# Need help: press fitting ak barrel into reciever.



## GoodRaven (Mar 15, 2013)

Ok, I have a new ak barrel and i got it 1/3 of the way into the trunnion/reciever assembly when my threaded rod snapped in two.  It doesn't seem like this is going to go in the rest of the way without using a press.  Does anybody know where I can go or who can help me with finishing this?  I would hate to have to buy a 20 ton press and the jig just to finish this one build.


----------



## OconeeDan (Mar 18, 2013)

I have only done a couple of them.., so I have very little experience here.  But I never used a press, just "eyeballed" the line-up with the barrel and trunnion, and tapped the barrel into place.  I believe I locked a rod or something in the vise, and used a penny as a cushion, and rested the back side of the trunnion on it.  Use a soft faced hammer to do the tapping, or a wood block.  Get someone to help hold things in place while you are tapping.  
It sure wasn't rocket science but the barrel tapped right into the trunnion for me, and when the pin hole lined up, just tapped the pin into place, that made sure things were lined up properly.
What threaded rod are you talking about?
Dan


----------



## GoodRaven (Mar 18, 2013)

Trunnion is already in receiver so I'm not sure how I'm going to hammer the barrel in without damaging reciever.  The threaded rod was a 36" all thread rod I had inserted in the barrel and had a jig I made that fit in the magazine well that the threaded rod went through. Then when you tighten the nut on the threaded rod it forces forces the barrel into the trunnion.  Well until the rod snaps anyway.  I am going to try again with a grade 8 threaded rod and hopefull that will hold in order to get the barrel in fully.


----------



## 1devildog (Mar 19, 2013)

Rebuild your jig, put the barrel in the freezer for a couple hours, put the receiver in the oven at 350 to 400 degree's and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes. Set your receiver up in your jig then get the barrel out of the freezer and press it into place. The heat will expand the trunnion and the freeze will shrink the barrel enough to give you a slip fit.


----------



## GoodRaven (Mar 19, 2013)

I did have the reciever heated up pretty good but I did not put the barrel in the freezer first.  Now that it is 1/3 of the way in not sure how to seperate it in order to freeze barrel seperately.  Once I get the new threaded rod I will try heating the reciever up with a torch as I do this since I think it cooled off too much 1/3 of the way in and that's why the rod broke.  Thanks for the putting the barrel in the freezer suggestion as I will definitely try that the next time since only heating the receiver doesn't seem to give you enough time to work the barrel fully into the reciever (well, when using a threaded bar anyway).


----------



## Grumpy1 (Mar 19, 2013)

Dry ice also works great for this if you can find it!


----------



## devin25gun (Mar 20, 2013)

Compressed liquid nitrogen in a can also works good for bearings and anything like that.  It will drop right in the trunnion which is heated and u don't have to hit it that hard .  Don't know where u can buy it though.  If seen it used on big cylinder sleeves on engines also.  Dry ice also works great but probably be hard to find around here.  Probably a deep freezer for the barrel and heating the trunnion will work just fine.


----------



## GroundMan (Mar 30, 2013)

Those computer blow/air cans for cleaning out keyboards and computers... Hold it upside down and spray. Be careful, man it is coooooooold. It will burn you it is so cold.


----------



## GoodRaven (Apr 1, 2013)

Thanks for all the tips.  Ended up having to cut the receiver so I could press the barrel out.  Then I opened up the trunnion by about 0.002mm so the OD of the barrel was less than 0.003mm larger than the ID of the trunnion barrel hole.  Then I was able to get it to go all the way in.  Thanks again for the tips though.


----------

