Barrel thread too loose?

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08-21-2015, 05:08 PM
alphapygmy

Barrel thread too loose?

Picked up a used barrel recently and went to thread it on and noticed a lot of slop with the fit. I took it off and measured it with a mic and got 1.041" It looked like they galled the threads during installation or removal and tried cleaning it up with a pass or two on a lathe that took too much material off. It's such a sloppy fit it doesn't seem safe to put rounds through it. The measurement just past the tenon is 1.072" for a good 3 inches so I could probably get the chamber chopped off and have it rethreaded and chambered. The load development targets he sent with it looked really good so I'm hating to chop it up but I don't want to chance a face full of hot steel. Any thoughts?
08-21-2015, 06:13 PM
wbm

Quote:

I don't want to chance a face full of hot steel. Any thoughts?

What you said before "Any thoughts?" are my thoughts also.
08-21-2015, 06:29 PM
Robinhood

They probably pulled the barrel with the front scope mount still installed and damaged the threads. They then dressed the threads to hide the issue. I think I would contact for a refund.
08-30-2015, 09:50 PM
romad97

How loose is too loose? I am also interested to hear responses as I have a brand new CBI barrel that also fits my action a tad loose. At first I wasn't worried about it. It tightens up perfectly fine but, there was just a little bit of wiggle before tightening the nut down. How loose is your barrel? Does it just kind of wiggle side to side or does it actually have play up and down when you thread it on? I have read a few places that loose threads are not too big of a problem but, not being a gunsmith I don't really know how much is too much. I am interested to see others' response to this.
08-31-2015, 12:46 AM
alphapygmy

Trying to find a way to quantify "loose" I put the barrel back on and screwed it 1/2 turn short of headspaced while in a barrel vice. I then placed a dial indicator back along the action next to the rear action screw hole. Wiggling the action back and forth I got a reading of .055-.060" When it's headspaced and I tighten the barrel it it snugs everything right up it just bothers me having less thread engaement than I usually see. I know it's not those threads that hold the pressure but it's still 55K psi inches from my face.