Removing a Rem 700 barrel

Mad_Mikee

Mad_Mikee

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To start off, I have an older (mid 80s?) Rem 700 ADL in 30-06 with a pretty much junk barrel (missing open sights, damaged crown, surface rust, etc).

I'm hoping to take the barrel off myself and give it a good cleanup before it gets rebarreled into a 25-06.

I've seen the barrel removal tools from Brownells and some other variations on the internet. I figured I could make something that would do the job.

I drew up some plans and had a welder buddy fabricate me some parts.
The setup looks pretty good including a barrel vice to hold the barrel to my workbench, and an action wrench both of which include oak inserts I made to protect the action from being damaged.

I set things up, tightened down the barrel as much as I could and gave it a go. Turns out the barrel turns in the vice. So I rethink things and move to plan B.

Plan B includes clamping the action down to the bench and then using a pipe wrench to twist the barrel off. The barrel is junk anyways so I dont really care (not much of a market for a used 30-06 damaged and rusted barrel).

I gave it a bit of a try last night but that thing is tight. I dont want to put too much pressure on it until I get an idea of what I'm doing is going to screw my action (cant see how it would).

My welder buddy suggested I give it some heat and then let things cool down. He figures that the heating and then cooling of the barrel and action will be enough to budge it free.

I know I'm not the first guy to try this at home. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Mad_Mikee

Plan A (didnt work)

vice1.jpg

vice2.jpg

vice3.jpg

vice4.jpg

vice5.jpg


Plan B

vice6.jpg
 
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Your barrel is not sticking in the vice because you likely need some rosin on the wood. Why do you not just take it in to the 'smith and have him take the barrel off? He will have the proper wrench and shims so that the action doesn't end up twisted or damaged. If you keep going at it yourself, let us know how it works out.
 
I suggest you stop before you screw the action up any more. Gunsmiths don't charge to remove a barrel when they are going to fit a new one... it is real easy to twist or bend an action...

You should use a good barrel vise like this with steel bushings and powdered rosin.
barrel%20vice.JPG


For a 700 action an internal wrench like this...
wrench.jpg


Some of those barrels break loose with a sound like a gun shot... after my 200 pounds is pushing down hard on a 24 inch bar...

You have since posted pictures... I seriously doubt that will ever be capable of removing a factory barrel on any center fire rifle... at least without damage...

.
 
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Oops some guys beat me to it......X2 what they said.

Most gunsmiths will remove it when they are re-barreling the action for no cost. But if you must do it yourself, try using some rosin in the wood blocks you have. (You can get a rosin bag from most sporting goods stores - for baseball usually $2.00) I would NOT heat it. Again, I would let the smith who will re-barreling it remove the old barrel.
 
Jeebus, there must be someone in Calgary that can take a barrel off. Sell your setup on Ebay and move on.;)
 
Mike - If Loc-tite has ever been used on the base screws you may never get the barrel out in a vice. It may have to be cut out in a lathe which is what your smith would do if he was putting a new pipe on it.
 
Thanks for the info so far. Maybe I should give a bit more info on my project. I'm working on this particular gun as a project. I'm not in a rush and I'm using it as a learning tool.

If I wanted a plain ol' 25-06, I probably wouldnt spend the money on converting a cruddy ol' 30-06, I'd just go buy a new one.

Im trying to do as much myself as possible. Might even learn something out of this.

The grand plan is to take a machining course at the local college (SAIT) in which you get to rebarrel a firearm. I figured I'd try to get the old barrel off my donor action and do a bit of cleanup before taking the course.

My action wrench setup didnt cost me anything other than some time so I'm not overly concerned if it doesnt work out.

Worst case, I'll spend some money on the tools from brownell.
 
You can make the tools needed fairly easily... my vise started out as 2 inch square stock, machined to 1.5 inches deep... and the 700 action wrench is from a Ford axle... and other external wrenches from 1 inch plate and machined...
 
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guntech said:
You can make the tools needed fairly easily... my vise started out as 2 inch square stock, machined to 1.5 inches deep... and the action wrench is from a Ford axle...
Click to expand...

Guntech, explain that action wrench if you could. It looks like it fits inside the action and the torque is on the lug cuts, but the turn would be in the opposite direction. Is that right? I have only seen the action wrenches that are designed to fit on the exterior of the action, i.e. for a mauser. Info appreciated, helps my "edjumukayshun".

Thanks
 
Wood compresses. It's too soft. Even oak. And it will slip. Use the proper tools.
"...You can make the tools needed fairly easily..." Yep. If you have the machines to do it.
"...figured I'd try to get the old barrel off my donor action and do a bit of clean up before taking the course..." Part of the course will hopefully be making a barrel vise, bushings and an action wrench. Making them isn't terribly difficult, but it does require a mill and a big drill(that's usually done on the mill too.).
"...fits inside the action..." Nope. Usually around the chamber area.
 
Pudelpointer said:
Guntech, explain that action wrench if you could. It looks like it fits inside the action and the torque is on the lug cuts, but the turn would be in the opposite direction. Is that right? I have only seen the action wrenches that are designed to fit on the exterior of the action, i.e. for a mauser. Info appreciated, helps my "edjumukayshun".

Thanks
Click to expand...

I much prefer the internal wrench for the 700 action... it fits left or right hand and engages the area just behind the recoil lug recesses... it slides in just like a bolt would but the "spade" is longer and fits quite closely on the flats... of course it will not close like the bolt would... it is used for tightening and loosening the action. You can use a torque wrench if you wish. (about 140 foot pounds) It is better to use an internal wrench with some actions and external wrenches with others... I would never consider an internal wrench on a 98 style action.. it is best grabbed as far forward as you can, tight on the recoil lug...
 
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The internal spade wrench looks really good. I understand the idea and I like the fact that it wont damage or mar the outside of the action.

I've read a few places that people really seem to like this type of wrench but they all seemed to caution that it wasnt for removing factory barrels.

I dont see why it couldnt be used for removing factory remington 700 barrels.

It doesnt look too difficult to make but I dont currently have a mill or a lathe so at this point, I might just shell out the $50 and buy one.

Definately a neat project to do once I aquire some metal working tools.
 
Here is a bit of an update on my barrel removal process.

Since the action is really the only part I care about, I bought a spade wrench from Hollands in the US. Figure it'll be something I'll probably use in the future.
My friend has a small hobby mill and some aluminum so we're going to try to make some aluminum bushing to replace the oak ones I have.
Just for fun, I got a bit of rosin and tried the oak bushings again for the barrel. Mostly, I just wanted to try out my spade wrench. Still no luck.

I'll post some pics once I try the aluminum bushing method instead. Worst case, I can always buy a barrel vice from Brownells or Hollands or somewhere like that. For me, half the fun is trying to make it work myself.
 
Mad_Mikee said:
My friend has a small hobby mill and some aluminum so we're going to try to make some aluminum bushing to replace the oak ones I have.
Just for fun, I got a bit of rosin and tried the oak bushings again for the barrel. Mostly, I just wanted to try out my spade wrench. Still no luck.
Click to expand...
A friend of mine uses oak blocks for action and barrels with rosin and it works with great success. He uses a 6 ton hydraulic press clamped between ½" plates of steel bolted together for the barrel as close to the action as possible, then has made another set of oak blocks between another set of ½" plates bolted together for the action and uses a simple pipe wrench. You may need a cheater bar or length of pipe to get even more leverage. I'm not so sure you want to put that kind of torque on the bolt lugs for factory barrel removal unless it's done all the time.

I plan on making my own set very soon. The beauty of hard wood is that anyone can make them for any type of action or barrel contour and they are cheap to do.
 
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Heat softens the locking substance. Don't go insane. I've seen few, if any, 700 Remington actions that didn't have a locking substance of some kind on the threads. As someone stated earlier in this thread, some crack like a rifle when the union is broken.

I've never used anything but common household sugar to lock the barrel to the bushings. When you live in a mile-square village 960 miles from Connaught, you must use what is available. When at Connaught, the situation is the same.

Wood should work fine for bushings, but I've never used anything but aluminum. They have been in constant use for 35 years and have even been used on some of Canuckhunter's junk.:runaway:
 
I didnt have much luck with the oak block situation, even when I used some rosin with it. I'm going to give the aluminum block idea a try to see how that works. If it doesnt work, I'm not really out much.
 
canuckhunter said:
I've always wondered why steel bushings are used unless it's very mild steel. Wouldn't that mar the finish of the action or barrel also if it does slip? Is aluminum or brass a better option for bushings?
Click to expand...

I learned to use steel bushings about 40 years ago from an old master gunsmith who had used steel bushings for 20 years before that...

I don't know why they don't mark but I have never had a problem with high polish blue as Weatherby and other rifles have. The bushings are turned very close but slightly larger by a couple of thou... and powdered rosin applied. I have made a couple from aluminum too. I think the steel grips better.
 
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