Reply With QuoteBest Method ????
My method...properly support the action, add some heat, remove smooth nut with a pipe wrench. Discard smooth nut, and replace with a proper nut.
JMHM = Just My Humble Method ;-))
What is the best method to remove a smooth barrel nut. The rifle is a MOD 11 Trophy Hunter in 204R. I have an itch for a 22 Caliber centerfire. I have an itch for a 22 center fire. I have heard horror stories
Best Method ????
My method...properly support the action, add some heat, remove smooth nut with a pipe wrench. Discard smooth nut, and replace with a proper nut.
JMHM = Just My Humble Method ;-))
WinOriginally Posted by FW Conch
Dean
RUMs are like woman in Stiletto heals, you know they are going to put you in the poor house, but that has never stopped anyone from pursuing them.
Get action wrench from NSS. Then execute per above (I have not done that but the action wrench is wonderful and needed (or I think its the best way to go) and the pipe wrench is the best first approach I would have tried along with the heat.
Failing that I could cut it off but I have done a lot of that and its a tricky control issue as well as the right tools to do it.
Surprisingly I got one of the smooth nut tools to work.
Bit of rosin and a smack with a light dead blow and Shazam!
pipe wrench also gets the job done.
At one time, Brownell's had a nut wrench with a pin through it. The pin fit into the small hole in the smooth nut to give it purchase. Heating is important because the factory uses some sort of glue/epoxy to secure the barrel. After trying many times to get my smooth nut off, I took it to a gunsmith who was able to extract it. He used a barrel vise and an action wrench to separate the barrel and nut from the action. I have since purchased an action wrench but have not needed to use it. This method may work for you but it will NOT remove the smooth barrel nut. My old barrel was a throw-away so it was not an issue. If you want to be able to use your 20 cal again (and why not) find a way to work the nut off. Replace it with a slotted nut.
The wheeler engineering wrench comes with one designed for a smooth nut.
It does, reports vary as to how well it works.
I would be inclined to just take it off with the pipe wrench as you are not going to be using that same nut that sooner or latter will wallow out
I wasted an entire day trying everything to make it work. Next day I stopped at Walmart on my way home from work and picked up a pipe wrench and had it off in 10 min
Pipe wrench worked for me
Sucks
The Dunning-Kruger effect is alive and well.
I use a pipe wrench in place of a nut wrench in my 'fixture' for the smoothies.
Bill
Each morning eat a live green toad, it will be the worst thing you'll have face all day.
I have removed smooth nuts successfully in the past with a smooth nut wrench, but it isn't worth it because I still ended up replacing them with a slotted nut. (Why in the world would I want to put them BACK on)? So, other than the satisfaction of having accomplished the difficult, I ended up with nothing more than a couple spare, but smooth nuts.
...and who really needs 2 smooth nuts?
A bit confused, pipe wrench works (and I got a Savage Hunter Package 270 with the smooth nut so will be trying it soon!)
Agreed on slotted nut,
I am into my third action wrench use, played with it with the original, took off a barrel and put one on and just did another one. Not just a great tool (NSS) perfect tool (well that and the slotted nut wrench but it start with action wrench)
As the OP I apreciate the replies, but a pipe wrench that is brutal. One would think that Savage is trying to put a stop to amatuer/home brewed gunsmithing. However, I am hooked. I have 3 actions and 5 barrels. Also got rid of 2 conventional rifles( A-bolt and Tikka). Now thinking of 2 more barrels. So I am commited. Already have a barrel vise and sturdy pipe wrench. So I am ready. Thanks
^^^ No, Savage is not trying to discourage amateur gunsmithing they just wanted to smooth out the lines and make them "prettier". Most professionals also use a pipe wrench to remove the smooth barrel nuts.
pipe wrench for me so far seems to work. i have the wrench for the smooth nuts but it didn't come with the brass shim(bought it used), anybody know what thicknes the shim is?
Bruce
Holy Crap!!
^ Don't bother, it doesn't help anyway :-(( ^
I don't think its brutal though crude comes to mind, at least having to do it. After that you are smooth sailing.
I went with the action wrench, mounted in a vice it works a treat. Other ways to do it with it but that is my preference and I did have the vice that was heavy enough for that.
Agreed Savage trying to clean up the lines. I will let you guys know how it goes.
I have to see how the barrel shoots first (270) and then see. Never had a good shooting 270 and this is the thin barrel so not expecting a lot.
Family has a lot of 270 and I was given a ton of brass, 250 bullets and have the dies so will be fun to see what happens.
I have a Bull XC barrel I will put on it, single load via the long action but the long term for this one is going to be a 7.5 x 55 Swiss.
Dennis (myaccuratebarrel.com) had good wrenches for the smooth nuts that sometimes worked. I never got any other smooth wrenches to work, though.
Savage rifles can have that affect, strut64. They are pretty easy to work on and configure. I have pictures of my failed attempts at removing my smooth nut on my PhotoBucket page and will try to post them later. The smooth wrench came with brass shims that did not hold up to that much pressure and torque. I think what did me in was the epoxy the Savage factories use on the smoothies. If I had heated it up, the epoxy would basically pop and dark smoke would appear. I bet then I could have removed it. I tried a pipe wrench and that had no affect except to scratch my receiver.
Once I got the slotted nut on my new barrel and old receiver life was great.
Not epoxy, some kind of a Lock Tite. Epoxy would never let go, lock tite does release with heat.
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