Installing a barrel without nut help

[51Bravo]

I have a barrel blank that I'm going to machine myself and install using a shoulder on the barrel. What I need to know is approximately how much of a gap should there be between the vary front of the bolt and the breech face on the barrel. I'm assuming that as little gap as possible without interference is best but I want to check first.

Wood

[hailstone]

This would emulate the way Mauser, Winchester, Remington etal install barrels on there production rifles. Correct headspacing would neccessitate short chambering the barrel and final reaming the chamber after barrel/action mating. Imagine someone has done same thing too a Savage rifle at sometime but would be a very limited number. My suggestion would be too try on forums for those rifles previously mentioned. Without definate information too follow I would guess that a few thousands clearance is needed (.005 to .010). You could always make it tight slip fit and if more clearance is need use your lathe too trim breech end. If you understand gunsmithing practices and headspacing principles then this should be a rather standard proceedure.

[sinman]

Do it as a std savage way, if you ever may want to sell the barrel a shouldered one brings next to nothing compared to a drop in.

[nsaqam]

Nice idea going nutless. It looks so much nicer and no high grade bolt action has ever sported a barrel nut.

When I first did this I measured the space from boltface to breechface at .010" I've used that dimension ever since.

As for resale value, I've sold nutless Savage barrels for every bit as much as nutted ones.

[efm77]

For proper headspacing you would need to short chamber it first due to minor variances from one action to the next. Then you need a depth micrometer to measure the distance from bolt face to the front of the receiver ring, distance from shoulder of the barrel to the breech of the chamber, and then distance from the breech to the back of a go gauge. You subtract the difference between the action measurements (bolt face to receiver ring) and barrel measurements (shoulder to breech) and write that number down. Then the difference between that number and the measurement from the breech to the back of the go gauge is how much you need to finish reaming the chamber to get proper headspace. It sounds complicated but it's really not, of course you need to include the recoil lug thickness as well. Do a search and you can find a book written by Bryce Towsley that explains it in great detail and it's pretty easy once you've studied it for a while. That's exactly how I re-barreled my Ruger M77 MKII and it was the first one I've ever done and it went pretty well. Just be careful and take your time.

[51Bravo]

sinman: If I have the capabilities of turning, threading and cambering my barrel from a blank, then do you think I can turn it into a nut barrel if I wanted to sell it?

efm77: i understand how its done. i just need to know how much of a gap needs to be left between breech face and bolt face.

Im going to try about .003 and see how it comes out. If I need more taken off I can always chuck it back up.

[efm77]

Maybe you could measure how far the threads go into the receiver and make the shank of the barrel the same length?

[dcloco]

Buy a gunsmithing book.

The arena that you are working in, is not a "try it" and see how things work. You can easily reach pressures in the 100,000 psi range, with your face sitting in very close proximity.

[nsaqam]

sinman: If I have the capabilities of turning, threading and cambering my barrel from a blank, then do you think I can turn it into a nut barrel if I wanted to sell it?

efm77: i understand how its done. i just need to know how much of a gap needs to be left between breech face and bolt face.

Im going to try about .003 and see how it comes out. If I need more taken off I can always chuck it back up.

You can try .003" but the dimension Savage uses is .010"

I just figured Savage knew what it was doing but carry on.

[Uncle Jack]

I'm not sure I understand the motivation here. Is it just the cosmetic appearance of the barrel nut you're trying to avoid or are you hoping for some improvement in accuracy?

If it is the latter, I think that your chances are slim and none. Most all of my Savages are more accurate than the best of my conventionaly barreled Remchesters.

uj

[coyotewallace]

you dont have to take off the stock or scope to swap a barrel

[rbertalotto]

All the guy asked was for a dimension. And he gets a bunch of sermons..........Geez! I know it's Sunday, but cut the guy some slack!

BTW, on target rifles we leave .005 on hunting rifles we leave .010..........I'm not sure it really matters but hunting rifles need a bit more space in case crud falls into the action and causes the bolt to not close.

[Uncle Jack]

.....All the guy asked was for a dimension. And he gets a bunch of sermons..........Geez! I know it's Sunday, but cut the guy some slack!

There is a difference between a sermon and a simple question.

uj

[sinman]

To continue the threads for a nut would all depend on how the original threads were ended and the ability of the machinist to recatch the threads to extend them. So I can not say if you have the ability to do it or not.

[51Bravo]

Catching threads is vary easy if you know the right way to do it. and turning it from a nutless barrel to a nutted barrel is still vary easy. Looks like i will start with .005 and go from there. thanks for the help.

Wood