Barrel Nut Removal Problem

[LHitchcox]

Hope you guys can help me here. I removed the factory .270 barrel from my left hand Axis and found metal filings all in and around the receiver. When I tried to remove the barrel nut from the barrel, it froze on the filings. For 3 days I have been soaking the barrel and nut in Kroil hoping to get it loose. So far no go. What are my options from here? I am thinking I may have to Dremel the nut off and clean the barrel threads. Any other options? BTW, I have done the barrel removal several times on other rifles and have never seen anything like the filings here. It almost looked like the little curlicues that come off brass when trimming.

Thanks

Leon

[big honkin jeep]

Is the scope base still on it or a filler screw in the scope base holes? The screws can protrude through the action to the barrel threads making removal very difficult. If you force it you get the filings you describe and you can damage both the action threads and the barrel threads.
Kinda got a feeling this is the case from what you describe. Please let me know if I guessed it.
I hate to admit how I know this REDFACE
I even got some help from a long time member here to straighten out my screw up.

If there are no screws in the front scope base holes then these holes are a good way to get the Kroil directly on the threads deep inside the action.

[stangfish]

Ouch. been hearing it is pretty common on the new rifles for them to be full of something in the barrel threads. It sounds like your Dremel plan is the way to go. Was the scope mount still installed when you took it apart?

[seanhagerty]

The nut comes off on the chamber end.

[LHitchcox]

No, the scope base was removed. I use an action vise, so the base has to come off. I had not heard of any similar situations like this, but this is the first really new rifle I have worked on. I did spray the Kroil into the screw holes as well as the front and rear of the barrel nut. It just feels that the threads are totally bound by the metal filings. It will soak for another night and I will try again.

[stangfish]

Filings= shavings

[LHitchcox]

Yeah, I should have said shavings. It is almost as if the barrel nut carved them off as it was tightened. I tried to move the nut forward as far as possible hoping to clean out the shavings before removing it, but it wouldn't move either direction more than a quarter turn. I will probably have to Dremel it off with a reinforced cutting disk and find a new barrel nut. Midway showed out of stock and none due until December. So much for sighting in this weekend.

[LoneWolf]

I soaked mine in acetone and scrubbed it with a wire brush then I had to work the barrel nut off a little at a time backing it up more scrubbing then forward again. Eventually it will budge. The other thing I did was wrap duct tape around the barrel until it was thick enough to clamp in the action wrench, so I could apply more torque to the nut between the nut wrench and a breaker bar. This was most effective!

There is talk of this in my build thread with advise from Thomae.

[LoneWolf]

Did you have any luck getting this finished? Another thing I used was some Gatco honing oil I use for my sharpening stone. It's real thin so it will seep into the threads real well. Hope you got it worked out.

[aubie515]

I had the same issue with my Axis when I removed the barrel. I ended up buying another barrel nut from Gun Shack since the barrel nut threads needed to be repaired.

If I ever buy another Axis...I'm making sure I don't turn the barrel nut too tight into the barrel when I attempt to remove it.

[LoneWolf]

When I build my second I will get a new barrel nut with the new barrel for sure! Only one set of threads to clean up that way!

[LHitchcox]

I am still letting it soak in Kroil. I have been too busy and too frustrated to fool with it. Tomorrow is supposed to be a rainy day and I will have time to get after it.

[sinman]

are you sure that it is shavings? If it is a blued rifle you probably have bluing salts in there. I usually loosen it some and blow it out with an air gun, loosen it more, blow it out and so on.

[LHitchcox]

It is definitely metal shavings.

[BillPa]

I use an action vise, so the base has to come off.

Are you trying to remove the barrel with the action still in the vise with it tightened?

An action vise or a clamp on style action wrench isn't for totally removing a barrel, or nut, only initially loosening them. After no more than 1/2 a turn (action or nut) it should be removed otherwise it distorts the ring causing it to grip on the barrel threads. It kinda like tightening a hose on a fitting with a hose clamp.

Bill

[LHitchcox]

No. The barrel broke loose easily, but the barrel nut was sticking to the barrel. I unthreaded the barrel from the receiver by hand. The trouble started when I tried to remove the barrel nut from the barrel. I did not notice the metal filings on the threads before I tried to remove the nut on the barrel. I put the barrel in a vise and used the barrel nut wrench to get the nut off, but the nut stuck within a quarter turn. Right now the barrel and nut are soaking in Kroil. Tomorrow I will try to get the nut off one more time. If that does not work, I will Dremel the old nut off and replace it.

[wbm]

Dremel the old nut off and replace it.

That is what I had to do with the Savage Light Weight Hunter I had. Soaking in Kroil was a waste of time.

[LHitchcox]

Wound up having to use the Dremel, but at least the nut is off. Now to find a replacement.