OKay, I'm stubborn.

Now that we have that out of the way, I'm trying to pull the old barrel off my 1908 Brazillian Mauser. It's crap, the barrel that is, but I'm not quite ready to totally destroy it yet.

After building an action block to clamp on the receiver and then clamping the block in my vise, I got to work trying to unscrew the barrel. To make a long story short, I ended up sacrificing the last 2 inches of the barrel (I can shorten to 22" later if I decide to try and use it again, but I probably won't) and put a 24" pipe wrench on it..the end of the barrel that is. Still no go! I'm no gorilla, but am reasonably strong, and with a 24" pipe wrench I just about ripped the vise out of my workbench without budging the barrel! Yes, I am turning it the right direction...

WTF!?!? I don't want to heat it like I normally would stuck threads for fear of ruining the receiver. A buddy suggested tig welding a big nut to the end of the barrel (since I'm already cutting it off at the end of the exercise) and getting a bigger wrench+cheater pipe. I'm scared of cracking the action.

It's been soaking in Liquid Wrench penetrating oil for 4 day now, with me twisting, tapping, and grunting on it every night with no luck.

Suggestions? I'm trying to learn a bit here, and I'm about broke until momma goes back to work after the baby, so forget about taking it to a 'smith for now. Next suggestion? Thanks!

First off, you are going about it backwards. You clamp the barrel and move the action. When you heat the action, you do not do it to the degree that will destroy the action. You can also take using a lathe that relieves the portion of the barrel in front of the action so that the barrel is down to the root of the threads. Soak it in liquid wrench for a while if that does not work.

Hopefully some of the guys that have more experience than me will chime in. I have done it successfully but I still have an Argentine that refuses to budge. I am waiting him out and neither of us are doing anything right now.

It sounds like it is a issue, military barrel. If that be the case, when they put those on, they machined the action/barrel thread fit very tight. What you need to do, is clamp the barrel in a barrel vise and put an action wrench on; make sure it is a good fitting one so you won't warp the action and make sure it is clamped near the front and around the receiver ring. It will take a sharp rap with a big hammer on the action wrench. I don't mean against the wrench, but in the direction of the counter-clockwise twist. It should come loose but you will have to turn it off with pressure all the way; they are that tight.

Well in my opinion you are on the right track, however dont be afraid to apply heat to the action, try to heat up the action hotter than the barrel, theory is things (metal) expands when heated this should make the action expand and you should be able to "unthread" the problem easier. You won't hurt the actions temper unless you get it real hot, just warm it with a propane torch until it is uncomfortable to the touch and get with the program. If you can try to do the heating quickly so the action is hotter than the barrel, the longer you take to heat it up the closer they will be to the same temp.

I got some alumimum blocks hollowed out to the contour of the barrel but could never get them tight enough to not slip. That's why I turned things around...the flat bottom of the action keeps thing from slipping.

It is an stepped military style barrel, and I 'think' it is military, but aside from a proof mark (oval with 3 letters and a crown, and a small christmas tree looking thing with a star at its peak) and an uneven stamping .280 REM the barrel is unmarkes. The bore looks like a rough tool was used to rifle it, with nice gouges parallaling the rifling the entire length. It doesn't shoot for crap either, hence the rebarrel project.

Suggestions for getting a tighter barrel clamp?

enfields have been my binders.. but...

trim .050 off both internal sides of your alum barrel blocks.... coat with caulk.talk.rosin clamp it down VERY well RIGHT AT THE ACTION... use an action wrench, and a 2" cheater bar....

make an indicator on the barrel, btw...

I just "bump" the cheater bar and the wrench usually falls right over.... the wrench and barrel clamp should be as close as possible together....

if this doesn't work, heat usually will... i have a slightly different take... i get it hot and then let it cool.. .then an hour later bump it again... that should "melt" any gunk in the action.


you can always chuck the action in a lathe and cut the BARREL right at the action, relieving any front ring compression, then repeat....


if THAT doesn't work (it will)

you can cut the barrel off to 2", counterbore the threads (inside the ring) working from the rails forward, and repeat....

eventually it will turn out....

I haven't had to go this far in a mauser, but watched it done in an enfield

jeffe

I've done a lot of these things and have the proper barrel vise and action wrench and still wind up doing extraordinary measures to get the damn things off. I never have used heat on them and perhaps I should. The sure fire way has been stated previously, chuch the barrel in a three jaw chuck in your lathe and take a parting tool a few thousandths away from the receiver and cut the barrel down to just below the minor diameter of the threads. Clamp your action wrench in the vise and the reciever in the wrench. Now, take a *&()^% pipe wrench and turn the @#$%^ barrel off and use it as a tent stake.

CDH - forget about the barrel. They are available (cheap) practically everywhere if you want another one.

Lock the action in the vice, grind a couple of "flats" on the sides of the barrel nearest the action, put the pipe wrench and cheater on the "flats" and twist it off.

I built my own action vice too (for 5$ instead of $50). I should post a pic. You guys will get a kick out of it!

quote:

CDH - forget about the barrel. They are available (cheap) practically everywhere if you want another one.

I sure like to find a 7x57 Mauser milsurp barrel
in as new as possible condition for an Arentine or Peru model.

quote:

Originally posted by ZERMEL:

quote:

CDH - forget about the barrel. They are available (cheap) practically everywhere if you want another one.

I sure like to find a 7x57 Mauser milsurp barrel
in as new as possible condition for an Arentine or Peru model.

Looks like a slow day... there are only 15 mauser barrels on ebay right now. ebay

try http://www.gunbroker.com and http://www.auctionarms.com

you'll find what you're looking for.

CDH,

If its really bound up, and it sure sounds like it, you can forget about salvaging the barrel.

I have had luck with the pipe wrench and sledge method, holding the action by an action wrench mounted in a large vise.

I have had only one Mauser refuse to budge. No amount of torque, heat, cold or oil would help. Even made the relief cuts in the barrel to no avail.

I did similar to Jeffe's suggestion. Cut the barrel off close the receiver (< 1") then mounted the receiver vertically in a mill and cut the barrel out with a variable diameter boring bar. The barrel didn't release until I had reached through the treads.

If you a forced to that extreme, you must be careful not to cut into the action threads or recoil shoulders.

Best of luck,

Dan

The way I understand it is that military mauser barrels are only torqued against the inside C-ring and not against the front of the receiver, so making a parting cut just in front of the receiver ring should not relieve any pressure.

Just measured two of my mauser barrels. On one the barrel diameter just ahead of the receiver ring is 1.110" and the other is 1.125" and the major diameter of a large ring mauser barrel thread is 1.100" giving a shoulder of only .005" on the first and only .012" on the second.

CDH,
Where in South Texas are you?
Rojelio

Barrel vise it. soak some bore patches with water pack them in the chamber, wet, warm up the action with a propane torch. The action will expand faster than the barrel, because the wet patches are keeping the barrel cold as you heat the action up. put a 24'' crecent wrench on the action with a shim over the the top of the ring, pop the wrench with the palm of your hand. be sure your wrench is tight and right behid the recoil lug. Not loose do the same thing with a cheater over the 24" so it's about 4 feet long. Be carefull not crush the action,saw a gut do that once, boo who.
Timan

Sometimes a sharp rap with a hammer will break the barrel loose. The reason you clamp the barrel and turn the action is that a vise will hold the action tighter against the barrel.
The application of heat is a good approach, particularly if you have two people involved to prevent the barrel warming up too.
Good luck!

quote:

CDH,
Where in South Texas are you?
Rojelio

Corpus Christi. I live out on Padre Island, and work near CC International (sic) Airport.

All, thanks for the advice. I ground flats in the barrel and proceeded to twist it out of the vise last night...cutting a nice groove in the vise jaws. I couldn't hammer on anything, cause the baby was asleep and I work in the garage right next to her room. This sucker must have been put on by King Kong! I need to pick up a new gas bottle for my propane torch and turn up the heat next...