Disaster.....Barrel Galls in New Bat Action

jackie schmidt

jackie schmidt

New member
A good friend called me yesterday and told me he has a brand new Rifle, Bat B, Scoville Stock. He had a barrel from another Bat B and went to install it. About 5 threads in it stopped. He tried going the other way, but after about 2/4 turn, it stopped.

He brought it over this eavning, and I put the barrel in my big Brownell vice, and with my full contact action wrench, it would not budge.

I told him to call Scoville and ask his advice on removing the glued in action, (done by Scoville). Then I could part the barrel off, chuck the action up, and bore the barrel tenon out, trying not to do any more damage and hoping for the best.

Just a reminder. If a barrel feels too snug, stop. Disaster is just a turn away.
 
Auch!...Been there done that!...I had a bad galling experience while threading a stainless steel barrel into a stainless action, I procrastinated and didn't use lube on those barrel threads and as you say, that last snug turn did it...

Thank you for posting your experience, it will sure create awareness among members.

Best regards,

AZ
 
Greg Tannel (Gretan rifles) keeps a lathe set up just to machine out galled metal where stainless on stainless locks up


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JerrySharrett said:
Greg Tannel (Gretan rifles) keeps a lathe set up just to machine out galled metal where stainless on stainless locks up


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Jerry, this is a disaster on many levels.the first thing is to get the action out of that brand new Scoville Stock without damaging the stock. I told him to call Scoville and find out what type of epoxy he uses, and how much heat it usually takes. After we get the barrel out of the action and get it straightened up, he will then have to send the action and stock back to Scoville to get it reglued.

The best he can hope for is the Threads in the action are not pulled.
 
Jackie, I saw Stan Ware with the same mess. The actions owner had chambered a barrel himself and when it seized, he took it to Stan to be salvaged. The only good part of it was it was a HBR gun...a bolt in. Stan parted the barrel and bored the threaded portion out of the action, as is your plan. Unfortunately, a couple of rounds of threads had already been pulled out at the roots from the owners previous attempts at removal. At Stan's insistence to the customer, the action was returned to BAT for inspection. BAT insisted on doing the thread touch up when it was there for inspection. -Al
 
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jackie schmidt said:
Jerry, this is a disaster on many levels.the first thig.....

The best he can hope for is the Threads in the action are not pulled.
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Normally, worst case, after the threads are machined out is a slight scuffing on the actions thread faces. Since the action is already lined up and the threading tool is in sync about another 0.002-0.003" to clean up the scuff.

A good grease and a good feel on the action wrench will prevent this from happening!


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I took a new BAT out of the box in front of a customer.

I assembled the trigger and guard in my hands in front of him with my fingers, so's he could look at it.

The front guard screw didn't came back out.

ever.

Drilled it out later......

not in front of him.
 
Yep, getting the action out of the stock with the barrel attached is the first big problem. The barrel will act as a heat sync, pulling heat away from the action.The heating iron will be on or in the action for a prolonged period of time, cooking the stock, particularly in the tang area.
Watching this being done to one of my rifles (many years ago) is something I will never forget.
I wonder if deep freezing the entire rifle would snap out the glue in without damaging the stock. Does anyone have any experience with that process ?
Joel
 
Deep freeze works. We have had an occasional stuck one here that we put in an ammo conditioning box. The box can go down to -65*. It pops them right out.
 
I'd be lying if I said I've never locked up a barrel in a receiver. I had a Surgeon 591 that I was fitting a barrel for. Threads were complete and beautiful. While I was chambering it and checking for final headspace, I threaded the receiver on greased threads and about two turns from the shoulder, it got tight. I immediately tried to back it off and it probably went about half turn back before it completely froze. This was all by hand on clean, greased threads. I still have no idea why it locked up. I guess there mush have been a chip that got in there. With the integral rail and recoil lug, I couldn't fit the receiver in my lathe. I parted the tenon off and ended up standing the receiver up vertically in the CNC mill and helical interpolating the stub out. The receiver was fine but I ended up eating the cost of a barrel. At least this was not a glue-in.
 
Nader said:
Yep, getting the action out of the stock with the barrel attached is the first big problem. The barrel will act as a heat sync, pulling heat away from the action.The heating iron will be on or in the action for a prolonged period of time, cooking the stock, particularly in the tang area.
Watching this being done to one of my rifles (many years ago) is something I will never forget.
I wonder if deep freezing the entire rifle would snap out the glue in without damaging the stock. Does anyone have any experience with that process ?
Joel
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I have taken Panda Actions out three times on Speedy Style Stocks with barrel on! Put the barrel in barrel vise, tighten snug with action in normal upright position (bolt out) I put a clothes iron on highest setting and let sit on top of action (on top of scope mount rail), heat transfers thru action (about ten minutes) for me and the weight of the stock pulling down comes right off has worked well for me.

Fred
 
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Its never happened to me yet but the only two times Ive seen it were both on BAT actions, do they have a propensity for galling more than others actions I wonder?
 
Curious said:
Its never happened to me yet but the only two times Ive seen it were both on BAT actions, do they have a propensity for galling more than others actions I wonder?
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IMO yes, I always cut the threads a little looser than everything else. I can't give you reason why but I'm always more cautious with BAT actions.
Matt P
 
FM7RUM said:
I have taken Panda Actions out three times on Speedy Style Stocks with barrel on! Put the barrel in barrel vise, tighten snug with action in normal upright position (bolt out) I put a clothes iron on highest setting and let sit on top of action (on top of scope mount rail), heat transfers thru action (about ten minutes) for me and the weight of the stock pulling down comes right off has worked well for me.

Fred
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Using this method, and it works well, make sure the stock has something soft to land on.Or, it will crash to the floor.


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The Shooter has a friend up in Huntsville who heated the action with an iron, and it came right out of the stock. He then cut the barrel off, chucked up the action, and cut out the 3/8 inches of stuck barrel untill it almost was to the minor dieameter of the action. He then managed to pick it out with a pair of needle nose plyers. It had a galled spot about 3 Threads in, he counterbore these out, leaving over 7/8 inch of thread length remaining.

I suppose it will be fine as they chambered up another barrel and it went in with no problem, and reglued the action back into the stock.
 
Prevention ??

How does the guy on the lathe prevent this from happening ?

I generally use the action for a try-nut-----always with some lube and use anti-sieze when the barrel is finally installed.

Have never encountered galling but haven't knowingly taken steps to prevent it.

Thanks for any information.

A. Weldy
 
I always check threads with wires, but the one thing wires don't account for is the major diameter. I never turn a barrel to 1.062, rather more like 1.055. That has always been safe for me and does not effect the threads. BAT seems a bit small to full diameter threads. Just my opinion.
 
I've done the same, on an old Teddy action. Never made a thread that tight again and probably never will..intentionally.
 
Wayne Shaw said:
I always check threads with wires, but the one thing wires don't account for is the major diameter. I never turn a barrel to 1.062, rather more like 1.055. That has always been safe for me and does not effect the threads. BAT seems a bit small to full diameter threads. Just my opinion.
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They don't just seem small, I am pretty sure they are.. I use full form carbide threading inserts for threading and usually turn the tennon to 1.070.. I then just keep taking cuts with the threading tool until the action will screw on.. Only twice in maybe 1000 barrels have I had one gall.. Both were Bat actions!
I now always cut them s little smaller and slather them grease when fitting, and hope it works..

Cheers
Lee
 
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