!!! I think I got a ruined action !!!

[JDJones]

I bought a Rem 700 LA, barreld action from a local guy for a great deal, the barrel is shot out and he stated that,3000+ round 6mm Ackley) but the gun was supposedly built by a highly reputable builder, fully blue printed rear of the bolt hase been sleeved the works, I pulled it appart and looked it over checked everything and it all mics out great, threads are cut .015" over spec. I measured the barrel shank and recodered everything so I would have record when I rebarrel. Well last night I decided to rebarrel it with an old SS douglas #4 barrel I had, checked everthing again dialed in the barrel and started cutting, I always fit check my threads so they are nice and tight. I tried to thread the action onto the barrel and woulden't get a full turn, so I made another .002" cut, still woulden't turn on. I stopped knowing I was at the same measurement as the old barrel and miced both and the new barrel was .001" smaller, WTF !! So I take a closer look atthe threads on the old barrel and see that they are not strait, the look almost like a buttress thread but backwards, obvously when the barrel was threaded the guy diden't have this tool square to the part, not a probelm as long as your cut the action and barel at the same setting but now I have this action whose threads are dicked up and crooked and I don't see how I can straiten them out without seriously messing up the thread pitch or cutting the action VERY thin.
I have heard of some guys cutting their threads half with the compound and half with the cross slide or adjusting their compound at 32 deg rather than 29.5 and claiming that the use a "special thread pattern" so that they would get tha repeat business for the rebarrel and when the next poor bastard has to deal with it their screwed .

I'm not sure what I can do to fix this, I'm still a bit upset and haven't realy thought the trouble out clearly, so I fugured I'd ask you guys your oppinion.

 

[gamma]

The only realistic thing you can do other than scrap the action is to go through the whole proceedure of blueprinting the action again.Screw back in the F****ed up barrel and using an action Blueprinting jig and piloted range rod,begin dialling in the barrel.Remove the barrel and recut your threads and action face a touch off the lug recesses.You should be alright if you do that.

 

[RIFLE1]

There is an alternative answer to the problem you have,...

Email me at cbrifle1atktis,dot)net

 

[JayIdaho]

If the take-off barrel has a normal looking thread that is oversize and it worked, just copy it. I'd determine the pitch diameter with thread wires, a pitch micrometer or thread triangles and match it.
If he got 3000 rounds out of that barrel, your barrel should work, too.

The thread work on the receiver may have been done by a beginner that had the compound set on 60 deg. instead of 30 degrees,or 29.5). I've seen several nebies make that mistake with import lathes that had the compound marked in degrees from the X axis instead of the Y axis. Or the other way, whatever, it was different than our US lathes.

 

[JDJones]

I went ahead and recut the threads so they were square with the bolt race way like they are supposed to be. The threads in the barrel matched the threads in the action sadly enough, apparently the action and barrel were threaded with the post at the same angle, the threads were true 60 deg threads its just that the tool post had to be crooked as the threads looked more like l/l/l/l/ than the regular VVVV. I had to open the action up a bit to get them back 100% correct but now the action has been marked for the correct thread size and the threads are strait.

I have seen some guys do some crazy stuff with cutting threads, I know a guy that cuts his threads and only uses the cross slide rather than the compound, this take a full cut for both sides of the thread,not a problem so long as your male and female are cut the same way, he swears that his threads will fit any regular threads. I have also seen guy grind their tools differantly so the thread would have a differant shape. Not sure why they just can't do it correctly !! make everybodys life easier.

This is one reason that I always recomend that guys get referances and talk to a new smith beofre any work is done,their are some butchers out their calling themselves machinest and wanting to cut on your gun!!

 

[sjk]

I'm new here but how I've fixed up somone else's mess like this was to sleeve it and start all over and do it right. It's not much of a problem