• This Forum is for adults 18 years of age or over. By continuing to use this Forum you are confirming that you are 18 or older. No content shall be viewed by any person under 18 in California.

Gunsmith or buy action wrench?

HandgunHTR

Gold $$ Contributor
I picked up a Remington 700 last week for a song. It is a SPS Varmint in .223. My plan is to build a lightweight 6X45 for short range deer and yote hunting as well as a future gun for my nephews when they start deer hunting with me (they are 10 and 8 now).
I just finished a Savage 6.5-06 build and I really like the idea of using a rem/age pre-fit for this build as well.

My question is, should I take my barreled action to a gunsmith to have the original barrel removed, or buy a Remington action wrench and do it myself? I have a Wheeler action wrench with the Mauser heads, so I could just get the Remington heads. I figured it would be about the same cost. However I am also wanting to get an internal wrench for future barrel swaps. Just not sure that an internal wrench will be able to remove the original barrel.

Sorry for the long explanation. You input is appreciated.
 
If the original barrel isnt needed hacksaw a ring real close to the shoulder to relieve the pressure and maybe unscrew it by hand
Probly cheaper than the wrench heads.
Fired factory barrel just about gottagive away
unfired 40-50 ish
 
Very hard to get a rem original barrel off with the wheeler vise. If you lived nearby I could take it off in 5 minutes. You'll break your oak blocks. If you're going to try it use lots of rosin.

I know you think you're stuck with a .378 rim with the current bolt but the 6x45 is underpowered for just about everything.

You can sell or trade the bolt easily on the forum for a .473 boltface and build a 6xc, 6x47, 6bra or similar for low recoil deer and yotes.
 
Get someone with tools and experience to help. Even cutting a relief ring on the barrel shank, they are still hard to get off. Rem. puts a type of loctite on the threads and this makes them even more difficult -- some heat helps this problem.
 
Gene,

I am heading to Louisville tomorrow for a couple of days and then down to San Antonio to pick up my Axis and Blackbuck mounts. Please PM me your information and I will give you a call.
Thanks!
 
I've killed a few with my 6x45. Very adequate. It will push a 95 Partition at 2650-2700fps. Dime size entry, silver dollar size hole in the heart and lungs and quarter sized exit and a huge blood trail on all the deer I’ve shot with mine.
 
Ok. But I like 107 to 115 grain 6mm bullets at 2800 fps better. I'm sure I have more of a target mentality than hunting. --Jerry
 
Watch too Ive seen action wrenchs to tight cause extra force to be needed.
Try it, bust your barrel loose then tighten or loosen your wrench and check forcd needed to turn it.
 
My question is, should I take my barreled action to a gunsmith to have the original barrel removed, or buy a Remington action wrench and do it myself?
I just did this, and it's trivially easy. . . if you're willing to sacrifice the factory recoil lug. I fixed the action in a vise and gently cut the top of the recoil lug with a hacksaw, leaving paper-thin shavings against the barrel shoulder, and the receiver. Stopped just as that saw broke though, snap the two thin shavings out, drive the now-split recoil lug out of the gap with a punch.

After 30m of careful handwork, the barrel spun out by hand; no wrench, no heat. Clean the receiver face if you nicked it, and go.
 
On the one hand my inclination is to say go for it. John Barsness has written many times of what he calls slow switch switch barrels. Per Mr. Barsness he has many times bought new or as new take off barrels for the Remington 700 and more than half of the barrels - 75% per his book Gun Gack #2 - have had proper headspace when just screwed in and checked with appropriate headspace gages. Of course as a successful gun writer Mr. Barsness has different incentives as well as access to advice, assistance and tooling.

I hasten to follow up by saying there will be no savings with a one off job - though buying the tooling and sending it down the road after one use may well be affordable if not cheap. All the more so as something for children in the family.

On the other hand I am ignorant enough never to have heard of " a Wheeler action wrench with the Mauser heads, so I could just get the Remington heads. " so at least one us needs to do more research. I am aware of a Wheeler action wrench #2 for round actions for the Remington 700 and the Savage family of round actions. I am aware of a Wheeler #1 action wrench for flat bottom actions which works with traditional Mauser actions. The Remington 798 is in the traditional Mauser family of flat bottom actions. But again to my knowledge these are two different tools though both action wrenches.

A sturdy enough bench, action wrench with its own handle or drive for a breaker bar- I like the internal wrench for a Remington 700 from Brownell's used with a breaker bar of choice -, and a really good vise for the barrel will add up.

My own experience has been that doing a job with the best tools the first few times often means the job becomes easy enough with fewer and less expensive tools.

If doing it on the cheap is part of the plan then my most emphatic advice is don't bother.
 
75% of barrels headspacing properly, maybe on the brand new ones that come off a CNC but the older ones Are all over the place.
 
75% of barrels headspacing properly, maybe on the brand new ones that come off a CNC but the older ones Are all over the place.
Headspacing correctly to some have alot different meaning to most. Some think if it screws on and a go gage goes in its good to go
 
On the one hand my inclination is to say go for it. John Barsness has written many times of what he calls slow switch switch barrels. Per Mr. Barsness he has many times bought new or as new take off barrels for the Remington 700 and more than half of the barrels - 75% per his book Gun Gack #2 - have had proper headspace when just screwed in and checked with appropriate headspace gages. Of course as a successful gun writer Mr. Barsness has different incentives as well as access to advice, assistance and tooling.

I hasten to follow up by saying there will be no savings with a one off job - though buying the tooling and sending it down the road after one use may well be affordable if not cheap. All the more so as something for children in the family.

On the other hand I am ignorant enough never to have heard of " a Wheeler action wrench with the Mauser heads, so I could just get the Remington heads. " so at least one us needs to do more research. I am aware of a Wheeler action wrench #2 for round actions for the Remington 700 and the Savage family of round actions. I am aware of a Wheeler #1 action wrench for flat bottom actions which works with traditional Mauser actions. The Remington 798 is in the traditional Mauser family of flat bottom actions. But again to my knowledge these are two different tools though both action wrenches.

A sturdy enough bench, action wrench with its own handle or drive for a breaker bar- I like the internal wrench for a Remington 700 from Brownell's used with a breaker bar of choice -, and a really good vise for the barrel will add up.

My own experience has been that doing a job with the best tools the first few times often means the job becomes easy enough with fewer and less expensive tools.

If doing it on the cheap is part of the plan then my most emphatic advice is don't bother.

Good advice. I am not intending to "Do it cheap", I am intending to "do it right" with the least amount of expense. I am planning on getting an internal action wrench as I have a couple of Savages and now a Remington that I will most likely be swapping barrels on. I just know that the internal wrenches are not good for removing factory Remington barrels.
the top part of the Wheeler action wrench can be used on any action. It is the bottom part that can be swapped for different action types.
I have a good barrel vise and the know-how on setting good headspace. My only question was if it would be more economical to have a gunsmith remove the factory barrel, or if there were any other considerations with removal that I should take into account that would lead me to a gunsmith.
It seems that there are, so I will probably go that route.
 

Upgrades & Donations

This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.


Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.

You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.


To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.

Forum statistics

Threads
166,258
Messages
2,214,426
Members
79,479
Latest member
s138242
Back
Top