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Barrel Vise


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Guys. I'm totally serious about producing this barrel vise. And yes. I have 2. EDM machines. I feel that I may be able to make a commitment in the next week.

 

Background

I have a BS in mechanical engineering. I have worked in tool and die since 1985 and have owned my own business since 1998. We machine more complex pieces every day of that 21 years.

 

I should have a formal answer in a few days.

mohawk64, count me in and add me to you list of buyers.

Edited by Bridgeport28A1
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The DR universal barrel wrench works pretty damn good . Ive yet to run into a barrel that couldnt be removed with it.

 

Ive had more problems pulling M1 barrels than anything else but the universal barrel wrench worked every time.

Edited by 1921A
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Applauding the efforts of mohawk64 for taking on the effort to make these much needed tools.

Had my first barrel changing demonstration & lesson from Gordon Herigstad on my own Colt and since then the opportunity to swap barrels on many other Thompsons including Colts. Doug's "Universal barrel wrench" is pretty good, there are a few additional complementary tools that are very valuable to have in addition to the "Universal barrel wrench"

Securely holding the valuable receiver without marring or torquing/warping it, is very important. Doug produced a “receiver vise” for this that has UHMW polyethylene plastic jaws that securely holds the nose of the receiver. For the receiver vise he also sold an optional “grip mount retainer” which would slightly move the grip mount in order to install the “Universal barrel wrench”, also important in order to protect the valuable finish, although I believe one can do this step with other tools, albeit slower and more cumbersome. Another item was a “grip mount puller”, that could be used to pull out the grip mount, if one desired.

There was a stand alone “Receiver wrench” he made that could also accomplish the same function as the “Receiver vise”. Personally have never tried my stand alone “Receiver wrench” and would not do so unless for some reason my Receiver vise was not available.

There is a “heavy duty barrel wrench”, that requires the sights/compensators to be removed. Removing the sights or compensators are other specialized tools that Doug made, not depicted or discussed in the article.

Sharing an article here with permission received today from John Buol Editor of the American Gunsmith.

https://americangunsmith.info

This article sheds a bit of light on what I discussed including some of the Richardson tools but not all.
84127348-9432-441C-B55E-91FC6D014110_1_201_a.jpegE1DEA3F8-366C-46A2-9068-BA82C3553116_1_201_a.jpeg88B2F166-08D9-4E5A-8F7C-F70257850987_1_201_a.jpeg2EE549F2-FCC8-41B6-AB33-0A1B2E014ACD_1_201_a.jpeg9E31F378-9CF0-4478-84CF-9594DBFBA8DB_1_201_a.jpeg

These pictures from another thread show my own Richardson tools in use, in action as we discover or reveal a serial number to a very special Thompson.

Shows the receiver with the nose securely clamped in the Richardson vise and the rear of the receiver cradled, Doug’s words, or resting on other end.

F8993668-24A0-4B9A-8E63-CE611FA16A32.jpeg

This picture shows the barrel wrench clamped to the barrel while on the receiver vise, ready to remove.

3435A689-F8F9-405E-93FE-941591B6E905.jpeg

This picture the loosened barrel and partially shows the grip mount retainer. Hard to see but the grip mount is slightly moved away from the fins of the barrel.

4A8F97EB-5F92-4DF1-BF25-A5C9FE0E0DC0.jpeg

This shows the receiver with the barrel removed, grip mount in place and the grip mount retainer has been detached from the grip mount.

2F0A993C-E961-425B-8CE2-0AD72914E1A1.jpeg

This shows the receiver still in the receiver vise with both the barrel and grip mount removed.

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Close up of the Receiver vise, the vise could be swapped to remove the barrel from either side.

D909E435-EB79-474B-AD11-BA8A7BC73EB7.jpeg

These videos show my own Richardson tools being used on a Colt receiver to remove the barrel and “rediscover” the original serial number as the serial numbers on the receiver and lower frame were ground off. This is the Baby Face Nelson Thompson.

Thread on the Baby Face Nelson Thompson

http://www.machinegunboards.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19909

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Interesting topic. I used to work at AO West Hurly 81-83 and all we used for barrel on & off was a bottle neck jack press with 2x4 sections for the crushers. In tuff cases we put sand paper around the barrel for slippage stop and just reblued for final finish. What you see here in the above post is obviously a better/cleaner way to go about it. George wasn't going to foot the bill for a "machinist" quality set up LOL.

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Interesting topic. I used to work at AO West Hurly 81-83 and all we used for barrel on & off was a bottle neck jack press with 2x4 sections for the crushers. In tuff cases we put sand paper around the barrel for slippage stop and just reblued for final finish. What you see here in the above post is obviously a better/cleaner way to go about it. George wasn't going to foot the bill for a "machinist" quality set up LOL.

 

WELCOME to the Board!

XTriggerman, you have some great history to document.

And you are at exactly the right place to do it -right here.

Anything and everything you can remember about the West Hurley production would be greatly appreciated by everyone here!

 

I've owned some that you may very well have had a hand in putting together!

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Thanks nmshooter,
I don't know if the stories I have about AO are very encouraging...... I guess its a mixed bag. I was glad when Kahr bought them tho. I couldn't imagine worse penny pinching management than what was there in the 80's. My first year, I did mostly customer returns with a guy named Calvin. The last 2 years, I set up the 1911A1 production line and trained assemblers. All the 1911's out to SN A04600 were my test fired assembly run. As we began to run out of GI surplus parts from Numrich's stock pile, I was not allowed to keep QC up to Colt spec so after a number of head buttings with management (Fred Nicoles)..... sadly I wouldn't be a party of putting out a crappy gun with faulty parts.
It was down right embarrassing at times to see how they did business. For example, the very limited run of WWII commemorative Tommys we built for the American histerical society as we called them was where we installed the parts "seconds" from the dead room. When I asked about why that was the order of the run... Fred said, Hell they don't shoot those gold lased guns any way! "they'll never know" and he was right.... no commemorative guns ever came back in for service. Sucks dosent it. I don't want to rain on the parade here but theres more...... stupid s**t that went on while I was there.

Edited by xtriggerman
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xtriggerman, that is real good first hand info. A lot of people surmised what may have been going on - but you were there!

 

Maybe some day, and possibly at a TCA or TATA event, we could have you do a presentation about what you know and saw at West Hurley. We would love that!

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... [T]here are a few additional complimentary tools that are very valuable to have in addition to the "Universal barrel wrench"

...

 

I believe that complementary, not complimentary is the appropriate word in the context presented. Unfortunately, one often has to override word processing software to use the correct homonym.

 

Be well.

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xtriggerman, that is real good first hand info. A lot of people surmised what may have been going on - but you were there!

 

Maybe some day, and possibly at a TCA or TATA event, we could have you do a presentation about what you know and saw at West Hurley. We would love that!

 

2nd

Would travel to TATA (again) just to hear that.

 

 

My West Hurley's worked perfectly.

All I did was replace the bolt, extractor, actuator, magazine catch, rear sight, grip mount, sear, recoil spring, selector, safety, buffer pilot, and buffer.

Other than that, and sometimes a few other little tweaks -they were box stock.

Edited by mnshooter
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I retired here in east TN and really don't care to travel any more. I can throw out a funny jewel once in a while tho..... Like back in the 80's AO used to sell a 39 round XL drum mag. Little did any one know they were buying those drums directly from a Japanese company that made non firing replicas. You can tell the Jap drum by the simple bent out tabs (cartridge pushers) sticking out of the spring rotor. Those drums were never meant to take the jarring of a firing Tommy. Those mags all ways came back for replacement if they got any kind of use at all. The little tabs would just bend back into the rotor from where they were stamped out! What a bargan for the $70 bucks they were getting back then. Crapola

The only drum gun I have today is this one I re manufactured from a stock MPA 971. The 71 round drums are pretty heavy duty. Sorry, I'll stop diverting the OP's subject after this. Love my hobby!

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Then the last hi cap project gun I did last year. Its the only running RPD with a HK91 FCG with a common 75 rd SAW bag.

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I'm among those that prefer to clamp the barrel in barrel-blocks in the 20-ton-press and use a Stillson on the receiver.

 

1" blocks are commonly available. These here are made from scrap hydraulic pump housings.

They can be key-hole cut to accommodate the grip-mount.

In days passed they just slide-hammer-pulled the grip-mount and saved the barrels. When stuff was cheap.

 

I have to re-make all my Thompson tools. I loaned the entire set to a long-time Board-member who promptly vanished with them. ..Phil

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Thompson barrel jig clamp 1-7-16 014.JPG

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I would be interested in a vice also but would like to know the price before making a final commitment.

 

Mohawk64 thanks for being willing to help us out!

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