Naked rifle receiver & custom barrel

phydaux · March 9, 2011, 05:18 PM

I'm thinking about taking on a little project - scratch building a custom varmint rifle.

I can get a naked rifle receiver from Savage, and custom barrels are widely available. I know I'll need a barrel vice. What kind of tool do I use to screw the receiver on without damaging it?

Jim Watson · March 9, 2011, 06:16 PM

Savage barrels are secured by a locknut unlike other bolt actions.
You need a barrel nut and nut wrench. There are two types now, the old grooved nut and the new smooth one with a concealed hole for a spanner type wrench. You will also need a proper barrel with the right threads and long enough threaded section for the receiver ring plus the nut. A regular product from several barrel companies.

Described at:
http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=39566

phydaux · March 9, 2011, 06:42 PM

thanks jim.

Clark · March 11, 2011, 02:52 AM

I make my own barrel vises and collets.

I have made collets to fit the barrel and I have made collets to fit the Savage bolt action receiver.

The receiver is round and will fit just like a barrel in a 1.5" out side diameter Aluminium collet, but with a larget inside diameter than the barrel collet.

Either way there is a special nut wrench used.

I built up a system so a guy could switch barrels in the field, for a guy who wanted to tell his wife he only had one rifle, but i don't know if he ever mastered it.

phydaux · March 12, 2011, 06:17 PM

Here's a follow up question:

I assume that if I buy a barrel from a reputable barrel makes there will be no need to turn it on a lathe?

Why, then, is it the general assumption that you need a lathe to "do barreling?"

What am I missing?

triggerman770 · March 13, 2011, 11:20 AM

lathes are needed in non-Savage type rifles as a barrel "blank" has no tennon cut for the threads, nor is it chambered, and gunsmiths usually cut the tenon and chamber the barrel on the lathe. no lathes are needed on the Savage type as these barrels are usually fully chambered. When I barrel a Savage,
I use a barrel vise, then out the barrel nut wrench on the barrel, and turn the barrel nut on all the way, take the extractor and ejector out of the bolt, then put the bolt in the receiver, the go guage in the chamber and turn the receiver in till it stops, then tighten the barrel nut to 35 ft lbs. and it's done, with a minimum chamber

phydaux · March 13, 2011, 04:41 PM

Hmm. So if I used a Remington 700 receiver and a 3rd party Remington barrel then I'd need a lathe?

how big?

Jim Watson · March 13, 2011, 08:14 PM

You do not HAVE to have a lathe to rebarrel a Remington. That is only if you are starting with a blank that has to be threaded and chambered.
There are a number of brands of rifle barrels that are contoured, threaded, and SHORT chambered. "All" that is required is a barrel vise, action wrench, chamber reamer and handle or pull rod, and headspace gauges... and the knowhow to use them.

My local guy says that in his early days, replacement barrels were sold LONG chambered because back then, a gunsmith had to have a lathe, there were many things available now that had to be made in the shop. So all he had to have was headspace gauges and did not have to tie up money in a wide selection of reamers.

phydaux · March 14, 2011, 12:11 AM

Again, thanks Jim.

March 9, 2011, 05:18 PM	#1
phydaux Member Join Date: October 31, 2010 Posts: 65	Naked rifle receiver & custom barrel I'm thinking about taking on a little project - scratch building a custom varmint rifle. I can get a naked rifle receiver from Savage, and custom barrels are widely available. I know I'll need a barrel vice. What kind of tool do I use to screw the receiver on without damaging it?

March 13, 2011, 11:20 AM	#6
triggerman770 Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 2009 Location: Metro Atlanta Area Posts: 125	barrelling lathes are needed in non-Savage type rifles as a barrel "blank" has no tennon cut for the threads, nor is it chambered, and gunsmiths usually cut the tenon and chamber the barrel on the lathe. no lathes are needed on the Savage type as these barrels are usually fully chambered. When I barrel a Savage, I use a barrel vise, then out the barrel nut wrench on the barrel, and turn the barrel nut on all the way, take the extractor and ejector out of the bolt, then put the bolt in the receiver, the go guage in the chamber and turn the receiver in till it stops, then tighten the barrel nut to 35 ft lbs. and it's done, with a minimum chamber __________________ Small Arms Restoration, Inc. smallarmsrestoration.net Proud member of Georgia Carry.org www.georgiacarry.org

March 9, 2011, 06:16 PM	#2
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,537	Savage barrels are secured by a locknut unlike other bolt actions. You need a barrel nut and nut wrench. There are two types now, the old grooved nut and the new smooth one with a concealed hole for a spanner type wrench. You will also need a proper barrel with the right threads and long enough threaded section for the receiver ring plus the nut. A regular product from several barrel companies. Described at: http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=39566

March 9, 2011, 06:42 PM	#3
phydaux Member Join Date: October 31, 2010 Posts: 65	thanks jim.

March 12, 2011, 06:17 PM	#5
phydaux Member Join Date: October 31, 2010 Posts: 65	Here's a follow up question: I assume that if I buy a barrel from a reputable barrel makes there will be no need to turn it on a lathe? Why, then, is it the general assumption that you need a lathe to "do barreling?" What am I missing?

March 13, 2011, 04:41 PM	#7
phydaux Member Join Date: October 31, 2010 Posts: 65	Hmm. So if I used a Remington 700 receiver and a 3rd party Remington barrel then I'd need a lathe? how big?

March 13, 2011, 08:14 PM	#8
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,537	You do not HAVE to have a lathe to rebarrel a Remington. That is only if you are starting with a blank that has to be threaded and chambered. There are a number of brands of rifle barrels that are contoured, threaded, and SHORT chambered. "All" that is required is a barrel vise, action wrench, chamber reamer and handle or pull rod, and headspace gauges... and the knowhow to use them. My local guy says that in his early days, replacement barrels were sold LONG chambered because back then, a gunsmith had to have a lathe, there were many things available now that had to be made in the shop. So all he had to have was headspace gauges and did not have to tie up money in a wide selection of reamers.

March 14, 2011, 12:11 AM	#9
phydaux Member Join Date: October 31, 2010 Posts: 65	Again, thanks Jim.