Are there instructions online on how to do this?

I hate even taking it apart, but I need the barrel threaded and they just want me to send the barrel, not the whole rifle.

If you find a way to do this, please let me know as well.

Thanks.

Well, I did it. I saw nothing holding the front sight so I just pulled it off. Don't rotate, just pull forward because it has a flat slot you don’t want to ruin. In case mine is different look closely for screws, just in case.

Separate the upper from the lower like the instructions say.

Now going from memory (this was yesterday):

The top end slides off to the front. I think I pried off the black safety levers and removed a couple of screws first.

Then there is that nutty little trigger group. It has two pins that you push out. Those pins are what held the black safety levers. Here is the tricky part. Under the trigger is the orange safety lever. It extends under the trigger where a little spring with a ball bearing on top. When you slid it out watch out that they don’t go flying.

(To put them back I greased them up and used a small magnetic screwdriver to get the spring in the hole first, then the ball bearing. Then I held them down flush with the hole with the screwdriver while I slid the orange safety lever back in. )

Then the trigger group can be knocked out of the slot on the barrel. I used a screwdriver handle as a hammer.

The barrel is held in the receiver with a metric hex screw, similar in setup to a Ruger 10/22 (The funny thing is the screw was loose so the barrel could turn in place a bit. So much for accuracy problems. Ruger uses two screws and I’ve never seen one get loose). After removing the screw and the wedge it holds against the barrel, the barrel acted like it was stuck. I had to twist and turn and pull and pull and pull to get it out.

That’s it. The barrel is off for threading and an M16 thread adapter so fun toys can be added later. I can even install a Vortex if the mood strikes me.