Remington 700 woes

[macsr01]

I bought a Remington 700 7mm magnum, paid a very minimum price from a guy who was complaining that it wouldn’t group like he wanted. He got the bright idea to epoxy the barrel into the stock but of course he didn’t use a releasing agent on the barrel. At least he didn’t get it in around the trigger. Any ideas or thoughts on how to get the barrel lose without destroying the stock ?

[cptjack]

try acetone. be careful dangerous stuff

[std7mag]

You may end up having to replace the stock and the barrel.

You might try MEK. Methylethylketone. Again be careful, known cancer causing agent.

[cw308]

I guess it didn't group any better.

[macsr01]

Hahahahaha, I’m pretty sure it didn’t. The gunsmith I use thinks he might be able to get it loose from the stock, I’m sure he knows a trick or three. I told him that if he can save the stock, so be it. He went in the back and pulled out a beautiful replacement stock he had, so we’re set either way.

[Triphammer]

Freeze it. Get the temperature down around zero & pull it apart. Most epoxies will weaken considerably at zero & around 200 F. I've messed up a couple times when glass bedding & a night in a chest freezer or blasting with liquid CO2 from an upturned MIG shield bottle has saved my bacon.

[Mobuck]

Rem 700 take off stocks are relatively cheap

[std7mag]

If your smith has a stock that you like, don't fret over the original stock and just install the new one.

[briandg]

I definitely believe that you can never remove barrel lug from wood if he used a heavy glob of glue.

If the accuracy is terrible and nothing that you can do after free floating the barrel, and ammo testing is there any point in screwing around with it?

[Scorch]

Two ways that work:
* put the rifle in a chest freezer overnight
* use a heat gun on it

Simple. DO NOT use acetone, MEK, paint thinner, virgin's blood (this one is particularly hard to find nowadays), eye of newt or any other "this always works" solvent.

And if the prior owner couldn't get it to group, there are some very simple ways to find out why it won't.

Most epoxies will weaken considerably at zero & around 200 F.

Has to do with coefficient of expansion. Has nothing to do with the epoxy weakening.

[T. O'Heir]

"...without destroying the stock..." Ain't gonna happen. The easiest, least expensive fix is a chisel and a new stock.
Cold might work, but you'll still be applying a big mallet, rubber, to get the stock off. Heat does work on epoxy, but it has to be very locally applied.
Use any chemical and you'll damage the wood.
"...prior owner couldn't get it to group..." The way he wanted. Which says to me he had very high and unrealistic expectations of a magnum chambered, hunting rifle.

[briandg]

This same thing happened to me. The difference was that I did use a good release compound, and i did get it off. I filed a bit off and managed to get it to fit in again.

yes, i took out the magazine box, wedged in wood chips at the back of the action, and whacked the barrel very carefully with a heavy rubber mallet.It didn't matter too much, but the thing came out perfectly. later in the year I replaced it, now I have an entirely perfect short action BDL stock from the sixties, back when it was real walnut and cut checkering, and a nice looking figured walnut stock from fajen.

You MAY be able to do that as well, shimming the rear of the action as you put pressure on the barrel. That is only if he had use the release agent after all, and the stuff isn't packed too tight. Again, I wouldn't screw around with it and destroy a perfectly good stock unless you absolutely have to, unless you just want to replace the stock. You've had the suggestion to check the accuracy yourself and see if it will fit your standards, and I think that this is the only mandatory thing. Relieve the barrel channel if you have to, test fire with a few brands of factory ammo.

[eastbank]

thank god your not blaming the Remington trigger.

[cw308]

If the barrel has bedding above the half way point on the barrel it's not going to move , below he might have a slim chance. Freeze turn it upside down an wack the barrel with a robber mallet. Then read up on bedding a stock , go on line an look at some videos . I know it's putting the cart before the horse but it a good rifle to test with now.

[Paul B.]

Freeze it. If it's an extreme case, leave it sit in the freezer for a week or so before trying to get it to come free.
Paul B.

[briandg]

I don't know why you folks believe that freezing will break the bond. I've used epoxy numerous times in outdoor applications, and I never had it break down because of cold.

The steel won't shrink that much. If steel shrank so badly that it would pull a layer of epoxy off, wouldn't any other steel objects also, to the point that it would put things out of service? The winters in Greenland are so intense that bolts should slip out.

[tobnpr]

Solvents won't work, and while I've never tried it, I don't believe freezing/cold will either.

Heat will absolutely break down and de-bond epoxy, do it all the time.
Heat gun would be best- around 500 degrees or so is where many epoxies break down.

[macsr01]

Got the results in on my rifle, if you said heat would do the trick, you win the prize. Only a small 1/2 inch crack in the stock. Easily fixable. Most satisfied.