What do you use to build your upper?

[centerfire]

Curious as to why?

I’m planning to use a Geissele reaction rod with my first build. I think this will be ideal for tightening the barrel nut as well as the muzzle device. When removing a muzzle device, the torque applied to the barrel extension would be in the same direction as needed to unscrew the barrel from the barrel extension, right? I would imagine the barrel extension torque would be close to 10x the muzzle device torque however. Has anyone ever had a problem unintentionally loosening the barrel extension in this scenario?

Torquing a muzzle device with the barrel mounted on a reaction rod runs the risk of damaging the pin in the barrel extension, damaging the receiver, or changing the index of the barrel in the barrel extension. The propper way to install a muzzle device is with a barrel vice.

[LRRPF52]

For muzzle device work, I always clamp the barrel in the vice.

I don't use much torque though normally on muzzle devices.

[Wargrendeleagle]

For muzzle device work, I always clamp the barrel in the vice.

I don't use much torque though normally on muzzle devices.

Any particular barrel vise? With a short barrel like the 12" GB will there be enough room between gas block and end of barrel? I read on another forum some guys use 2x4s. Which seems crude to me but I'm building a house so no shortage on them.

[SDW]

Any particular barrel vise? With a short barrel like the 12" GB will there be enough room between gas block and end of barrel? I read on another forum some guys use 2x4s. Which seems crude to me but I'm building a house so no shortage on them.

Sounds familiar. I made a clamp for holding my Bilstein shocks for doing rebuilds with something along this line.

Just drill a "barrel sized" hold through about a 6" section of 2x4, in the wide side. Then saw it in half through the middle of the hole and you'd have a nice clamp to throw in a vice. Hmm. Maybe you'd want to do it length ways, come to think of it. To get more contact area on the barrel.

[centerfire]

I made a barrel vise out of 1/4" plate and pieces of lead. It clamps the barrel with bolts and I then set the entire assembly into a large jaw vise. The barrel vise is about 4" long and I could probably twist off the end of the barrel before the barrel slips.