Seized Barrel In Receiver: The Fix

[Rubicon Prec.]

This is Robert. Don’t be like Robert...

This is a personal project so at least I’m not buying a customer a barrel. This barrel is 1.375 for 5” then tapering to 1.010” at 32” and I have a second one. Losing 1-1/4” on the chamber end isn’t really going to be the end of the world for me.

So, the threads were not too tight and the barrel had already been screwed on/off hand tight several times during the machining process. I knew it was going to be a while before I could finish this project so I washed the barrel and receiver with hot water and Dawn and dried. A little while later I was sitting in my office (probably after a few cocktails) looking at the barrel, receiver, bottom metal and stock. I figured I’d screw the barrel on by hand and toss it in the stock to see what it will look like. Well, the dry barrel screwed in just fine....until it didn’t. I heard squeak, and it got tight. Tried backing it off and it only went about 1/4 turn. I immediately soaked it with penetrating oil and tried to back it off again. No joy. I knew at this point the receiver would be destroyed if I tried to use tools to unscrew it. It was time to sacrifice a bit of barrel and hope the receiver is OK.

After the tenon was extracted, the receiver looks pretty good. Just one tiny nick on a thread. This receiver is too tall to fixture in my CNC mill otherwise I’d chase the threads with a threadmill. I’ll probably just run a tap down it to clean it up.

Moral of the story, ALWAYS lube your threads!

[Rubicon Prec.]

.

[Al Nyhus]

That rates high on the Pucker Scale. Nice recovery, sir. -Al

[retired]

it is an expensive way to make a poor coil spring...
but i have done it myself( but not based on galled thread)

[alinwa]

Thank You For That Sir

Just up the way there's a thread Big Al replied to entitled "Gaulin actions" ........ now I gotta be honest here, when I clicked on it my mind was saying "BAT??" ....... and tthis IS NOT to badmouth BAT's in any way but trust me about that pucker factor getting really real when one does exactly what Robert did here on a dry BAT......

But, (my tummy hurts now, I won'r go there ) I had one just the other day that surprised me. I'm barreling a few Weatherby's to see can I make one shoot.... And I screwed a LUBED barrel in and got the drea'tful 'squweeek' ...... hmm......


reeeehhh


raaawhh


reeehh


raaaawhhhh.... back and forth.

Finally I just said "p!$# on it, it's a freakin' Weatherby!" and I th'ew 'er in the vice and screwed 'er out. Made about a half-spring.....

Everything cleaned up with just a scar on the tenon thread... and the culprit was


the thru-screw-hole on the action had a wee burr that back-rolled.

Just another thing......

from now on I'm gonna' be run a tap in there on factory actions (actually what I'll REALLY do is run my finger in there.... and cut that scar back open just as it heals over...... the one from shortening action screws, or brushing the chips off the end of that part I just milled a slot in (cuz the brush fell on the floor), or grabbing that hunk of angle out of the cutoff saw....)

[jackie schmidt]

Nice save.

[wfcustom]

Robert,
Been there.
Done that
Hopefully will never do it again!
Nice recovery though, I actually saved my homemade spring as a reminder
Regards,
Greg

[Mram10]

I like Al’s tap idea. I had one gall pretty good, started running a tap with cutting oil to clean things up and haven’t had one since. [knock on wood]

[Gene Poole]

Thank You For That Sir

Just up the way there's a thread Big Al replied to entitled "Gaulin actions" ........ now I gotta be honest here, when I clicked on it my mind was saying "BAT??" ....... and tthis IS NOT to badmouth BAT's in any way but trust me about that pucker factor getting really real when one does exactly what Robert did here on a dry BAT......

But, (my tummy hurts now, I won'r go there ) I had one just the other day that surprised me. I'm barreling a few Weatherby's to see can I make one shoot.... And I screwed a LUBED barrel in and got the drea'tful 'squweeek' ...... hmm......


reeeehhh


raaawhh


reeehh


raaaawhhhh.... back and forth.

Finally I just said "p!$# on it, it's a freakin' Weatherby!" and I th'ew 'er in the vice and screwed 'er out. Made about a half-spring.....

Everything cleaned up with just a scar on the tenon thread... and the culprit was


the thru-screw-hole on the action had a wee burr that back-rolled.

Just another thing......

from now on I'm gonna' be run a tap in there on factory actions (actually what I'll REALLY do is run my finger in there.... and cut that scar back open just as it heals over...... the one from shortening action screws, or brushing the chips off the end of that part I just milled a slot in (cuz the brush fell on the floor), or grabbing that hunk of angle out of the cutoff saw....)

Get yourself a COGSDILL BURRAWAY tool or three. I've found those indispensable--especially when cutting 8-40 scope base holes.

[retired]

everything but prices

Get yourself a COGSDILL BURRAWAY tool or three. I've found those indispensable--especially when cutting 8-40 scope base holes.

[wfcustom]

(actually what I'll REALLY do is run my finger in there.... and cut that scar back open just as it heals over...... the one from shortening action screws, or brushing the chips off the end of that part I just milled a slot in (cuz the brush fell on the floor), or grabbing that hunk of angle out of the cutoff saw....)

Al,
Thats the way a REAL machinist would do it
If you ain't bleeding your not trying hard enough!
Good news is I understand high sulphur cutting oil is a great antiseptic.
Greg

[Zebra13]

A little while later I was sitting in my office (probably after a few cocktails) looking at the barrel, receiver, bottom metal and stock. I figured...

Ahhh...a kindred spirit. I've made some of my soundest decisions after "a few cocktails"...

"I have to have one of those...'click'...be here on Tuesday"...

"Hey...she's not that bad looking"...

"What the $!#? are you looking at, @$$hole"?!

Justin

[Don]

My experience is the most common cause of the dreaded barrel seizure is the razor thin thread ribbon that is often left at the beginning or end of the barrel tennon thread, which can be easily avoided by slightly back cutting or chamfering the thread ends after the last thread cut pass..............Don

[Rubicon Prec.]

This is why I blunt start/Higbee my threads. This receiver also had blunt start female threads. I have only me to blame on this one for trying to put it together dry.

[alinwa]

Get yourself a COGSDILL BURRAWAY tool or three. I've found those indispensable--especially when cutting 8-40 scope base holes.

Well now..... I bet it's been 10yrs since I saw a new-to-me tool ...... seriously, I'm a tool freak. Bad.... goes back to when I was a 6-8 yr-old shaver and Dad would walk me through auction barns, barn sales or just the neighbor's yard and say "OK, what would THAT be used for?" My dad would stop the car, go knock on the door if he saw something he couldn't identify.......I am truly fascinated by tools.

THANK YOU for showing me this, I was unaware