How to Swap Barrels on Savage 110 Elite Precision?

[Xerothermic]

A barrel vise, an action vise and/ a Savage nut (large or small) wrench? A Go/ No Go in 6mm Creedmoor. Do I need both?

I see vises popping up in the classifieds and would like to get me one. I'm thinking the barrel vise, a wrench and Go/ No go gauges are all I need. Right?

 

[DShortt]

A barrel vice is intended to hold the barrel, and only the barrel, stationary.

And action vice is designed to hold the action, and only the action, stationary.

In the case of a Savage, you need a barrel nut wrench to fit the particular barrel nut you have. There are more than one.

I'm not going to recommend anything in particular, because without examining what you have and what you plan to install, there are multiple possibilities.

You'd be very lucky to clamp your barrel in any ol' barrel vice, pop the barrel nut loose with any 'ol barrel wrench, unscrew the barrel from the receiver and reverse the process to reinstall. Not to mention the need of headspace gauges to get the new barrel installed correctly.

I'd get help the first time from someone who has done several before attempting this yourself.

It's not particularly hard, but it's easier to screw up.

 

[DirtySteve]

A barrel vise and barrel wrench. Head space gauge. It would not hurt to have an action wrench as well. I lock tight my barrel nuts so I can screw them back on with out messing with the head space. I still check it though.. YMMV.

 

[DirtySteve]

Oh taking one off the first time can take far more effort than it should.

 

[wedgy]

This is the one you need and Northland is a great company for all things Savage. You can use a go gauge with a piece of scotch tape for the no go gauge.
Be sure to recheck after you tighten the nut as the barrel can move and your headspace will be off.

Action Wrench | Northland Shooters Supply

Northland Shooters Supply (NSS) stocks an action wrench to fit your Savage, Remington 700, Stevens, Zermatt Arms, Weatherby Mark V, Howa & Remington 783 actions

northlandshooterssupply.com

 

[Rank Amateur]

You are not torquing the barrel into the action, so a barrel vice is nice to have, but not mandatory. You are torquing the barrel nut against the action, so if you have an action wrench (like the one from Northland Shooters Supply above) and a barrel nut wrench (usually a nut wrench being turned by a torque wrench), you’re good to go. Clamp the action into the action wrench, thread the barrel nut onto the barrel, thread the barrel into the action until just touching the go gauge. Hold the action still and torque the barrel nut. Recheck space with go and no go gauges (or has been said, a go gauge and the go gauge with tape on it’s base). The optional barrel vice (if you have one) will keep the barrel from spinning and changing space.

Removing the factory barrel can be tough, but the long-handled action wrench against a barrel nut wrench being turned by a long-handled breaker bar should be more than adequate.

 

[hoz53]

A barrel vise, an action vise and/ a Savage nut (large or small) wrench? A Go/ No Go in 6mm Creedmoor. Do I need both?

I see vises popping up in the classifieds and would like to get me one. I'm thinking the barrel vise, a wrench and Go/ No go gauges are all I need. Right?

factory savage nut i used a pipe wrench on. didnt use it again of coarse.
put the barrel in a tristand pipe vise i have with wood shims to protect it so didnt have to but barrel vise
purchased a nut wrench, headspace go gage , weaver action wrench
allready had a little tool to keep recoil lug aligned
on some of the nuts that have flats and grooves you can put pins in the grooves and
use an end wrench (open end wrench)
you wouldnt have to buy an action wrench - it wouldnt take much to hold it in place

 

[Blackthorn]

A barrel vise, an action vise and/ a Savage nut (large or small) wrench? A Go/ No Go in 6mm Creedmoor. Do I need both?

I see vises popping up in the classifieds and would like to get me one. I'm thinking the barrel vise, a wrench and Go/ No go gauges are all I need. Right?

Add in a deadblow hammer. I use one to tap the wrench to pop the nut free and to set the nut when I put it back on.

 

[Blackthorn]

And some neoprene squares to hold the barrel in the vice and keeps it from getting marred. Oh and maybe a bit of copper anti seize.
New nut and recoil lug is also good. Call Jim at Northland. He can help you out.

 

[Mark W]

I’ve done a bunch with nothing more than a barrel vise, a wrench for the barrel nut, and a hammer. The first several were done with a homemade barrel vise made out of an oak block drilled out, cut in half, and squeezed with a plain old bench vise.

 

[hoz53]

And some neoprene squares to hold the barrel in the vice and keeps it from getting marred. Oh and maybe a bit of copper anti seize.
New nut and recoil lug is also good. Call Jim at Northland. He can help you out.

its true some of the savage recoil lugs are not to parallel and flat. i used a .250 aftermarket lug which was well worth it to me.

 

[Xerothermic]

And some neoprene squares to hold the barrel in the vice and keeps it from getting marred. Oh and maybe a bit of copper anti seize.
New nut and recoil lug is also good. Call Jim at Northland. He can help you out.

I was on Northland's website this morning and I don't see where he sells a barrel vise. But then I don't see a lot of things. Targets mostly.

I want a one-stop shop for a barrel vise, wrench, go/ no-go gauges and a muzzle thread protector. This is due to shipping costs. Throw it all in a box and ship it to me. Just don't want to piece-meal it out to different vendors. Unless I buy here used.

Thanks, for the advice.

 

[Xerothermic]

its true some of the savage recoil lugs are not to parallel and flat. i used a .250 aftermarket lug which was well worth it to me.

The Elite Precision is supposed have faced barrel, action, lugs and recoil lug. Something like that, but who knows for sure. Not me, but that is what I read.

 

[DShortt]

It can be measured and verified. The recoil lug itself is the easiest in that list. A micrometer, a straight edge. the skill to use them and time are all that's needed.

 

[Blackthorn]

I was on Northland's website this morning and I don't see where he sells a barrel vise. But then I don't see a lot of things. Targets mostly.

I want a one-stop shop for a barrel vise, wrench, go/ no-go gauges and a muzzle thread protector. This is due to shipping costs. Throw it all in a box and ship it to me. Just don't want to piece-meal it out to different vendors. Unless I buy here used.

Thanks, for the advice.

Didn’t realize you were one stop shopping. The reason I mentioned Northland was for a nut and lug.

 

[hoz53]

The Elite Precision is supposed have faced barrel, action, lugs and recoil lug. Something like that, but who knows for sure. Not me, but that is what I read.

you can find out when u take it apart.

 

[Old Navy]

I’ve done a bunch with nothing more than a barrel vise, a wrench for the barrel nut, and a hammer. The first several were done with a homemade barrel vise made out of an oak block drilled out, cut in half, and squeezed with a plain old bench vise.

Excellent post.

 

[CharlieNC]

To remove an original barrel nut you will probably need heat, or saw it enough to split it off. So a barrel nut wrench becomes all you will need.

 

[Old Navy]

To remove an original barrel nut you will probably need heat, or saw it enough to split it off. So a barrel nut wrench becomes all you will need.

Never heard this before. If you try to take it off like a fitted barrel it might be hard. If you take it off with the double ended Savage barrel nut wrench and a medium size ball peen hammer is is real easy.

 

[tobnpr]

You can do a swap without the action wrench, but it's easier to have the wrench on the receiver to keep it from spinning and increasing headspace- which it is wont to do- when you torque the barrel nut.

Order a precision nut and lug from NSS. Then use a pipe wrench on the old nut- it ain't worth the hassle trying to loosen a factory nut. For that matter, if you're not keeping the barrel- easier to put it in a bench vise instead of a barrel vise (and guaranteed no-spin).

Barrel vises come in many flavors. Those that are "universal" often can't hold a factory barrel torqued on by gorillas without it spinning. Those that use bushings matching the contour of the barrel are best, it's simple physics because they have more surface area contact with the barrel. If this isn't a one-off rebarrel, buy once, cry once and you'll never look back. If on a budget, I think Bob Pastor's Viper vise is the best.

You don't need a no-go. As mentioned, you can use cellophane packing tape- mike it so you know how thick it is and you can't use any force when closing the bolt (MAKE SURE IT'S STRIPPED!) because you'll compress it. I use Plastigage as it tells me exactly what my headspace clearance is. You can also use a piece of thin soft solder with a dab of grease on the boltface, close the bolt on the go gage with it in place then pull and mike it.