Remington 700 Barrel Can't remove

[ourway77]

I have had a Remington 700 BDL .243 for about near 20 years or more, Can't remember. It was always a very good shooter for a standard hunting rifle. I gave it to my son. He had it for a number of years. Recently he gave it back to me as he doesn't hunt or shoot at all. I went to the range and the accuracy didn't seem as good as I remember. So I sent it to my Gunsmith to have it rebarreled. Got a call that he did everythuing in his power but couldn't get the barrel off? So he recrowned it and reblued it and returned it to me. I shot it and it seem to be back to the accuracy I remember. Does any one have any knowledge of a barrel not being able to be removed? he stated he has seen this before? I am not going to do anymore to the rifle and will give it to my grandson someday. I am just curious as to why the barrel couldn't be removed. It was always cleaned and oiled as needed. Relys will begreatly appreciated. Merry Christmas to everyone. Lou

 

[Rustystud]

Some barrels are just a buger bear to get off. Most likely bluing salts got into the threads. Or it was not treated with grease or anti seize when the barrel was installed. If you what it removed and replaced it may have to be machined out. Soaking it in Kroil for about a week and heating it to about 300 degrees every day and cooling it down to about zero. Then part off a small relief ring in the barrel just in front of the lug. Use a good action wrench and barrel vice. 99 times out of a 100 it will come off.

Nat Lambeth

 

[sxsboy]

I seriously question the abilities of any "gun smith" that takes in a re-barel job, can't get the barrel off the reciever... so he re-crowns and reblues it and sends it on it way. But I guess it's better than totaly screwing it up, at least he knew when to quit.

 

[Preacher]

Plus one on that last post..
Sometimes they just don't want to come off, I have on more than one occasion bounced my scrawny butt off a 6 foot cheater bar trying to remove a Remington barrel. As mentioned a lot of Kroil, heat, cold, and persistence will remove them.. As my twin also mentioned sometimes the threads are buggered where the action screw has bottomed out, and that sure don't help matters any...

 

[therifler]

if you are going to replace the barrel and it will not come off rather then taking the chance of twisting the action . just machine the barrel off in a lathe . saves alot of time no heating required or oil. if the smith is carful he can reuse the barrel by rethreading and cutting a new chamber .

 

[RandyB]

The front action screw will not cause damage to the threads as it is behind the tenon on the 700. However with the 788 it will. Regarding the stubborn barrel when I realize heating the action is not going to be enough I try another trick before I make a relief cut. While it is still in the barrel vise I position the action to where I can strike the recoil lug the direction I"m unscrewing. It really helps if you have someone to help you as one of you can put some wieght on the action wrench while the other works the hammer. I have done it myself with some creative positioning of all the tools. Brass rod against the left hand flat of the lug , pressure on the wrench while the action is still warm, one solid hit on the brass rod with 2 lb hammer will usually do the trick. you will not harm the action this way as the torque is directed to the lug-barrel junction. If this does not work then I make a relief cut as mentioned in prior post. So far the 788"s I"ve encountered were the tightest. Good luck to all, RandyB.

 

[gamma]

sometimes I use the strength of 2 men in a situation like this. Make up an action wrench that will go on the outside of the action, then put in your port entry wrench and with you on one side of the action and your mate on the other, watch your barrel come off.

 

[Eddie Harren]

You guys need to take a really close look at a Rem 700 action. From the front, with the barrel off. If the front action screw is hitting your barrel threads you have a real problem. I have seen front scope base screws hit the barrel threads but not the front action screw. It's a different story on the XP-100 action.

 

[therifler]

yes i must agree the front screw cannot damage the barrel threads on a rem. 700 it is located about 3/8 of and inch behind where the barrel ends . it can however damage the bolt .

 

[RandyB]

Preacher, you should look again at the 700 and reconsider your post. I can"t speak for the xp 100 or the 600 as I have not handled either one. One thing that will cause accuracy problems is the front screw touching the bolt lug. Even the slightest amount of contact will cause a flyer. Factory wood stocks are the most common I see with this problem. And yes, that is one of the reasons for pillars. Merry Christmas to you all. RandyB.

 

[Preacher]

Your correct, to many XP100's on my mind, along with a old 600 Mohawk..I should not have let that slip by, old age setting in maybe. I remember redoing the action hole more to the rear in a few XP's to try and get it away from the threads, I have had in few XP's in that had the thread cut out where the screw sets, so I should have known better than to think the 700's were like that..

 

[ourway77]

Thanks for the heads up gentleman. Thr rifle seems to be shooting good again Maybe it was the crown. Nobody knows how my son cleaned it. I spoke to the gunsmith who said he soaked it in the oil as well as heated it. He advised he would have to cut it out to remove it. He said try the new crown and let him know. It has seemed to bring the accuracy bacl as I remember. Never dreamed recrowning a barrel would restore accuracy. Thanks Happy Holidays Lou

 

[Rustystud]

The front action screw does protude to the tenon on a XP-100 action. I have a tenon in my shop done by Greg Tannel and he machined a radial cut in the threads with a 5/16" end mill for the action screw to protrude. I thought is was so odd that I kept it as an example of others work I have encountered doing set backs.

Nat Lambeth

 

[Eddie Harren]

I've always used a flat cut, with an endmill, on XP-100 actions. I did not like the way Rem turned the whole end of the barrel stub down.

 

[DickE]

I recently had a brand new Remington 700 LA donor for a build. Used a 4' cheater pipe, heat, Kroil to no avail. I would best guess, 200-250 ft. lbs. of torque. Carefully ground some off the recoil lug,(rounded) the rest cut off in the lathe. Bink. Less than 30 ft. lbs. Used a PTG .250 recoil lug anyway. Absolutely no barrel damage.