Dis NUT!!

Golddiggie

Golddiggie

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I've been looking since this past weekend for a way to remove this farking barrel nut (DPMS AR10 upper) in order to Cerakote the build. None of the tools I have will match up to the pattern. I ordered up a wrench from Midwest Industries, that arrived this afternoon and that doesn't mate either. I think I got the upper from AimSurplus back between 2016 and 2018, but cannot locate it in my order history. I would prefer to be able to reuse the barrel nut/handguard after Cerakoting it, so removing it properly is a must. My other course of action would be to use the large pipe wrench to remove the current one and get a replacement (a bit wasteful IMO).

Picture of dis nut:
PXL_20241118_184948149.jpg

Does anyone have a tool/wrench that should work on this? I can take some measurements if needed. Considering how it's right up to the gas tube, it's probably the max diameter that will work with an AR10 pattern upper.

One of the reasons why I want to use it again is due to the anti-rotation tabs on the handguard. Options for this, in normal/high profile DPMS pattern handguards is rather limited. I'm seeing several without those tabs, for short money. IME, those tabs make alignment of the upper and handguard a LOT easier/better.
 
Was the one you ordered from MI the cr308? If that didn’t work then maybe the PRI wrench you can order from Midway or wherever. That nut looks like a regular DPMS pattern.
 
Mesatchornug said:
Don't you have a mill?
Click to expand...
I have a manual mill. Trying to make a wrench to get the nut off would probably be more work than it's worth.

I ordered the "MI CR308 and SP Barrel Nut Wrench" from MI.

I just looked at the item from MidwayUSA. Unfortunately, that is for a 24 hole pattern nut. The one on my upper is a 20 spline nut. Even without that taken into account, the dimensions they list for that wrench don't line up with what's installed here.

Looks like I'll need to get a new handguard and use the pipe wrench to remove this one when I end up stripping it apart for Cerakote. I suppose that I COULD use that wrench to install it again, provided it's not messed up by the process. Or I could just shelf it and use the second stripped upper I have and build up another upper to mate to the lower.
 
Are you doing the Cerakote yourself or taking it somewhere to have it done? If taking it somewhere, perhaps they can remove the nut.
 
@Glockster30 I'm doing the Cerakote myself. I have a couple of threads about this. One is my current setup and anther for projects I've completed. Not to mention the link in my signature has a projects page showing things off.

I was thinking of doing a battle worn sniper grey job on this setup. Or maybe battle worn smoked bronze, since I have more of that color on hand.
 
If you're worried about marring it you could wrap the nut in something (electrical tape for example). You can also clamp it in the vise between two pieces of wood, or plastic jaws if you have them.
 
I'm not really all that worried about marring. More worried about distorting the thing when wrenching on it. Since it would be grabbed on opposite sides only, and not by very much. All the other barrel nuts I've removed over the past several months have had flats for an actual wrench, or used the MI wrench to remove/install. Even there, I've managed to bugger one of those wrenches (glad they include one with each handguard).

I also use the MI receiver rods to secure/hold uppers when working on them. I have one for both the AR15 and AR10 patterns. I love how I can actually rotate them around as needed to make installing screws/bolts/pins easier. Since the rods are metal, I'm not worried about them being deformed by use.

I guess I'll be putting this AR10 project on hold until I can get a replacement handguard setup for it. I'm looking to get something with the anti-rotation tabs/feature so that alignment to the upper will be solid, and easier to obtain. Not that I'll be mounting any iron sights on the thing, it's more to have it look well assembled.

As a tertiary method, I could try to design up a wrench for the thing. Luckily I have a 3D printer, so making sure it actually works before machining it (or getting it machined) wouldn't be too difficult. I might even have a piece of steel that I could use for this. Not looking forward to securing it to the rotary table and then making those chips. Maybe I'll look into one of the laser cutting services to get them to produce it instead.
 
pastera said:
Pin spanner
3d print a template - dykem some 1/4 plate, scribe and cutoff wheel to hack it out
The only critical dimension is thr pin spacing.
Click to expand...
Pins need to be about 0.18" diameter. ID of pin pattern of 1.472" (+/-.005). The inner hole just needs to be above 1.2", so 1.25" would be more than enough. I might have an annular cutter that would work there. The DRO setup on my mill have a hole pattern function with it, so I could, possibly, make a hole pattern that would work out for the deal. Hardest part could be locating pin stock to use. I have enough drill bits, and could get a right sized reamer for this.

Hell, even if I don't have the right size annular cutter, I have a boring bar setup that I could use to get to the desired ID of the thing.

Thinking about how many HOURS it would take to make this two use wrench.
 
Not sure if you're serious about using a strap wrench on an AR10 BARREL NUT. I'm not that much of a masochist. As I already mentioned, I have the large (named Mongo for a reason) pipe wrench I can use. I've used it on various AR nuts that have been otherwise stuck, or where the actual wrench/tool was unavailable. Such as the wrench needed to remove the Sig AR15 barrel nuts.
 
A strap would make turning the nut far more difficult, and thus not worth the pain.

Just whipped this up in conFusion 360... I'll print it out in the next day or so and see how it aligns. I'll probably remove a section of it so that it will fit over the gas tube for testing. I've not, yet, sourced out the 0.180" round stock to make the pins with. Since I don't have a lathe, I cannot just get some .1875" stock and turn it down.
1732231034803.png

Center hole is 1.25". Would use 2" x 1/4" bar stock for the body.
 
Golddiggie said:
Would need some measurements. the teeth tightest point would need to be about 1.47", with the opening 1.25" (or so, but larger than 1.2").
Click to expand...

Opening is ~1.37. Tooth to tooth depth to ~1.68. Spline (pin) opening ~0.122
 
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tinhorn said:
That would be a #15 drill bit.
Click to expand...
Or drill rod or dowel pins
Golddiggie said:
A strap would make turning the nut far more difficult, and thus not worth the pain.

Just whipped this up in conFusion 360... I'll print it out in the next day or so and see how it aligns. I'll probably remove a section of it so that it will fit over the gas tube for testing. I've not, yet, sourced out the 0.180" round stock to make the pins with. Since I don't have a lathe, I cannot just get some .1875" stock and turn it down.
View attachment 938363

Center hole is 1.25". Would use 2" x 1/4" bar stock for the body.
Click to expand...
If you're too good for the Amazon link above, try McMaster or Misumi.
 
This tool might work. Call YHM and they will be able to tell you the spacing.

To be completely honest with you, YHM might have even made the barrel nut and hand guard. Back in the late 2000s they used to make a lot of stuff for DPMS.

yhm.net

HANDGUARD WRENCH - YHM-9621

This handy tool allows for the easy removal and installation of YHM"s forearms. Incorporated into the design is a tool for tightening the barrel nut and a spanner wrench for tightening the jam nut. Made from quality hardened steel and black oxide plated.
yhm.net yhm.net
 
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I have a box of 3/16 x 1 3/4 dowel pins, if you go that route you're welcome to some, I'm probably less than a 1/2 hour drive from Pelham.
Wouldn't be the first time these've been used to make some sort of removal tool...
 
I mean you could ghetto it off with a flat head and a hammer.
But re-torque'ing it 🤷.
The belt with the socket method proves to work very well too. Especially with the low ft lbs a barrel nut takes
 
I'd probably just go tight and then get it so that the gas tube passes through the nut. Might just order the spanner wrench that @rcwhat linked. Not that I'll have much use for it once the nut gets removed and then reinstalled. If it doesn't work, I could return it. ;)
 
I'll think about it... Will have to see if the spanner I already ordered does the job or not. I'll end up using the thing once to remove, and a second time to reinstall, the nut. IF I cannot remove the thing, I might just say "F-it" and get a replacement handguard and then large pipe wrench the old one off.

update: just looked and the spanner is set to arrive on Monday now...
 
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That’s a hard one all the sig barrel nuts are also a real pain in the ass to remove… people will give you some suggestions, but there’s always brute force or cutting it off. It’s a really hard call to make make.

If you look deep enough on the Internet, there’s people selling tools for everything, but that doesn’t mean it’s gonna work..

There’s always the option of welding to it and just beating it off
 
MGnoob said:
That’s a hard one all the sig barrel nuts are also a real pain in the ass to remove… people will give you some suggestions, but there’s always brute force or cutting it off. It’s a really hard call to make make.

If you look deep enough on the Internet, there’s people selling tools for everything, but that doesn’t mean it’s gonna work..

There’s always the option of welding to it and just beating it off
Click to expand...
As I've already posted (at least a few times), I have a large pipe wrench that WILL remove it if it comes down to that. My only concern is it getting marred up enough that the handguard won't slide over it. Well, without a large amount of work. At that point, I might as well just replace it with one from MI and call it done.

I already bought one tool that looked like it could work. Nope. Not going to keep tossing $$ away on that string. If the spanner coming (Monday) doesn't work, Mongo is coming to town.
blazing saddles GIF
 
Golddiggie said:
As I've already posted (at least a few times), I have a large pipe wrench that WILL remove it if it comes down to that. My only concern is it getting marred up enough that the handguard won't slide over it. Well, without a large amount of work. At that point, I might as well just replace it with one from MI and call it done.

I already bought one tool that looked like it could work. Nope. Not going to keep tossing $$ away on that string. If the spanner coming (Monday) doesn't work, Mongo is coming to town.
blazing saddles GIF
Click to expand...
You could always fine-tune it with a flap disk and a dig grinder… if it took that much force to remove it it wasn’t coming off anyway… besides the factory hand guards, aren’t that good anyway…

Try off with all your easier options and then you gotta use brute force and whatever comes of it. That’s the case. It also helps if you get it brutally hot before you start doing it.

That’s why I was suggested just welding some stuff to it so you get to control how much damage really happens
 

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