action truing fixture

rscott5028

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Apr 18, 2010
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Location
Allen, TX
What OD/ID and type of aluminum are you guys using for your action truing fixture?

It might be faster/cheaper to buy one from PTG, but I think it'll be good warmup to make some of the tooling myself and this looks like something pretty simply to make.

Thanks!
Richard
 
I made mine from 303 stainless that's 5" O.D. and I drilled a 2" I.D. I threaded the adjustment screw holes 5/8-24 for a fine adjustment. I bought set screws and bored out the cup end and inserted in brass tips so not to damage the action finish. I also made a rear row of holes for long actions and a row 1" shorter for short actions. Here's a photo.

Fixture.jpg
 
Very nice work. ...and, Kevin, that's a serious lathe chuck you have. You could go pro someday! :)

I guess I'll poke around for the right hunk of SS. I don't know why I thought or assumed that the GTR jig was aluminum.

Thanks guys!
Richard
 
It is aluminum, but run your screws in and out a few hundred times and see how well the threads hold up. I've had my fixture for 8 years now, blueprinted countless actions and I chambered hundreds barrels in the same fixture.
 
I doubt mine will ever see that kind of work load. But, if it's worth building, I might as well build it to last.
thanks!!
 
I made mine from a piece of 3.00" OD x .500 wall x 2.00" ID 1020 DOM Round Steel Tube which is very stiff...

I used 3/8x24tpi brass tipped screws from McmasterCarr.com 1" long with no heads.

front screws are roughly 1/2" from the face of the tubing.
roughly 4" back from the front screws for Rem 700 SA
roughly 5" back from the front screws for Rem 700 LA

the only thing I would change is go up in size of the adjustment screws, I would go 1/2-20 brass tipped screws



 
I made mine from 303 stainless that's 5" O.D. and I drilled a 2" I.D. I threaded the adjustment screw holes 5/8-24 for a fine adjustment. I bought set screws and bored out the cup end and inserted in brass tips so not to damage the action finish. I also made a rear row of holes for long actions and a row 1" shorter for short actions. Here's a photo.

Fixture.jpg

You can buy set screws with a brass insert OEM, but there's another outfit that sells a much better one, that you can get different brass tips for (name escapes me, but are commonly used in tooling). Try Ried Tool, as they might carry them.

I built three or four out of aluminum tubing. Maybe four and a half inches in diameter, but also maybe five inches. The set screw holes had steel inserts in them (I used 1/2-20tpi Keenserts) with Allen brand set screws that were bored to accept a bronze plug made to fit the bores. Seems like I used three sets screws, but might have been four. One other thing I did was to mill a flat spot for a jam nut on the O.D. for the set screws. Funny this is that I never kept one for myself!
I have seen it done another way using a mandrel. Never trusted it.
gary
 
You can buy set screws with a brass insert OEM, but there's another outfit that sells a much better one, that you can get different brass tips for (name escapes me, but are commonly used in tooling). Try Ried Tool, as they might carry them.

I built three or four out of aluminum tubing. Maybe four and a half inches in diameter, but also maybe five inches. The set screw holes had steel inserts in them (I used 1/2-20tpi Keenserts) with Allen brand set screws that were bored to accept a bronze plug made to fit the bores. Seems like I used three sets screws, but might have been four. One other thing I did was to mill a flat spot for a jam nut on the O.D. for the set screws. Funny this is that I never kept one for myself!
I have seen it done another way using a mandrel. Never trusted it.
gary

The picture looks, to me, like he has a flat spot for jam nuts, if he wants to use them.
 
Mine was heat shrunk onto a lip machined into a D1-4 camlock plate and then six 3/8 screws counter sunk in from the cam lock plate side into the end of the tube. It's extremely solid and always dialed in. It's drilled for short and long actions plus a slot to accommodate Ruger MKII actions. The slots must have been cut after this picture. It works for bolts too.

 
Mine was heat shrunk onto a lip machined into a D1-4 camlock plate and then six 3/8 screws counter sunk in from the cam lock plate side into the end of the tube. It's extremely solid and always dialed in. It's drilled for short and long actions plus a slot to accommodate Ruger MKII actions. The slots must have been cut after this picture. It works for bolts too.


I really seriously like your setup. The mount is extremely ridged, and yet very forgiving.
gary
 
Is there any good reason to not build one of these that threads onto the spindle?

I just finished an outboard spider, but one of these would be great for Contender and Encore barrels as well as actions and bolts!!


Gary
 
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