Barrel mounting issue

[randm]

Yup, two vises.
I can see what you are saying and it would make sense if the barrel was not fully seated against the receiver.

Yes, that is what I was leading too, and why I think ar15barrels told the OP not to.

[PaperPuncher]

Why does this not make sense to me. Did you hold the barrel in place and the upper in place in 2 separate vises, and then tighten the barrel nut? Doesn't that make the barrel nut fight the vises?

Yup, two vises.

Barrel was fully seated before tightening the barrel nut. As far as fighting the vises, IDK, barrel is tight, torque spec checked after barrel vise was removed and upper still in upper vise with same results. I can see what you are saying and it would make sense if the barrel was not fully seated against the receiver.

And for clarity, I am working form a home made wood working bench that has a permanently mounted vise on one side of the table and another on the opposite side that is mounted to two rails that run about 3/4ths of the table length and can be positioned anywhere along the rails. My grandfather made the bench and I inherited it. It just ended up being MacGyvered into the role when I was ready to populate the barrel.

[randm]

Assuming this and the M5E1 are the same form a barrel installation perspective, I used both items linked below when installing the barrel in my AP 308. Maybe overkill and I do have two bench vises on my worktable so it works well for me. I was probably overly concerned about the minimal slop in the indexing slot so I put the receiver in the PlasticsRevolution vise while the barrel was held in the barrel vise linked from Midway.

I am no gunsmith though. This is just what I came up with to hold my stuff...

Barrel Vise:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/608967/dpms-barrel-vise-jaws-ar-15-aluminum

Upper Receiver Vise: (BTW, this is just my preference over the clam-shell for a barrel and I have a couple left handed uppers so this is my option for those as well)
https://www.plastixrevolution.net/pr...ver-vise-block

Why does this not make sense to me. Did you hold the barrel in place and the upper in place in 2 separate vises, and then tighten the barrel nut? Doesn't that make the barrel nut fight the vises?

[PaperPuncher]

Not familiar with that. Point me toward a quality one?

Don't use a barrel vise with your receiver.
You are doing it right by holding the receiver in blocks to tighten the internal barrel nut.

Assuming this and the M5E1 are the same form a barrel installation perspective, I used both items linked below when installing the barrel in my AP 308. Maybe overkill and I do have two bench vises on my worktable so it works well for me. I was probably overly concerned about the minimal slop in the indexing slot so I put the receiver in the PlasticsRevolution vise while the barrel was held in the barrel vise linked from Midway.

I am no gunsmith though. This is just what I came up with to hold my stuff...

Barrel Vise:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/608967/dpms-barrel-vise-jaws-ar-15-aluminum

Upper Receiver Vise: (BTW, this is just my preference over the clam-shell for a barrel and I have a couple left handed uppers so this is my option for those as well)

https://www.plastixrevolution.net/products/upper-receiver-vise-block

[jhyan]

My shop. I provide advanced gunsmith services for quite a few shops in the south bay area as well as individual customers. 25+ years experience, licensed and insured. Call me tomorrow at 559-658-2320 and we can go over it.

Will do, thanks a bunch. Will give me an excuse to hit that tasty BBQ joint on the main street...!

[kendog4570]

My shop. I provide advanced gunsmith services for quite a few shops in the south bay area as well as individual customers. 25+ years experience, licensed and insured. Call me tomorrow at 559-658-2320 and we can go over it.

[jhyan]

It may very well still be serviceable. I am just up the road from you in Oakhurst. If you want to bring it by the shop we can assess it and hopefully get it together properly.

I very well may take you up on that offer Kendog. What shop would I be bringing it by in Oakhurst?

[kendog4570]

It may very well still be serviceable. I am just up the road from you in Oakhurst. If you want to bring it by the shop we can assess it and hopefully get it together properly.

[jhyan]

As long as the socket slips freely into the receiver with as little slop as possible, you will only be knocking the barrel forward.
If it makes you feel better, put a wrap of masking tape around the socket.

I run into this often enough that I have a dedicated rod that slips into the receiver for knocking out barrels, but a socket is not going to hurt anything unless it's more than 1/8" smaller in diameter than the receiver bore.

Thank you ar15barrels, and everyone else who chimed in with helpful tips. I managed to get the barrel out of the receiver. So it turns out the problem was that I was impatient and an idiot, and didn't line up/fully seat the barrel before threading on the barrel nut and torquing.

How screwed am I with regards to this receiver... please tell me it's fixable and my stupid mistake didn't cost me ~$100.

[ar15barrels]

I was using the wood hoping to not damage anything.

I'm going to be okay using the metal sockets?

As long as the socket slips freely into the receiver with as little slop as possible, you will only be knocking the barrel forward.
If it makes you feel better, put a wrap of masking tape around the socket.

I run into this often enough that I have a dedicated rod that slips into the receiver for knocking out barrels, but a socket is not going to hurt anything unless it's more than 1/8" smaller in diameter than the receiver bore.

[jhyan]

I was using the wood hoping to not damage anything.

I'm going to be okay using the metal sockets?

[ar15barrels]

Just pulled it out of the freezer and heated the receiver, then tried pushing it forward with a wooden dowel. No go, it's really really in there.

You need a 1/2" socket extension about 6" long and whatever size deep socket will slip into your receiver's 1" bore.
Rest the face of the receiver on the edge of the workbench and tap on the socket extension to knock the barrel out.
You will want a 3rd hand to hold the barrel or it will get away from you and end up hitting your foot or the floor when it pops free.

[ar15barrels]

Not familiar with that. Point me toward a quality one?

Don't use a barrel vise with your receiver.
You are doing it right by holding the receiver in blocks to tighten the internal barrel nut.

[jhyan]

Just pulled it out of the freezer and heated the receiver, then tried pushing it forward with a wooden dowel. No go, it's really really in there.

[jhyan]

Either your barrel index pin was MISSING, your barrel extension was machined wrong or your receiver was machined wrong or you somehow broke the barrel indexing pin.
Those are the only possible ways to get that much misalignment.
Is the gas port properly aligned at 12:00?

The gas port is not properly aligned... it is off the same as the feed ramps.

I figure I either seated the pin correctly, and it spun to the side deforming the soft aluminum... or I was a total idiot and didn't have the pin seated correctly and mashed the pin in to the front of the receiver just to the side of the pin slot.