Quote Originally Posted by tobnpr View Post
I've pondered this, guess it could work in the event of sub-standard machining of the receiver face and barrel nut.
Thread fitment of barrel tenon to receiver is not critical- in fact, threads that are too tight are detrimental.

When I first started riflesmithing, I had conversations with those knowing far more than I to glean the "basics". Both "Daves" (Kiff, and Manson) agreed on this. The threads serve to bring the parts together- it's the critical shoulder surfaces (or the back side of the nut, on a nutted barrel) that bring the parts into correct alignment. These mating surfaces MUST be perfectly at 90 degrees to the centerline of the receiver. It's the clearance between the thread crests and roots of the parts that allows the shoulders to bring them into alignment.

If that is correctly done, any very minor "misalignment" due to thread tolerances will result in radial misalignment- which is virtually undetectable. The bore will still be in perfect axial alignment- meaning parallel to the centerline of the receiver, assuming of course that the barrel was correctly set-up when chambered. On a production rifle where the receiver face isn't trued, and the mating surface of the nut isn't perfectly square to the threads this "fix" could probably help.

Putting an action in an arbor press- with the pressure point inches ahead of the receiver face sounds like a sure way to tweak a receiver.
I have a barrel I threaded for one of my Borden’s. Actually it headspaces on both of my Borden’s because Jim’s work is that good. Anyway, I overcut the threads. I don’t know what happened, but my mistake. I’m not gonna say how much because it’s too embarrassing, but it’s a lot. It’s loose as Hell. One of my best shooting barrels.