So I recently bought three Impact action. I'm going to be torqueing on my own barrels. Just wanted to check what is the recommended torque and also what antiseize most everybody is using. I will also be using a surgeon action wrench so I know it adds additional leverage to the torque wrench. Thanks
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Gunsmithing recommended barrel torque and thread antiseize?
- Thread starter tsonda
- Start date
I've torqued every Impact I've built for customers to 80 ft/lbs. I've used 75-100 lbs for all customers rifles.
Doesn't really make much of a difference. I've personally shot rifles where I just span on the action and gave it a good thump with my fist on the bolt. A good square shoulder will lock up realllll right without much effort.
Doesn't really make much of a difference. I've personally shot rifles where I just span on the action and gave it a good thump with my fist on the bolt. A good square shoulder will lock up realllll right without much effort.
I don't know Impact actions so this is about torque in general. I have a remington 700 and I use 30 ft-lbs and Permatex Anti-Seize Lubricant - it doesn't take much.
I used to spin the action on by hand, insert an action wrench, and thump it with the heel of my hand. The problem was: I got varying headspace. So the magic is to choose a torque, use a good action wrench, and always use the same setting else your brass may or may not fit.
I used to spin the action on by hand, insert an action wrench, and thump it with the heel of my hand. The problem was: I got varying headspace. So the magic is to choose a torque, use a good action wrench, and always use the same setting else your brass may or may not fit.
I am not a gunsmith and I don't do barrels for anyone besides myself. I have been swapping barrels on guns since the 1990s and haven't blown up anything yet. This is how I do it and it works for me.
I only know how to do this with Remington or Stolle receivers so the rest of this is from that perspective. Remove the scope and scope base. Remove the barreled action from the stock. - if you have a Stolle glued into your stock, just keep going, you will be fine. Remove the bolt. I dismount the trigger.
You need a barrel vice. Bob Pastor makes a really nice one. You want to keep the barrel from spinning in the vice and the vice from scraping the coating or paint off your barrel so think toilet paper tubes. Cut the tube long ways, wrap it around the barrel, slide the barrel and paper tube into the vice and clamp the vice around the tube. I have also used leather and it works too. You may get some scrapes - oh well, maybe one of the actual experts here will know a way to do that perfectly.
You need a torque wrench and an action wrench (scroll 2/3 of the way to the bottom of the page, there is a picture of Bob's action wrench - $45 and works great). Bob Pastor's action wrench slides into the receiver along the path of the bolt, has a hex on the outer end and a flat that fits between the locking lugs. I also have a Davidson wrench that slides in from the side - that kind does not allow you to use a torque wrench so I don't recommend it.
Carefully insert the action wrench into the receiver. In order to fit the torque wrench onto the action wrench you will need a socket. Put the socket on the TW , put the socket on the hex on the end of the action wrench, the TW should be pointing straight up. With your left hand grab that socket and TW. You will hold that left hand steady to avoid putting any sideways force on the receiver. Put your right hand on the far end of the TW and push to the left until action loosens. Remove the TW from the action wrench, remove the action wrench from the receiver, and twist the action off the barrel with your fingers. Don't lose the recoil lug. Write on the lug "front" and "back". You will thank me later. Loosen the barrel vice, remove the barrel and voila - you have removed your barrel.
This is a good time to inspect your locking lugs, clean out the scope base holes, and generally clean up the receiver.
Installing is the reverse with a couple of tricks. This is how I do it, people who actually know what they are doing probably do it better. First, put some anti-seize on the barrel stub. You don't need much, you don't want it forced out of the scope base holes or squeezing around the recoil lug - a little goes a long way. I usually paint on a little then wipe it around with a paper towel then let the next step distribute it evenly around the stub. My stuff is silvery and I put on enough so the threads look silver colored by they are still sharp.
Next, when I put the barrel into the vice, I put everything together hand tight to make sure that the ejection port is pointing in the right direction. I don't think this makes any real difference - it is just what I do. Then tighten the nuts to secure the barrel.
Now you need a device to orient the recoil lug. Some people install the receiver into the stock and use the indentation in the bedding to orient the recoil lug. In my opinion that is too fussy. If I was shooting BR with these guns, I would probably glue the receiver into the stock and this problem would not exist - never mind. You need a lug alignment tool. I use this one. Screw the lug alignment tool into the receiver, put the lug into the tool - your execution here will be perfect because you wrote the correct front/back orientation on the lug - and by hand twist the receiver onto the barrel until it is finger tight. Insert the action wrench into the receiver. Set the desired torque on the torque wrench. Attach the torque wrench to the action wrench with the TW pointing up, left hand on the socket, with your right hand pull until you reach your setting. I use a TW that clicks. When it clicks once, I click it 4 more times. I don't make it any tighter. Remove the TW. Remove the action wrench. Remove the lug alignment tool. Reinstall your trigger. Remount your barrelled action into your stock. Reinstall your scope base and scope. Install your bolt. If you want to increase your confidence, check your headspace with headspace gauges. You will have to re-zero. I am frequently surprised and pleased by how little I have to slip turrets when I swap barrels.
When you put the barrel into the barrel vice, get the vice as close as you can to the receiver. The closer the better but anything closer than halfway to the receiver will be good. You can buy plastic caps that screw on to the barrel stub. Good idea. You can also buy barrel bags to store your huge barrel collection. I think I own 4 or 5.
This technique works with a gun where the barrel is torqued on with a reasonable amount. Some factories install barrels with amazing torque and this process above will probably not work - it might but I wouldn't count on it. I use to work with a gunsmith who had a barrel vice with a 4-foot handle to tighten down on the barrel. Some barrels are like that - think original German Mausers.
I only know how to do this with Remington or Stolle receivers so the rest of this is from that perspective. Remove the scope and scope base. Remove the barreled action from the stock. - if you have a Stolle glued into your stock, just keep going, you will be fine. Remove the bolt. I dismount the trigger.
You need a barrel vice. Bob Pastor makes a really nice one. You want to keep the barrel from spinning in the vice and the vice from scraping the coating or paint off your barrel so think toilet paper tubes. Cut the tube long ways, wrap it around the barrel, slide the barrel and paper tube into the vice and clamp the vice around the tube. I have also used leather and it works too. You may get some scrapes - oh well, maybe one of the actual experts here will know a way to do that perfectly.
You need a torque wrench and an action wrench (scroll 2/3 of the way to the bottom of the page, there is a picture of Bob's action wrench - $45 and works great). Bob Pastor's action wrench slides into the receiver along the path of the bolt, has a hex on the outer end and a flat that fits between the locking lugs. I also have a Davidson wrench that slides in from the side - that kind does not allow you to use a torque wrench so I don't recommend it.
Carefully insert the action wrench into the receiver. In order to fit the torque wrench onto the action wrench you will need a socket. Put the socket on the TW , put the socket on the hex on the end of the action wrench, the TW should be pointing straight up. With your left hand grab that socket and TW. You will hold that left hand steady to avoid putting any sideways force on the receiver. Put your right hand on the far end of the TW and push to the left until action loosens. Remove the TW from the action wrench, remove the action wrench from the receiver, and twist the action off the barrel with your fingers. Don't lose the recoil lug. Write on the lug "front" and "back". You will thank me later. Loosen the barrel vice, remove the barrel and voila - you have removed your barrel.
This is a good time to inspect your locking lugs, clean out the scope base holes, and generally clean up the receiver.
Installing is the reverse with a couple of tricks. This is how I do it, people who actually know what they are doing probably do it better. First, put some anti-seize on the barrel stub. You don't need much, you don't want it forced out of the scope base holes or squeezing around the recoil lug - a little goes a long way. I usually paint on a little then wipe it around with a paper towel then let the next step distribute it evenly around the stub. My stuff is silvery and I put on enough so the threads look silver colored by they are still sharp.
Next, when I put the barrel into the vice, I put everything together hand tight to make sure that the ejection port is pointing in the right direction. I don't think this makes any real difference - it is just what I do. Then tighten the nuts to secure the barrel.
Now you need a device to orient the recoil lug. Some people install the receiver into the stock and use the indentation in the bedding to orient the recoil lug. In my opinion that is too fussy. If I was shooting BR with these guns, I would probably glue the receiver into the stock and this problem would not exist - never mind. You need a lug alignment tool. I use this one. Screw the lug alignment tool into the receiver, put the lug into the tool - your execution here will be perfect because you wrote the correct front/back orientation on the lug - and by hand twist the receiver onto the barrel until it is finger tight. Insert the action wrench into the receiver. Set the desired torque on the torque wrench. Attach the torque wrench to the action wrench with the TW pointing up, left hand on the socket, with your right hand pull until you reach your setting. I use a TW that clicks. When it clicks once, I click it 4 more times. I don't make it any tighter. Remove the TW. Remove the action wrench. Remove the lug alignment tool. Reinstall your trigger. Remount your barrelled action into your stock. Reinstall your scope base and scope. Install your bolt. If you want to increase your confidence, check your headspace with headspace gauges. You will have to re-zero. I am frequently surprised and pleased by how little I have to slip turrets when I swap barrels.
When you put the barrel into the barrel vice, get the vice as close as you can to the receiver. The closer the better but anything closer than halfway to the receiver will be good. You can buy plastic caps that screw on to the barrel stub. Good idea. You can also buy barrel bags to store your huge barrel collection. I think I own 4 or 5.
This technique works with a gun where the barrel is torqued on with a reasonable amount. Some factories install barrels with amazing torque and this process above will probably not work - it might but I wouldn't count on it. I use to work with a gunsmith who had a barrel vice with a 4-foot handle to tighten down on the barrel. Some barrels are like that - think original German Mausers.
Folks make this entirely too complicated.
Anti seize your threads, spin your barrel into your action and torque it in.
Take your free standing (non mounted) barrel vise and tighten it onto you barrel, take a mallet and give it a right hand tap or two until it is firmly in place. What's the difference in headspace from your shouldered barrel you applied 40 ft lbs versus 100 ft lbs in force? I promise it is repeatable and consistent and all that. That is where you are seeing the machined flats where guys can do the same thing with a crescent wrench type setup.
Hell for the sake of the thread- I actually had accidentally forgotten to torque a barrel on to an action and it was only secured hand tight. The headspace ended up at a half thou longer than full torqued down.
Anti seize your threads, spin your barrel into your action and torque it in.
Take your free standing (non mounted) barrel vise and tighten it onto you barrel, take a mallet and give it a right hand tap or two until it is firmly in place. What's the difference in headspace from your shouldered barrel you applied 40 ft lbs versus 100 ft lbs in force? I promise it is repeatable and consistent and all that. That is where you are seeing the machined flats where guys can do the same thing with a crescent wrench type setup.
Hell for the sake of the thread- I actually had accidentally forgotten to torque a barrel on to an action and it was only secured hand tight. The headspace ended up at a half thou longer than full torqued down.
Get yourself a good barrel vise, action wrench, and a torque wrench capable of 100 ft/lbs.
That’s all you’ll need. From there it’s as simple as screwing one barrel off and screwing the other on and torquing it on. If you need any further help, I’d be happy to assist ya. Hit me up over at www.paradigmgunworx.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/paradigmgunworx. I’d be happy to walk you through the process and hook you up with some barrels for that impact!
Anything over 20-25 ft-lb will work. We did 100 ft-lb at LRI.. On personal stuff I always went to 30-35 because it was easy. Less chance of the barrel slipping in the vise, marring finish, and still tight enough it's beyond what I can unscrew by hand. Anymore I use a Barloc on most everything.
has anyone used the Surgeon action wrench? I need something that works on a left handed impact action (if there is a difference)
Surgeon action wrenches work great and I like them, I misplaced mine so I whipped up this one, not really cheaper if you pay yourself for your time but if you have the time and tools...ps found it the next day after I made it... have since made other wrenches for other actions the surgeon does not fit...
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