Now what?

[C Valentine]

Decided today was the day to install my new McGowan barrel on my Savage Mod 12 Target .223. All went well to a point. Got the barrel nut loose, started to unscrew the receiver and it would only unscrew a fraction of an inch. Hmmmm....looked in the front scope base hole and I can see where the threads have been bunged up on the barrel. Apparently the original owner of the rifle used base screws that were a tad too long and gorilla-ed the front screw in, mashing the barrel threads. (The screws on my bases are shorter and do not contact the barrel threads.) What to do now? Is there a chance that the threads on the receiver are harder than the threads on the barrel, and a little force with an action wrench would solve the problem? Is there any way out of this mess?

 

[watercam]

Arrrggghhhh!

 

[gotcha]

AAAARRRRGGGHHHH X 2 ! Had a similar problem with a Mod 12, 2 screw target action with front action screw (1/4-20 thread). Had a machinist friend cut a carbide bit narrow enough to fit the hole. Then used needle nosed locking pliers to hold the bit and gradually whittled down the burrs on the BBL threads. Worked great, but you have a much smaller hole to work with. I'm not a gunsmith but suspect you'd need to drill the hole for the base larger, try something similar then re-tap the hole for threads....... Sorry, this is all that comes to mind at the moment. Some pretty ingenious people here maybe they'll have a better answer........ It might be possible to insert a tiny diamond coated Dremel bit into the hole and work VERY carefully :-\

 

[Ggmac]

The rec is harder . Try working back an forth with some STP or never seize . Just screw in and out until you get it .
If this is a not gloss blue barrel and the orig barrel it could be the shot (steel) used to give the mate look . The steel shot is everywhere.
Good luck

 

[Tim Singleton]

The rec is harder . Try working back an forth with some STP or never seize . Just screw in and out until you get it .
If this is a not gloss blue barrel and the orig barrel it could be the shot (steel) used to give the mate look . The steel shot is everywhere.
Good luck

Plus-1
Happened to me more than once. Just take it slow go back and forth. It should come on offno problem

 

[jkohler]

This might sound crazy but if you give the barrel a few smacks on the end with a rubber mallet it can help straiten buggerd up threads. Put the action in your barrel vise or padded vise and give it a try. At work we have to do this with fasteners time to time.

 

[C Valentine]

Arrrrrrrgh X Infinity! It is the original SS barrel, matte finish. I will have to drive almost 3 hrs to a smith, but I am afraid of bungling the threads on the receiver and making things worse if I try to work it out. I can't afford a new action right now! The hole is so tiny, I don't think I could clean up those threads even with one of my tiny diamond dental bits.

Looks to me like the manufacturers would make base screws of a softer metal than the barrel threads so this wouldn't happen when some gorilla goes to tighten them down and they are too long!

 

[Tim Singleton]

I know
But I really don't think a smith is going to be able to do anything but soak it in penetrating oil and slowly work it back and forth

 

[Ggmac]

Do you live near west palm bch Fl?
If you do I will give it a go . And you can not beat my rates , free.
Gary

 

[jkohler]

Xhuntress really give the mallet a try! I have to do this on bolts that cost thousands of dollars a piece because they get buggerd up. We use big ball-peen on the side of the nuts to get the threads straitened out.

 

[C Valentine]

Dont think your mallet idea would work since I cant turn the barrel far enough to get the bunged up area behind good threads on the receiver. These threads are not just slightly galled...they are smashed!

 

[jkohler]

I think your only other option would be cut the barrel off and bore out the barrel tenon two where you could peel the rest of the barrel out.

 

[jkohler]

May be set it up in a mill and drill or mill out that section of the thread also would work

 

[dalewoolumjr.]

If you are near Charlottesville, VA I can help you out. Might as jkohler said mill out the bad section through the hole. or worst case cut off the barrel and bore it out. No big deal either way.

Dale

 

[SBS]

The receiver IS harder than the barrel threads. Just get some lube in it (Breakfree worked for me on several of them) and as suggested, work the receiver back and forth and it will reform the thread in this area (or it will cut off the displaced metal). No need to go to such drastic steps as drilling out the hole or cutting the barrel off. If after you get it off, it is a little stiff to get back on, use a 3 cornered fine file to reshape the thread area affected by the screw or use some 240 or 320 valve grinding compound on this area and work the receiver back and forth to lap the rough spots smooth.

 

[johara1]

From what i see i would run a drill in the hole that would not destroy the threads for the mount and drill into the threads of the barrel enough to see the battered area disappear. Clean it out real good and add some oil and soak it for a while then unscrew it as much as you can and hit the muzzle on a board while holding the action keep going back and forth till it comes loose. the battered part where the screw was tightened down should just be in the center if the screw wasn't cut or ground off. So by drilling the center out it should be eliminated and jus a small burr from the drill and you only need to go as deep as the bottom of the thread……. jim

 

[fredhorace77]

im sure this has been said but why not try stuffing some lapping compound into the hole and working it back and forth. then if it doesnt work then try drilling it.

 

[jkohler]

Lapping compound in that situation would equal disaster. If the rolled over crest of the thread was to large and sheared off. the lapping compound would trap it gulling up the threads making a bigger mess.
With out seeing in my hand I would just try 50/50 acetone and ATF and turning it off tell it sheared off that small part of the threads that are buggerd up. Flush it out good and spin it off.
If it did take out the threads that bad I do believe the savage small shanks receivers can be opened up to the large shank no problem.

 

[rwk]

Take it to a machine shop and see if they have a edm machine, they might be able to burn some of it out.

 

[C Valentine]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys! I have decided to make the 3 hour drive to a smith up in Delaware and see what he can do. He said, as Dale did, that worst case would be cut the barrel off and drill out enough that he could just peel the remaining threads away from the receiver. It's a 30" barrel, so maybe there will be enough to re chamber and re thread a shank. Think most of the wear is in the throat anyway.