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One for those that do barrel work...

I currently have a couple of different bench mounted clamp type barrel vices, one I made myself and one I purchased and although they both work OK they are time consuming and a bit of a faff to use. They both require the barrel to be hand held in place whilst the top plate is replaced and then four nuts to be tightened up very firmly before the action wrench/spanner can be fitted and the receiver removed from the barrel.

I have often thought about using a floor mounted hydraulic press and oak or ash inserts to clamp the barrel. This means I can machine clamping inserts to exactly the right size for the different diameter barrels I work with and I can in theory increase my clamping force without fear of deforming top plates.

Does anyone here use a hydraulic press for barrel work and what sort of tonnage are you using? I am rather hoping a 20 Ton version would do the job.

Davie, I used a similar set up when I rebarrelled my trg, basically put the lower on the bed of the press, wrapped some card around the barrel, then 'clamped' it all up tight in a 20 t press, it was a tight barrel, but was fine, with no slip at all. Only used 5t to refit though as using as a switch barrel now so not much torque applied.

Cheers Pete, I would hope 20 tons would cover all new builds and most other eventualities, the possible exception being the occasional Mosin Nagant...

ovenpaa wrote:Cheers Pete, I would hope 20 tons would cover all new builds and most other eventualities, the possible exception being the occasional Mosin Nagant...

Mosin Nagant you say?

I've seen the very rig you need:



I know I've posted it on the site before, but it's still funny

This is the fella you want http://www.chemringeod.com/products/def ... ketWrench/
Would work a treat

ovenpaa wrote:Cheers Pete, I would hope 20 tons would cover all new builds and most other eventualities, the possible exception being the occasional Mosin Nagant...

20t is ample, that held it tight even when swinging on a 4ft bar on the end of the action wrench.

Action wrenches I guess you would need several for different types of actions I assume they are not all the same. Were would you source action wrenches or do you guys make your own and were would you source barrel vices. Do you use a torque wrench to lock the barrel vice nuts down.

Alpha, Action wrenches and keys I mostly make my own these days although I have also ordered them in on occasion. No I do not use a torque wrench to lock the barrel vice nuts down, I just walk them down corner to corner.