Damaged barrel thread.

[338 Mollett]

I think that I could have cut better threads using the old lady's false teeth ! She has a big diamond in the one out front I could use that as my cutter.

 

[AckleymanII]

Barrel was only snugged up because the threads could not take the load of 50-70 ft/lbs.

There maybe enough shank to cut the threads off and start over, but you may have to revert to a Barrel nut.

 

[Texas10]

What a shame, misadventure on top of bad luck. I'd have to agree with AckleymanII, there's not enough bearing surface left in those threads to take the load of a proper torque, let alone the strain during a normal load.

A thorough inspection of the action is in order in addition to setting back or replacing the barrel.

The 'smith will likely want to make it right as his reputation is on the line, so start there and have a back up plan.

 

[jackieschmidt]

Looks like a scope base screw messed about half of that up and caused galling, which it should have had plenty of grease on there- gunsmithing 101, rule #2

I think you might be right.

 

[p-man]

Unless it's the way the pics were taken, it almost looks as if the tenon compressed and crushed in on itself - as to the gunsmith, if I were him I would want to know when I made a mistake, especially something as serious as this. Give him a chance to make it right even if only monetarily.

 

[hogpatrol]

My 2¢, If that was a half nut mistake and the threads were trashed, and there was no chance of cutting off the tenon and starting over, the barrel should have been replaced.

 

[carlsbad]

I'll repeat what I posted earlier since people continue to speculate. I have seen this before. This is exactly what it looks like when you thread one pitch (say 18) and then realize you should be using another pitch (say 16) and switch half way. the ones that line up look "OK" but there the original thread was on the crown of the new thread you get the groove down the middle of the thread. I know because I misread a drawing and did this exact thing last week. I went ahead and threaded over to see what it would look like. It looked like this. I threw it away.

Ok. I went to the shop and dug it out of the trash. Here is a photo. This threaded over a fine pitch (24).

 

[hogpatrol]

Jerry, A little Belzona and you're good to go.

 

[Bc'z]

I'll repeat what I posted earlier since people continue to speculate. I have seen this before. This is exactly what it looks like when you thread one pitch (say 18) and then realize you should be using another pitch (say 16) and switch half way. the ones that line up look "OK" but there the original thread was on the crown of the new thread you get the groove down the middle of the thread. I know because I misread a drawing and did this exact thing last week. I went ahead and threaded over to see what it would look like. It looked like this. I threw it away.

Ok. I went to the shop and dug it out of the trash. Here is a photo. This threaded over a fine pitch (24).

View attachment 1201278

This explains why I see where the threads look split.

 

[338 Mollett]

I don't know about the scope base screw idea ,seems like the thread peaks would have been torn all the back from the front one.

 

[jelenko]

I'll repeat what I posted earlier since people continue to speculate. I have seen this before. This is exactly what it looks like when you thread one pitch (say 18) and then realize you should be using another pitch (say 16) and switch half way. the ones that line up look "OK" but there the original thread was on the crown of the new thread you get the groove down the middle of the thread. I know because I misread a drawing and did this exact thing last week. I went ahead and threaded over to see what it would look like. It looked like this. I threw it away.

Ok. I went to the shop and dug it out of the trash. Here is a photo. This threaded over a fine pitch (24).

View attachment 1201278

That's fuggly looking.

 

[Texas10]

I'll repeat what I posted earlier since people continue to speculate. I have seen this before. This is exactly what it looks like when you thread one pitch (say 18) and then realize you should be using another pitch (say 16) and switch half way. the ones that line up look "OK" but there the original thread was on the crown of the new thread you get the groove down the middle of the thread. I know because I misread a drawing and did this exact thing last week. I went ahead and threaded over to see what it would look like. It looked like this. I threw it away.

Ok. I went to the shop and dug it out of the trash. Here is a photo. This threaded over a fine pitch (24).

View attachment 1201278

Looking again at the OP's photos, I think you hit the nail on the head.... with a crescent wrench. LOL

 

[INTJ]

I'm pretty sure what you are seeing is wrong threads that have been cleaned up. You can't put metal back on a lathe.

The action should be fine unless the threads were damaged by shooting loose but I don't see anything on the barrel threads to indicate that.

I turned and threaded a new post for my Sinclair Comp rest a while back. About halfway through I dinged a few threads by not backing out the compound enough. Since this wasn't a precision part I didn't worry about it and the threads did clean up.

The OPs barrel tenon does look a lot worse than what mine did. Here is how mine turned out.

 

[carlsbad]

That's fuggly looking.

I know it was hopeless but wanted to see how much it cleaned up. Not much. I think the OPs smith didn't get as deep as I did before I realized I was cutting the wrong pitch.

 

[rockhound78]

My threading isn't all that great, but I would be ashamed of that job

 

[Evan]

I agree the proper course would be to reach out to the gunsmith about it, although I'd have trouble trusting him anymore. At the very least, he needs to re-thread it, invite you to his shop to inspect everything before assembly, and then let you watch him put it together and torque it down.

There looks to be a significant amount of the threads still there from your pictures. If the receiver isn't galled or damaged, and the barrel threads in smoothly when greased up, you could try to torque it to 70ft.lbs. Once the shoulder of the barrel comes into contact with the receiver face, you should feel no further movement. ANY feeling of stretching or the barrel continuing to turn as you torque it is an indication of the stainless steel yielding - meaning it's no good. IF the threads yield, they are likely to gall and smear into the receiver threads. Maybe your receiver threads will need to be chased but maybe it trashes the receiver too. That's a risk only you can decide if it's worth to see if the barrel will torque down.

Hey, or do like a "gunsmith" did me about 20 years ago when he took my grandpa's Mauser 98 and didn't know enough to know he needed to thread it 55 degrees instead of 60. Instead of being a gunsmith, he decided he was a plumber and jammed it all together with a healthy dose of plumbers dope and gave it back to me. Thing shot terrible so I took it to a gunsmith with a reputation for working on old Mausers. He found the plumbers dope, showed me the whole problem, then re-threaded the barrel properly and it's shot great ever since.

 

[jelenko]

here looks to be a significant amount of the threads still there from your pictures. If the receiver isn't galled or damaged, and the barrel threads in smoothly when greased up, you could try to torque it to 70ft.lbs. Once the shoulder of the barrel comes into contact with the receiver face, you should feel no further movement. ANY feeling of stretching or the barrel continuing to turn as you torque it is an indication of the stainless steel yielding - meaning it's no good. IF the threads yield, they are likely to gall and smear into the receiver threads. Maybe your receiver threads will need to be chased but maybe it trashes the receiver too. That's a risk only you can decide if it's worth to see if the barrel will torque down.

My concern with trying to do something yourself is that if it doesn't work, you may destroy the 'evidence' => you might not have anything to go back to the smith with.

 

[billlarson]

from pics,threads were ruff.then you used too long a front mount screw a worsened the problem.when you took the barrel off you galled threads.
Bill

 

[butchlambert]

I agree the proper course would be to reach out to the gunsmith about it, although I'd have trouble trusting him anymore. At the very least, he needs to re-thread it, invite you to his shop to inspect everything before assembly, and then let you watch him put it together and torque it down.

There looks to be a significant amount of the threads still there from your pictures. If the receiver isn't galled or damaged, and the barrel threads in smoothly when greased up, you could try to torque it to 70ft.lbs. Once the shoulder of the barrel comes into contact with the receiver face, you should feel no further movement. ANY feeling of stretching or the barrel continuing to turn as you torque it is an indication of the stainless steel yielding - meaning it's no good. IF the threads yield, they are likely to gall and smear into the receiver threads. Maybe your receiver threads will need to be chased but maybe it trashes the receiver too. That's a risk only you can decide if it's worth to see if the barrel will torque down.

Hey, or do like a "gunsmith" did me about 20 years ago when he took my grandpa's Mauser 98 and didn't know enough to know he needed to thread it 55 degrees instead of 60. Instead of being a gunsmith, he decided he was a plumber and jammed it all together with a healthy dose of plumbers dope and gave it back to me. Thing shot terrible so I took it to a gunsmith with a reputation for working on old Mausers. He found the plumbers dope, showed me the whole problem, then re-threaded the barrel properly and it's shot great ever since.

Actually many many 98 barrel threads have been cut with a 60deg tool. Never heard of a failure, but, I do use my 55deg inserts by Warner.

 

[Evan]

Actually many many 98 barrel threads have been cut with a 60deg tool. Never heard of a failure, but, I do use my 55deg inserts by Warner.

I've heard that before. I'm curious if the second gunsmith was giving me an abbreviated version, or if I am misremembering exactly what the issue with the threads was - like perhaps the root was cut too deep and it resulted in a sloppy fit. The big thing was that it shot 3 MOA at best and the first guy had used plumbers dope to get it together after he threaded it poorly!