[x95mk220]

So just trying to swap out a new rail, so I’m removing the old (actually it’s brand new) hand rail to put my new rail which has me flustered. I hate this wheeler wrench with a passion but the Avid rail looks nice. Or maybe I’m doing something wrong?

It’s like the barrel nut is cemented and the wench kept slipping, geesh I was pissed.

It comes with a different barrel net all together with 3 silver shims (at least that is what they are).
Thanks

Thanks for listening.

 

[hkpsp]

I recommend removing the gas block and gas tube. Then you could use a large wrench or crescent wrench on the barrel nut without worrying about hitting the gas tube.

 

[x95mk220]

Thanks, good thinking too.

 

[FWoo45]

The wheeler wrench is trash. I got so mad with the one I bought that I swore off their products completely and gave away a perfectly good trigger pull gauge. I've got a couple of crows foot wrenches that I milled down that I use with a torque wrench and another (maybe Brownells?) AR armorer's wrench. IIRC the wheeler is aluminum. What moron would sell that?

 

[hkpsp]

I like the Magpul wrench. The tool on the right is useful for barrel nuts where the gas tube goes through the hole. Also works great for three prong flash hiders.

 

[x95mk220]

I recommend removing the gas block and gas tube. Then you could use a large wrench or crescent wrench on the barrel nut without worrying about hitting the gas tube.

Curious are there any

I like the Magpul wrench. The tool on the right is useful for barrel nuts where the gas tube goes through the hole. Also works great for three prong flash hiders.

Yeah I was looking at the MagPul wrench and the avid wrench. I’m on my 4th sold 2 keeping my .300 and 5.56. All I need now is a .308 Ar pistol; do the Adam arms piston conversion kit reliable? Oh want me a KRIS in .45acp or a pcc in.45 but .308 is a must have.

 

[x95mk220]

The wheeler wrench is trash. I got so mad with the one I bought that I swore off their products completely and gave away a perfectly good trigger pull gauge. I've got a couple of crows foot wrenches that I milled down that I use with a torque wrench and another (maybe Brownells?) AR armorer's wrench. IIRC the wheeler is aluminum. What moron would sell that?

dude, I had use this wheeler set w/ bench and everything I needed. I do like the actual bench but that wrench Ks a paper
Weight and is a piece of poo. I have had least a handle full of slippages gouged a quite a few castle and also slipping off the castle nut gouging the threads of the aluminum buffer tunes. It really pisses me off. I’ll go with the Avid wrench or Magpul’s wrench; just waiting for my surefire comp to come in. Thanks

 

[Bender]

Wheeler wrench is garbage
Crescent wrench is garbage

find the appropriate size crows foot wrench. Buy a quality wrench, not harbor freight, not rural king.

 

[x95mk220]

Wheeler wrench is garbage
Crescent wrench is garbage

find the appropriate size crows foot wrench. Buy a quality wrench, not harbor freight, not rural king.

Curious would the spring action crows foot wrench work as well? Seems it could fit various sizes.

 

[Bender]

I don’t use any adjustable wrenches, not on guns, planes or anything I work on.
I have rounded hardware too many times, quit using them 15 years ago.

Others may find them useful, I don’t. Do you know what size you need?

What Surefire comp did you get? I thinned a wrench to fit most of them.

 

[UBOATDOC]

And in this spirit.....what is the best all in one AR armorers tool kit to buy? I was thinking Brownells, but ?

 

[Heavyopp]

What are you using to hold that upper in place while you crank on that barrel nut?

 

[x95mk220]

I don’t use any adjustable wrenches, not on guns, planes or anything I work on.
I have rounded hardware too many times, quit using them 15 years ago.

Others may find them useful, I don’t. Do you know what size you need?

What Surefire comp did you get? I thinned a wrench to fit most of them.

It is the old school comp/flash hider, in which I’ll add some pics of it & what I’m trying to loosen is actually barrel nut assembly since the barrel nut assembly is way different in shape and design so the set up I bought was to free float the barrel while shortening the length for a comp, it came with a blast deflector but I am planning applying for my first form 1 for a can. the blast deflector wasn’t the issue tho. It’s that pesky barrel nut assembly I had been attempting but don’t want to scratch all to hell; taking the gas tube is a good idea but once I do that what is your suggestion.

Thanks for all the help on here. My favorite forum ever!

 

[x95mk220]

What are you using to hold that upper in place while you crank on that barrel nut?

I have the full wheeelers kit that came everything you could possibly need I have the upper in the upper jaws it came with cranked on a vise.

 

[Bender]

OK, after seeing these pictures again here’s what I think/suggest.

I think it’s safe to assume that this is a factory built upper? Often times these assemblers do not use grease on the receiver extension. This creates a situation where the nut is so darn tight, it essentially galls. To exasperate the issue, the barrel not being aluminum doesn’t help whatsoever.

I would certainly remove the gas tube, it will lessen the chance of damaging the tube. I would then use almost any means necessary to get the damn barrel nut off. You might use vice grips, pipe wrench or channel locks. If you were planning on selling that spare hand guard, buy a new nut.

 

[Bender]

I forgot to ask, what rail are you removing? I might actually have a tool for that.
Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful. I’m not sure how comfortable you are with it, but you could also score of the current nut with a cutoff wheel. The only issue with this is, if you go to far you will damage the receiver thread. However, the idea behind this would be if the nut is galled, thus will relieve some of the friction and allow them not to split, greatly reducing the torque required to remove it.

And for the Muslim vice, I would use shims and Rocksett to install that. I can’t remember but I believe a 3/4 open end wrench will work on the device flats

 

[goodguywithagun]

How about adding some heat to it. If there is any kind of thread compound or lock tite heat usually helps.


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[Heavyopp]

I have the full wheeelers kit that came everything you could possibly need I have the upper in the upper jaws it came with cranked on a vise.

And is it rock solid while torquing on the nut?
Any play there takes away from torque applied to barrel nut.

Try a little heat just in case some moron used locktite

 

[bamashooter]

Aside from other possible issues, you first need to confirm the manufacturer's state size of the wrench flats or use a set of calipers. Many times, with our sloppy-ass world, the equivalent "metric" will actually give a better fit than the "actual" standard. If you need assistance, give me a holler. I'm a pro.

 

[JohnnyEgo]

Could be galling, could be the devil's helper (red Loctite). I would be cautious applying excessive amounts of torque to the barrel if the receiver is just in one of those clam-shell style vise blocks. I have personally cracked a receiver doing that in my early days.

What you really want is something that will engage the locking lugs of the barrel extension so you are not applying all the torque to the receiver itself and/or the indexing pin. There are two popular tools to do this; the Magpul BEV Block and the Giessele Reaction Rod. I have both, and like the Reaction Rod a lot better, but my day job as a gun store flunky used to involve doing what you are trying to do over and over again. The BEV works about as well and is a lot cheaper.

As to a wrench, I have a couple, but the one I use most in disassembling stubborn barrel nuts is a 20 year old DPMS Armorer's wrench. It's primary advantage is that the one end is narrow enough for me to slip a three foot piece of pipe around as a breaker bar. Between that sort of leverage and the Reaction Rod, I can break loose damn near everything.