What did I do wrong? Learn me something.

Isn’t this the rifle you were going to let me use if I went to s2h? You son of a bitch, you were setting me up…

Yes, but it was a true 1.5 MOA gun. I never had great groups with it, but the loads I have for it never exceeded 1.5. It was kinda impressive. Sucked with 3 shot groups, 5 made you feel better, 10 shots and the group wouldn't open up.


I was gonna send it to you with a 1.5 moa guarantee, and it was a lot cheaper than other options out there..

Honestly figured on putting the barrel on for you first.
It might turn into a 1.25 gun.


The feeding issue, well ain't figured that part out yet.
Figured maybe that would get resolved there.
 
Yes, but it was a true 1.5 MOA gun. I never had great groups with it, but the loads I have for it never exceeded 1.5. It was kinda impressive. Sucked with 3 shot groups, 5 made you feel better, 10 shots and the group wouldn't open up.


I was gonna send it to you with a 1.5 moa guarantee, and it was a lot cheaper than other options out there..

Honestly figured on putting the barrel on for you first.
It might turn into a 1.25 gun.

I guess I shouldn’t complain. Rumor is that 1.5” guarantees cost 4500 nowadays.
 
I’m looking at those threads and thinking they had to be cut poorly before assembly…or highly likely anyway.

I don’t know.. Can you gouge the threads that badly just taking the barrel off? Thats high quality steel. My wild ass guess is wrecking that many threads would be hard to do just taking it apart.
 
I’m looking at those threads and thinking they had to be cut poorly before assembly…or highly likely anyway.

I don’t know.. Can you gouge the threads that badly just taking the barrel off? Thats high quality steel. My wild ass guess is wrecking that many threads would be hard to do just taking it apart.

Couple decades now since I took metallurgy classes, but something I noticed looking back on the pics was this.

20251011_174846.jpg

That is pretty unusual.

I think a chip was floating around in the action threads. Somehow wasn't a big issue in assembly, or I hope it wasn't forced that hard. But showed its ass pulling the barrel off.
 
That’s a bummer. Stainless galling is the term to google for a textbook explanation. Dry stainless threads just like to stick to each other and tear off. Cutting a relief just in front of the receiver to take all pressure off the threads can help, but it could have started when the barrel was installed at the factory, so almost nothing you could do without a lathe would help. If a gunsmith feels the threads galling, the barrel can be cut off close to the receiver, the receiver is chucked in the lathe and the tenon bored out until what’s left of the barrel threads can be picked out.

Brownells has gunsmith grade taps if junk has to get cleared out of the receiver threads.
 
That’s
Couple decades now since I took metallurgy classes, but something I noticed looking back on the pics was this.

View attachment 948852

That is pretty unusual.

I think a chip was floating around in the action threads. Somehow wasn't a big issue in assembly, or I hope it wasn't forced that hard. But showed its ass pulling the barrel off.
That’s some redneck gunsmithing right there.
 
The last Tikka I pulled just a week or so ago reminded me of a Savage. Bead blast material left over inside. I got it with no damage but it was a mf’er. Took heat and a BFH.

I relief cut a REM 700 in 7RM once and it still ended up in a 36 to come off. Factory gorilla was responsible for that one. Ended up oversizing the action threads to clean it up. I have a take off .270 barrel around here I had to relief cut then I set it back and re-chambered out of boredom. It’s a good shooter.


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I assume the action is stainless too?

Stainless on stainless thread are notorious for galling like that. Without anti-seize paste on assembly it can gall so badly to make it impossible to screw apart.
 
My opinion: if you're going to put money into that gun, have a good smith fix the threads on the action. You can buy another tikka to fock up for the same price as a custom barrel. Shoot the barrel out and go at it again. Also, even if you need to have the threads cut oversized a bit to get it fixed, a good smith can keep measurements and send prefits in the mail in the future.
 
So, I have been meaning to do this a few months now. Finally went to spin the barrel off of my tikka .223. It never shot that great, wanted to cut and thread but decided it sucked as it was, might as well get a new barrel cause that will fix it right?

Well, the removal didn't go as well as I expected. I'm not new to this, assembled quit a few Remington smokeless muzzleloaders, one in particular sucked and I thought I determined it was from the front scope mount holes. A bolt from the scope mount contacted the threads, flattened it, then made it a mess to spin the barrel off.

Looking at the forward action screw, it seems possible it contacted. However that would be on the last 1/8th or less thread pitch coming out of the action.

The barrel has half the threads flat ruined. It was an absolute bear to remove. Action has a bit of gaulding as I'd call it. Redneck, but there's loose shavings embedded in the pitch that are prooving difficult to remove. I'd rather not chase it, but that's what it needs. Currently sitting in a sub zero freezer, hopefully hit it with heat next I mess with it and the fragments will pop out. I have had worse.

So, what did I do wrong?

Action wrench wasn't that tight. I didn't even use 2 wrenches on it. It was only friction tight on one end with a box end on the other. So really don't think I had too much tension on the action.

Is this just further proof I got a lame rifle?

Few pics....

View attachment 948827View attachment 948828

By no means did I start with a pipe wrench on it.

It pissed me off, ended up with my barrel vise in a 40 ton press, pipe wrench on the barrel as well, blue point wrench on the action to help.

I really didn't care if I ever used any of it again, just decided it wasn't getting the better of me.
My barrel did the same thing. I only used one wrench to tighten the clamping bolts, but after I applied the BFH to the wrench and broke the action free, I did not loosen the clamping bolts. After struggling with it, I loosened them, and then the action spun off by hand, but the damage was done. I wasn't worried about the barrel, but I was concerned about the action threads. I did have some damage, but a quick bottom tap cleaned them up, and I screwed on a new barrel.
 
Reading this is the reason i havent tempted to replace any rifle barrels. I know by the time im done, ill have my sawzall, grinder and probably bought a torch. Plus, being in a bad mood, a ton of language, and my wife leaving me alone in the garage.
 
My barrel did the same thing. I only used one wrench to tighten the clamping bolts, but after I applied the BFH to the wrench and broke the action free, I did not loosen the clamping bolts. After struggling with it, I loosened them, and then the action spun off by hand, but the damage was done. I wasn't worried about the barrel, but I was concerned about the action threads. I did have some damage, but a quick bottom tap cleaned them up, and I screwed on a new barrel.

I was aware of what could happen from over tightening.

They were hardly more than snug. I was doubtful thats what created the situation, but am open to hearing that I caused it from it as well.

Probably won't figure it out at this point.

But maybe it serves as a little caution to others, or entertainment.
 
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My barrel did the same thing. I only used one wrench to tighten the clamping bolts, but after I applied the BFH to the wrench and broke the action free, I did not loosen the clamping bolts. After struggling with it, I loosened them, and then the action spun off by hand, but the damage was done. I wasn't worried about the barrel, but I was concerned about the action threads. I did have some damage, but a quick bottom tap cleaned them up, and I screwed on a new barrel.

I’ve experimented with that on an external wrench. I’ve found that you have to go well beyond white knuckle tight to squeeze the action enough to effect the screwing in or out of the barrel.


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I’ve experimented with that on an external wrench. I’ve found that you have to go well beyond white knuckle tight to squeeze the action enough to effect the screwing in or out of the barrel.


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The main reasons I believe the damage was caused by over-tightening the wrench were that the damaged action threads were where the clamping force was applied, and once I loosened the clamping bolts, the action easily twisted off by hand. I am prone to breaking things, so I try to use only enough force or torque to get the job done. Next time, I will apply less and see how it goes.
 
I was aware of what could happen from over tightening.

They were hardly more than snug. I was doubtful thats what created the situation, but am open to hearing that I caused it from it as well.

Probably won't figure it out at this point.

But maybe it serves as a little caution to others, or entertainment.
I agree, probably won't figure it out at this point. I am pretty sure I over-tightened it on mine, even though I could have applied more to the bolts. Next time, I will use less torque.
 
The main reasons I believe the damage was caused by over-tightening the wrench were that the damaged action threads were where the clamping force was applied, and once I loosened the clamping bolts, the action easily twisted off by hand. I am prone to breaking things, so I try to use only enough force or torque to get the job done. Next time, I will apply less and see how it goes.

It seems like all you need to do with the action wrench is snug it up and turn the bolts a little bit.

Those flat sides on the action are huge.
 
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