Is a bolt action barrel a bolt action barrel?

[Ih8sks]

Maybe a silly question, but just starting to shop around to piece together a custom rig, and was seeing barrels listed as "Bolt action" then a caliber listing. I didn't see a particular section asking for action make. So do all bolt action, actions have the same threading (those that are threaded and aren't press fit)?

Basically if I had a Tikka action, remington 700 action, or savage action, could I use the same barrel on all 3 actions?

 

[Kermodie]

Short answer “no” they’re all different threads

 

[Paul_T]

Basically if I had a Tikka action, remington 700 action, or savage action, could I use the same barrel on all 3 actions?

No

Are you looking at rifled barrel blanks rather than prefit barrels?

 

[Ih8sks]

No

Are you looking at rifled barrel blanks rather than prefit barrels?

I was on Kreigers website looking and I didn't see a section for action brand on the product section just a generic "bolt action" tab, then a bunch of other listings for specific guns. AR-15, AR-10, M1A, etc.

Maybe I didn't go far enough into the barrel selector system, to get to the selection of receiver type?

 

[tiriaq]

Those would be generic barrel blanks which could be machined to fit most any action.
If specific rifles are listed, like AR-15, etc., then the barrels are machined for use with those specific rifles.
A barrel blank could be machined to fit a Tikka, or a Remington or a Savage. But each lf these has its own unique characteristics.

 

[kthomas]

There are multiple different thread specs for bolt action tennons. Some share a commonality such as the Savage thread spec - ARC actions, Bighorn, are a few of the actions that also accept Savage small shank threaded barrels. This is the most common thread use for barrel nut type setups. The other option is a shouldered barrel, in which the barrel tennon "shoulders up" against the action. A shouldered barrel can also be created for actions that take the Savage small shank style tennon threads. Most action brands (such as Remington) are not made to tight enough tolerances that barrels can be swapped around readily and safely. There are some actions in which barrels can be swapped between actions, but only of the same make for tolerance purposes. ARC, Bighorn, Curtis, Lone Peak, Impact, Terminus, etc are held to such tight tolerances that a barrel can be spun up by a gunsmith without them seeing the action. In this case you can buy a barrel that's ready to go for a Lone Peak Fuzion and install it at home on a Lone Peak Fuzion action. However, you can't take a barrel for the Lone Peak Fuzion and safely put it on an Impact, or vice versa.

Generally, people buy barrel "blanks", and have their gunsmith of choice chamber, thread the tennon, and perhaps perform other work such as threading the muzzle end for muzzle brake/suppressor. A barrel blank is a contoured barrel that already has a bore (i.e. .308), but needs to be chambered in the cartridge of choice and the tennon threaded for the action. What's becoming more popular are pre-fit barrels. These are already threaded and chambered up, and can be installed on the specific action it was made for. Very common for the Savage small shank style barrel nut barrels, but also becoming a lot more popular in shouldered barrels on which the tolerance is held tight as mentioned above.

If you want to swap barrels between different types of actions, you will need to get a barrel nut style setup and the actions all need to have the same tennon thread spec (i.e. Savage small shank). However, I don't know why anyone would want to do this, as it would be a PITA to continually swap barrels between actions and would get old in a hurry.

 

[kthomas]

I was on Kreigers website looking and I didn't see a section for action brand on the product section just a generic "bolt action" tab, then a bunch of other listings for specific guns. AR-15, AR-10, M1A, etc.

Maybe I didn't go far enough into the barrel selector system, to get to the selection of receiver type?

What action are you trying to buy a barrel for?

 

[guntech]

Basically if I had a Tikka action, remington 700 action, or savage action, could I use the same barrel on all 3 actions?

If it is an unthreaded barrel blank - it could be used for any one of those actions... they all have different threads.

Talk to your gunsmith about what you want to do...

 

[Ih8sks]

There are multiple different thread specs for bolt action tennons. Some share a commonality such as the Savage thread spec - ARC actions, Bighorn, are a few of the actions that also accept Savage small shank threaded barrels. This is the most common thread use for barrel nut type setups. The other option is a shouldered barrel, in which the barrel tennon "shoulders up" against the action. A shouldered barrel can also be created for actions that take the Savage small shank style tennon threads. Most action brands (such as Remington) are not made to tight enough tolerances that barrels can be swapped around readily and safely. There are some actions in which barrels can be swapped between actions, but only of the same make for tolerance purposes. ARC, Bighorn, Curtis, Lone Peak, Impact, Terminus, etc are held to such tight tolerances that a barrel can be spun up by a gunsmith without them seeing the action. In this case you can buy a barrel that's ready to go for a Lone Peak Fuzion and install it at home on a Lone Peak Fuzion action. However, you can't take a barrel for the Lone Peak Fuzion and safely put it on an Impact, or vice versa.

Generally, people buy barrel "blanks", and have their gunsmith of choice chamber, thread the tennon, and perhaps perform other work such as threading the muzzle end for muzzle brake/suppressor. A barrel blank is a contoured barrel that already has a bore (i.e. .308), but needs to be chambered in the cartridge of choice and the tennon threaded for the action. What's becoming more popular are pre-fit barrels. These are already threaded and chambered up, and can be installed on the specific action it was made for. Very common for the Savage small shank style barrel nut barrels, but also becoming a lot more popular in shouldered barrels on which the tolerance is held tight as mentioned above.

If you want to swap barrels between different types of actions, you will need to get a barrel nut style setup and the actions all need to have the same tennon thread spec (i.e. Savage small shank). However, I don't know why anyone would want to do this, as it would be a PITA to continually swap barrels between actions and would get old in a hurry.

Yeah wasn't thinking about swapping barrels necessarily, but more like If I found a deal on a finished barrel that suited my needs I wouldn't be pigeonholed into a particular action type. I guess if it were just a blank it wouldn't matter much, only thing is I don't know of many gunsmiths in S. Ontario that would crown, thread and cut the chamber. I always assumed it would be better to be done and taken care of in the same factory that the barrel was machined in.

Those would be generic barrel blanks which could be machined to fit most any action.
If specific rifles are listed, like AR-15, etc., then the barrels are machined for use with those specific rifles.
A barrel blank could be machined to fit a Tikka, or a Remington or a Savage. But each lf these has its own unique characteristics.

Yeah I was checking Bartlein as well and noticed the same thing.

What action are you trying to buy a barrel for?

Haven't decided yet, this is a project the girlfriend and I are tinkering around with. want to build a 1000m + rig from the ground up and are just surveying around to see what's out there, what's practical and what's possible.

Don't know if we'd be going with a doner action from a Tikka or model 70, old remington, or buying a new action from a manufacturer. Then you get into the deep end of the ocean of what to go with.

To help things along though we've got it narrowed down to something in a short action cartridge but on a long action receiver so we can use magazines. Kind of like Remington uses on the m24 rifle, 308, but in the 300wm receiver length.

We're also thinking of a 6.5 cal or 7mm bullet.

Thanks everyone for the insights and helping out!

 

[coyote]

Maybe a silly question, but just starting to shop around to piece together a custom rig, and was seeing barrels listed as "Bolt action" then a caliber listing. I didn't see a particular section asking for action make. So do all bolt action, actions have the same threading (those that are threaded and aren't press fit)?

Basically if I had a Tikka action, remington 700 action, or savage action, could I use the same barrel on all 3 actions?

Depending on how you want it setup a tikka has a 1.125" breech , Rem 700 mainly 1.250 and a savage 1.060 and 1.125 for large shank order accordingly from your barrel supplier they should be able to offer advice