Savage Barrel Nut or Not

[6MMsteve]

One shooter told me that the nuts can come loose. Experiences?

none here I peeeeen the nut then mig weld it

 

[284winner]

One shooter told me that the nuts can come loose. Experiences?

I suppose anything with threads can.

 

[Cowtownup]

Just tighten it up till it strips out, then back it off half a turn...

 

[DirtySteve]

You really cannot use a savage barrel WITHOUT the barrel nut. I suppose it could be done by a gunsmith after modifications are done to the barrel. If you have another barrel cut and contoured to fit the savage action and design it to work without the nut, yes, have a gunsmith set up headspace.

A savage can be fitted by a "Smith" with a barrel set up like a Remington.

I have not had a barrel nut come loose. I just tighten it till it is tight and don't try to strip the threads. lol.

 

[savagedasher]

A savage can be fitted by a "Smith" with a barrel set up like a Remington.

I have not had a barrel nut come loose. I just tighten it till it is tight and don't try to strip the threads. lol.

With the wrench that you buy I doubt your man enough to strip the threads . The girl gorilla that savage has . I think she has exceeded 300 ft lbs . I had one with a action clamp I couldn't loosen with out help .
Larry

 

[MrBottleneck]

Numerous Savage small shank nutted rifles with aftermarket barrels. Fantastic shooters and currently building a 6BR Norma Remage with a CBI.
Never heard of the nuts coming loose especially if you use a torque wrench and set to recommended torque.

Aesthetics, could care less about looks. I care about how the rifles shoot.

 

[swadiver]

Numerous Savage small shank nutted rifles with aftermarket barrels. Fantastic shooters and currently building a 6BR Norma Remage with a CBI.
Never heard of the nuts coming loose especially if you use a torque wrench and set to recommended torque.

Aesthetics, could care less about looks. I care about how the rifles shoot.

+1

 

[284winner]

A savage can be fitted by a "Smith" with a barrel set up like a Remington.

I have not had a barrel nut come loose. I just tighten it till it is tight and don't try to strip the threads. lol.

Absolutely. As I said I have a few savage actions without the barrel nut. I prefer THAT barreled action over the nut unless I'm switching barrels on the gun. The barrel nuts haven't showed inferior accuracy in fact I get better accuracy in one than with most of my others. It's just preference. NEVER have I heard a barrel nut loosening. If it did it was installed by an inexperienced gun owner.

 

[memilanuk]

One shooter told me that the nuts can come loose. Experiences?

From the factory? Oh heck now. Especially if its a coated barrel of any kind.

Aftermarket / rebarreled by the end user? Only if you are a wuss...

Seriously... I put antiseize on the threads on mine, screw them down by hand til they just contact the headspace GO gauge (or fired case, if I'm going that route). Then I tighten the barrel nut, which as it takes up the slack usually pulls the barrel *forward* just a fuzz - maybe 0.001-0.002". Check with a NO-GO gauge (or fired case with some tape on the base to make it about 0.003-0.004" longer than the original). Bolt handle shouldn't drop at all. Done.

The only time I ever had anything come 'loose'... was when I was mounting a scope. Had the barreled action gripped somewhat loosely in a barrel vise, and put a level on the scope rail... little bit off true, need to twist it a bit to level it up before I put the rings and scope on. Grabbed the receiver and turned. Nothing. Twisted a little harder... and the barrel stayed put (apparently the vise was a little tighter than I thought) and the receiver unscrewed just a fuzz. Whoops... Easy enough to fix, if a bit embarrassing

 

[savagedasher]

From the factory? Oh heck now. Especially if its a coated barrel of any kind.

Aftermarket / rebarreled by the end user? Only if you are a wuss...

Seriously... I put antiseize on the threads on mine, screw them down by hand til they just contact the headspace GO gauge (or fired case, if I'm going that route). Then I tighten the barrel nut, which as it takes up the slack usually pulls the barrel *forward* just a fuzz - maybe 0.001-0.002". Check with a NO-GO gauge (or fired case with some tape on the base to make it about 0.003-0.004" longer than the original). Bolt handle shouldn't drop at all. Done.

The only time I ever had anything come 'loose'... was when I was mounting a scope. Had the barreled action gripped somewhat loosely in a barrel vise, and put a level on the scope rail... little bit off true, need to twist it a bit to level it up before I put the rings and scope on. Grabbed the receiver and turned. Nothing. Twisted a little harder... and the barrel stayed put (apparently the vise was a little tighter than I thought) and the receiver unscrewed just a fuzz. Whoops... Easy enough to fix, if a bit embarrassing

A barrel vice isn't what is needed for a Savage . Action wrench is what you use .
With a nut you need to hold the action . Larry

 

[rwk]

Do'nt change what WORKS !

 

[memilanuk]

Larry,

Do you honestly think that I've not changed enough Savage barrels to know WTF I'm doing?

Or are you just that starved for attention that you have to contradict *everyone*?!?

 

[savagedasher]

Larry,

Do you honestly think that I've not changed enough Savage barrels to know WTF I'm doing?

Or are you just that starved for attention that you have to contradict *everyone*?!?

I was agreeing with you.
If that is wrong I'm sorry lol Larry

 

[CharlieNC]

Interestingly a couple of well known smiths have recently offered their custom barrel nut system for non-Savages and prefit barrels.

 

[savagedasher]

Interestingly a couple of well known smiths have recently offered their custom barrel nut system for non-Savages and prefit barrels.

Interestingly a couple of well known smiths have recently offered their custom barrel nut system for non-Savages and prefit barrels.

With a nut you can adjust head space . Without you have machine it perfect .
Strange everyone complains on a nut on a gun but they don't on reloading dies .
Larry

 

[memilanuk]

but those barrels nuts are not aesthetically pleasing.

On a recent rebarrel where I supplied the blank & reamer, the gunsmith (new to me) surprised me a bit by doing a partial relief around the nut. I've seen ones where someone left shank full diameter and then relieved around the nut. Didn't care for that, but I kinda like this one...

 

[CharlieNC]

Checkout the new designs at bugholes and pva. Nuts are growing.

 

[spaniel]

I simply don't believe there is any significant accuracy difference between shouldered and nut barrels. Perhaps you could see it in benchrest, but all the nut guns I've built shoot beyond my ability. I'd need to see hard and fast scientific data to change my mind.

If the asthetics bother you to each their own. The BugNut looks pretty good to me. I'm thinking about that on future builds but for now have used standard nuts. They don't bother me, and I've saved many thousands of dollars and many months of wasted wait time by not having to hire smiths to do builds I can do myself with a homemade 2X6 action vise.

20 Practical. 1/3-1/2 MOA even with mixed brass. Those into aesthetics will have a heart attack since I put an aftermarket stainless lug and barrel on a blued action and kept the blued nut. The prairie dogs can't tell the difference.

243AI. My highest volume shooter, .25-.33 MOA.

338 Edge. RemAge on a Stiller Predator. Probably the most accurate rifle I own. Largest group at 800 yds under .5 MOA, smallest 1.3". I doubled down on ugly by using a self timing brake.

If these are ugly, I don't care!!

 

[DirtySteve]

I don't see a big deal with nut on either end of a rifle. They serve their purpose and that is all that matters.

 

[memilanuk]

Checkout the new designs at bugholes and pva. Nuts are growing.

So... the BugNuts system is proprietary, and only works with their barrels. PVA... assuming that means 'Patriot Valley Arms'... I see Mausingfield, Big Horn and Tikka... but not Savage.