Savage 340 barrel nut is off - 357 Herrett project proceeds

woodchopper

woodchopper

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So I want to play with a Stevens 325 (Savage 340) and swap the barrel. Currently its chambered in 30-30AI and there are some issues with the magazine and I didn't do a good job when I rechambered it so the headspace is a little loose :(

What I want to do is make it into a 357 Herrett, I have the dies and have mocked up some cases to check fitment and feeding from the magazine. It all looks really good.

So what I have done is take a block of 1/2" steel and scribe a circle then drilled 12 x 3/16" holes around the circle. Then I machined out the center of the circle and welded in 3/16" rod into all the holes. Now I have a wrench that fits the barrel nut, there is a little slack as I tried to account for different tolerances.

All good so far.

then I put the rifle barrel in a set of wood blocks in the bench vice and tried to spin off the nut.... nope I guess I really need a proper barrel vice.

but I can quickly make one that fits the receiver, so block of 1" steel, bore it out to size, 1 1/2", drill it for screws, then split it, tap the screws, then line it with some .020" aluminum shims, should be a slight crushfit.

again everything all nice and tight and with the 36" pipewrench on the barrel nut wrench I give it a good tug, and some more, I'm worried now that the bench vice is going to come loose from the bench.... More umph and the receiver starts turning in the aluminum shims..... no way that this is only 120FtLbs.

So no what..... any tips ???

I thought about adding to the receiver block some stops to engage with the barrel lug but I don't know if that is a wise idea.

going to get the heat gun out and warm this up to as hot as I can touch it, then give it a good soak in penetrating oil over night and see if that does the trick...
 
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Cut a block of wood to fit under the front of the vice/bench area to support your leveraged load.
Turn the unit around in the vice and crawl up on the bench and tug the wall side.
You could put a shim under the back end of the vice.

Wait till yew git yer arm awttah the plaster oh parrish and tugger wid tew hands?

Heat is always ah gooder eye-deer.

Stuff the action widd debris and clamper there?

Weld a nut awn the bore and yewse an impact?
Go the right tern deereckshun.
 
I took the barrel out of my savage 112-V .222. clamped the action in the vice with wooden jaws just fairly snug so not to hurt it.
then a sturdy brass punch about 5" long, the end of the punch in one of the grooves on the nut and hit the punch a sharp crack with a hefty hammer and voila! one loose nut.
 
don't yank on the barrel but wrench, set it parallel to the floor and then apply a good sharp blow with a deadblow hammer to unlock it, action shouldn't need to be much more then fricken tight in the action vice, heat and penetrating oils never hurt, but in this case, the nut and receiver will swell up just the same and make the nut tighter, be better off laying it in the freezer overnight, or being in edmonton, just leave it out on the porch for 25 mintutes.

last stubborn one I did, had the barrel in the barrel vice, super tight, action wrench in the action applying down force, nut wrench on the other side, and a solid blow with a BFH deadblow hammer on the barrel nut wrench, if your arms in a cast, mount the barrel vice on the bottom shelf of the work bench and introduce a floor jack into the equation
 
If it comes to it, a relief groove can be cut in the barrel nut just in front of the recoil lug with a hacksaw. The damage can be faced off so that the nut can be reused.
You might want to make a little jig to keep the recoil lug indexed when the new barre is being installed.
 
yodave said:
don't yank on the barrel but wrench, set it parallel to the floor and then apply a good sharp blow with a deadblow hammer to unlock it, action shouldn't need to be much more thAn fricken tight in the action vice, heat and penetrating oils never hurt, but in this case, the nut and receiver will swell up just the same and make the nut tighter, be better off laying it in the freezer overnight, or being in edmonton, just leave it out on the porch for 25 mintutes.

last stubborn one I did, had the barrel in the barrel vice, super tight, action wrench in the action applying down force, nut wrench on the other side, and a solid blow with a BFH deadblow hammer on the barrel nut wrench, if your arms in a cast, mount the barrel vice on the bottom shelf of the work bench and introduce a floor jack into the equation
Click to expand...

And wtf izz ahh mintewts?......................:onCrack:
 
tiriaq said:
If it comes to it, a relief groove can be cut in the barrel nut just in front of the recoil lug with a hacksaw. The damage can be faced off so that the nut can be reused.
You might want to make a little jig to keep the recoil lug indexed when the new barre is being installed.
Click to expand...

looks like the lug has a pin that indexes on the receiver so that wont be a problem

as for the heat I was going to heat it apply oil and let it cool so not an issue with the parts all swelling, if anything after cooling they might heat upset a little and be easier to remove.
 
I commend your machining skills but IBI sells a barrel wrench for only $50
and it works great (no hammering, just a 1/2 breaker bar)
 
IBI offers a Savage barrel nut wrench, double ended for round and square notches. BUT, it is for 110 series rifles., and the OP is working on a 340. Different barrel nut.
 
maybe someone put Loctite on it in the past.
I would hit it fast, and give it a wrench while still hot and see what happens.
great job on the "wrench" BTW.

Buy a wrench ? that takes all the fun out of it. course the time sheet just went out the door.
 
I've worked on a few of these. The barrel nuts seem to be tight. Last one I broke down, to rebarrel the action, I cut a relief groove in the barrel nut. Reassembled with a replacement nut.
I do not think any tools specific to the 340 are available.
 
tiriaq said:
IBI offers a Savage barrel nut wrench, double ended for round and square notches. BUT, it is for 110 series rifles., and the OP is working on a 340. Different barrel nut.
Click to expand...

yes I own a normal Savage barrel wrench

and you are correct as usual the 340 Savage / 325 Stevens uses a different nut

I'm thinking of breaking out the impact gun :) going to need to build a really long driver

I'll have to take a picture of my LeeEnfield receiver block, finished that up last week too

been busy now that the metal lathe is set up and I broke my arm screwing up all my hunting season plans..
 
When I made my 110 nut wrench, I laid out a circle, and marked where 4 nut notches would be. Drilled the four holes, then drilled and bored out the hole for the nut. Tap it onto the nut, then tap in brass pins to engage the notches in the nut.
Another trick is to use an open end wrench that will just fit over the nut. Slip two dowel pins into opposite notches. These will keep the wrench from turning on the nut. Works to install, not the best for removal.
Some 340 types use a round nut with a single hole for a peg. About the only way to improvise a wrench for one of these would be to bore a hole for a smooth fit on the nut, then drill for a peg to engage the hole.
 
tiriaq said:
If it comes to it, a relief groove can be cut in the barrel nut just in front of the recoil lug with a hacksaw. The damage can be faced off so that the nut can be reused.
You might want to make a little jig to keep the recoil lug indexed when the new barre is being installed.
Click to expand...

I try and follow these threads with dimwit results.
Photos would shure go a long way to comprehend what the suggestions are.
 
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