First barrel sawp question

I am getting a new barrel for my 12BR. I have never swapped barrels before on a Savage nor has this barrel been removed from the rifle which I got new. What do I really need?

1. Barrel Nut Wrench from SSS of course.
2. Receiver wrench from Wheeler engineering?
3. Barrel vise from Wheeler engineering or Tubb?

Once the nut is loosened can I do it by hand with just a barrel vise?

Can I simply get the wood inserts and then use the bench vise as the barrel vise?

I want to NOT spend money on the receiver wrench ($60) and the Barrel vise ($60) if I only need them once. If I were to get one or the other, which is better in the long run.

Sorry to be so cheap, but times are like that and I would rather have money for brass and bullets than a device I am going to use once.

The Wheeler oak blocks and SSS barrel wrench will do if you have a good bench vise.

FWIW, I held the receiver in my left hand with the ER Shaw wrench on the barrel nut and whacked it with a dead blow about 3X and off it came. I have the Wheeler barrel vice & action wrench, decent grip but not much patience....

Please make sure to remove the scope bases first. Don't ask me how I found this out :-[
I have used a couple of pieces of truck tire tread in a bench vise along with a barrel nut wrench and a hammer.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by big honkin jeep

Please make sure to remove the scope bases first.

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OK... I'll take the bait... How did you find that out?

LOL

I assume it is because the screw for the base comes into contact with the barrel in the receiver acting as a lock screw. Is that the problem? I was going to consider trimming the length of the base screw so that I could try an open ended wrench to undo the nut once I had it all worked off once.

I ended up getting the Receiver Wrench and the Nut Wrench and a new recoil lug from Northland Shooters. Also went with a Criterion barrel that is in stock rather than one that was going to take 2-4 months to get here.

great choice
drybean

Goose - Let us know how you do with your change out project & if you made up any new curse words... :o

I think I'm getting ready to do a barrel swap on one of mine. My old .270 is finally starting to act a little loose, if you know what I mean.

Groups have been steadily opening up & getting bigger each time I shoot it. Time to make it a new rifle again...

Frank in Fla ;)

I take the handle off my Wheeler action wrench,clamp that in my bench vise and the use the nut wrench to remove barrel. VERY solid and nothing turns in blocks or vise.

Kinda a sore spot. I turned a .243 barrel into a tomato stake by assuming the barrel was cross threaded and forcing it stripping quite a few threads. It Boogered up about the last 3 threads on the action too but I was able to chase em out with a tap.
Thats a mistake I will only make once and figured I'd put it out there for what it's worth. :-[.

A thread file or 3 corner file might have saved your .243 barrel.

El Lobo

Quote:

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Originally Posted by big honkin jeep

Kinda a sore spot. I turned a .243 barrel into a tomato stake by assuming the barrel was cross threaded.

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Bummer. I appreciate that confirmation of my theory before I actually get to try it. Knowing why not to do something is important for me cognitively. I forget simple warnings it seems. The story actually helps me remember.