The Improved Do-It-Yourself Barrel Vise

In the March 2003 issue, I wrote about a barrel vise I designed that consisted of two solid-aluminum halves with grooved, halfmoon channels held in alignment by four bolts located at the extreme corners. Opposing rubber pads were positioned in the grooves, which clamped the barrel as pressure was applied to the jaws with a heavy-duty bench vise. The new and improved barrel vise detailed in this article has the same basic function, but is easier to make and use.

Like the earlier vise, I use it often for removing and reinstalling switch-barrels on test rifles, and it has served me well. Barrel torque in the range of 100 to 150 pounds is frequently applied, but this vise is capable of double that application of torque, if needed. To make this barrel vise, you’ll need two 6-inch pieces of 2- x 2- x 3/16-inch steel angle. Mill the rounded inner corner of the angle iron to form a perfectly square 90-degree angle.

This is to allow the bench-vise jaws to contact the barrel vise squarely. Then, from apiece of 1-1/4-inch I. D. steel pipe with 3/16-inch wall thickness, cut apiece 6 inches in length. This will form the barrel-vise jaws when cut to form. Cut two lengthwise pieces from the pipe 1-3/4 inches of the circumference. This will leave an open surface in each of the two semi-circular pieces approximately 1-1/4 inches wide.

With the pieces formed, grind or buff the rough corners and edges from the pieces in preparation for welding the parts together. The semi-circular vise jaws are welded to the angle iron so the linear parts are flush end to end. The convex radius of the vise jaw is held against one leg of the angle iron so the top of one edge is flush with the top of the angle iron. I drilled and tapped 1/4inch countersunk screws to hold the pieces in alignment while welding. These can be ground off later.

After welding, the pieces are cleaned up and buffed, and can be milled square at the ends so they look better. I then filled the unsightly weld groove with glass bedding material. After a bit more clean up, I painted the two jaw halves black with high-temp engine paint. The overall grip of the padded jaws is improved by tapering the concave vise jaws a small amount. The average rifle barrel taper difference at mid barrel over a 6-inch span is approximately 0.080 inch in overall diameter.

Thus, removing about 0.040 inch from each jaw with a ball end mill from one end to the other will improve overall barrel purchase. For padding, I simply cut a 6-inch length of heavy-duty rubber hose. Neoprene hose would also suffice. I made a lengthwise split in the hose material, which resulted in two equal-sized pieces. This works much better than simply opening Thick rubber hose is used as padding between the vise jaws and gun barrel.

This type of vise is extremely durable and pressure applied to the gun barrel is limited only to the duty rating of the bench vise. The concave vise jaws are directly in line with the pressure created by the bench vise. If the parts are clean and dry, the holding power of the vise jaws will accommodate nearly any gunsmithing application. the hose up on one side and slipping it over the barrel. Two pieces just seem to work better.

With the newly manufactured vise jaws ready for use, each one is placed across the open jaws of the bench vise, ready to clamp onto the rubber-padded gun barrel. This unit will handle all size barrels from standard to target or bull barrels. I recommend cleaning the barrel and rubber padding for greater holding strength. I use a quick wipe with lacquer thinner, or you could even roughen the inside of the rubber with a coarse wire wheel to produce fresh live rubber.

Be sure all traces of dirt or abrasive are removed from the rubber, or they could cause microscopic scratches. I tried bonding the rubber pads to the metal jaws, but this didn’t work very well. The flexing of the rubber under pressure works the material enough to loosen the pads. To keep the rubber from slipping, I rough ened the metal jaws with multiple center-punch marks; this works well to help hold the pads in place.

This simple barrel vise has proven to be highly effective for removing and reinstalling many types of rifle barrels. It’s easy to make and to use, saves me time, and has never done any damage to a barrel. ■