Best way to clamp a tapered barrel on a rifle

[RifleEnthusiast]

So the firearm at hand is a Ruger Precision rifle with a tapered barrel, and the task is to clamp it in a vise somehow to uninstall/install a muzzle break and torque it to 35 ft lb without marring the finish of the rifle.
I tried cutting a 4x4 piece of wood, boring a tapered hole and splitting it into two and using it as vise jaws. Two issues happened, 1. the barrel turned around with the wrench and 2. I ended up with the wood pieces actually breaking.
I talked to a couple guys and I heard different things from them. One, said he clamped it at the lower receiver between rubber-padded vise jaws and was able to accomplish the task, but the 'barrel may have turned around a little at the barrel nut'. The other guy I talked to, warned against clamping it at the lower receiver as this may twist the receiver or get it crooked. So at this point, I'm not quite sure what's the best way to do it. It would seem that the safest and correct way to do it is to clamp it at the barrel itself somehow between vise jaws that don't allow the barrel to spin as the muzzle break is being torqued. Any thoughts, ideas or recommendations? I'm open to recommendations of vises or jaws that will allow me to accomplish this.

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[JustSomeGuy]

I've never tightened a muzzle brake in a vice. I use two jamb nuts tightened against each other to index the brake then tighten the brake by hand. That way I can easily remove and reinstall the brake for cleaning. Been doing it that way for 20+ years and have never had an issue with one coming loose while shooting.

 

[Member 34319]

Rubber vice jaws.

 

[Stomper]

@Velzey might have some competent advice for you.... although it'd hold your barrel, I think a pipe vice would mar the finish even if you wrapped the barrel in rubber sheeting.

Maybe redo your vice blocks again, and try heating the existing muzzle device to expand it's I.D. as well as using a strap wrench on the barrel to counter against while turning the muzzle device. 35 in/lbs isn't a whole lot of torque.

 

[P7M13]

• +1 to @Velzey -- Tim will get you squared away, maybe even while you wait. Reason? One scratch and all your efforts amount to puke. Everything I've ever left with him looked better when I got it back. Cannot say the same for my own work (see below).
• Invest in good timing shims (1/2 or 5/8) from OGW, Curts or another LGS. You might spend $12. Well worth the investment.
• If you're intent on doing it yourself, here are lessons learned on your same path:
  • Ask yourself, how much torque are you trying to apply?
  • Some of the standard crush washers (I believe) are made for grade 8 schtuff. Wrong washer for the application but its cheap, foreign crap that was easy to include in the sale. I use copper or brass washers. See note about shims above.
  • If using a lot of torque, sticking it in the jaws of a standard vise with rubber or wood lining is just asking for a marred finish.
  • Always best to clamp the barrel as close to the spot where you are working.
  • The split wood barrel clamp works, must be a stout wood like hickory or oak. Anything softer, you're wasting your time. Line the inside of the jaws with felt or *stiff* leather (inside hide exposed to barrel). NOT RUBBER.
  • You can buy a barrel vise. Not all are created equal, in fact, some suck donkey schlong. Really good ones are 1/2 the price of a RPR. Any vise will scratch up your barrel just as nicely as wood if you don't line the jaws properly.
  • When you really need to apply torque, your lining needs to be successively stronger while still soft. In two applications, I've had to wrap the barrel in 50:50 solder then clamp it hard. Yes, it left solder wipe marks on the barrel. These clean off easily.

Edit to add: you might think about clamping at the action. Unless you really know what you're doing, this is a great way to ruin your gun.

 

[TDH]

I've had luck with a piece of leather hide (wet or dry), you can get some scrap size pieces at Tandy Leather.

 

[Member 34319]

I've had luck with a piece of leather hide (wet or dry), you can get some scrap size pieces at Tandy Leather.

+1. Leather and a set of rubber vice jaws is exactly how I have done virtually every muzzle device on many many rifles etc.

 

[flashpan]

There are some serious rifle shooters on this site that own barrel vises. If you could just borrow one. Of course you would need some schooling on how to use.

 

[edzz]

Brownells

 

[RifleEnthusiast]

I've never tightened a muzzle brake in a vice. I use two jamb nuts tightened against each other to index the brake then tighten the brake by hand. That way I can easily remove and reinstall the brake for cleaning. Been doing it that way for 20+ years and have never had an issue with one coming loose while shooting.

Hand tightening is not sufficient for 35 ft.lbs.

 

[RifleEnthusiast]

Rubber vice jaws.

And clamp where? On barrel? lower receiver above magazine well?

 

[Member 34319]

And clamp where? On barrel? lower receiver above magazine well?

The barrel.

 

[TDH]

I try to clamp the barrel as close to the muzzle device as possible. but wherever you get a good grip works too Good luck!

 

[RifleEnthusiast]

• +1 to @Velzey -- Tim will get you squared away, maybe even while you wait. Reason? One scratch and all your efforts amount to puke. Everything I've ever left with him looked better when I got it back. Cannot say the same for my own work (see below).
• Invest in good timing shims (1/2 or 5/8) from OGW, Curts or another LGS. You might spend $12. Well worth the investment.
• If you're intent on doing it yourself, here are lessons learned on your same path:
  • Ask yourself, how much torque are you trying to apply?
  • Some of the standard crush washers (I believe) are made for grade 8 schtuff. Wrong washer for the application but its cheap, foreign crap that was easy to include in the sale. I use copper or brass washers. See note about shims above.
  • If using a lot of torque, sticking it in the jaws of a standard vise with rubber or wood lining is just asking for a marred finish.
  • Always best to clamp the barrel as close to the spot where you are working.
  • The split wood barrel clamp works, must be a stout wood like hickory or oak. Anything softer, you're wasting your time. Line the inside of the jaws with felt or *stiff* leather (inside hide exposed to barrel). NOT RUBBER.
  • You can buy a barrel vise. Not all are created equal, in fact, some suck donkey schlong. Really good ones are 1/2 the price of a RPR. Any vise will scratch up your barrel just as nicely as wood if you don't line the jaws properly.
  • When you really need to apply torque, your lining needs to be successively stronger while still soft. In two applications, I've had to wrap the barrel in 50:50 solder then clamp it hard. Yes, it left solder wipe marks on the barrel. These clean off easily.

Edit to add: you might think about clamping at the action. Unless you really know what you're doing, this is a great way to ruin your gun.

It needs to be torqued to 35 ft lbs.
I agree about clamping on the barrel close to where the work will be done, it's just my inability to find suitable vise jaws. The only ones I could find from searching is a Wheeler with Oak wood blocks (honestly I didn't think much of it), and a Mechforce barrel vise that has leather padding (this seems promising). But I wanted to know if there are good ones out there that are proven to work.
OK, just to be clear here (since I've seen people use some terms interchangeably), are you talking about clamping at the action (upper, where the bolt slides), or the lower receiver?

 

[DirectDrive]

1) Make sure that you are not fighting threadlocker.

2) If you are going homemade, do as before only use hardwood for block and leather between block and barrel.
Damp leather and have your groove sized correctly.

 

[JustSomeGuy]

Hand tightening is not sufficient for 35 ft.lbs.

Is that spec from the manufacturer or another source? Just curious as I've never torqued a brake that tight and I've also never had an issue.

 

[RifleEnthusiast]

Is that spec from the manufacturer or another source? Just curious as I've never torqued a brake that tight and I've also never had an issue.

Manufacturer, this is a muzzle break/suppressor mount

 

[DirectDrive]

Manufacturer, this is a muzzle break brake/suppressor mount

1) Don't break anything.
2) Find out if your current muzzle device was installed with threadlocker.
If so, measures have to be taken.
3) Do it.

 

[RifleEnthusiast]

1) Don't break anything.

Happens when I'm typing quickly in between work I was able to get the old one off, it's installing and tightening the new one that's proving to be problematic.
I did however just today find tapered steel vise clamps that they are selling at Brownells, I wonder if they will fit the barrel profile.

 

[DirectDrive]

Happens when I'm typing quickly in between work I was able to get the old one off, it's installing and tightening the new one that's proving to be problematic.
I did however just today find tapered steel vise clamps that they are selling at Brownells, I wonder if they will fit the barrel profile.

It should be cake, now.
If not, let someone else's husband do it.