1st Savage barrel swap

[kmw1954]

Been planning this for sometime and that time has finally arrived.

Last summer I picked up a Savage Model 11 barreled action from another member here.. They received it in a trade and had no history of it. Just that it is a Model 11 243 short action, DBM, Bottom bolt release. The factory poly stock was broken in half.

My intention for this was to build a budget target rifle for shooting to 300yds. .. Most probably chambered in 6mm of some form. Today with the world in the state it is of uncertainty my thinking has changed.

Also last summer I found a Model 12 223Rem Varmint barrel locally that was a brand new take off and the price was so right I couldn't resist. I was going to put this on my Model 10 223 sporter.

The times got the better of my thinking and that 223 Varmint barrel is now on my Model 11 and I will be shooting this for a while as I already have all the reloading components and tools instead of having to invest in new dies, brass, powders.

Yesterday I tried removing the barrel with the tools I have been purchasing such as the NSS Action wrench and the Wheeler Barrel Not wrench. The barrel nut on this gun is the smooth nut. Finally gave up after about 40min as it would not come loose. The smooth nut wrench would not grip it tight enough and the wrench would just spin on the nut.

Did some intense web searches and found these can be a real PITA and was warned a couple times about not to use a pipe wrench on it. Which then a member on another forum I chat with sent me a couple of pictures of a Savage he put a pipe wrench to and absolutely destroyed it. His recommendation was to Dremel off the nut. Which is what I ended up doing.

So where I am tonight is that I still need to set the headspace and torque the nut. Then I need to inlet the stock a bit around the end of the nut as the new recoil lug is thicker and moved the nut forward. From there I can start to but everything back together and get ready to shoot it.

Been a real learning experience.

 

[Kaldor]

Ive removed them before with a Dremel and and a chisel. You can sometimes just put a small groove in the nut and that will loosen them enough to get purchase and spin the nut off with a nut. Or you can groove both sides and crack the nut to get it off. I have use a pipe wrench as well, and as long as you are careful it can be done. I generally tape up anything I dont want to scratch up.

 

[Larry in wyoming]

Did you try putting rosin on the wrench/nut?
The kind that baseball players use?

I put it on the barrel vise before I clamp it down to provide that extra traction.

 

[kmw1954]

Did you try putting rosin on the wrench/nut?
The kind that baseball players use?.

Nope. doesn't matter as the nut has been sacrificed.

I can state though that I searched for 2 days on the web trying to find anything on removing stuck/stubborn smooth barrel nuts and found exactly 2. Of those one adamantly stressed to not try using a pipe wrench. The replacement nut is not smooth.

 

[Larry in wyoming]

Mine is the original style. Not smooth. Note to self: don't get smooth barrel nut!

 

[kmw1954]

Also clean threads and anti-seize when putting back together.

 

[Larry in wyoming]

I've been swapping mi e back and forth between 223 and 250 savage for years. It doesn't stay together long enough to need anti sieze

 

[kmw1954]

I have too considered a 250 Savage barrel just to be different and still looking at a 6 ARC barrel.

 

[Larry in wyoming]

For me the 250 savage is the nearly perfect deer and antelope cartridge. More than enough with 100gr ballistic tips for 300yds. 36.5gr of ramshot big game gets 3000fps. And just enough oddball in a bolt gun to raise eyebrows.

 

[kmw1954]

My thinking on the 250 Savage was for competition in our informal winter league which we only shoot out to 300yds. This is a league that most are shooting some form of 6mm or 6.5. Well the 25cal falls right center of both of them. Over the course of this past season I had a number of shots with my .224" that if in the same place with a .257" would have broken the line for a score.

 

[Larry in wyoming]

Same reasoning for using a 45 in bullseye comp

 

[kmw1954]

Barrel swap is complete and had to do a little inletting of the Boyds stock for the barrel channel and around the barrel nut.

Now after doing this I find that the barreled action will not fit into the stock correctly. Have found that when I torque the action down the front action screw penetrates too far and locks up the bolt. So now I may have to pillar bed this stock. Dang it.

 

[Larry in wyoming]

Try and shim it with a couple of washers between stock and action ?

 

[kmw1954]

Try and shim it with a couple of washers between stock and action ?

Think I would rather epoxy bed the action and stock. While another friend suggested to just grind down the screw!

Well after playing with it more today I also found that the magazine now contacts and drags on the bolt and is near impossible to insert the magazine.

 

[David Hoback]

You are now a bonafide “Savage Smith”. LOL! I’ve been a Savage enthusiast since my first high power rifle purchase at 18yo. That was 3 children & my current 25yo marriage ago.. hahaha For the last almost decade now, I only build them. My current rebuild is to a fairly radicle level.

Enjoy it. Savage rifles & owners take a fair amount of rebuke. Truth is, they shoot well. Especially when set up correctly. Building from a custom Action wouldn’t make me any better a shooter. And I promise I wouldn’t somehow ENJOY doing this more. I already have a blast.

 

[Jim Watson]

A friend had a real wrasslin match getting one of those smooth nuts off. He was finally able to remove it without cutting but he milled flats on it so it could be turned with a big open end wrench the next time he wants to change barrels.

 

[kmw1954]

My Boss, at the range, and I were having the discussion tonight about custom rifles and what and where I was with my Savage and the merits of doing it. I realized with this discussion that I could throw a lot of money at a Custom blueprinted receiver and bolt, trigger and fancy chassis and have it all put together to the tune of a few thousand dollars but would I really get a few $k worth of fun and enjoyment from it over what I am currently doing? Some may but I doubt I would. I am truly enjoying this adventure and experience. Even the Trials and Mishaps.

 

[kmw1954]

So I just finished hogging out the stock under the action and now have it setting up with Marine-Tec epoxy.. Had to build up the stock in front of the recoil lug and after the rear action screw to increase the spacing enough to insert the bolt completely.

Now when removing the screws for the front scope base I see one not turning so now to source out some new base screws before I either cannot torque it or strip the head out trying to remove it next time.

 

[David Hoback]

Wait, one of the scope base screws is NOT turning? As in the head is already stripped? Or it’s just spinning in which case the threads are stripped.

 

[kmw1954]

Wait, one of the scope base screws is NOT turning? .

Correct, one of the base screws is not turning, stripped socket head. I was finally able to get it out but I do not want to try and but it back in.

I now also have the stock and barreled receiver apart and the excess epoxy ground out or the stock. Still not built up enough for the bolt to clear the screws while everything is torqued into place. So I am thinking I either find a couple of thin shim washers for under the screw heads or I grind the srcews themselves shorter.

 

[David Hoback]

Always grind the screws shorter. I do this with mine as I use Titanium screws. (I have a Chassis as well, not a bedded stock). I measured the exact length I needed & ordered longer Titanium screws. Then ground them to exact length.

What size & style base screws do you need? I have some of these in 6-48. Be happy to send you 1 or 2, if yours are stripped. They are difficult to find in a hardware store. But if you plan on getting a new Scope Base, it should come with screw.

 

[kmw1954]

Yes I may just replace the whole base though I did email Weaver to ask about replacement screws.