Armi Galesi Barrel Removal?

S

Spokerider

New member
I am wanting to remove / replace the barrel on a Galesi pistol.

All of the Galesi models are straight blow-back operation with fixed barrels, very similar to PPK, FEG Makarov pistols.
I have never removed a barrel from a Galesi before, and so I am looking for feedback from others that have.

There is a barrel retaining pin that had to be tapped out from the frame. Having removed the pin, the barrel is still held tightly within the frame barrel "hoop". Now, I have attempted to gently tap the barrel from the muzzle end, out from the frame hoop, with a hardwood block. No go.

Questions.....
Does the barrel come out of the hoop, tapping on the muzzle end, towards the rear of the frame? Or, is it driven out from the hoop from the chamber end, towards the muzzle?

Is a barrel press, like a Federal Press sold for Makarov barrel removal, required?

I see a whack of Galesi barrels for sale on ebay, gunbroker, and numerich..... so guys are getting them out, via some method.

Thanks.
 
You are doing it correctly. The barrel should be pushed rearward. I use a rawhide mallet. Use plenty of penetrating oil first. You might need to use a little heat.
 
Thank you for chiming in Bill. I was hoping that you would reply, as I had noticed that you have shared your Galesi-expertise with others, in previous posts.

I have been soaking the frame / barrel in PB Blaster for a week.
I will put the frame with attached barrel into the deep freeze and use torch heat on the hoop part of the frame, for a next attempt.

Do Galesi barrels "typically" come out without too much force, or are they a struggle, as in on par with Makarov's and PPK's?
 
The barrel comes out very much like the Walther PP series and the Russian Makarov.

When the Mak was a new import people wanted to convert them to .380 by installing a new barrel.
There were simple barrel presses sold to do this.
This is much safer then hammering on the muzzle and risk deforming the frame "hoop".

A press can be made from two pieces of plate steel, two threaded rods, and assorted washers and nuts.
One plate with a brass washer to protect the muzzle goes on the muzzle.
A second plate with a cut out to clear the barrel goes on the rear.
The threaded rods join the two.

Turning two of the nuts press the barrel out.
 
Thank you Bill and Defariswheel for your appreciated help.

I gave been scouring the net for pics and those that have experience with using a barrel press, something along the lines of Federal Press designed for Makarov's.

Fabricating one is within my wheelhouse. However, I am tentative about making one, and using one, which has the rear plate that abuts the chamber-end of the frame hoop, as its only area of plate-to-frame contact.

The steel thickness of the hoop, at the chamber end is quite thin, maybe 1.5 mm, certainly less than 2mm thick. Making the rear press plate that has a hole in it to allow the barrel to pass through, yet still contact the thin perimeter of the frame hoop is doable. But using this press with such a small amount of hoop surface contact area may prove to be challenging with plate alignment and plate slippage, under the strain of use.
Is this a valid concern?
Is this the barrel press design that you advocate?

The Galesi has a hole through the frame, perpendicular to the barrel, below the hoop, and just below the chamber, for the trigger bar. It is about 7mm in diameter as a guess. I think a Mak has a similar frame trigger hole.
Looking at pics of the Federal brand, makarov press, it looks like the rear plate / block is designed to permit a pin to secure said rear block to frame, via through the trigger hole. The applied forces when using the press, would be transmitted to the frame via the pin / trigger hole and not against the thin edge of the frame hoop itself.

Have I assumed the design and use of the Federal branded, mak press correctly?

I can fabricate either design, with "my" intuition telling me the pin through trigger hole may be the more secure design.

Thank you for your experienced thoughts, guys.
 
I just held the frame in one hand, and hit the muzzle sharply with a rawhide mallet.
It wasn't difficult and the forces involved were not enough to deform anything.
 
After freezing the frame / barrel and using torch heat on the frame hoop, the barrel was easy to tap put with hardwood block and hammer.

Thank you, you helpful fellas for sharing your knowledge.
 
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