Tell me why this won't work-barrels with the nut

[Bradley Walker]

So, let's say you have a Savage barrel with the nut. Let's say you set the nut and headspace BUT you put red Loctite or similar adhesive on the nut.

Add an index mark on the bottom of the action, and mark the nut to the index mark.

Then you could remove the barrel after the adhesive set and the nut now is the shoulder.

No need to re-headspace the barrel next time. Just tighten to the index mark. Done. Just like a standard shouldered barrel.

[Westcliffe01]

Doing that is likely to take longer than setting it to the $30 gauge in the first place. It took me all of 5 min to set and check my barrel. If you make the mistake of getting some of the red loctite into the receiver threads, good luck to you...

The red loctite is not bulletproof anyhow. It is on flywheel bolts for most cars and you have to remove them to get the flywheel off. So I would be checking the headspace anyhow. If you want to do a serious switch barrel gun, just do a shoulder like it is usually done.

[kelbro]

It does work. Just be careful with the loctite.

[Bradley Walker]

http://www.longrangehunting.com/articles/savage-model-12-and-112-review-2.php

"The Savage barrel lock nut is 0.875" in length with 11 internal threads over the back two thirds of this length. The remaining tapered portion of the lock nut is not threaded and serves to cover the otherwise exposed threads of the installed barrel. The unthreaded front part of the shroud has a 0.02" gap between it and the barrel, per se, which I put to good use and will describe later. But first, on to cartridge headspace using the barrel lock nut.

With the barrel securely held in a padded barrel vise, and a lock-nut wrench all ready to go, screw the barrel lock nut onto the barrel, as far as it will go, with your fingers. The recoil lug is then put in place against the barrel lock nut with the receiver engaging lug or pin toward the receiver. At this time the receiver engages the recoil lug and is turned onto the barrel with the bolt in place and carefully screwed farther onto the barrel until the bolt face makes contact with the barrel. You’ll have to back things up until the bolt can be closed freely. At this time try the headspace gauge and back off the barrel lock nut until bolt can be closed down on the GO headspace gauge with some feel. The lock nut wrench is now tightened to the desired foot pounds of torque and the headspace gauge is again tried. This maneuver is applied until such time the correct cartridge headspace is attained.

At this stage I put witness marks on the barrel lock nut and the barrel to refer back to as I remove the receiver from the barrel with an action wrench inserted into the bolt hole. The receiver should loosen at the juncture of the back part of the recoil lug as you look for movement at the witness marks. This is precisely how the barrel will later be removed from the action as it is bolted into the stock. The barrel lock nut is then bonded in place so headspace is permanently maintained without referring back to the witness marks each time a barrel is installed. The barrel lock nut could be fixed in place with Loc-Tite, a thread locking agent, but I have discovered a better way. I simply slide a thin, metal shim between the non-threaded barrel and barrel lock nut shroud coated on both sides with J-B Cold Weld. This does the trick. As the bonding agent is setting I install the barrel in the action and torque it to about 25-foot pounds with the witness marks in alignment. This assures coaxial alignment at the barrel-to-receiver thread juncture.

Then, should you later want to move the barrel lock nut or further adjust headspace, simply apply heat over the J-B Cold Weld tab and the lock nut can be turned. Re-apply the Cold-Weld tab as needed. I’ve never had a barrel lock nut loosen in changing dozens of barrels with my system of switching barrels on these Savage rifles."

[Bradley Walker]

If you want to do a serious switch barrel gun, just do a shoulder like it is usually done.

Sigh...

No... thank you.

[geargrinder]

Man, that's a lot of work to do something that only take a few more seconds with a gauge and a nut wrench.

[sharpshooter]

Some people will walk 10 miles out of their way to find a 100 yd shortcut.

[Bradley Walker]

The goal is to be able to change the barrel at the range without taking the action out of the stock (this is the same thing the benchrest guys do during matches all the time). You can't do that using a nut wrench.

Typically, to change barrels super fast without removing the action you need a shouldered barrel and a pinned or integral recoil lug. I've seen guys change barrels with a flat machined on the barrel that accepts a wrench with the stock between their knees sitting at the bench. They change barrels in a matter of two minutes and go back to shooting.... and the headspace never changes. No need for special tools either.

My final goal it to use prefits only from now on. I am totally done dealing with gunsmiths... but I want to be able to do quick changes.

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2012/02/larry-racines-switch-barrel-system/

http://accurateshooter.net/Blog/racinebblx130.jpg

[SFLEFTY]

Red Loctite is as close to a permanent thread locker as you would want, naysayers notwithstanding.

[JCalhoun]

To the best of my knowledge the tightening of the barrel nut against the recoil lug is what takes out the slack between the barrel threads and the receiver threads. Without the slack being taken out the barrel will be loose.

You can always do your own experiment and post the results here.

[Bradley Walker]

http://www.longrangehunting.com/images/savage-model-12-and-112-review-008.jpg

http://www.longrangehunting.com/articles/savage-model-12-and-112-review-1.php

Here is an entire article outlining what I said I was going to do. He did not pin his lug, but gluing the nut makes it a shoulder barrel.

[geargrinder]

Seriously???? Man, if I wanted cynical know-it-all responses I would post on Sniper's Hide...


You're the one who posted this here for comment. Then you get all upset when not everyone agrees with what you are doing. Were you expecting everyone to give you high-fives and back slaps?

[Bradley Walker]

You're the one who posted this here for comment. Then you get all upset when not everyone agrees with what you are doing. Were you expecting everyone to give you high-fives and back slaps?

I didn't ask for agreement... OMG.

[thomae]

Warning: Play nice or I'll issue infractions, as well as close and delete the thread.

Please remember that none of us can read tone of voice through the printed page.
As a result, that which is a slightly humorous comment to one person may come across as ascerbic and bitter to another. Please give each other the benefit of the doubt.

To the OP: you asked a question without giving all the amplifying information that you provided in your followup posts. Without knowing your whole situation, the answers provided were reasonable, even though they may not have been what you wanted to hear.

So to everyone involved: Stop fighting, look each other in the eyes while you shake hands and say "I'm sorry." Any more of these squabbles, and you'll all be inside sitting in the corner the next time the class goes outside for recess.

[Bradley Walker]

I removed my comment.

Basically, after doing some research I answered my own question. I posted what I found here.

The question was... Can you do this?

Yes... and it is actually easy... and works exactly as I would have thought.

[Nandy]

Yes. It can be done, I have read about it and done 3 myself today. When you lock the nut by any way the barrel pretty much becomes a shouldered barrel. I am adding blue loctite to the receiver and let it dry before assembling to help keeping the barrel from loosing up. I will get to try it tomorrow.

[Bradley Walker]

Yes. It can be done, I have read about it and done 3 myself today. When you lock the nut by any way the barrel pretty much becomes a shouldered barrel. I am adding blue loctite to the receiver and let it dry before assembling to help keeping the barrel from loosing up. I will get to try it tomorrow.

Keep in mind I have never heard of a barrel "loosening up". Most of the old dudes I see changing barrels in matches aren't exactly putting Herculean torque on them either :)

I really like the idea that the author talked about in that article. He glued the nut AFTER THE FACT which is very cool. In other words if you an existing rifle and you like the headspace you can glue it after the fact and not worry about it set up while you are screwing it in...

You really should look at pinning the lug... then you can screw the barrel off in the stock at the range!!!

[stangfish]

I would use a barrel nut that was configured a little different.

[Nandy]

I don't want to pin the barrels as I'm selling them and don't want to risk scratching them seriously when I take them off. They have the blue loctite. The one barrel I'm keeping will get the red loctite. I am making a "hand held" barrel vice for taking the barrels of and on. Once I have it down I will try to post pics but it will be a bit.

[thomae]

You could try Rocksett. It's a brand of threadlocker/adhesive that has the added bonus of not being suceptable to degradation due to high heat.