Barrel swap issues

[berri100]

Hi, I'm swapping the barrel on my Axis II with a Criterion barrel. This is my first time doing a barrel swap, but I'm having issues with the go and no go gauges. No matter how many times I try, the action still fully closes when I put in the No Go Gauge. I've re-done the process multiple times, and whether I tighten the barrel "finger tight" or as tight as I can get it, it's the same result.

Has anyone else encountered this? Any tips or recommendations?

[Dave Hoback]

OI, just checking… but are the gauges labeled? Always ask the most basic question first. So don’t be offended. But, any chance you have them swapped? Next, do you have a Vernier Caliper/Micrometer? Can you measure both? The “NO GO” Gauge should be approx .004” longer than the “GO” Gauge. And lastly, you can try setting headspace so the bolt closes just a tad snug on the GO Gauge. Just so you barely feel it at the bottom of travel. Even a slightly short NoGo Gauge will not chamber in this method, as headspace will be around .002” or less.

All that done, and if the Gauges are correct & you are still having issue, all I can say is something is being done incorrectly.

[sharpshooter]

Drop the gauges in the barrel and measure the protrusion before you install it on the action. The go gauge should protrude .125-130". If it is less than that, the bolt head is bottoming on the barrel.

[berri100]

@ Dave, no offense taken! I asked myself the same thing but I can confidently say I did not have them swapped. I don't have a Vernier Caliper/Micrometer but I can easily pick one up near me. Appreciate the feedback, I'll give your suggestions a whirl.

[berri100]

Drop the gauges in the barrel and measure the protrusion before you install it on the action. The go gauge should protrude .125-130". If it is less than that, the bolt head is bottoming on the barrel.

Great suggestion, thanks!

[Robinhood]

Jim Posted this article....
https://www.savageshooters.com/content.php?322-Barrel-Chamber-Depth-Verification

[Whynot]

Did you pull your ejector? The first thing that came to mind was that you are screwing the barrel in until the gauge hits the ejector and not the boltface..... but if you turned the barrel that hard it should have depressed the ejector. One thing you can try.... screw the barrel in farther than needed with the bolt retracted- and then put the gauge in and slowly back the barrel out as you try to put the bolt into battery.... This way you have the cam force of the bolt to overcome the spring pressure.

But it can be bad gauges... PTG put out a bunch of bad ones a few years ago.

[tomme boy]

You took the scope mount off right? Savage mounts a famous for the screws being too long on the front ring.

[AngeloG]

I recently swapped out my factory barrel for a Shaw heavy varmint barrel. I had the same issue happening. In my case the barrel waws not screwed in far enough. I had to separate the barrel from the action and lubricate the threads, buy a barrel vise, thread on my muzzle brake and stick a rod through the muzzle brake (like a T-HANDLE) and use the make shift handle to spin the barrel in further until my go and no-go gauges had any affect on the bolt opening or closing. For the record, The whole t handle thing wasn't entirely necessary. I was so afraid that gripping the barrel with any vise like tool would ruin the stainless steel finish for sure. For me the gauges work whether the extractor is in or not without any force whatsoever. The bolt either closes or it doesn't respectful to the gauge inserted. I am no gunsmith, but one thing I did learn the hard way that I did not see in any Youtube video or online instruction is that you have to pull the factory half sized recoil lug pressed into the factory stock. I mounted my action in a MDT LSS Gen 2 chassis and there is no way the only recoil lug I could find anywhere, fits as a buffer between the barrel and the action. There was a slot in the MDT chassis for the little half sized factory recoil lug to fit underneath the barrel just as it did in the factory plastic stock. I know that "too much information," but I wish the info was available when I swapped my barrel.

[Shooter0302]

OP, Hove you solved your problem ? and if so what was the solution's ??