Help with Solus Short Action Build: SOP To Attach Savage Small Shank Barrel With Nut

[wer0206]

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):

1. (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
2. 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:
   1. Clamp action in vice with Solus Vice jaws
   2. Set headspace, then hand tighten barrel nut, check headspace again with go/no-go
   3. 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
   4. Torque the barrel nut to spec, check headspace again with go/no-go

Or am I way off and you suggest completely different steps to follow?

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!

 

[memilanuk]

The more usual way (for bolt guns) is to clamp the barrel in a purpose-built barrel vise, thread on the barrel nut, then the receiver (most of the way), insert the go gauge, snug down the receiver on the gauge, then tighten the nut against the receiver. If you have an appropriate adapter for the barrel nut, you can put a torque wrench on it and set it as desired. At that point you should be able to easily remove the go gauge, and then test with the no-go gauge.

If/when you end up with a shouldered pre-fit barrel ie no barrel nut, the process changes slightly: clamp the barrel in it's vise, screw the receiver on and snug it up against the shoulder on the barrel. Insert the action wrench in through the bolt race way in to where it engages the lug recesses, and torque it accordingly. Remove the action wrench, and check with the go/no-go gauges.

The vise jaw setup looks like... it was dreamed up by an AR person who never actually changed a bolt gun barrel I mean technically I guess it would work as described, as long as you are using a barrel with a nut... but if you ever move to shouldered barrels, you're going to need a barrel vise. Might be better off to just cough up for one now, and get used to using it.

 

[wer0206]

The more usual way (for bolt guns) is to clamp the barrel in a purpose-built barrel vise, thread on the barrel nut, then the receiver (most of the way), insert the go gauge, snug down the receiver on the gauge, then tighten the nut against the receiver. If you have an appropriate adapter for the barrel nut, you can put a torque wrench on it and set it as desired. At that point you should be able to easily remove the go gauge, and then test with the no-go gauge.

If/when you end up with a shouldered pre-fit barrel ie no barrel nut, the process changes slightly: clamp the barrel in it's vise, screw the receiver on and snug it up against the shoulder on the barrel. Insert the action wrench in through the bolt race way in to where it engages the lug recesses, and torque it accordingly. Remove the action wrench, and check with the go/no-go gauges.

The vise jaw setup looks like... it was dreamed up by an AR person who never actually changed a bolt gun barrel I mean technically I guess it would work as described, as long as you are using a barrel with a nut... but if you ever move to shouldered barrels, you're going to need a barrel vise. Might be better off to just cough up for one now, and get used to using it.

Thanks! Haha, completely agree with you re: the vice jaw setup (looks like a toy), that's why I was so put off by the Aero rep's recommendation to simply throw the action in the cheap ass vice jaw adapters then go to town.

I was trying to avoid having to buy a barrel vice b/c it's the only tool I don't have on hand/on order, but you make an excellent point....having one opens me up to being able to use shouldered pre-fit barrels which has a pretty wide and deep market.

 

[Twdmar]

You shouldn't need an incredible amount of torque so you could even make an action vise out of wood in a pinch. Something hard and dense like hickory or some oak cut 100 years ago would do in a pinch.
Draw out the outline of the receiver and cut the shape out. Make sure you get a good tight fit. There are better solutions out there but it should do a barrel.

 

[urbanrifleman]

The skirt of the Solus nut is tiny small.

 

[memilanuk]

The skirt of the Solus nut is tiny small.

A pic might help illustrate / compare what that means.

 

[wer0206]

A pic might help illustrate / compare what that means.

Yeah, Im also unsure what they ment by that

 

[urbanrifleman]

A pic might help illustrate / compare what that means.

The part of the nut that goes over the barrel in front of the thread. That ID is crazy small. Like 1.054 or even less sometimes. I have seen Savage barrels 1.049 as the thread OD. My normal prefit OD is 1.062 to 1.065 in front of the theads. I have to make the Solus nut barrel special for them. I'm not sure what a criterion barrel OD is in front of the nut. You might measure.

 

[memilanuk]

Ah. I think I heard something about the Solus nut having a weird undersized lip in that area. Thought maybe they'd wised up and fixed that?

 

[wer0206]

The part of the nut that goes over the barrel in front of the thread. That ID is crazy small. Like 1.054 or even less sometimes. I have seen Savage barrels 1.049 as the thread OD. My normal prefit OD is 1.062 to 1.065 in front of the theads. I have to make the Solus nut barrel special for them. I'm not sure what a criterion barrel OD is in front of the nut. You might measure.

Interesting, I guess it’s good I ordered a squared/trued nut from NSS. Have you seen the same issue with the NSS barrel nut as the Solus nut?

 

[urbanrifleman]

Interesting, I guess it’s good I ordered a squared/trued nut from NSS. Have you seen the same issue with the NSS barrel nut as the Solus nut?

I sell my own nut. Most of my customers use mine because it's a hex and is so much easier to use.

 

[urbanrifleman]

Ah. I think I heard something about the Solus nut having a weird undersized lip in that area. Thought maybe they'd wised up and fixed that?

Nope!!!

 

[wer0206]

I sell my own nut. Most of my customers use mine because it's a hex and is so much easier to use.

Oh nice, do you have a link to purchase one? I may grab one just in case, hex style does sound much better.

 

[urbanrifleman]

Oh nice, do you have a link to purchase one? I may grab one just in case, hex style does sound much better.

SAVAGE SMALL SHANK Barrel Nut SS

Precision Rifle Shooting Accessories

theurbanriflemanstore.com

 

[Judd]

Ah. I think I heard something about the Solus nut having a weird undersized lip in that area. Thought maybe they'd wised up and fixed that?

They put dual ejectors on it, that tells you everything you need to know about their design and engineering team.

 

[gero]

They put dual ejectors on it, that tells you everything you need to know about their design and engineering team.

So, in your view dual ejectors is a downside? Please elucidate.

 

[memilanuk]

Personally I really like the CRF / fixed mechanical ejector on the Zermatt Origin action, but that has it's own quirks as well.

First time I saw dual plunger ejectors was on a large frame AR (Savage MSR-10). Not saying that was the first place they were ever used, just the first I saw them.

It does seem like more of a gas-gun thing that got carried over... but I've had some weird encounters with the ejector / extractor on Savage bolts to where I got a school-of-hard-knocks course in the interaction between the geometry between the ejector and extractor and how they work together to keep the case engaged with the bolt face long enough to get it out of the gun, and not just drop back in the ejection port on top of the next round as soon as the case mouth clears the side of the chamber / bolt raceway. Maybe the dual ejectors help with that? Dunno.

 

[Judd]

So, in your view dual extractors is a downside? Please elucidate.

They pressure up sooner in my experience with two different actions (Christensen and Fierce)…I got both to shoot but both were short on speed and both customers ended up having me build them what they thought they we’re buying to begin with.

Plus, it’s just not needed…

 

[Sniperhandle]

Sako went to Dual Ejectors on the TRG platforms, It was needed, Solved ejection problems.

Edit, I put extractors, I meant ejectors, I Fixed it.

 

[Sniperhandle]

They pressure up sooner in my experience with two different actions (Christensen and Fierce)…I got both to shoot but both were short on speed and both customers ended up having me build them what they thought they we’re buying to begin with.

Plus, it’s just not needed…

Fierce and Christenson both Have problems, I'm not sure it's the dual ejectors.