Savage 340 Barrel Nut

[CrewDog]

I have a Savage 340, 30-30. Its in really nice shape except the bore is in really bad shape. Is there anyone out there with info on the "barrel nut." It is quite a bit smaller than the production Savages of today. I would like to get a wrench or spanner for it. I want to rebarrel this rifle without messing the nut up. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks...

[jonbearman]

It would be easy with a spanner that fits several size diameters and has a hinged claw. You could make one by drilling a hole in 1/2 inch aluminum stock the same size as the od of the nut.Once you drill the hole you drill and tap for a 5/16x24 thread next to the hole and then cut a slot straight through the threaded portion.Slip over the nut and clamp it up and smack it with a dead blow hammer.I use rosin all over the area that you are clamping on,it will help the wrench grip and not gall the nut.Take a look at the wrench on sss's site for the smooth nut they sell.That way you will understand how to make one.You can have a barrel made from an adams and bennet replacement sporter tube from midway.Sounds like a neat little project.Incidently,your barrel may have had some real old 30-30 cartridges shot through it and they were black powder way back when.30 caliber and 30 grains of black powder in the old days.

[CrewDog]

Thanks for the reply and tip Joberman.

[thirty06]

Just FYI - The 30-30 was the 1st. cartridge made from new for smokeless powder. They just carried the naming over from the black powder days.
30 caliber & 30 grs. of smokeless powder.

[Eric in NC]

Partially right. It was the first commercial cartridge designed for smokeless but the "30-30" is the name MARLIN gave it (Winchester called it the 30 Winchester Center Fire or "30 WCF" just like they did the 44 WCF, 38 WCF etc.). Marlin didn't want to advertise for Winchester so they carried over the naming from the older parent cartridges for the new fangled one (38-55 and 32-40 which were marketed as Marlin / Ballard cartridges). This is also why Marlin chambered their guns in the 25-36 Marlin instead of the 25-35 Winchester.

Probably pitted from corrosive primed ammo.

e-gunparts.com did have new old stock 340 barrels in 30-30 last time I looked.

[bill_meilahn]

Looked and looked, but couldn't find one. Finally used a pipe wrench. One time, I bought a new nut from Numrich for $6, the second time, I just polished the marks off the old one.

[The Old Coach]

Urk! I bought one of those nuts that Numrich sells, too. The thread is oversize by about .020" on diameter, compared to my OEM barrel. It would have stripped had I tried to tighten it properly. I wound up buying a used one on Gunbroker.

This isn't the only time that parts I got from Numrich were no good. I have three .22 caliber liners that I bought a year or so ago. The first one was just barely under 5/16". I had to drive it in. The second job I started, I found the liner was .005" oversize on the OD in spots, and you couldn't get it in for love nor money. I'm now more sure than ever that Numrich's inventory is built up of rejected lots that they buy for cheap. No more for me. Redman's liners from Brownells are only $10.00 more.

[short round]

Back in the day, before nut wrench was common, used 1 1/8" box wrench & four sear pins from Colt 1911. Slide wrench over nut, insert pin's & had improvised nut wrench for 340, 1 1/4" box wrench for 110. Can use bearings out of car universal joint.