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May 3, 2011
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I had a real mess with my 445 SM. The barrel nut lugs were torn off down inside the compensated barrel. I bought it that way, didn't know it at the time. The DW nut wrench couldn't lock onto the lugs. I took it to L.B. and being the genius he is, he amazingly was able to get the lug and barrel off. This is to show you it can be done on one as hard as this in a compensated barrel. No damage to the pistol. A couple of tiny 1 mm marks on the barrel thread where the nut was, but fixable. Thanks again L.B.! Gary.
The bottom pic is really how the nut looked in the barrel before it was taken out. Not much to work with. Whoever had it before really screwed the nut up trying to get it off.
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January 24, 2009
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Wow, that is one buggered-up barrel nut!
Who knew that LB was so handy with nuts...wait a sec, that didn't come out right. Who knew that LB knew how to really finesse a nut out of it's...naw, that's wrong too. Dang. Okay, how about this...LB, great work with that threaded hunk-o-iron!
hehe
May 3, 2011
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Yeaaaah! I hear what you're saying Charger. 
L.B. is da' Man.
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November 17, 2008
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Gary's third pic is a testament to always be sure to keep a firm grip on your tool when playing with your "hunk-o-iron"
Maybe I need to moderate myself!!
LB
Wisdom is merely the realization of how little one knows, therefore I am wise.
May 3, 2011
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FYI: I think there a few lessons to learn from this.
1) Inspect the barrel and the barrel nut before you purchase a DW. Carry your nut ring tool with you. When I bought this pistol at a Gun Show it looked immaculate on the outside and the action felt good. I looked down the bore and it had powder residue in the barrel and it covered the locking ring. [that should have been a flag there] It's hard to see inside the compensated barrel too. Next time I will take the barrel off and look at it. If the seller really wants to sell it, it shouldn't be a problem.
2) Gun powder and sludge builds up on the barrel nut and the lugs get caked up with it. If the tool can't fit down inside the lugs you will end up with the same problem of rounding them off.
3) I like the 4 lug barrel nuts. You have a better chance of getting the nut off if you have a problem with one of the lugs. By the way I use EWK compensated tool for the barrel nut. It is well made and still looks perfect.
4) Eric can re-chase the threads on the barrel. It doesn't look bad. I'm lucky to have a barrel. I tried to put my extra 44 mag. barrel on the 445 frame. That didn't work. It screwed in about 1/4 of the way, then I met some resistance. The treads are the same, but they may be at a fraction of an angle different between the Monson and Palmer guns. That's odd to me. You can notice the horizontal tooling marks below the threads that go around the barrel. I don't know what that is for unless it's to differentiate between the 44 mag and 445 barrel. Even though they have the same twist. And are identical in every other way when I mic them, minus the thread on the barrel that goes into the frame.
Eric is going to fix this small spot on the thread. I sent him a pic of it:
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March 27, 2009
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Ya just can't beat the DWF for fixes and guys that can gett'r done!
Hats off to LB and Eric! Thanks for making this place even better!
October 13, 2009
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That picture of the nut is unreal...wait it is a nut right??!! 
Great job guys! Hopefully I won't fail in my part of fixing the thread!
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November 17, 2008
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OK here is the story. Whoever worked over the barrel nut really needs to be slapped. They obviously failed (and messed up the nut) and then sold the gun as their remedy. Anyway the trick we used to get that mess off was first the infamous EWK wrench. We replaced the pilot with a length of all thread rod, wrapped with electrical tape to protect the bore. A small modified brass washer to protect the forcing cone and a standard 3/8 nut. Wrapped the shroud in duct tape and a rag to protect it and clamped it in a bench vise. The VH lug made this easy. Lots of penetrating oil and a few raps with a hammer on the back of the wrench and it backed the barrel out of the frame. Now the scary part. A thick piece of leather around the threaded forcing cone end of the barrel, vise-grips, and a prayer. (Glory to God always) and the nut backed off. Whewww!!
This would have been a lot eaiser on a small frame as the shroud will slide off either end of the barrel as a large frame only comes off the muzzle end.
Hopefully this will help others in the future although no one method is always the answer.
LB
Wisdom is merely the realization of how little one knows, therefore I am wise.
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