Which and who's tools to remove and install barrels?

gun'sRgood

Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2021
Messages
908
There seems to be a lot of choices for tools that do the same thing. As it is with many things, quality comes at a cost. I'd like to learn how to remove and install barrels on my 6.5CM. Which tools and who's name brand do you recommend?
 
Most anything good can be bought from Brownell's.
Much depends on how tight the barrel is.
Some of the bench top barrel vises will work, but for tight barrels you really need a professional set up, which usually is a hydraulic jack type barrel vise using fitted inserts.

My buddy uses Kelby Panda actions and Bartline barrels, all high dollar. He has a barrel clamp type that he can put on his truck bumper and change barrels right there on the line.
Last I heard he had Bartline barrels in 6.5, .308, and .223, and a Kelby .223 size bolt, all of which interchange perfectly.
Precision has gotten to the point that he can buy a Bartline barrel and just screw it into a Kelby action and head space is perfect with no headspacing or fitting at all.
He has his barrels nitride treated and at last count, his barrel life was greatly extended.

He bought a special action wrench for the Kelby receivers.

For standard actions, like Remington, most people seem to use receiver wrenches and fitted inserts that wrap around the front of the receiver.
There is a type that fits inside the receiver that grips the locking lug recesses, but I haven't heard a lot of reports on this type as to how they work.
The key is getting a barrel vise on a FIRM bench that won't allow flexing or moving. Any movement and the springing can cause problems.
Some of the barrel clamp type barrel vises can't grip tight enough that a tight barrel will just turn in the vise. That will often strip off any bluing or finish.
 
What action/receiver is your 6.5 CM barrel on? Until we know that an intelligent answer won't be given. Because each action/receiver will more often than not have its own wrench design and I presume you are looking for a wrench for a barrel nut. Besides it isn't the tool that makes the man it's the man that makes the tool.
 
A barrel vise is essential for securely holding the barrel while you work on it. Look for a high-quality vise made from durable materials like steel. Wheeler Engineering and Tipton are well-known brands that offer reliable barrel vises. An action wrench is used to securely hold the rifle's action while you remove or install the barrel. Make sure to choose an action wrench specifically designed for your rifle's action type (e.g., Remington 700, Savage). Seekins Precision and Manson Precision are reputable brands known for their precision-made action wrenches. This come in handy, but there are surely more options available.
 
OK, thx guys! I met a guy on the 1k range that seems to be a bit of a godsend. I guess he's been in the barrel, gunsmithing, for quite a while. Two CNC's and so on. He's offered hand holding to the point where it becomes a teaching, learning. I was hoping to acquire the tools to take off the existing barrel. Now i don't see the need, or can't justify the $$$, for tools I may rarely use.
 
Don't rule out getting your own tools just yet. Hobby smithing is how I started and have become more advanced over time. There are a bunch of members on this forum who will echo the same sentiments. It doesn't take a bunch of money to get started. A couple hundred shekels would do the trick to get you started. Don't worry about 5 figure machines yet there is no need for that kind of equipment to start out with especially if you don't know that you're going to like doing it to begin with.

I have been hobby smithing for just over 10 years now and before that spent 21 years in the Army so the transition was very easy. I had to supervise armors and the direct support level small arms repairers for the last 12 years of my Army career.

If a hobby becomes work then you learn to hate it. Test the waters first.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top