removing a ruger american barrel

[Shawnba67]

I believe these use a nut like a savage. Can the nut be removed with savage tooling? Does anyone know the tennon thread?
Im trying to decide between a RAR and a savage axis for a truck gun platform for some wildcat rounds I want to try. I need cheap and easy to work on LOL but a good trigger is nice

 

[Ggmac]

I believe these use a nut like a savage. Can the nut be removed with savage tooling? Does anyone know the tennon thread?
Im trying to decide between a RAR and a savage axis for a truck gun platform for some wildcat rounds I want to try. I need cheap and easy to work on LOL but a good trigger is nice

Shawn , I've rebarreled a few but I'm exhausted and the shop is buttoned up tight . The Ruger is nice but as newer rifles go , I really like the Remington 783 , it combines all the best features of many rifles .
A 90 deg sear , barrels that can interchange with savage , nice trigger .
Metal mag spring not plastic like savage . I have been a savage guy for at least 30 yrs , long before the popularity . The Rem has it beat by a long shot .
Any word from the UK on the BSA ?

 

[Larryh128]

What I can tell you is the Ruger American shoots much better than it's cost. I consider it better than an Axis. There is a whole bunch of them being shot in this area because they started making it in 450 Bushmaster. I've shot a couple of them and was impressed.

 

[Shawnba67]

Shawn , I've rebarreled a few but I'm exhausted and the shop is buttoned up tight . The Ruger is nice but as newer rifles go , I really like the Remington 783 , it combines all the best features of many rifles .
A 90 deg sear , barrels that can interchange with savage , nice trigger .
Metal mag spring not plastic like savage . I have been a savage guy for at least 30 yrs , long before the popularity . The Rem has it beat by a long shot .
Any word from the UK on the BSA ?

The said that the guys in the shop were out until tuesday. Hope to hear from them then. I hope there isnt any silly export issue. I would hate to try and make that little piece!
I will look into the 783 as competition for the ruger.

 

[Shawnba67]

What I can tell you is the Ruger American shoots much better than it's cost. I consider it better than an Axis. There is a whole bunch of them being shot in this area because they started making it in 450 Bushmaster. I've shot a couple of them and was impressed.

They do have some cool options. I saw online in 6mm creed today. Still only 450 bucks with a threaded muzzle

 

[Ggmac]

They do have some cool options. I saw online in 6mm creed today. Still only 450 bucks with a threaded muzzle

Don't get me wrong the Rugers are nice but if you have savage rifles it's nice to be able to use those barrels and tools on the 783 . Plus the 783 have been on sale for $299 with scope and a $40 rebate making the rifle $259 .

 

[hunter243sgk]

I believe these use a nut like a savage. Can the nut be removed with savage tooling? Does anyone know the tennon thread?
Im trying to decide between a RAR and a savage axis for a truck gun platform for some wildcat rounds I want to try. I need cheap and easy to work on LOL but a good trigger is nice

I am sure gmac knows more than me but i built one and really like it. Yes it has a barrel nut but it is a smooth nut. You can replace it with one from PT&G. Also i would for sure put a timney trigger in it. There are just know several people making parts for them. If you want to know more let me know and i will be glad to help you! Good luck!!.

 

[Ggmac]

I am sure gmac knows more than me but i built one and really like it. Yes it has a barrel nut but it is a smooth nut. You can replace it with one from PT&G. Also i would for sure put a timney trigger in it. There are just know several people making parts for them. If you want to know more let me know and i will be glad to help you! Good luck!!.

The way I remove smooth barrel nuts that are difficult is , I drill a 1/4 hole in the bottom of the barrel nut , take a split collar that fits over the factory smooth nut , drill a 1/4" hole in it , install with the 1/4" holes lined up and use a drill bit shank in the holes , tighten the split collar . Now use a pipe wrench on the barrel nut . You can reverse procedure for installing and still use the factory barrel nut !

 

[hunter243sgk]

That is a good idea Gmac!! I wished i had ask you about that before i buggered mine up a bit. I intended to replace it with the pt&g one but never have yet.

 

[Urv]

The way I remove smooth barrel nuts that are difficult is , I drill a 1/4 hole in the bottom of the barrel nut , take a split collar that fits over the factory smooth nut , drill a 1/4" hole in it , install with the 1/4" holes lined up and use a drill bit shank in the holes , tighten the split collar . Now use a pipe wrench on the barrel nut . You can reverse procedure for installing and still use the factory barrel nut !

Two heads are better than one

 

[msinc]

Here is a photo of my homemade Ruger American barrel nut wrench.
There is no such thing as a cheap, good shooter....at least not for me. I have heard talk of others claiming to get one that will shoot, but I have yet to actually personally see one. Given the stock and trigger alone I doubt I ever will. You can buy a decent gun or you can do it on what I call the "installment plan" Here is how the installment plan works with the Ruger American.....I bought one, a stainless 223, I think I paid like $360 or so. By the time I got rings and bases on it I guess I had $400.00 and change in it. It shot 2" groups {"all day long if I did my part"}. Add the Timney trigger because the factory is junk...$130.00 plus $10.00 shipping. Still shot 2" groups. $250.00 barrel blank and I barreled it. No sense even thinking about using that ridiculous tupperware stock.....$200.00 Boyd's stock. Add it all up and I should have just bought a Sako!!!! This installment plan for having a decent shooting rifle is pretty much the same with any of today's "cost effective" rifles....cost effective???? Where????? I aint seein' it.

 

[hunter243sgk]

Msinc I have more money in mine then you do. And it was easier for me to build it slowly than to be out a lot of money all at once. I never have had a Sako but i really doubt that a all factory Sako would out shoot my RA!! We all have our budget and it was the way for me to go. I am now thinking of getting the Stockys lr varmint stock for it now. It looks to be a better stock by far. That will be another $350 or so. Oh yea nice wrench idea!!

 

[watercam]

View attachment 1021201 Here is a photo of my homemade Ruger American barrel nut wrench.
There is no such thing as a cheap, good shooter....at least not for me. I have heard talk of others claiming to get one that will shoot, but I have yet to actually personally see one. Given the stock and trigger alone I doubt I ever will. You can buy a decent gun or you can do it on what I call the "installment plan" Here is how the installment plan works with the Ruger American.....I bought one, a stainless 223, I think I paid like $360 or so. By the time I got rings and bases on it I guess I had $400.00 and change in it. It shot 2" groups {"all day long if I did my part"}. Add the Timney trigger because the factory is junk...$130.00 plus $10.00 shipping. Still shot 2" groups. $250.00 barrel blank and I barreled it. No sense even thinking about using that ridiculous tupperware stock.....$200.00 Boyd's stock. Add it all up and I should have just bought a Sako!!!! This installment plan for having a decent shooting rifle is pretty much the same with any of today's "cost effective" rifles....cost effective???? Where????? I aint seein' it.

Sorry your American did not stack up! I lapped the barrel of my '06 barrel and it drills. I, too, ultimately went with the Timney trigger (I broke the center piece of the trigger shoe - don't ask how) but as far as the stock, simply sanded the sides of the stock that were touching the barrel so as to truly free-float it and went to town.

 

[msinc]

Msinc I have more money in mine then you do. And it was easier for me to build it slowly than to be out a lot of money all at once. I never have had a Sako but i really doubt that a all factory Sako would out shoot my RA!! We all have our budget and it was the way for me to go. I am now thinking of getting the Stockys lr varmint stock for it now. It looks to be a better stock by far. That will be another $350 or so. Oh yea nice wrench idea!!

I fully understand the installment plan, there was a time when I had no choice, but even then I started with 700's and pre-64 70's. The point I never mentioned and the one that's getting missed is that after all that time, effort and money you still just have a {insert whichever brand} "cost effective" rifle. I probably should not have used a Sako for a comparable...most don't shoot that great either!!! Don't get me wrong, the RA I have is a nice shooting, nice carrying rifle that now does exactly what I want it to do, but if I could rewind the clock I'd be doin' it with a Kimber or a 700. What started out as a truck gun became a financial item, only to still be a truck gun.

 

[gotcha]

[QUOTE="msinc, post: What started out as a truck gun became a financial item, only to still be a truck gun.[/QUOTE]
LOL, ain't it the truth. But think of all the satisfaction you got from the process.

 

[alintx]

Yep, and the resale value is still$300 with all the goodies!

 

[Rustystud]

Recently I spoke with a high end barrel maker, who had a lower end rifle maker ask for a quote to make them barrels. The specked the barrel metal as 416 not 416R. They wanted the barrels drilled to bore diameter, no reaming no pre lapping, pull the button, no post lapping no stress relieving. Threaded and Chambered finished barrel blank for $34.00 each. They either don't know or care about making a quailty product. The barrel maker told them he was not interested in a contract with the gun maker. I have watched this gun makers adds on TV and they boast sub 1 moa accuracy.
Just shows what crap is being made today.

 

[hunter243sgk]

Msinc i do see what you are saying. I would not do another one. The next one will be a rem or savage. I just had this one and really just wanted to see if i could and be the first to do it a few years ago. Also i have around $1200 in it now. When i started it Boyds said they were coming out with there entire line of stocks. To me that meant just that the ENTIRE line. But they didnt make the thumb hole for the bull barrel. So i got plain stock with the adjustable comb for the RAP. And had to open up the barrel channel. Now that i have seen the lr varmint stock at Stockys i got to have it. But i am happy with it. And it shoots great! And yes i could never sell it for half of what i got into it but i never had planned on that.

 

[hunter243sgk]

Also cdi now has a dbm for them. One for the factory stock and another for aftermarket stocks. That will not only give you that option but better mags as well. That is another option i want!

 

[msinc]

Also cdi now has a dbm for them. One for the factory stock and another for aftermarket stocks. That will not only give you that option but better mags as well. That is another option i want!

Yep, I forgot about the magazine...only accepts factory length bullet seat {COL}, so......I had to take it apart, fill in the "flutes" in the back and mill it out to accept bullets seated out where they need to be. Messed up one mag and had to buy another one to proceed. The guy that came up with this fix was talking about having a replacement part molded to the proper configuration so it would just be a snap on part. I think when he got the quotes for making the mold he pi$$ed down both legs and got over it.
Does this mag from CDI allow for longer bullet seating depths???? Surely to god they are not that stupid to make it just like the factory one???? I have got to be knocking on $1200's door with mine, especially if I added up all the machine work and gunsmithing I did myself. I would never have gone this far with it if I had to pay someone else to do the work.
Still, it's not so much that I like the design or any attributes...actually, I cant think of any. It's that this particular rifle is what I call a "good luck" gun. Every time I carry it afield I not only see game I kill it. And not just me, I have a few buddies that visit to shoot woodchuck and it's as if they cant miss. One guy has killed more with it than me...he has asked about buying it, but when I start telling him what I have in it he changes the subject. Seems like the one you really want is always a disappointment...I had this 270 Weatherby mag once, loved it. It was a "bad luck gun", if on the extremely off chance that I saw game with it you can best believe I missed!!! Was happy to take a bath getting rid of that thing.