Cannot Remove The Barrel Nut - Need Help

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Ok, I'm at my rope's end here. Lets start from the beginning.

Last week I decided I wanted to tighten my barrel nut because it seemed like I was getting more fliers than usual. I went to the store, bought some PVC and a Dremel and went to work. They didn't turn out so great, but I noticed that when I would try them, the nut didn't seem to move at all. I chalked it up to my inability to mark .07 inches or whatever with a tape measure and decided to buy a legit barrel nut tool. I got it today and it fits perfectly.

I decided I would remove the nut first just so I could clean the barrel better and no matter how hard I twist, I cannot get the thing off. I hold the barrel with one hand and twist the wrench with the other hand and the gun just spins in my hand holding the barrel because I can't get a good enough grip. Then I do what I'm not supposed to do and grab it by the handguard, the stock, the pistol grip, pretty much every other part so that I can get more leverage and still, the thing won't budge.

So now I must ask, what am I doing wrong?
 
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Barrel vice jaws? Off to ebay I go!


Oh wait...but I don't even have a vice...

:( This is getting expensive!
 
Barrel vice jaws? Off to ebay I go!


Oh wait...but I don't even have a vice...

:( This is getting expensive!

Hey bud, don't forget, righty tighty, lefty loosey !!! Did you buy your gun new ? Just asking to make sure no one used Loctite on your nut. Good advice here, definitely need some barrel vice jaws so the receiver isn't compromised. Hope that ShooWrench does the trick for you, keep us posted, Shoo
 
OOOPS !!! Almost forgot, forum member tacticool22 makes and sells a gorgeous set of barrel vice jaws, exactly what you are looking for. Good luck, Shoo
 
Yeah, I made sure I was turning left. Triple checked it in fact just to make sure. I bought the rifle new, but did send it in to S&W to get it repaired. Who knows what they did. I think I'll count my losses and just forget about getting the nut off. I gave it the ol' college try, but I can't keep dropping money on something that won't happen.
 
Mine came very tight form the factory too. First I tried the PVC wrench method but the plastic teeth just kept snapping off from the torque. Then I got a Shoowrench from Shoo on here and it is awesome but still couldnt turn the wrench hard enough to pop the nut. Out of frustration I modded the wrench so I could use it with my compressed air impact wrench and that thing got it right off. Just be careful haha.
 
Mine came very tight form the factory too. First I tried the PVC wrench method but the plastic teeth just kept snapping off from the torque. Then I got a Shoowrench from Shoo on here and it is awesome but still couldnt turn the wrench hard enough to pop the nut. Out of frustration I modded the wrench so I could use it with my compressed air impact wrench and that thing got it right off. Just be careful haha.

I used the Shoowrinch. I placed the rifle between my knees, gave the wrinch a small jerk to the left, and it came right off. Same thing when installing the barrel except a slight jerk to the right.
 
Mine came very tight form the factory too. First I tried the PVC wrench method but the plastic teeth just kept snapping off from the torque. Then I got a Shoowrench from Shoo on here and it is awesome but still couldnt turn the wrench hard enough to pop the nut. Out of frustration I modded the wrench so I could use it with my compressed air impact wrench and that thing got it right off. Just be careful haha.

Wow, maybe the factory upped their torque rating ???
 
I used the Shoowrinch. I placed the rifle between my knees, gave the wrinch a small jerk to the left, and it came right off. Same thing when installing the barrel except a slight jerk to the right.

I just tried that. No joy. Did hurt my legs, so thanks for that! :cool:
 
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Wow, maybe the factory upped their torque rating ???

I don't know, mabe. I do have a newer gun..DTZ..Believe me I would not have resorted to air if I didn't have to. That thing was on there! But now I can get it on and off no prob when I tq it down around 20ft-lb.
 
If it's that tight then I don't think it's a loose barrel that's you flier problem. I would not even try to remove the nut if it's that tight unless you getting the barrel threaded or something as there is really no reason to remove the barrel. For the once every 10,000 rounds or so that you need to clean the barrel just do it from the muzzle and be carefull.

Remember more damage is done to 22 barrels from cleaning than from shooting.
 
No vice ? Just grab a hold of the barrel with vice-grips using a piece of leather belt to pad the jaws.
 
I can't see the torque spec being higher than that 30-80 ft pounds a regular AR takes. Barrel clamps for the vise may not work either as the barrel may spin, you'll probably need a receiver block to get a solid hold. Use a proper barrel nut wrench with a breaker bar and you can loosen the barrel nut in a matter of seconds. I get my barrel nuts to time by using the 30/30/50 method - tighten to 30 foot pounds, loosen and retighten to 30 again, loosen and tighten to 50 foot pounds and the barrel nut should just about time up perfectly. Be sure to use some grease on the barrel nut threads during reassembly.
 
You can not use a receiver block on a 15-22, the receiver is not shaped exactly like an AR15 plus it's polymer. To all of you, hoarking on your barrel nuts without using barrel jaws, you could crack your receiver.. The barrel passes through the receiver.
 
Try the THUMB BUDDY it has a metal wrench which fits over the bushing - i assume you are talking about a 1911 bushing.
 
You guys want to see a magic levitation act?

Hocus pocus dominocus... see the magic 15-22 barrel hovering above the PVC wrench.... :eek:

The below pics will probably do a better job of describing the issue than the following explanation. -- The problem with the PVC wrench is that the ID is slightly smaller than the barrel threads. Unfortunately, the barrel nut spins onto the barrel far enough to where the barrel threads start to come up into the barrel nut groves.... So you have to jam the PVC fingers into the barrel nut grooves over the barrel threads. I suspect those who are breaking PVC fingers aren't getting the fingers far enough into the barrel nut grooves. Those who successfully jam the fingers down far enough may sometimes bind the PVC to the point where it is difficult to loosen the barrel nut. That's the issue I had with my PVC wrench (that and I wasn't talented enough to cut four symmetrical fingers.) When I knocked off two PVC fingers it was much easier to force down into the barrel nut grooves and I was able to loosen the barrel nut. Or you could take a little off the inside of the PVC fingers with a dremmel.

Solution -- ShooWrench or Tacticool22Wrench. Notice the ShooWrench is the proper size and slides over the barrel threads in the pic below . Barrel nut wrenches can be seen and purchased in the 15-22 Classified Sticky Thread: http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-wesson-m-p-15-22/138079-15-22-specific-classifieds.html

A few months ago I balked at the notion of needing a ShooWrench. I was wrong.:o
 

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Nice job Phil, excellent explanation and those pictures speak a thousand words. Hopefully this makes everything clear, thanks as always, Shoo
 
spray the nut with some break free and let it soak for awhile. then lay it down on the carpet and put a towel over it and put your knee on it to hold it down
 

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