Dans Club
March 2, 2008
One of members (pinetor) made a great video demonstrating the method for removing and installing barrel/shroud assembly and the grip:
Safety Reminder: As it states at the beginning of the video, always assure that the revolver is unloaded.
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
Supporter
Moderators
January 24, 2009
March 8, 2016
First let me thank the sticky (FAQ) on barrel removal. It aided me greatly in removing mine. I recently acquired an 8" version and promptly stripped the barrel nut. The gun had not been fired in over 10 years. I read the barrel removal closely and tried to make it a better mousetrap. I'm an aerospace engineer and not fond of vise grips on all thread so this is what I did.
Mcmaster Carr parts: One 9" long 5/16-18 steel bolt #91257A122, bag of small diameter flat washers #95229A460, and one bag of small hex nuts #94191A200. Total cost $21.72.
I figured using a hex nut in the cylinder area would allow me to add torque during the loosening attempt. Not a lot of wrench clearance. No go. To tight. Then I added another nut (jam) and tightened everything as much as I could using a soft jaw vise. Next I heated the frame with a heat gun until I saw some bubbling around the threads in the cylinder area. Using all my hand strength, no go. So I said a few choice words and brought out the 3/8 butterfly impact wrench to put on the hex head on the end of the barrel. Just hit it a little bit and boom that bad boy came right off. After pulling the barrel from the shroud do you know that barrel nut came right off by hand? Go figure.
Anyway my first post here and I thought I would pay it forward for the initial help I found here.
Thank you,
Mike
February 22, 2017
I was so excited to grab this last week. It is a '76 or '77 (hard to know precisely) model & doesn't look like it was ever fired once it left the factory. What I didn't know was that when this is the case, the expected result is a frozen barrel nut. Like a real genius I used the old school, 2 piece wrench that came with the gun. It never occurred to me to use the NEW style wrench that came with my new 715 (DUH!!!!). Of course I discovered that the nut was frozen and I partially stripped the notches. I then came up with the brilliant idea of using the newer wrench. It is much better, but the nut still will not loosen. After reading as many threads as I could find on ways to get the nut loose, I finally understood some of the not-so-clear (at least to me) instructions and decided to use the clamp method, using the EWK Small Frame Hex Wrench for this task and will replace the original nut with an EWK 4 notch nut. I've ordered both and should get them by late next week. Once they arrive, I'll attempt to create a pictorial of my lame efforts and we'll see if this is successful.
Jerry
10 Dans and counting...
August 28, 2009
The clamp method has always worked for me every time, without fail. Clamp down your barrel wrench nice and snug so it can't slip out of the nut grooves and give it a twist. I also put a quarter between the clamp and forcing cone to give the clamp a good seat. Prep the nut with oil and some heat from a hair dryer also helps. I haven't come across a nut yet that hasn't given in to the clamping method. Jorgensen clamps work well for the job.
Supporter
Moderators
Dans Club
February 22, 2009
Dans Club
October 17, 2008
I have had a few stuck barrel nuts on some of the DWs I have picked up, what has worked for me is stand the gun with barrel up use penetrating oil and let it sit a few days, remove the front sight and use a heat gun. Then use the EWK tool or metal DW tool , not the 2 piece one.
I have freed several very stuck barrel nuts without drastic measures this way patience is key apply penetrating oil daily and keep trying to loosen the nut
February 22, 2017
Jerry
10 Dans and counting...
May 22, 2016
While you're at it, put penetrant on the OTHER bbl threads, back at the frame.
Remember the immediate objective is to loosen SOMETHING, so if the bbl turns and loosens from the frame, you can disassemble it and get the nut off of the bare bbl.
Also remember that with the clamp method, if the tool lugs bottom out against the nut, everything will be bound in place unless the bbl turns at the frame -- there's nowhere for the nut to go.
But this thread reminds me that I had doctored the tool that I had when I had DWs before, putting a slight angle/point on the loosening side of the tool lugs and filing a very small round at the bottom of the loosening side of the bbl nut, so that they would lock together. I did NOT do the tightening side. That way, I couldn't apply as much force to assemble as I could to disassemble.
Supporter
Moderators
Dans Club
February 22, 2009
February 22, 2017
Finally, big thanks to Eric @EWK_Stuff and his wonderful EWK small frame hex drive wrench, along with the sound advice from all of you who had helpful suggestions, the barrel nut has been removed. The EWK wrench arrived at about 1:PM, I inserted it in the partially stripped nut, clamped it down tight and used an 8" Craftsman crescent that belonged to my dad and it came loose with very little effort. The threads were coated with Liquid Wrench. Based on the pristine condition of the barrel, barrel threads and shroud threads, I'm sure that this is the first time the nut has been removed since it left the factory and I'm relatively sure that the gun was never fired. Now I can order a 2.5" or 3" barrel from Eric and have a blast with this beautiful revolver.
Jerry
10 Dans and counting...
1 Guest(s)