Stuck Barrel Loosening Agent

[dougk]

I have seen a recommendation for Zoom as a loosening agent.  Is there anything else that works?  I have a stuck barrel on a 44 mag.

Has anyone tried WD-40, air gun oil, oxyclean (just kidding) or anything else that works?

Thanks
Doug

[GRIMJIM]

Maybe kroil, there is a post on here somewhere for an easy to make tool to remove the stuck barrel. Can't recollect by whom though.

[dougk]

I want to try a lubricant before I go down the Barrel Removal path.  The Barrel Removal post is now a sticky.

[GRIMJIM]

Ah, maybe kroil and one of those strap wrenches. Can you get the barrel nut and shroud off?

[dougk]

I can't get the barrel nut to move so I can remove the shroud.

[darrell8937]

perhaps heating the nut with a heat gun, The heavy duty ones used to remove paint,(electric) then use some penetrating oil. Once the pores in the metal heat up it may suck some in. Don't heat too much, dont want to damage any finich, Though I doubt it would. Works on other things.

[dougk]

I found the Kroil and have it ordered.   Let me see if that works...
thanks

[GRIMJIM]

I was going to suggest heating it up also, but like you I don't know what it would do to a blued gun. Probably be fine as long as you don't turn it red with a torch or something. The heat gun is a good idea as it wouldn't get that hot.

[DWTim]

I tried heating, too. I also tried Kroil. The problem is that it's hard to get at the threads if you don't have a vented shroud. Then I buggered the barrel nut, and well, you all know how I finally got that barrel off...

[dougk]

I wanted to try the Kroil and heating first befor using the DWTim method. 

[wiley]

Some times, a repeated (8-10 times) heating and spraying with Kroil. will help. With each cooling more liquid is drawn into the joint. I did have a barrel nut that was jammed bad enough to be sent back to the factory. They drilled the nut so that it would break open under minimum loosening torque. If your nut is far enough gone to need replacement, you might consider it.
Wiley

[El Hombre]

I would recommend the heating/kroil methods described here. Some owners used to locktite their barrels, that could be the case here, the heat should help.

Interesting to note, while I have never seen one, I read in some old DW literature that a "one way" barrel nut was available for those that did not want the changeable barrel feature.  This was in @ 1975 or 1976, before the 44 mag was offered. But it was available for the 357 mag & 38 specials. During the Palmer era, DW also offered a fixed barrel model, although I don't know how many actually saw production.

[GRIMJIM]

It's been a while since there was a post on this thread, just wondering if you got the nut loose.

[dougk]

With a 8 month old it is tough to find time.   I receives the Kroil last week and will start the project this week.
Doug

[Heavyhaul]

I haven't had much luck with kroil.  If it doesn't work, try PB blaster w/ heat.  It will not burn, it is made to be used with heat.  GL

[gypsyman]

dougk- you might try this. Heating the gun and assembly expands the metal. An old machinest trick, if it's possibly had Locktite applied, is to put it in the freezer. Metal contracts in the cold, and you might possibly break the seal between the threads. In your post, you say you have a stuck barrel. If you mean the barrel nut on the end, and you have one of the metal barrel nut wrench's try this. Take the gun, and hold it like you were shooting it. Put the barrel nut wrench on the end, and lean/push with the end of the gun against a wood board.(garage wall stud,tree outside,etc) And turn the gun, not the wrench. If it's a barrel stuck in the frame, take 2 pieces of soft wood, clamp the barrel in a vise between the wood, and again, turn the gun, not the barrel. I like the Kroil, so don't be afraid to let it soak overnight. Good Luck-gypsyman!!
We keep trying peace, it usually doesn't work!  Remember 12/7/41  9/11/01

[dougk]

The Barrel nut is stuck.  I am going to let it soak in Kroil over night then freeze it.  Followed by the heat treatment.

Thanks
Doug

[dougk]

I sent it back to Dan Wesson after my gun smith and I tried everything to get the nut off. 
Dan Wesson got the barrel off, and replaced the headspace shims.  I never was able to speak with them about what caused the nut to lock up. 

[DWTim]

Well, good news anyway. Was the barrel out when you tried to remove the nut? If there's pressure on it, good luck! That's why I used the gadget in the stickied thread above.

[dougk]

Tim,
I tried your tool and broke the rod trying to remove the barrel.
Doug

[DWTim]

What a b-word.

Were the shroud and nut threads damaged?

[dougk]

Nothing was damaged other than the nut.  and for $8 who cares... 

I got to cleaning the gun and haad a devil of a time getting the shroud off.  Once I got it off, the problem became clear.  the barrel was power ported.  Given the buildup of gun power residue I am sure the shroud was never removed for cleaning.  The good news is the gun was shot very little, but still what a mess...

[Tom C.]

I agree that heating the barrel will stretch it and make removing the barrel nut easier. I heat the barrel of my 744 by quickly shooting a bunch of rounds through it. The barrel heats much more quickly than the shroud and elongates. The nut then comes off.

I have also started placing the barrel wrench in a vice and putting the gun on the wrench and twisting the gun, while maintaining plenty of weight on the gun to prevent the wrench from slipping.

[hemiram]

I never had any problems with my own guns having the barrel nut frozen, but I recently had the "pleasure" of going through the joy of trying to get the nut off a friend's father's old Model 14 that had never been removed since it came out of the box. I put penetrating oil on the end of the barrel and left the gun sitting with the barrel pointing straight up overnight, and when I looked at it, there was oil oozing out of the shroud where it butts up against the frame of the gun. The nut wasn't in good shape, but I tried to use one of my tools and just made it worse. I tried the heat gun thing a few times, no good. Finally, I got a tiny drill bit and started a hole in the nut. Once it started in the right place, I got a bigger bit and drilled almost all the way through the nut, and about 10 seconds of pressure with the wrench made the nut crack, and that was it. There was a ton of rock hard "orangey" stuff on the barrel threads and inside the shroud. I had to smack the shroud with my big rubber hammer a few times to crack it loose. Once I got the shroud off, the barrel came out very easily. I took a dowel rod that came close to the inside diameter of the shoud and with a few whacks of the rubber hammer, the orange stuff came out in about 6 pieces. I have no idea what it was. It was almost like plaster.

Other than a few rust freckles under the grips, the gun was in fine shape. I had an extra barrel nut, and soon had it back together. After I got all done with it and gave it back to him, he took it from me, and gave it right to his son for a birthday present. I'm kind of glad he did, because he's about 80 and pretty shakey at this point.