Removing a Savage barrel nut - barrel spins in vise

[tastelikechicken]

Having trouble getting the barrel to sit still in the vise

Bought a synthetic barrel block set, barrel spins
I got a piece of bike inner tube and used with the above, barrel spins
made a wood block set, barrel spins
neither the wood or synthetic set of blocks touch while in the vise

Since I am in a dry climate, should I soak the wood in water for an hour?

[Cru3rd]

you need a action wrench.

[fgw_in_fla]

I use an action wrench, barrel nut wrench & vice grips with a piece of this leather in the jaw. The kind of leather you'd find from an old shotgun strap or leather belt. It about 3/16" to 1/4" thick, 1" wide & 3 inches long. Stuff it in the vice grip jaw, clamp down on the barrel, push the vice grip in the opposite direction of the barrel nut wrench while tightening the barrel nut.

Do the opposite if you're removing it.

Remember, you may want to take it off again someday so it doesn't need to be tightened to a pucker factor of 10. A pucker factor of 7 to 8 should be adequate.

I very rarely hear of anyone using a barrel block / vice that's 100% happy with it.

Try the leather in the vice grip jaw thing. Works great.

[OLEJOE]

Used some Pine rosin (sap) on mine and it worked great. I think any evergreen sap will work (pine, cedar). It's easy to remove with penetrating oil.

[nrar15]

I use bow rosin on my wood blocks.

[Nor Cal Mikie]

Barrel in "padded" vice. (Nut wrench on barrel) SMACK the wrench with a steel hammer. The SHOCK of metal to metal from the hammer hitting the wrench will brake the nut loose.
No need to tighten it back up that much. You may want to change it again in the future.
Havn't used my action wrench since the first time I had to back it off when the barrel wouldn't turn. Maybe rear action wrench?
Try the "steel on steel" and see what that does. Worked on the last half dozen barrel changes I've done but I make it a point NOT to tighten the nut up that much. You can also use channel locks (padded) to hold the action for the first time braking the nut loose.
After that, hand hold works good.

[J.Baker]

Having trouble getting the barrel to sit still in the vise

Bought a synthetic barrel block set, barrel spins
I got a piece of bike inner tube and used with the above, barrel spins
made a wood block set, barrel spins
neither the wood or synthetic set of blocks touch while in the vise

Since I am in a dry climate, should I soak the wood in water for an hour?

Since everyone else already gave the helpful answers I guess that means I get to be the smart-alec...

That's just Savage's built-in mechanical aptitude test. If you can't figure out how to get the barrel nut loose then you're not mechanically inclined enough to be working on your own guns. :p

[stangfish]

I have had great success with leather wrapped around the barrel in the barrel vice. Make sure you have a correctly sized hole in you blocks. you should have a gap between the splitline and very tight. Also get you a big rubber mallet and jar the wrench rather than a steady or progressive pull.

[sharpshooter]

1. Make sure that the barrel blocks actually fit the barrel. The more surface area, the better. Tapered sporter barrels need a tapered hole. If at first it spins, bed the barrel to the blocks.
2. Use something for more grip, powdered rosin, or powdered sugar will even work.
3. Don't fart around with a rubber or deadblow mallet, use a good ball peen hammer and give it a good whack. The sheer shock will break it loose.

[pdog2062]

Don't laugh but dark brown sugar on the blocks really gives them a grip.

[BillPa]

Since everyone else already gave the helpful answers I guess that means I get to be the smart-alec...

:p

I'll join ya Jim!

Look Maw.....no vise!!!!

http://i33.tinypic.com/3ggat.jpg

That getup has defeated the silver back gorilla's efforts more than just a few times! In fact I can remember only one needing most all my 248# to break loose. Actually the wrench handle is a little high in that pic, its usually lower and the contraption is on the floor.

I was taught to work smart not hard!!!!

Bill

[stangfish]

Every time I see that I think KISS. Now lets see your setup for putting it back together as it looks like it is for one direction.

[BillPa]

Every time I see that I think KISS. Now lets see your setup for putting it back together as it looks like it is for one direction.

http://i34.tinypic.com/21omvia.jpg

[handirifle]

I put the handle of my action wrench in a hole in the top of my bench. Then I slide the nut wrench on and connect my 1/2" ratchet driver into the square hole in the nut wrench. That makes the combined length about 30". Just takes a tug and the nut pops loose.

To install the barrel/nut, I use the same setup, and have to do a little trial and error to get headspace just right. Lately it takes only one or two tries, cause the barrel will spin a little, but no biggie. Just check and recheck headspace. I would do that no matter what method I used to install it.

[Dennis]

Barrel in "padded" vice. (Nut wrench on barrel) SMACK the wrench with a steel hammer. The SHOCK of metal to metal from the hammer hitting the wrench will brake the nut loose.

Or use one of the orange rubber hammers, the above has never failed me on 100's of changes.

Or get a 4x4 oak block 6" long. Then End to End, drill a hole smaller than the barrel. #2, Rip the wood in the middle of the hole you drilled, end to end. 1" bull equals about a 5/8" hole in the wood, or just use proper judgment as your are going to really tighten your vise up. Make sure you put the barrel nut wrench on first, Put barrel in the hole you drilled, tighten up in vise, and I mean tighten it, wood won't hurt barrel, then pop the wrench as stated above. IMO, the oak block is about the best. You need one for each contoured barrel, sporter, Varmint, Bull, usually these three will get the job done.

.800 Varmint barrel may need a 1/2" hole drilled, maybe a 1/8 or so smaller. You might have to experiment to see what size hole will stabilize the barrel after tightening up in the vise. I never have seen wood hurt stainless, but wood will certainly lock it in.

.500 sporter may need a 1/2" or 3/8" hole drilled, again experiment until the barrel locks in. The wood is going to compress a little and form to the barrel.

You probably could take one piece of wood, drill 3 different holes in the side, then rip down the center, , I would say about 3" spacing between holes. Should work just fine

I normally use the barrel vise Sinclair sells. If I have a tough one, I pull the wood out. It works every time.

JMO, but it works

Dennis

PS: I have never used an action wrench of any kind on a Savage Action.

[Nor Cal Mikie]

Only problem with using the dead blow (Orange rubber hammer) is you don't get the "SHOCK" transfer like metal to metal. You'll still end up twisting the barrel in the vice on a tight Savage nut. It's the "SHOCK" that brakes the nut loose.

[tastelikechicken]

Thanks for the feedback
1. I was using pine 2x4 with a routered V, not curved
2. I don't have the barrel nut with grooves, mine is smooth
3. I do not have an action wrench
I have a 2 lb hammer and will be using a 16" pipe wrench for the smooth nut. I picked up some rosin at the sporting goods store, but will fall back to some brown sugar if need be.

[stangfish]

you don't get the "SHOCK" transfer like metal to metal.

This is true but you still get shock. Acceleration is "Shock". I like my tools looking nice with no mushroomed, splintered sharp edges. The same results on the splines of the nut. I do have a large brass hammer that I have used for the really tight ones.


Bill I have seen that pic to I just could not remember. I prefer to support everything with less opportunity for any distortion. I don't get it overly tight I have just seen too many uh-oh's when things are not supported in the correct places. I do know you are knowledgeable and would do nothing ignorant but someone looking at that picture might not be so adept. I say that looking at all of the guys that are not mechanically "experienced" on the forum looking to DIY like so many of us do. Thanks for the Photo's.

[Dennis]

Only problem with using the dead blow (Orange rubber hammer) is you don't get the "SHOCK" transfer like metal to metal. You'll still end up twisting the barrel in the vice on a tight Savage nut. It's the "SHOCK" that brakes the nut loose.

I will have to try it, but I never had a reason to do so, not yet!

Dennis

[Salvo]

I had a smooth factory nut give me trouble today, and resorted to making a groove in the largest diameter part of the nut with a moto-tool cutoff wheel ( just a groove, not down to the threads ) then I put a 1/2" cold chisel in the groove so that when it was struck, it would rotate the nut in the "loosen" direction. - Three whacks with a big ball-peen hammer and the nut was loose.

Many talk about throwing away the old smooth barrel nut. - I kept it, and use it as a thread protector on the barrel that I removed. After moving the old barrel nut down to where the barrel threads start at the rear of the barrel, I wrapped the barrel and barrel nut with electrical tape before I put the old barrel away in the back of the safe.