Hey Everyone. I just ordered a Solus Obsidian action on discount from Midway and Im waiting on an order from NSS for a Criterion small shank Savage 110 prefit barrel chambered in 308 Win and utilizing the barrel nut (I also bought a squared savage barrel nut/wrench from NSS along with headspace gauges).
When I was ordering the barrel James at NSS had mentioned his standard NSS action wrench won’t fit the solus action due to integrated pic rail so I need to use the internal solace action wrench to secure the action when mounting the barrel/torquing the nut. This makes sense, but the question I’m left with is how do I actually incorporate the internal action wrench into the install process?
I ask b/c according to an Aero rep's post on reddit, if installing a barrel with a barrel nut, simply use the Solus Vice jaws, if installing a shouldered prefit, use the internal action wrench.
When searching online I found this savage prefit barrel install tutorial video by Criterion which is great but they are able to use the NSS action wrench since their install is for a savage action not a solus action with integrated pic rail. The steps they follow are different compared to a Solus action that can't use the NSS action wrench.
Here are the 2 options I'm considering (macro level steps):
This is my first bolt action build so I'm used to the following the steps for installing AR-15 barrels (that use M4 barrel extensions, barrel nuts, etc.) that definitely need the upper receiver internally secured (with something like the Midwest Industries Upper Receiver Rod clamped into a vice then slide upper receiver over the rod) before torqueing the barrel nut. In option 2 above I was essentially thinking of using the solace action wrench (after setting the headspace) very similar to how I use the Midwest Industries upper receiver rod when installing AR barrels.
Any help/feedback would be much appreciated, thanks!
When I was ordering the barrel James at NSS had mentioned his standard NSS action wrench won’t fit the solus action due to integrated pic rail so I need to use the internal solace action wrench to secure the action when mounting the barrel/torquing the nut. This makes sense, but the question I’m left with is how do I actually incorporate the internal action wrench into the install process?
I ask b/c according to an Aero rep's post on reddit, if installing a barrel with a barrel nut, simply use the Solus Vice jaws, if installing a shouldered prefit, use the internal action wrench.
When searching online I found this savage prefit barrel install tutorial video by Criterion which is great but they are able to use the NSS action wrench since their install is for a savage action not a solus action with integrated pic rail. The steps they follow are different compared to a Solus action that can't use the NSS action wrench.
Here are the 2 options I'm considering (macro level steps):
- (Aero rep's method) Clamp the action in a vice (using the Solus Vice jaws), set headspace, torque the barrel nut to spec, check headspace again with go/no-go
- Or do I somehow need to incorporate the internal action wrench so that the action doesn’t get deformed when torqueing the barrel nut even though the action is secured in the vice jaw inserts? For example:
- Clamp action in vice with Solus Vice jaws
- Set headspace, then hand tighten barrel nut, check headspace again with go/no-go
- Unclamp action from vice, clamp the squared end of the solace action wrench into vice then slide action onto the other side of wrench fully engaging with the lugs
- Torque the barrel nut to spec, check headspace again with go/no-go
This is my first bolt action build so I'm used to the following the steps for installing AR-15 barrels (that use M4 barrel extensions, barrel nuts, etc.) that definitely need the upper receiver internally secured (with something like the Midwest Industries Upper Receiver Rod clamped into a vice then slide upper receiver over the rod) before torqueing the barrel nut. In option 2 above I was essentially thinking of using the solace action wrench (after setting the headspace) very similar to how I use the Midwest Industries upper receiver rod when installing AR barrels.
Any help/feedback would be much appreciated, thanks!
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