Barrel installation?

[Sandstrom]

Quick question on barrel installation, what do you use on the threads? I have a stainless Tikka that I am putting a stainless ace barrel on.
Also recommended torque?
Thanks,
Ryan

 

[Lawnboi]

I use some kind of anti seize, I think it’s nickel, and I torque my tikka barrels to 80 ft lbs.

 

[Axlrod]

I use a little grease (TW-25).
70 foot pounds

 

[Raider4044]

Antiseize. 70-80 ft-lbs

 

[Jimbee]

I asked UM what they torqued barrels to. I was told 125ft/lbs for hunting rifles. My torque wrench goes to 80ft lbs. So I torque to that and give it a little extra.

 

[TaperPin]

50 ftlbs seems to be a common lower torque and at least one top competition shooter with a 1/8 moa gun saw no improvement with more torque. While some others with 1/8 moa rifles have said groups improved with closer to 100 ftlbs.

I have a bunch of different barrels for my rifle - I figured I’d start with 50 ft lbs and increase it if problems develop. I haven’t had any problems yet, but if I do it’s simple and only a few minutes to up the torque. There are reliable reports of lightly torqued barrels unscrewing, but it’s not common. Gunsmiths often do things that simply prevent the phone from ringing with customer issues - torquing closer to 100 ftlbs is probably one of those things, even if it only benefits 1 in 100 barrels, that’s still less work in the long run.

Gauling is the biggest danger of stain-on-stainless joints, so I would use an anti seize, but many use grease and seem to not have any issues.

 

[Weldor]

Nickel based for stainless.

 

[gbflyer]

Whatever grease I have on the bench, very lightly. No need to geek out on torque values. Tight enough not to shoot loose is sufficient. You aren’t going to tighten it past the shoulder. I like to screw them in and out several times snapping them against the shoulder by hand before I tighten them. I don’t know what good it does, but I think it irons things out a bit so there’s less chance of a burr that could cause galling. I’ve never stuck one yet this way.