Use the FSB as a barrel vice?

[jwperry]

Can I cause severe damage to my barrel if I place the front site block in the vice(think upper only, flipped upside down and FSB being clamped by vice) to install a muzzle attachment?

Barrel is a Colt 6920 with full FSB and the muzzle attachment is a Battle Comp 1.0; I'll need to remove the A2 first and that where I'm having the trouble currently. Normally I've been able to simply hold the barrel in one hand and wrench off A2s but this one won't budge.

I just don't want to wait for Brownells to deliver a barrel vise to do this, I'd like to have it done for this weekend.

[polymorpheous]

No.
Use the right tool for the job.

[crh428]

Pretty sure that would irreparably damage the FSB...

If you have a flat top upper, pad the vise with a couple pieces of wood and put the upper in their sideways. I've done this several times and it works fine.

[Iraqgunz]

If you are that impatient, then you could get two pieces of wood, and place them on either side of the FSB and then clamp down with the vise. Most of the A2 flash hiders I have removed came off fairly easy.


Can I cause severe damage to my barrel if I place the front site block in the vice(think upper only, flipped upside down and FSB being clamped by vice) to install a muzzle attachment?

Barrel is a Colt 6920 with full FSB and the muzzle attachment is a Battle Comp 1.0; I'll need to remove the A2 first and that where I'm having the trouble currently. Normally I've been able to simply hold the barrel in one hand and wrench off A2s but this one won't budge.

I just don't want to wait for Brownells to deliver a barrel vise to do this, I'd like to have it done for this weekend.

[BUBBAGUNS]

If you are that impatient, then you could get two pieces of wood, and place them on either side of the FSB and then clamp down with the vise. Most of the A2 flash hiders I have removed came off fairly easy.

I agree with Iraqugunz. Use wood and try to clamp it as far forward as you can. If I can't find my barrel vise, this is how I do it.

[5pins]

I always use the FSB clamped in a padded vice when I remove or put on a flash hider. I never had one that was so hard to put on or take off that it caused problems.

[interfan]

IG has the best advice.

If the flash hider is tough to get off, hit it with a heat gun for a minute in case someone used loctite or rockset on it. The heat would break the chemical bond and it will come off pretty easily. If it is factory Colt and no one has messed with it, it should come off pretty easily without heat.

[jwperry]

Thanks guys.
Normally I'm able to hold the barrel with one hand and crank the wrench with the other to take FHs off, but this one is overly difficult for some reason.

Sounds like I will buy another barrel vise, wait and do it properly.