking that all I need is a barrel wrench....  hmmmm

Quoted: Yikes so I need all those tools.....?   Maybe I wont do this myself.   I was thinking that all I need is a barrel wrench....  hmmmm

Given how quickly ya posted your response, suspect ya didn't even look at the procedure pictured in the link above I posted, it ain't hard or that expensive.....

Mike

Don't use anti-seize, use GREASE, moly grease is preferable, which is common wheel bearing grease.

Don't use barrel vise jaws, I don't care that is what the military uses.  Use vise jaws for changing flash hiders and working off front sight bases.

Use an Action Block for changing barrels.  This keeps the stress off the little index pin notch in the relatively soft aluminum upper receiver.  This will help prevent canted front sight bases.

Installing a barrel is less difficult than installing an alternator on a car.  And WAY less difficult than rebuilding a carb.

I have known people who've installed barrels w/o the blocks & vice - but I wouldn't recommend it.

A good vice mounted to the bench is a MUST IMHO, and if you got some scrap wood you could make your own barrel blocks.  But if you're going to do more than 1 get the receiver block - those things work great.