Thanks for the help & information on the barrel replacement. Finally got the upper lapped and barrel installed. Used the vice block, no issues.
The new barrel was needed so the threads of the brake would extend out from under the handguard enough for my new Form 1 accessory. Perfect fit & testing went better than I imagined.
Very nice. Apologize as I just got around to reading this thread, would have gladly lent you all the tools you needed for the project. But...now you have them, you know just in case you ever want to do another one...
Success always occurs in private, and failure in full view.