ambis
06-09-2014, 01:27 PM
Just picked up the new rifle last week and everything checked out fine at transfer. When I got home, I took off the thread cap while fooling around with the new toy. When I went to thread the cap back on it wouldn't go beyond a few turns. With the possibility of having screwed the threads up, and all the implications (suppression, new barrel, gunsmithing fees, etc), I had a moment of panic.
It turned out to be minor, so I'm posting this to help alleviate some stress to anyone who encounters the same problem.
It ended up that some remaining grit or residue from the bluing process was the culprit. The threads on both the barrel and the cap seemed clean and smooth to the naked eye. I also didn't see any evidence of cross-threading/thread damage. The only evidence was tiny bluing granules on my fingers from handling the cap. The solution was to bathe with oil and scrub with a plastic brush the threads on both the barrel and cap. By scrubbing and bathing, I believe it broke free and washed away a lot of the surface imperfections. I also tried to advance the cap a little at a time, with some scrubbing/oiling between as needed. I think it only took about 10 minutes of this and the cap now threads on without any hangups.
Hope this helps someone.
It turned out to be minor, so I'm posting this to help alleviate some stress to anyone who encounters the same problem.
It ended up that some remaining grit or residue from the bluing process was the culprit. The threads on both the barrel and the cap seemed clean and smooth to the naked eye. I also didn't see any evidence of cross-threading/thread damage. The only evidence was tiny bluing granules on my fingers from handling the cap. The solution was to bathe with oil and scrub with a plastic brush the threads on both the barrel and cap. By scrubbing and bathing, I believe it broke free and washed away a lot of the surface imperfections. I also tried to advance the cap a little at a time, with some scrubbing/oiling between as needed. I think it only took about 10 minutes of this and the cap now threads on without any hangups.
Hope this helps someone.