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Gunsmithing So decided to remove my barrel....

Youngjoonni

Youngjoonni

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 9, 2009
243
36
Sunny SoCal
#1
Removed my first barrel of my Remy la 300wm. Bought it a while ago as a trued barreled action by a smith in PA. Low round count ~200. Unfired by me to date.

Main reason for disassembly was that the recoil lug was not properly clocked and it annoyed me. It also gave me a reason to make a barrel vise. So I proceed and make one to disassemble the action and really examine the quality of the truing job. The removal turned out to be a bear of a job! Rosen, paper, brass shims, Mapp heat- nothing worked but I persisted (thank you, 4 ft cheater bar) until I got it apart...2 hours later.

PXL_20210827_080045995.jpg
 
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#2
I obviously ruined the cerakote finish. Wanted to see if anyone knew how this could have even happened? I don't see any thread sealant or epoxy. Just looks like a really bad galling. Action isn't SS nor is the barrel.

Also, thinking that I could machine off the bad, recut chamber and reinstall. Or Tig weld and rethread the barrel. Is there a preferred repair method to this kind of damage? Newbie at gunsmithing but am a hobby machinist with BP and a heavy 10.
 
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#8
:cry: such a sad thing to have happened clean it up real pretty like and retake pics maybe everything will look better you could always put it back together and pretend not to have seen what you saw .
1631079555916.png
 
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#10
As am I, LoL. I was told 1/2" at 200 yds with factory Hornady ammo.
Otherwise, I'd just use the barrel as a practice piece for threading and chambering. If I wasn't such an anal prick, I would have shot it first so I would have had known if it was worth saving.
 
#11
Youngjoonni said:
Removed my first barrel of my Remy la 300wm. Bought it a while ago as a trued barreled action by a smith in PA. Low round count ~200. Unfired by me to date.

Main reason for disassembly was that the recoil lug was not properly clocked and it annoyed me. It also gave me a reason to make a barrel vise. So I proceed and make one to disassemble the action and really examine the quality of the truing job. The removal turned out to be a bear of a job! Rosen, paper, brass shims, Mapp heat- nothing worked but I persisted (thank you, 4 ft cheater bar) until I got it apart...2 hours later.

View attachment 7699130
Click to expand...
Something is a miss there, could it be that first portion of threads were damaged so we’re removed before assembly…what are the threads like beneath the recoil lug…
 
#12
Youngjoonni said:
I obviously ruined the cerakote finish. Wanted to see if anyone knew how this could have even happened? I don't see any thread sealant or epoxy. Just looks like a really bad galling. Action isn't SS nor is the barrel.

Also, thinking that I could machine off the bad, recut chamber and reinstall. Or Tig weld and rethread the barrel. Is there a preferred repair method to this kind of damage? Newbie at gunsmithing but am a hobby machinist with BP and a heavy 10.
Click to expand...
Clean up the action threads, cut the threaded tenon off and start a again would be my preference for the sake of additional headache.
 
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#15
loveha said:
Those threads look removed. If they were intact on install, it would look worse, and your action threads would look bad. Looks like dirt and grease to me.
Click to expand...
Seen this amount of damage on a stainless action and barrel, which didn’t surprise me as some stainless cuts like gum. But with Chromoly I’d expect better unless as has been pointed out, the threads were partially removed.
 
#17
Nope. Barrel threads sheared off throughout the action threads. Barrel threads are relatively clean except for the last 4 threads while more than half the action threads have crap in them. Not possible unless the barrel threads shredded while coming out. Definitely felt like it too while separating them. Was not possible to unthread by hand at any point of the separation.

loveha said:
Those threads look removed. If they were intact on install, it would look worse, and your action threads would look bad. Looks like dirt and grease to me.
Click to expand...
 
#18
Youngjoonni said:
Nope. Barrel threads sheared off throughout the action threads. Barrel threads are relatively clean except for the last 4 threads while more than half the action threads have crap in them. Not possible unless the barrel threads shredded while coming out. Definitely felt like it too while separating them. Was not possible to unthread by hand at any point of the separation.
Click to expand...
Daft question but is the TPI correct?
 
#20
Youngjoonni said:
Yes? I threaded on another barrel to the action about 1/3 of the way in before debris interference. I didn't measure the barrel threads yet.
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I just wondered as I had a Howa come in with a barrel fitted with 16tpi instead of 1.5mm…it fitted but had it been any tighter tolerance on the thread it would have probably gauled quite badly and it was stainless.
 
#23
Are those the threads in the reciever, or some kind of threadlocker?

Hell just run a dye down those threads to clean it up and thread back in! Then use your said tig welder to make sure the barrel doesn't move again. Then go shoot some .5" groups! Lol
 
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#25
My guess is that in some point in time a scope base screw that was too long was installed and upset the threads on the barrel. Then when you tried to unscrew the barrel it was galling the threads behind that point of contact while you were trying to unscrew it. Not sure if you turned off the bad threads on the barrel if you'd have enough strength left to safely hold it together.
 
#29
The Pilgrim said:
Something is a miss there, could it be that first portion of threads were damaged so we’re removed before assembly…what are the threads like beneath the recoil lug…
Click to expand...
The barrel threads were left in the action. Look close.

I’ve never seen steel gall before. Stainless, yeah, quite a bit.

Was any lube applied to the threads when the barrel was installed? Because I’m leaning towards no.
 
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#36
Youngjoonni said:
Removed my first barrel of my Remy la 300wm. Bought it a while ago as a trued barreled action by a smith in PA. Low round count ~200. Unfired by me to date.

Main reason for disassembly was that the recoil lug was not properly clocked and it annoyed me. It also gave me a reason to make a barrel vise. So I proceed and make one to disassemble the action and really examine the quality of the truing job. The removal turned out to be a bear of a job! Rosen, paper, brass shims, Mapp heat- nothing worked but I persisted (thank you, 4 ft cheater bar) until I got it apart...2 hours later.
Click to expand...
Just for giggles, measure from the shoulder of the barrel to where the threads start to break down.

Then measure from the front scope base screw hole to the face of the action and then add the thickness of the recoil lug.

See if the two measurements coincide.

My guess is that even if you removed the scope base and screws prior to attempting your first go at unscrewing things, someone in the past had installed a front base screw that was too long. This is ungodly common.

The installer will feel the screw tightening and torque it all the way oblivious to the fact that they have zero head to countersink contact and all torque is due to the tip of the screw jamming into the barrel threads. Barrel steel is quite soft and it is very easy to flatten out and totally dick up the underlying threads.

Once the thread is jacked, it can definitely start to tear and then galling occur. At that point the remainder of the barrel thread behind the initial point of damage will be destroyed as it is forced off.

I wouldn't lay any of this on the shop that barreled it. The (intact) threads and your measurements look good.

Your photo looks about right. I'm going to go with this theory.

./
 
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#37
Good theory! However, proven false in this instance. Going by your suggestion, net measurement was 0.430". Recoil lug is 0.250". Barrel threads started tearing at 0.680 from the barrel shoulder. Net measurement places thread tearing between the scope holes.

PXL_20210909_045551359.jpg
 
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#39
Those action threads should clean up fine, run a tap through it and call it good.

Remember, barrel threads are grossly oversized for the torque and loads required of this application. The easiest thing to do for your barrel would be to turn the damaged threads down to minor diameter and leave that small section of shank unthreaded.
 
#40
Shootin Stuff said:
Those action threads should clean up fine, run a tap through it and call it good.

Remember, barrel threads are grossly oversized for the torque and loads required of this application. The easiest thing to do for your barrel would be to turn the damaged threads down to minor diameter and leave that small section of shank unthreaded.
Click to expand...
Ah, thanks for bringing that up! I was wondering just how many threads I needed vs should have. I can definitely torque the barrel to spec once everything is cleaned up with my current good threads. 0.430" has approximately 8 threads within.

Has anyone actually done this?
 
#41
Youngjoonni said:
Ah, thanks for bringing that up! I was wondering just how many threads I needed vs should have. I can definitely torque the barrel to spec once everything is cleaned up with my current good threads. 0.430" has approximately 8 threads within.

Has anyone actually done this?
Click to expand...

I haven't been in your exact situation before, but I have re cut shoulders and chambers to save Tikka barrels that OTHERS have had the "relief cut" made into the barrel for removal. Here is a very poor photo of what I am talking about (few more threads left on this tennon than yours though).
20210909_164511.jpg


Is there a heap of swarf in your action? IE did you ruin the threads removing this barrel or do you think the damage had been done previously? If it was already damaged from before, chances are extremely high you'll be fine doing it this way. If you think you might've done it, you will still likely be fine doing it this way, the shoulder is responsible for most (all) of the rigidity once it's torqued up anyway.

If it were my barrel I would turn down the damaged threads to minor diameter and slap it back together, keep an eye on it for a while and see if anything goes wonky with groups, flyers etc. Maybe match mark your barrel/action/lug to see if anything is moving around if you are really anal about it.


There are more involved ways to skin this particular cat if you really want a fully threaded tennon on this barrel, but I would be extremely inclined to keep it cheap and cheerful, you said it is supposed to shoot in the .2's? I wouldn't be touching the chamber/throat if it really does shoot that well.
To do much more than the above and precision machine work becomes $$$$$, whilst replacement prefit barrels are only $$$.
 
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#46
Youngjoonni said:
Just some quick measurements to see if something is way off....
Looks GTG.

View attachment 7699605
Click to expand...
Well it’s definitely a 16 tpi.
I think what I would do (rather than a total cut and bump) remove the bad threaded area, turn and bump the barrel shoulder into a decent shelf to accommodate the lug and pick up the threads and run them in just before the lug shelf with a relief.
 
#47
Stainless on stainless. No grease. Enjoy that.

Deburr your thread hole (for picrail) from the inside. Little sphere stone on a pencil grinder. That's a real common cause of galling. Probably started it on the way in, and you found out how bad it was, on the way out.
 
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#48
Youngjoonni said:
Good theory! However, proven false in this instance. Going by your suggestion, net measurement was 0.430". Recoil lug is 0.250". Barrel threads started tearing at 0.680 from the barrel shoulder. Net measurement places thread tearing between the scope holes.
Click to expand...
Gotcha.
Looking at your original pics now on a tablet instead of a tiny ass phone screen I can see it isn't even close.

Thanks for sharing.
 
#49
I had a barrel gall and freeze in place once while test-fitting the receiver during threading. It was a bit too snug at the start, but I forced it and got 3-4 turns in before it stuck hard. Don't know if there was a tiny chip hiding in the threads or if was just a thou or two shy of where it needed to be, but I got to cut it apart and start over. This was a stainless barrel in a carbon-steel action and the threads had a generous dab of anti-seize applied, so the problem is not exclusive to stainless-on-stainless.

My guess is that something similar might have happened in the case, but the 'smith was closer to having the barrel snugged down and so he just keep on goin'.

The best way to fix this would simply be to cut off the damaged tenon, re-thread, and finish the chamber. But if the remaining threads are an acceptable fit in the receiver (meaning they aren't so tight that they present a risk of recurrence), then simply cleaning up what's there and reassembling may be a reasonable approach (I hesitate only because I don't have the parts in front of me and photos often don't tell the full story).
 
#50
Tuition into the gunsmithing world is never cheap. When I went down the rabbit hole of figuring out how to blueprint an action with a 5 axis CNC mill, being able to address the front base hole problem was a big deal. I can't count how many times over the years that little shit has bitten me.

As the photo illustrates, the backside of the hole and the interruption of the threads are now machined for adequate clearance and then chamfered. Doing so literally changed everything for the better in terms of reliability. For those at home, this can also be done with a 1/4" or so diameter ball-shaped stone on a hand grinder.

For anyone taking barrels on/off receivers, the telltale sign here is to pay attention to what the action is trying to tell you. If you witness a buildup of tiny little metal filings around the front base hole, you are being warned of potentially bad things happening.

Bummer deal, hope you get it sorted out OP.

C.
 

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