Savage Barrel Removal

[Mike in Oregon]

I used the Northland tools shown above in an earlier post. Stainless model 12 single shot in .223. Barrel came off quite easy (15 year old gun). I used go/nogo gauges and put the whole thing back together in less than an hour

Thats the plan!

 

[Mike in Oregon]

I have a Savage Action Wrench and a barrel nut wrench used once. Both were purchased from NSS. PM me if you are interested in buying.

PM sent...

 

[jelenko]

Putting a new barrel on is much less than an hour.
From the time I arrive at my workbench until the barrel nut is solid [including go and no go gauging] is 15-20 minutes.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Never claimed it was rocket surgery as you call it. I just haven't ever done it and with all the input posted I'll take my mechanically inclined abilities and do it myself. The only reason being, I do not want to ship two complete rifles if I don't have to. Shipping two actions is much easier and more cost effective. Who knows, I might need the tools later down the road or lend some out to someone in need.

Rocket Science
Brain Surgery

 

[boltfluter]

Shipping barreled actions is a piece of cake through the post office. Why buy the tools you may never use again? But if you just want the experience, go for it! Good luck and keep us updated.
Paul

 

[Fuj]

Shipping barreled actions is a piece of cake through the post office.
Paul

Man, that statement needs to be re-thought......LOL (Just bustin')

 

[dusterdave173]

When you get the nut loose do not back it out far or it can contact the barrel and make an ugly mark

 

[padom]

If the op is dealing with a savage with a barrel nut they’re relatively easy to loosen the nut, then the barrel unscrews by hand.

Yea I was just glancing through on my phone and failed to read the entire thread. Didnt see its a savage nut barrel. Ive installed many nut barrels on my TL3's but never removed a factory Savage nut barrel so no idea how easy they come off.

 

[nmkid]

Leaning towards NSS products. I'll swing over and have a look at Wheeler. Thx.

I went with them a while back . I looked through and selected what I thought I needed. I then called them, and Steve(?) recommended the same parts I had picked out beforehand. I felt good that he didn't try to upsell me. By the way, his products were great.

 

[Texas Solo]

I'd recommend using an action wrench vs. a barrel vice. Factory Savage barrels can be tough to get off the first time. You don't want to risk bending/twisting the action.
I got mine from NSS. I've done 5 barrels with it, easy as pie.

Original factory barrel was blued. I was told that bluing salts get in the threads and that's what they're so tough. That and the Savage Gorilla.
Just clean the threads very well and use some anti size or grease when assembling.

 

[6BRA]

I'd recommend using an action wrench vs. a barrel vice. Factory Savage barrels can be tough to get off the first time. You don't want to risk bending/twisting the action.
I got mine from NSS. I've done 5 barrels with it, easy as pie.

Original factory barrel was blued. I was told that bluing salts get in the threads and that's what they're so tough. That and the Savage Gorilla.
Just clean the threads very well and use some anti size or grease when assembling.

Ive heard bad things in regards to anti-seize. I use grease. Grease bbl shoulder and action face for when they contact. Obviously threads.

 

[ORjeff]

Ok Mike. Ignore the 'get a big hammer/cheater bar' advice. Savage uses a thread locker that works and this makes it very hard to remove the barrel unless you use some heat. It doesn't take a lot but it does take enough to soften the plastic like stuff that the thread locker turns into, a butane torch is enough. Use one of the standard solutions for holding the action and the correct wrench for whichever nut you have then warm up those threads until it comes apart with normal forces.

 

[tommeboy]

A pipe wrench works perfect on the smooth nuts. I throw them away and put on regular Savage ones.

OH! And Savage does not use any type of thread locking on the nuts. And the steel media is from getting the scale off the receivers after heat treat. They run them through a wheelabrater to get a consistent finish on them. I was the one that figured this out about the media. I worked in an industrial forging company and the parts had to be blasted after they come out of heat treat. Its the same media we used. But they did not wash the receivers before assembling them and that is why it is in there.

Some of the actions are really packed with the media and can really mess up the threads. So if the barrel feels gritty as you un screw it STOP. Spray a bunch of oil in it to hopefully flush it out. The blued guns will have this. I have not run into any SS actions yet with this stuff in them. Not saying it can't happen but the few I have taken apart I have not found any.

 

[Mike in Oregon]

Shipping barreled actions is a piece of cake through the post office. Why buy the tools you may never use again? But if you just want the experience, go for it! Good luck and keep us updated.
Paul

Who said I wasn't going to need them again?

 

[NorCalMikie]

Who said I wasn't going to need them again?

Bought a nut and Wheeler action wrench. Used the action wrench once. Tried it on a Stainless steel action and had it tight enough to distort the action, keep the barrel from turning and had to back it off to get the barrel to turn. That was the LAST time it got used. Under the bench, collecting dust.
Have lost count but must have changed maybe 10 + without needing an action wrench. Mostly mine and a few for others,
First timers CAN be a booger, after that, piece of cake. Have even changed them at the range. Way too easy.

 

[Turkeytider]

If there factory installed barrels, order new barrel nuts. I have removed a few factory barrels and ended using a monkey wrench. Sometimes they leave behind something from manufacturing or a different type of thread locker (small steel balls). I no that sounds odd but I have seen it a few times. Make sure the action is secured very well to. You could try some heat but be careful. It's doable though. Just curious where are you located?

Do Savage prefits, like those one would order from NSS, come with barrel nuts?

 

[25ring]

A pipe wrench works perfect on the smooth nuts. I throw them away and put on regular Savage ones.

OH! And Savage does not use any type of thread locking on the nuts. And the steel media is from getting the scale off the receivers after heat treat. They run them through a wheelabrater to get a consistent finish on them. I was the one that figured this out about the media. I worked in an industrial forging company and the parts had to be blasted after they come out of heat treat. Its the same media we used. But they did not wash the receivers before assembling them and that is why it is in there.

Some of the actions are really packed with the media and can really mess up the threads. So if the barrel feels gritty as you un screw it STOP. Spray a bunch of oil in it to hopefully flush it out. The blued guns will have this. I have not run into any SS actions yet with this stuff in them. Not saying it can't happen but the few I have taken apart I have not found any.

I ran into one on a stainless axis action,I wasn't sure if I was going to get it off without damaging the threads!

 

[Kracken McGraw]

One time I read here that when you get the barrel to where you want it on the go gauge, you then back it off a hair because when the barrel nut tightens it will move it back to the original mark. Is this anyone’s experience?

 

[padom]

One time I read here that when you get the barrel to where you want it on the go gauge, you then back it off a hair because when the barrel nut tightens it will move it back to the original mark. Is this anyone’s experience?

Its a trial and error process with fine adjustments until you get it exactly where you want it on the gauge when tightened. Sometimes you gotta loosen and make a small adjustment then re-tighten until its where you want it.

I did a barrel testing reviewing over on SH many years ago with Savage Small shank vs shouldered prefits in 223rem on a TL3. This was a direct result of all the talk back then that nut barrels were never as accurate as shouldered barrels.... 2 barrels each had been submitted to me by Krieger, Bartlein, Criterion, Shilen, and I know Greg @ Bugholes and Josh @ PVA all submitted barrels for the test.

This was obviously not the case.... The testing showed a good barrel with good machine work installed properly, whether a nut barrel or shouldered barrel shot equally as accurate.

We used to install nut barrels with red loctite and let cure.. Then you could remove the barrel and the nut stayed right where it was originally installed acting as a shouldered barrel... This was our switch barrel setup before all the shouldered prefits became a thing and actions started holding tolerances from one action to a next to allow this...

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Its a trial and error process with fine adjustments until you get it exactly where you want it on the gauge when tightened. Sometimes you gotta loosen and make a small adjustment then re-tighten until its where you want it.

I did a barrel testing reviewing over on SH many years ago with Savage Small shank vs shouldered prefits in 223rem on a TL3. This was a direct result of all the talk back then that nut barrels were never as accurate as shouldered barrels.... 2 barrels each had been submitted to me by Krieger, Bartlein, Criterion, Shilen, and I know Greg @ Bugholes and Josh @ PVA all submitted barrels for the test.

This was obviously not the case.... The testing showed a good barrel with good machine work installed properly, whether a nut barrel or shouldered barrel shot equally as accurate.

We used to install nut barrels with red loctite and let cure.. Then you could remove the barrel and the nut stayed right where it was originally installed acting as a shouldered barrel... This was our switch barrel setup before all the shouldered prefits became a thing and actions started holding tolerances from one action to a next to allow this...

Thank You.