It seems somewhat straightforward but was wondering if anyone had done it and are there any issues to be aware of?
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Has anyone used Loc Tite to create a shouldered Savage barrel?
- Thread starter Dirty D
- Start date
Yes...tried both blue and red. Depends on how much torque you want to be able to apply to your barrel nut. I was using 50 ft lbs and found a good sized dot of blue at the 12,3,6,9 o'clock positions on the tennon was enough to hold the nut but not too big of a pita to heat it up with a torch later if I wanted to change the HS or swap barrels. Red for if your really set on permanent if you use the same amount. Don't get any on your action threads
- Mar 6, 2018
- 777
- 184
Interested. Have heard about it in theory, but not the results or issues with switching later or torquing on.
I have two Savage prefits with barrel nuts glued on with red loctite that I've been playing with on my TL3. They seem to work the same as my shouldered barrels with no issues so far. It will be interesting to see how they hold up long term.
I think the suggestion of adding a set-screw is probably a good one I may give it a try at some point.
I think the suggestion of adding a set-screw is probably a good one I may give it a try at some point.
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I thought about drilling and tapping the barrel nut for a set screw but I think I will go the red loc Tite route and make index marks at top dead center on the nut and barrel and see how it does.
I have been meaning to ask about this for some time. I would like to use set screws to lock the nut in place. I can see the value in both a switch barrel rig as well as having load development all done on a new barrel in case one burns out mid-season. My question is, what size and length set screw did the smith use? It is a simple enough process to drill the holes and use a tap and a bottom tap to install the set screws. I'm curious how deep they went into the tenon. Also, do you reuse the nut on new barrels or do you simply purchase a new nut with every barrel. Is there a set screw from each side or is one sufficient? I am hoping not to use loctite if possible. For guys that have been doing this already, what are your thoughts?
I think @reubenski used loctite to secure the barrel nut and then later on had his smith reinforce that with the addition of a set screw.
If the goal is to simulate a shouldered barrel (i.e. securing the barrel nut in one place for the life of the barrel) why wouldn't you want to use something semi-permanent like red loctite?
The only reason I want to avoid loctite is to avoid the mess of pulling the nut from the barrel when it finished. I'm probably going to get told to, "Be poor somewhere else," but this sport is still quite expensive for me. I try to do it as frugally as possible while still being successful. My income is the only one, so it gets spread a long ways paying for hobbies, vacations, bills, investments, etc. I'm a tight ass when it comes to this. I try to spend money where it counts. If I can save $40 per barrel by reusing the barrel nut then I would like to do that. If you have an easy way to reuse the nut again with loctite then I'm all ears. I'm just worried it's going to make a huge mess to heat it to remove it, and the barrel nut will have to go in the trash with the barrel. Maybe I'm worrying about something that is small potatoes. Thank you for your responses. I appreciate it.
PVA nuts are $30, I think precision ground nuts for Northland are $28 if purchased with a barrel. I've just considered that in the purchase price of the barrel, but may try to remove and re-use the nuts once I've shot out the barrels they are glued to.
Heating the nut with a torch to above 550° (usually only takes a couple of minutes of heating) will soften red loctite enough for the nut to be easily removed with a wrench. You could remove any residue inside of the nut with either a wire brush or chasing the threads with tap.
Heating the nut with a torch to above 550° (usually only takes a couple of minutes of heating) will soften red loctite enough for the nut to be easily removed with a wrench. You could remove any residue inside of the nut with either a wire brush or chasing the threads with tap.
Probably trying to make headspace repeatable when switching barrels.
When changing barrels only when the barrel is toast, it is not an issue. Given the amount of shooting many people do, it is a cost advantage to use a longer barrel life caliber that is inexpensive to load for like .223 to practice. Also, it is nice to have a second barrel ready to go with enough rounds through it to stabilize velocity and load development done. When your barrel goes south right before a big match it takes a lot of time shoot 100-200 rounds to stabilize velocity and then do load development. Especially if you only have a week between matches. If a guy can have load development already done on a barrel sitting in the safe, all that is left is to swap barrels, load enough rounds to shoot the match, and zero the scope. It can be done when you have time and not when the time constraints of work and life prohibit the amount of time you have to get it done before a match. I would venture that many on here have demanding jobs given the cost of this sport. There are times when I just can't get away from work to shoot, but I have no way of knowing months in advance when it is coming. This is just another tool in the toolbox to make a guy more competitive under those types of circumstances. This is easily done with a shouldered barrel, but $300 Criterion barrels usually shoot so well that I see no reason to spend the extra money on a shouldered barrel except for repeatability of headspace.
I’m surprised no one has built a barrel nut with integral jam nut or lock collar.
Thanks. I think I will give it a try. My original thought was to headspace the barrel and torque the nut, then pin it in place with the set screw while it's still torqued to the action. I was hoping to be able to avoid loctite with that method. Using loctite isn't that big of a deal. It's nice to know how you guys have made it work. It's a super simple concept, but it is makes me more confident that I won't have issues knowing how you guys have already been doing it. Thank you
If you are using some sort of action wrench and a barrel vice you really wont be putting much tourque on the nut itself. Right? So like others said it doent matter much between blue and red unless your using a nut wrench .
This only makes sense to do if you are using a non-custom action because at the price of a barrel nut your almost better off buying a shouldered prefit.
This only makes sense to do if you are using a non-custom action because at the price of a barrel nut your almost better off buying a shouldered prefit.
If he's swapping barrels you will be torquing the nut... Barrel nuts cost 40 bucks hardly the cost of a shoulderd barrel
Thanks for the clarification. Recently did a savage barrel change and going to do a remage next. I must say the set screw idea is awesome though.
Does this one have flats machined on the end to remove the barrel like your others?
I wouldn't think you would need to dimple the threads on the barrel if you drilled and tapped the the nut for a set screw before assembly. A quick mock up would be nice to make sure the set screw gets indexed under the stock.
As for saving the nut this way. Maybe, a stainless nut on a stainless barrel, with some burgered up thread from drilling them together. They may never thread apart. Stainless loves to gall.
As I mentioned above, I pinned the nut on my barrel for a TL3 build. I did not worry about "flats". I mounted it in the drill press and went slow. I used a little blue loctite and used a brass pin under the barrel. It has worked like a charm. I have always confirmed HS when reinstalling but so far nailed it each time.
I installed the barreled action in the drill press and pinned after headspacing to insure no slippage.
I installed the barreled action in the drill press and pinned after headspacing to insure no slippage.
I believe @Carl_Ross has been using loctited nuts on savage prefits for barrel swaps. Not sure if he pinned them as well.
I remember reading about it there a loong time ago. I didn't really shoot enough for it to matter until last year. I also had a barrel give up shortly before a match and really had to push load development on the next barrel. I'm interested in exactly how everyone is doing it that is having success changing barrels often. I would like to buy a .223 barrel as a trainer and be able to switch back and forth with my match barrel(s) while maintaining consistent headspace.
Keystone makes shouldered prefits for big horns starting at $419. Whats a button rifled savage small shank run these days?
Only works if you have a big Horn....if your running a remmage, a savage, mausingfield, or origin( unless they are doing shouldered origin prefits now)... your not getting prefits for 419... But you will get a barrel nutted buttoned select match for 450.
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I've been running prefits on my Ultimatum Deadline, swapping between 223, 308, and 6xc. I use the PVA barrel nuts and red loctite them on. makes for a quick barrel swap along with the action boltheads. Once the barrel is shot out, i just blowtorch and re-use the nut.
@mikesawdust, I am currently in the process of ordering a .223 trainer barrel. With a loctited and pinned nut barrel change is simple. I recently pulled my barrel on Thursday night, had the muzzle threaded Friday morning, reinstalled and zeroed, and shot a match on Saturday. I feel 100% confident with the pinned nut and barrel swaps before a match.
My process looks like jzwolen’s.
I apply red Loctite to the barrel threads with the nut backed off, then screw the barrel hand tight to a go gauge, being careful to keep the Loctite far from the action. Then I typically hand tighten the nut and let it set up. Once it sets I pull the barrel and reinstall, torquing it on like a shouldered barrel. I’ll swap it whenever I like until I’m done with it, then I heat it up and remove the nut for a future application.
I just ordered a prefit from Greg Young for a TL3. It was ~ $100 more to do a shouldered barrel vs a bugnut style, and I went with the nut to save a little and to have control over the headspace.
I apply red Loctite to the barrel threads with the nut backed off, then screw the barrel hand tight to a go gauge, being careful to keep the Loctite far from the action. Then I typically hand tighten the nut and let it set up. Once it sets I pull the barrel and reinstall, torquing it on like a shouldered barrel. I’ll swap it whenever I like until I’m done with it, then I heat it up and remove the nut for a future application.
I just ordered a prefit from Greg Young for a TL3. It was ~ $100 more to do a shouldered barrel vs a bugnut style, and I went with the nut to save a little and to have control over the headspace.
You guys overthink the shit out of everything! The intent of the OP was to find out if there were any unlnown issues to be aware of when Loc Titing a barrel nut. It is common knowledge that the Loc Tite method works quite well and several above have commented to that affect but maybe that’s just too simple, IDK. Whatever method you go with make a tiny index mark on the barrel, barrel nut and action in a place that can be seen with the BA in the stock/chassis with the scope on. Easy peasy headspace verification. KISS- Keep It Simple Stupid
Interesting. So you don't get a reduction in headspace from hand-tight to torqued?
Old thread. But ive been doing this now on 3 barrels with great luck. When setting up the barrel I have the bolt CLOSE a little hard on nogo. Hold everything in place and set my loctite. I torque my action to 40 ft pounds against barrel nut. Once you torque it the head space comes out perfect go closes easy and nogo won't even start. I do a test run set it up torque down just to make sure. I use red but used blue on one barrel and worked great. One good thing if you mess up a little heat and nut will come right off and you can reset it.
