What is the easiest way to remove the sight-tower/block (after pin removal), and the trreaded barrel on a milled AK-47 receiver? Heat and penatrating-oil? Best set up to press off or pull off sight-tower/block?
Thanks: RichardS.

Well to remove the threaded barrel from the receiver - you will need to fab up a barrel wrench. You have two choices - mount the barrel in a "wrench" and clamp the receiver in a robust vice - or clamp the barrel wrench in a vice and use a big pipe wrench or similar tool on the receiver. Penetrating oil and a little heat will help also. For the other problem a press is the easiest, a brass drift might work also. I have cobbled up a few threaded guns, so send me an e-mail with more specifics about you project and I might be able to give you better advice, or heck just post the details here if you want.

Can you describe a brass drift or show a pic? I was actually going to post a similar question of what would be a good tool for removing gas blacks or front sight blocks.

Taipan - A brass drift is just a big old piece of brass rod, I used one of about 1 " diameter on a Polish milled build - there was not much interferecnce in the fit. I measured it but I can't remember what it was.

I have a press, but the drift worked great on it. I have had to use the press on other FSBs and GBs. If you can get the parts off, getting them back on is made easier by the fact that you can polish the mating surfaces, lube them, and even chill the barrel and heat up the FSB or GB. The idea of using brass is that it does not mar the parts.

The hard part is getting the damn pins out, I have had to drill out a few. Its a PITA.

I was more thinking of using the 12 or 20 ton press I'll be shopping for (maybe Fri). How do one use the press to get the parts off the barrel? I had thoughts of replacing my Saiga's FSB so I could thread the true barrel. Also toying with the idea of cutting down my SAR's barrel, recrowning, threading and permanently attatching a muzzlebrake to get the legal length (16.5" to be safe).