School me on some savages

[6MMsteve]

Make sure to take out FP when headspacing, and remove ejector

 

[Nomad47]

Make sure to take out FP when headspacing, and remove ejector

I agree that it is best to do it that way, especially if you haven't done it before.
I can swap without messing with the bolt, but I have swapped a couple dozen times and I know to be careful.

 

[yotehater]

Tightening barrel nut draws nut into action, pulling barrel out. ymmv

 

[6MMsteve]

I agree that it is best to do it that way, especially if you haven't done it before.
I can swap without messing with the bolt, but I have swapped a couple dozen times and I know to be careful.

I am actually a newbie to Savage barrel swaps I mean I have done around 20, finally gettin a routine and looking to learn also

 

[yotehater]

I like that I can put on my .30-06 AI barrel and then the .22-250 using same stock bolt scope in just a brief exchange. No gunsmith required, just use common sense. If you don't remove the ejector, torque that nut down tight or you could have excessive headspace. The tape trick is too prevent you from setting it to below minimum by adding a couple thousands of headspace.

 

[Nomad47]

Tightening barrel nut draws nut into action, pulling barrel out. ymmv

True, but the barrel usually turns with the nut, shortening the headspace. I put a witness mark on the bottom of the barrel and watch it as I tighten the barrel nut.

 

[swadiver]

XLR Industries makes a great chassis system for the Savage Short actions. i have 3 of them in use with Savage target actions. also 2nd the vote for the Choate stocks. great bang for the buck.

 

[NewLiberty]

MDT makes great stocks for the savage also.

 

[Terry]

Potatoe
Heres a model 10 savage i did a while ago, built from spare parts laying around, there are a couple of trigger options, i have the rifle basix on this, but i coulnd never get the weight down to the claimed 6 oz. as it would never pick up the sear ( not sure that made sense) however better then the standard trigger, you can build them cheaply.
If i had stuff laying around, i'd build on these actions, but your friend is far better off with the target action if thats an option,
Plenty of prefit barrels around

Safe shooting

Nice Gun!

A good example of what can be done.

 

[M-61]

True, but the barrel usually turns with the nut, shortening the headspace. I put a witness mark on the bottom of the barrel and watch it as I tighten the barrel nut.

I leave the barrel in the barrel vise. When the headspace is correct (or so I think) I windup with the action facing the correct way I check the headspace again, tighten the barrel vise and the turn the jam nut in. Re-check the headspace again. I am not sure how much the jam nut tightening pulls the barrel AWAY from the action but it would be a very small amount (whatever the shortest gap there would be between the threads on the barrel and those in the receiver.) It doesn't matter as should it be too much you merely reset it for your desired head space. None of this is tricky at all compared to getting that detent ball in the extractor, plastic bag and all. I may hold the record for the most detent balls flying in my shop....meaning never to be found and they are silent if they indeed hit the floor.

 

[Nomad47]

Very good point, M-61. I don't have a barrel vise. So it would be nice to have 3 hands.
I set the action and barrel on the bench.
When the barrel gets screwed in about halfway, i chamber the go gauge. When the barrel contacts the go gauge, I mark the bottom of the barrel with a sharpie. Be sure to open the bolt at this time. If the barrel turns as I tighten the nut, I back the barrel off a tad. After tightening the nut, i check headspace with the go gauge, my taped "no go" gauge, and a couple pieces of sized brass. If I'm not satisfied with headspace, I start over.

 

[yotehater]

I too use my barrel vice and wheeler action wrench to ensure the barrel is solidly against the go gauge and the barrel to reciever is tight before ever torquing the nut. Hand tight is not enough to compress the grease on both the locking lugs and reciever threads. That's probably why some see the barrel turn as it is taking out that lubricant "headspace". You're brass will tell. But please, you are now the gunsmith and any firing without checking the headspace with a no go gauge is foolish at a minimum and potentially catastrophic. Tape will compress, a no go will not.

 

[Nomad47]

"Tape will compress, a no go will not."
Now think about that for a minute.

My bolt closes on a go gauge. I add 2 layers of Scotch Magic Tape to the go gauge increasing the length by .004". Then the bolt will not close. I don't care if the tape does compress. I now know the bolt won't close on a no go gauge.

 

[yotehater]

I guess you are the expert. How do you tell the difference between the ejector compressing and that light touch on your calibrated tape? I bet you i can close the bolt on it.

 

[centershot]

Can the action wrench for a Savage be used on a Remington?

 

[M-61]

Can the action wrench for a Savage be used on a Remington?

"Through action" wrenches are the same for Savage and 700's

 

[savagedasher]

With as savage when you tight the nut you increasing the head space. You also are using a different part of the thread when doing it. The real difference with a nut you are tightening a stud .
With as shoulder it barrel is a bolt
All race motors the good one use studs .
That reason alone is why I use the nut.
On my target actions I have larger od lug along witha larger nut That allows me to tighten above the threads on the out side of the action . Larry

 

[Nomad47]

"Through action" wrenches are the same for Savage and 700's

Same with the outside (clamp on) action wrench.

 

[M-61]

In regard to tape compressing. Tape is a real generic term. The 3M Scotch Tape® I have is .002 thick. I also have both go & no-go gauges. As yotehater replied in post # 32 I do the same. However I will take my go gauge, put a piece of tape on it and attempt to close the bolt. It always amazes me what a solid 'hit' that is. The bolt just stops dead as if it hit a piece of steel. What am I doing? Well the go gauge with the tape is shorter than the no-go gauge.
I in no way recommend using tape as a substitute for the proper no-go gauge however it will give me a 'closer' setting meaning .002 + the go gauge.
It takes a bit to get this and as Nomad47 said, it would be nice to have 3 hands however the barrel vice is a close second. I have 3 Savages with the same action. Again I do not recommend this but I took the bolts and swapped them around between actions and found none will close on a no-go gauge no matter which action they are in. It was merely an exercise to what was what and I never fired a mixed bolt/action combination. I guess if a bolt had a failure I could swap a bolt if I had to.
Having the proper tools and setting the headspace with them is always the correct way to go. It does cause me to wonder how these Heym, Blaser's, etc., are able to swap barrels and yet their version of lugs lock IN the barrel not in the action.
Everything above is merely what I do and is no way stated to be a 'better' way.

 

[Nomad47]

I guess you are the expert. How do you tell the difference between the ejector compressing and that light touch on your calibrated tape? I bet you i can close the bolt on it.

I never said I was an expert. But my method has worked for me for well over two dozen barrel swaps. There is a .005 difference between go and no go gauges. Yes, I can crush the tape and force the bolt closed but that's not the point. I can tell by feel that I am within specs.
Besides, it was a gunsmith that told me about the tape method.