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Removing glued in action

What if one wanted to remove the sleeve? I have a couple sleeved XPs from that era. They have Burns bolts and triggers and are in Lee Six stocks. Problem is, the previous owner's sleeves covered up the serial numbers, which would make it difficult to legally sell them. If I could remove the sleeves, I would mill out an area of the sleeve where the serial number could be viewed, then glue the sleeve back on.
 
What if one wanted to remove the sleeve? I have a couple sleeved XPs from that era. They have Burns bolts and triggers and are in Lee Six stocks. Problem is, the previous owner's sleeves covered up the serial numbers, which would make it difficult to legally sell them. If I could remove the sleeves, I would mill out an area of the sleeve where the serial number could be viewed, then glue the sleeve back on.
Same process- heat and press it out. I have been known to put them in a vise and use a barrel screwed in there to push them out by hand. There is a lot of surface area thats glued so itll take plenty of heat and twisting to get it loose
 
Luckily the serial on mine was stamped onto the sleeve. I might take the jump and separate the two - the action threads and face took some damage sitting in a box for 40 years... would like to clean them up.

The epoxy really does give out easily with some heat. 120 degree temp on the metal and it's like soft chewing gum. Some time in a toaster oven @ 250 and I imagine it'd slide right out.
 
What if one wanted to remove the sleeve? I have a couple sleeved XPs from that era. They have Burns bolts and triggers and are in Lee Six stocks. Problem is, the previous owner's sleeves covered up the serial numbers, which would make it difficult to legally sell them. If I could remove the sleeves, I would mill out an area of the sleeve where the serial number could be viewed, then glue the sleeve back on.
Having removed quite a few over the years, it's not a problem to get the glued in action out of the stock using a clothes iron.

Be aware that sleeves can be 'glued' to the action with a bonding material that's different than what was used to glue the action into the stock. I ran into this a while back while rehabbing this sleeved 722...the sleeve-to-action bonding agent was a type of ceramic epoxy used for insulating steam pipes in large ships. Short of cutting the sleeve off, it wasn't going anywhere. People like Dave Tooley, Jackie Schmidt, Dusty Stevens and Randy Robinett contributed their advice and experiences on that aspect of it.

In the end, it all turned out great after converting it to a pillar bedding setup. An article on the gun was featured in the March issue of the NBRSA 'Precision Rifleman' magazine.

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If you have a copy of the Benchrest Shooting Primer, there's a good article in there that gives the dimensions on where the serial numbers are located and detailed tips on milling a window in the sleeve to expose the factory serial number. Many receivers were really roughed up/ground on the O.D. to allow for good bonding so what you may find where the serial number is/was....and how legible it may still be... can be a crap shoot. Normally, this area was left alone but anything is possible.

Do your home work, be prepared and don't open a can of worms that you can't put the lid back on. ;) Everything is skittles and beer until stuff gets wonky.

For what it's worth.... -Al
 
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