PSA Tikka Barrel removal

[schweinstein]

Just wanted to share my experience removing the factory barrel from a brand new tikka. Because there are a lot of other posts about it on other forums and there could be some on here too.

It was a bitch but doable.

I started with drilling various sizes of holes in various types of hardwood, softwood and even Baltic birch plywood. Then cut the wood in half through the hole. Then used bench vise to clamp it down extremely tight. Did not work barrel would spin. I used the famous drywall tape method too. I also tried heating it up with torch. No luck.

Finally I admitted defeat and ordered the Mech force vise off Amazon. Multiple attempts with the included leather and also drywall tape did not work either. I even gradually torqued every bolt down to 80ft pound and the barrel would still spin.

Lastly I removed the leather and used drywall tape, torqued the bolts down to 90ft lbs and it did the trick! No marring or any detectable damage was done to the barrel or action.

I used the bug holes action wrench.

I plan on reusing the barrel but it is getting cut down and threaded. I’m confident it will shoot great but we will see when I get it all back together eventually.

 

[wnelson14]

Thank you for the info,
May I ask why you removed the barrel if you are just going to cut and thread? Doesn't many companies offer this service with the action attached?

 

[TxLite]

From what I’ve read and heard, the interior style wrenches are not meant to handle the force it takes to remove the factory barrel. Typically folks recommend the exterior style wrenches.

Glad you got it off

 

[HuntHarder]

Yeah, I use an external action wrench with a little cheater bar and a few "wallops" from a dead blow. I use the internal to torque on the new barrel tho. Glad you got it off the action without damage. My last one I did I damaged my middle knuckle of my left hand.

 

[khuber84]

Yup, used similar setup with sac barrel vice, Tikka sporter inserts, drywall tape, inside action wrench from Bugholes as well as a box end wrench on sides of action flats. Haven't had a Tikka defeat me yet, but some have tried!

 

[schweinstein]

Thank you for the info,
May I ask why you removed the barrel if you are just going to cut and thread? Doesn't many companies offer this service with the action attached?

My friend is a former gunsmith and is currently a machinist. He is cutting and threading the barrel for me but needed the action removed first. Because I had to but the barrel vise its not saving me any money at this point from going to a gun smith. It will however save me a great deal of lead time.

Also plan on building more tikkas in the future so at least I'm setup for it now.

 

[schweinstein]

From what I’ve read and heard, the interior style wrenches are not meant to handle the force it takes to remove the factory barrel. Typically folks recommend the exterior style wrenches.

Glad you got it off

Yes I read a lot of that too. But also saw some had success with the bug holes specifically so i figured it try it first before ordering an exterior one too.

 

[Bowfinn]

Yeah, I use an external action wrench with a little cheater bar and a few "wallops" from a dead blow. I use the internal to torque on the new barrel tho. Glad you got it off the action without damage. My last one I did I damaged my middle knuckle of my left hand.

I agree this is a scenario when having enough “wallop” is beneficial once you have the barrel vice on properly. My first tikka was a struggle but dry wall tape, cranking the bolts on my vice until they stopped, and a 5lb sledge with one hit did the trick. Actually I had a sore foot after due to the action wrench handle hitting it with some oomph left over.

 

[Axlrod]

I have used the same internal wrench to do quite a few barrel removals/installs with no issues. A hydraulic press with either aluminium home made, or power custom inserts is what I use to clamp the barrel. A little searching and you can find a 6-10 ton press for less than a barrel vice.

 

[waspocrew]

I have a 223 CTR that I'm going to eventually rebarrel.... we will see if I'm up to the task. I'll probably go the lazy way and just have the smith do it haha.

 

[Pharmseller]

Go Cougs!

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I have a 223 CTR that I'm going to eventually rebarrel.... we will see if I'm up to the task. I'll probably go the lazy way and just have the smith do it haha.

Just put it in a good vice, use a cheater bar and let it rip. The hollow handle from my floor jack works perfectly.

 

[Brucebarker024]

They can be a pain, my gunsmith just removed one for me and had to make a relief cut to get the barrel off.

 

[gbflyer]

Easiest ones I’ve ever done have been Tikka.

 

[brushape]

In my experience the barrels come off pretty damn easy if the action vice isn’t tightened down too hard. The problem comes from over tightening that and it squishing down on the barrel threads


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[schweinstein]

In my experience the barrels come off pretty damn easy if the action vice isn’t tightened down too hard. The problem comes from over tightening that and it squishing down on the barrel threads


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In my case I was using an internal action wrench and avoided that issue.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Sac vise with the proper bushing and drywall tape torqued down and whack an external action wrench with a deadblow hammer has easily removed a few T3 and T3x barrels so far for me.

 

[Jimbee]

I've been involved in about 8 or so Tikka barrel swaps. A couple T3s and the rest newer T3Xs. A few have been stubborn but I'm surprised that a gunsmith with proper tools would have to make relief cuts.

 

[mt100gr.]

I have a feeling that a gunsmith with all the tools would have wanted to make those relief cuts in the T3 barrel that I just pulled!! It was a bugger! But it finally spun loose with a few extra bad words. And it came off scuff and scratch free - looks better than some others I have done.

 

[Halligan]

I've often read about he dreaded amount of torque used to install the factory barrels. Out of curiosity, what torque will you use when you reinstall?