Hey Guys,
They say "necessity is the mother of invention" so I did it! I figured out a way to get the barrel nut off of the barrel without damaging, marking the barrel, nut or the jacket. After I had made all the measurements, I made the tool in about ten minutes. I have tried it on several of my rifles and it worked every time. Total Cost $0.
Here is what I did to make the "Barrel Nut Removal Tool".
1. You will need two things; (1) a 11/16" socket and (2) a 3/32" steel bit.
2. Measure 3/16" back from the open end of the socket and scribe the socket.
3. Center punch the scribe mark.
4. Place the socket in a vise and tighten it securely.
5. Use a drill press to drill the 3/32" hole unless you have a very steady hand.
6. De-burr the new hole from inside the socket. Use your finger to test for smoothness.
To use the tool, visually align the little hole in the socket with the hole in the barrel nut. Slide the socket onto the barrel nut. Use the blunt end of the 3/32" bit as the "pin" to insert into the little hole in the socket. Push the drill into the socket and careful push it into the hole in the barrel nut. Place the socket wrench onto the socket and slowly apply pressure to the left to loosen the nut. When the nut is loose, extract the drill bit from the socket and the socket will come off of the barrel nut.
Unless the barrel nut is extremely rusty and "frozen" to the barrel, the nut will turn. If the nut is rusty or frozen, stand the rifle on end in a glass and pour enough penetrating oil in the glass to cover the nut and let it sit for a couple of days and then try to remove the barrel nut again.
Having solved the barrel nut removal problem, I directed my attention to the slotted nut in the jacket. I took the rifle apart and removed the barrel from the jacket leaving the slotted nut unobstructed. You won't believe how easy this tool was to make! I had an old license plate holder that I had kept because I never throw anything away. It was the exact thickness of the slots and it fit in them perfectly. The piece of metal had enough length that it made holding it in the slot very easy. You must hold the tool level in both slots to avoid damage to the slots. A slow, steady turn to the left will easily loosen the nut. Follow the suggestion I outlined above if the jacket nut is rusted or frozen in the jacket.
There you have it my fellow 8 & 81 rifle lovers. All I can say is "Try it, you'll like it!" I would love to hear from you if it works for you like it did for me.
Seasons Greeting and A Merry Christmas!
jack1653
Barrel Nut Removal Tools
Barrel Nut Removal Tools
Last edited by jack1653 on Wed Nov 02, 2011 7:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Barrel Nut Removal
Couldn't be easier. Good job Jack.
Though defensive violence will always be “a sad necessity” in the eyes of men of principle, it would be still more unfortunate if wrongdoers should dominate just men. - St. Augustine