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Removing Remington 700 barrel

grinch

Cast Iron
Joined
Feb 15, 2002
Location
Coronado CA
I have a Remington 700 barrel I can’t seem to get off. It has the factory barrel and seems to have some sort of adhesive holding it on. So far I've broke one action wrench I've tried heat to break the adhesive but it still will not budge.

Anyone got any ideas?
 
This was recently covered. If I ever pull another one I will cut a groove around/through the recoil lug washer down to the thread depth. That will relieve thread tension, and the barrel should easily turn out. If it's still stuck, and a little heat doesn't help, try soaking it with acetone.
F
 
Stuck Remington Barrel

Removing a Remington barrel should only be done with the proper wrenches, vices and techniques.

One can easily twist or crack a Remington action.

Heat higher than 300 degrees and acetone are not in any of the techniques that I am familiar with being recomended.

Soaking the barreled action in Kroil oil or Liquid Wrench for about 24 hours.

Making a relief cut in the old barrel just in front of the recoil lug may be neccessary.

In worse case scenario one may have to completely machine the old tenon from the action.

Brute force and heat are not the best solution.

Acetone is a degreasing solvent. This may cause more problems due to metal gaulling.

Good Luck
Rustystud
 
Not satisfied with local gunsmiths vague descriptions of how they pulled Rem. barrels, I cut it off with a hacksaw close to the shoulder. Then ground (carefully) away the remaining stub until the "washer" started to bend away from the receiver, then unscrewed the remains via an EZ-Out broken screw extractor. A ruined barrel (maybe of some use), but a perfect receiver; a good trade-off at the time. Somone suggested cutting through the recoil lug/washer; a much better idea for next time...
F
 
This is how we do it... works every time too...

Strip the gun. Remove the two screws in the front of the action for the scope base. Secure the barrel in a barrel vise. For this operation we use a full length action wrench that is inserted into the bolt pathway instead of one that wraps around the front of the action.

Heat SLOWLY with an oxy/acet. torch. Heat until the thread locker/locktite liquifies and bubbles out of the scope base holes in the front. Slowly apply pressure until the action frees. Don't jerk the action wrench or hit it with a hammer. This will damage the action.

This is the best way we've found to remove Remington factory barrels from receivers. For all other barreling operations with the Remingtons, we use the standard action wrench you can buy from Brownells.

Mike
 
Grinch

The Rem 700 recoil lug is just a cheap piece of steel, easily replaced. Sacrafice it.

Grind or turn off the bottom part of the lug. Then take a narrow parting tool and make a cut midway on the lug until you get to the major diameter of the barrel thread. A little urging with a prick punch should cause the lug to release it's grip and the barrel can be screwed off very easily.

No torquing on the receiver, no damage to the barrel, no oxy/act heat.

Ray
 
All, and I mean ALL of the Remington barrels I have removed, and it has been literally hundreds, required heat to break the thread locker grip on the threads. It is also necessary to have a well fitted action wrench and a well fitted barrel bushing in the barrel vise. I use a standard propane torch for heat which will not generate enough heat to alter the steel composition or ruin the blueing. I heat the action while in the barrel vise and before I add the action wrench. I do not advocate the use of an in the bolt bore type of action wrench; some are not made to support the action and may cause it to bend. My barrel vise uses tapered aluminum bushings made to fit the barrel and a 4" square block of steel, split and bored for the bushings, and four 1/2"-20 allen head cap screws for pressure against the barrel. It has never failed to break the bond between barrel and action
 
I have only removed a half dozen, but not a single one required any heat. All that was required was a good action wrench that grips the receiver ring, and a good barrel vise to grip the bbl. My action wrench is one my Dad made and it also has a hole provided for installation of the front action screw, this helps a great deal I bet to prevent the action from spinning in the action wrench thus ruining the finish.

Further experience may reveal the first half dozen to be a fluke, but I am not betting on it :-).

Bill
 
Bill

Like you, I've removed only a dozen or so M700 and 40X barrels without any heat or any other urging. But, the last one was different. It would not budge, even after I applied a liberal dose of cussing. Heat didn't help either. Thats when I resorted to cutting the recoil lug in half. It still didn't unscrew willingly. The threads, inside and out, were liberally coated with something white and concrete looking. And this was on older action from the 60s.

Ray
 
some of your posts had me concerned about removing my first barrel from a 700. i made my barrel vise and action wrench similar to some commercial ones i have seen pictures of. i sprayed some "pb blaster" into the action threads and let it sit while i was making a bushing to fit the barrel contour. it probably sat for an hour and a half before i got it clamped in the vise and wrench. the wrench has a 16" handle and i just gave it one quick hit with the palm of my hand and it broke free. maybe i just got lucky on this one or the pb blaster is some good stuff.


what type of action wrench did you break? here is mine. i think the action would be in bad shape before this wrench broke.

receiverwrench3.jpg


receiverwrench8.jpg


barrelvice5.jpg


barrelvice6.jpg


barrelvice7.jpg
 








 
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