How to swap out Pietta 1858 barrels?

[elhombreconnonombre]

I have tried high temperature epoxy engine enamel on my 12" brass frame 1858 buffalo with mixed results to change the frame finish. I have an extra 8" Pietta with steel frame and would
like to swap the 12" barrel from the brass frame to the steel frame and vice versa, but Man are these barrels tight. Are these epoxyed in placed with some kind of superduper impervium loctite? I've tried soaking the barrel/frame overnight in penetrating oil, Ballistol, etc., then putting the barrels in a leather faced bench vise and turning the frames with a 3' long wooden vise, after heating the barrel frame area...no go. I tried it vice versa with the frame in the bench vise and the barrel in some leather faced vice grips...no go. I don't see any hidden keys in the Pietta exploded drawings, so what am I missing hear. The things aren't expensive, but I don't want to bugger them up by torquing them unnecessarily. And yes I am turning them in the correct direction.

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

I would try freezing it as well.
I would also make a frame wrench out of some scrap hardwood to use in the vise.

 

[elhombreconnonombre]

Maybe cramming some dry ice down the barrel wrapping the barrel wrapped in a towel and carefully applying hobby torch heat to thie frame where the barrel threads into the frame?

 

[Willie Sutton]

Having unbarreled hundreds of early 20th century Mausers (at a college job working for a large surplus seller), here's the larger scale version of how it's done.

Vise bolted to the bench which is bolted to the floor. You do not want it moving.

Barrel held in the vise, using hardwood blocks that are dusted wth rosin for grip. If you can carve the blocks to fit the shape of the contour of the barrel you should do so.

Action or frame held in an action wrench. In the case of what you want to do I would suggest two pieces of 1/4 plate steel with matching holes so you can thru-bolt them securely with a leather pad between the action and the plates.

Wrench to fit the action wrench. A monster pipe wrench will work.

A length of pipe about 5 feet long that slips over the pipe wrench.


Never ever needed hat to remove any rifle barrel. Just absolutely rock solid clamping and a lever on the wrench to allow enough torque to be apppled.


Willie

.

 

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

What Willie said.

 

[shunka]

Greetings My Good EHC -
I too have had similar troubles - do be careful as it is quite easy to twist, bend, or otherwise distort the brass frame. Follow Willie's advice to prevent that, but additionally other users have found that a propane torch, judiciously applied in moderation to the frame, seems to cause a brown gooey Italien Adhesive to release it's grip and ooze out.
Disassembly is then much easier.
hope this helps
yhs
shunka

 

[elhombreconnonombre]

Thanks Willie and Shunka
I guess I should not just be so bashful about putting some carefully designed leverage to it.
So should I reinstall the barrel with some loctite or perhaps just some Teflon plumbers tape.? I thought it might be some special eyetie barrel stickum.

PS Willie
I have a lead down my way, on which may be one of the infamous Tom Haas- made C Co. Walkers. I think there were 25 of these made.