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lenteloco

Idea's on how to torque and time AR-15 barrel nut without vise

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Looking on getting any idea's on how to Torque down and time barrel nut for my AR15 without a vise, it probably not going to be possible but hoping. I can easily go out a get a cheap vise fro harbor freight but I don't have the space or table to install one. If anyone knows of a shop/place in NJ I could go and rent a vise for 5mins that would be awesome.    

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How about laying 2 short 2x6s on top each other like a step, lay a towel over them, lay your upper assembly with the hand tight barrel nut on top, and cover it with the towel. Now drive your car up on the lower. Tighten away.

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By the time you buy a vise, upper vise block, torque wrench, barrel nut wrench, anti galling compound and find a place to bolt down the vise, you could have been to and back from a gunsmith or armorer three times.  If you try to rig something up, it's going to take even longer and there's a chance you will be making another trip to the LGS to buy a new upper receiver.

Go support your local smith and save yourself a lot of hassle doing it.

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1 hour ago, Scorpio64 said:

By the time you buy a vise, upper vise block, torque wrench, barrel nut wrench, anti galling compound and find a place to bolt down the vise, you could have been to and back from a gunsmith or armorer three times.  If you try to rig something up, it's going to take even longer and there's a chance you will be making another trip to the LGS to buy a new upper receiver.

Go support your local smith and save yourself a lot of hassle doing it.

This^^^^...I mean you're gonna have to get the head space checked anyway...

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4 hours ago, PK90 said:

How about laying 2 short 2x6s on top each other like a step, lay a towel over them, lay your upper assembly with the hand tight barrel nut on top, and cover it with the towel. Now drive your car up on the lower. Tighten away.

Car vice?

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1 minute ago, PK90 said:

The barrel extension determines headspace. Can't change it.

Well, duuuh.  But it's still a good idea to have a newly barreled upper head spaced.  It's not checked for adjustments, it's checked to verify the rifle is safe and will function reliably.

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10 hours ago, PK90 said:

The barrel extension determines headspace. Can't change it.

Maybe it can't...Maybe it can. I have a well known barrel manufacturers barrel that didn't pass my HS check.  Now I am new to all this but checking HS is pretty straight forward with a HS gauge. I checked mine a half dozen times thinking it must be me before getting in touch with the company. They had me send it back to check it. They sent it back to me and said it passed their inspection. Well I of course checked it again and it passed! So maybe it can't be changed but maybe it can be "adjusted" I don't know what they did but the barrel didn't pass my checks before I sent it to them. Anyway...can't hurt to have it checked.

 

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3 hours ago, SmittyMHS said:

Maybe it can't...Maybe it can. I have a well known barrel manufacturers barrel that didn't pass my HS check.  Now I am new to all this but checking HS is pretty straight forward with a HS gauge. I checked mine a half dozen times thinking it must be me before getting in touch with the company. They had me send it back to check it. They sent it back to me and said it passed their inspection. Well I of course checked it again and it passed! So maybe it can't be changed but maybe it can be "adjusted" I don't know what they did but the barrel didn't pass my checks before I sent it to them. Anyway...can't hurt to have it checked.

 

No they can't adjust headspace on an installed extension. 

I would also argue that the bolt is more likely to be at fault than the barrel extension, at least from any reputable company.  This is because the race to the bottom on the sale of cheap bolts is WAY ahead of the race to the bottom on the sale of cheap barrels. 

I would further argue that more likely than either of those is that an inexperienced user is going to do it wrong and get funky results. The internet is full of stupid suggestions on how to complete it. 

Like right now I'm looking at one that says you should do it with a min and max gauge,  except it treats them like a go and no-go gauge. Which isn't correct, as the brand he is using, the go = a .223 GO gauge, and the max = a 5.56 Field gauge. YEs it shouldn't close on either a no-go or field, but starting on afield from new you may actually be able to close on a no-go.  I'm also looking at another one that talks about owning one gauge and a piece of masking tape. And another that is making due with masking tape.  bolt needs to be disassembled and cleaned prior to check. Barrel extension lugs need to be cleaned out too in case anything is hiding there. 

The dudes at an iso 9000 certified factory with CNC equipmetn, experience, and a QC chain that has the right headspace checking tools will do a better job than you more than likely. If you are checking, you should probably also just call/email the barrel maker and ask what bolt they headspace to. Then don't cheap out on the bolt. 

 

 

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On 10/16/2019 at 8:40 PM, Scorpio64 said:

By the time you buy a vise, upper vise block, torque wrench, barrel nut wrench, anti galling compound and find a place to bolt down the vise, you could have been to and back from a gunsmith or armorer three times.  If you try to rig something up, it's going to take even longer and there's a chance you will be making another trip to the LGS to buy a new upper receiver.

Go support your local smith and save yourself a lot of hassle doing it.

Sorry, but yes, while you are right....

WHAT KIND OF GUY DOES NOT OWN A VISE AND AT LEAST 1 OR 2 TORQUE WRENCHES?!?!!?

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2 hours ago, PK90 said:

Millennials 

HaHa funny. firstly not a millennial. While I do have tons of tools I don't posses a vise as I live in a co-op apartment at this time and have nowhere to place one.  Since I had to get the muzzle device pinned  and welded due to NJ being a semi anti gun state I just had Mike at Tier 1 kill two birds with one stone. Thanks shooter28 for the heads up on Tier 1 defense.

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5 hours ago, lenteloco said:

HaHa funny. firstly not a millennial. While I do have tons of tools I don't posses a vise as I live in a co-op apartment at this time and have nowhere to place one.  Since I had to get the muzzle device pinned  and welded due to NJ being a semi anti gun state I just had Mike at Tier 1 kill two birds with one stone. Thanks shooter28 for the heads up on Tier 1 defense.

Table top vice clamp. 

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5 hours ago, lenteloco said:

HaHa funny. firstly not a millennial. While I do have tons of tools I don't posses a vise as I live in a co-op apartment at this time and have nowhere to place one.  Since I had to get the muzzle device pinned  and welded due to NJ being a semi anti gun state I just had Mike at Tier 1 kill two birds with one stone. Thanks shooter28 for the heads up on Tier 1 defense.

Table top vice clamp. 

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3 hours ago, lenteloco said:

Yeah checked that already, max opening for table top vice claps I’ve found is 1-1/2 to 1-3/4” my upper vise block is 2-1/2” thick. 

Vice to board. Board clamped to table.

if all you see is roadblocks you’ll never get anywhere!

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Sorry to revive a dead thread, but I live in an apartment and I came up with this.

  • DeWalt folding workbench (got mine at Home Depot)
  • 4" Irwin vise (probably from Lowes)
  • Trigger clamps
  • 20" x 7" x 3/4" oak board

Bolted the vise to the center of the 3/4" thick board. The bolt holes on the vise happen to line up with an X pattern on the bench. Clamped the vise to the bench with the trigger clamps. I take the vise off of the bench when folding it for storage.

Portable, folding work bench that easily fits in a closet when not in use. :B:):

I've built a few ARs with this. Never had any issues torquing on or removing barrel nuts. Finding a good gunsmith here in SC was kind of a pain. Either they're not open when I'm free, or are part time because it's just a hobby and aren't available since their primary job comes first. I used one highly rated "smith" to swap the barrel on my AR and after I got home found that nothing was torqued to spec. :unsure: After that, I vowed to do it myself from here on in. Sure, I spent hundreds on the bench, vise and tools, but now I can do all the work myself whenever I want and I know the work is done correctly.

 

IMG_3650.JPEG

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On 10/19/2019 at 7:08 PM, Zeke said:

Vice to board. Board clamped to table.

if all you see is roadblocks you’ll never get anywhere!

^^^^ this ^^^^

Go to home depot or lowes, get a piece of 3/4" wood, plywood, hardwood, whatever, from their scrap bin. Buy a cheap vise and bolt it to the wood. Get a couple c-clamps and clamp the board to any flat surface, and you are good to go. The 30lbs of torque required for the barrel nut will not damage your kitchen table.

 

Edit: lol, I did not realize this thread was a year old.

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