700 Barrel Removal at Standstill

[ButterBean]

The proper wrench only engages the lug. It's no more lethal than strapping one around your receiver at XXX amount of torque and using cheater bars, torches and hammers as others have suggested.

Well I seen a few that were never right after using that type of wrench

 

[xsn10s]

I've used those inside action wrenches only to change out test barrels. My understanding even the manufacturers of those wrench warn of twisting actions. YMMV.

 

[Pro2A]

OK, I bought a used 700 LA with a Remington 308 factory barrel that was reamed to 30-06AI. I have Wheeler barrel vise and an action wrench that will do 700's. I taken plenty off without any problems at all until NOW! Soaked 3 days with PB Blaster in vertical position on threads just to give it some potential penetration, went through usual setting barrel and wrench and the bugger will not budge even striking the action wrench handle with large rubber mallet.

I heat it with heat gun taking the action up to 200F and still no go which has always worked before.

Placed barrel in freezer for 24 hours, reset in vise, heated action up to 350F with Mapp and still no go; just will not budge. I have been told to take it up to 600F to melt possible thread locker which I am now thinking may have been used to seat the barrel after being reamed to 30-06AI.

So what do you think about 600F? I am not a fan of heating with Mapp but I am out of ideas. I have used the freezer, soaked the crap out of it, used pretty heavy rubber mallet to strike the action wrench so it was getting good shot of impact.

What's next?

Try Kroil. Best penetrating solvent available.

 

[John Klingenberg]

I think any tool used to excess can be lethal. I've seen a pile crushed, marred and deformed by receceiver ring wrenches too. Ive had good luck with the inside wrenches with a T-handle turned with equal torque on both handles from the rear. It's best to not put the ring wrench way up close to the lug. Tighten it about 1/4 to 1/2" back off the lug. I also hate to see otherwise serviceable barrels cut at the shoulders with excessive relief cuts. It may be the only option to lathe cut it but if he does, use a very thin rigid grooving tool instead of a parting tool. He can then save the barrel with an oversize lug. Just my 2.5c

 

[Frenchie1]

Try Kroil. Best penetrating solvent available.

Kroil is so good that you can apply it and walk away for a couple of hours then come back and the barrel will have unscrewed itself!

 

[Gibbshooter43]

On the Kroil, then .

 

[OldTimeHunter]

Probably taken off 20+ Remington barrels with the vice, wooden blocks, rosin and action wrench I bought from Brownells 20 years ago. A few needed the action ring heated up and ice water run down the barrel.

 

[D-mon]

Kroil is good. But make sure you degrease your action and barrel and the inside of your bushings with acetone before clamping in the wise.
If you are going to heat something to melt the locktite, heat the barrel Shank rather than the action. You can use an infra red thermometer to check and control the temperature you apply.
The closest your aluminium bushings are to the dimension of the receiver and the outside profile of the barrel, the less chances of them slipping . Also clamping the barrel as close to the recoil lug as possible is important, less energy applied to the wrench gets dissipated in flexing the barrel.

And tikka barrels are easy as to remove ;-)

 

[Susquatch]

OK, I bought a used 700 LA with a Remington 308 factory barrel that was reamed to 30-06AI. I have Wheeler barrel vise and an action wrench that will do 700's. I taken plenty off without any problems at all until NOW! Soaked 3 days with PB Blaster in vertical position on threads just to give it some potential penetration, went through usual setting barrel and wrench and the bugger will not budge even striking the action wrench handle with large rubber mallet.

I heat it with heat gun taking the action up to 200F and still no go which has always worked before.

Placed barrel in freezer for 24 hours, reset in vise, heated action up to 350F with Mapp and still no go; just will not budge. I have been told to take it up to 600F to melt possible thread locker which I am now thinking may have been used to seat the barrel after being reamed to 30-06AI.

So what do you think about 600F? I am not a fan of heating with Mapp but I am out of ideas. I have used the freezer, soaked the crap out of it, used pretty heavy rubber mallet to strike the action wrench so it was getting good shot of impact.

What's next?

I have not read all the posts, but believe the problem is easy to fix.

Chuck the barrelled action in the lathe at the chamber end. Use a hss tool bit to part the recoil lug. Hss can handle the interrupted cut way better than carbide. Stop short of cutting into the barrel. This should relieve all tension in the joint and it should come apart by hand. If not, put it back in your vice.

If that doesn't work, accept that the barrel will have to sacrificed and part it off the rest of the way. Then bore out the action to remove the barrel stub being careful not to bore out the receiver threads. At this point the remaining barrel threads should pull out like a long coil spring. If necessary, you might have to chase the action threads.

This is basically how I remove Browning X-Bolt barrels. In my experience, the XBolt action is thin and can twist if too much torque is applied during the barrel removal process. In my opinion, the thin action is also why they require 4 screws on each scope mount. Leave it to Browning to come up with a marketing take on a weakness......

 

[ntsqd]

Kroil is good. PB Blaster is good, maybe better by a small difference. Best that I've ever used was GM Goodwrench Heat Valve Lubricant & Penetrating oil. Don't waste your time, sadly it's NLA. The homebrew acetone & ATF blend making the rounds on lots of different forums intrigues me. Some ultra-fine graphite dust suspended in it should make it pretty darned good.

That SS barrel looks like classic SS thread galling. How were the mating threads?

If hitting the wrench isn't popping it loose I'll guess that you're either not hitting sharp enough or your set-up is too flexible. Possibly both. The sharper the impulse on the wrench, the better it will work. Note that this isn't the same as hitting it hard. Hit it fast with the heaviest hammer that you can swing accurately. With a wrench that is driving wrench flats or action ways it also needs to be pre-tensioned in the direction of the hit to take all of the slop out of the system.
If you're sure that neither of these is the problem, then I also think that you're looking at heat or machining the recoil lug. Good opportunity to upgrade the lug anyway....

 

[ButterBean]

Kroil is good. PB Blaster is good, maybe better by a small difference. Best that I've ever used was GM Goodwrench Heat Valve Lubricant & Penetrating oil. Don't waste your time, sadly it's NLA. The homebrew acetone & ATF blend making the rounds on lots of different forums intrigues me. Some ultra-fine graphite dust suspended in it should make it pretty darned good.

That SS barrel looks like classic SS thread galling. How were the mating threads?

If hitting the wrench isn't popping it loose I'll guess that you're either not hitting sharp enough or your set-up is too flexible. Possibly both. The sharper the impulse on the wrench, the better it will work. Note that this isn't the same as hitting it hard. Hit it fast with the heaviest hammer that you can swing accurately. With a wrench that is driving wrench flats or action ways it also needs to be pre-tensioned in the direction of the hit to take all of the slop out of the system.
If you're sure that neither of these is the problem, then I also think that you're looking at heat or machining the recoil lug. Good opportunity to upgrade the lug anyway....

Yep Hit it fast with the heaviest hammer that you can swing accurately.

 

[Muddyboots]

Not first Rem barrel but first that was prob thread locked. Have gone through 2 sets of blocks even one made of teak that usually does job. Used rosin up the whazoo, lead shims and aluminum bushings. 4' cheater, Mapp to 350F using IR scanner to monitor temps. Stuck in freezer for 24 hours, smacked with 5lb anvil hammer. Since I was a farrier in another lifetime I feel comfortable swinging that bad boy like I mean it! Actually felt good to swing the old girl again like that. BUT that is one stubborn barrel. So do I give in! Nay say I! Got one more thing to try. Going to set the barrel end in dry ice which will take the temp down lot lower than freezer can. This has become a quest more than just getting a barrel off! So I also mixed Kroil with PB that I will hit threads when barrel is in dry ice. I may hit the receiver with heat gun when barrel is in dry ice at same time. So now this has become a such a challenge that I will keep trying different methods. Cutting barrel off will be anticlimactic so I plan to beat the barrel! It will not win!

 

[ButterBean]

Not first Rem barrel but first that was prob thread locked. Have gone through 2 sets of blocks even one made of teak that usually does job. Used rosin up the whazoo, lead shims and aluminum bushings. 4' cheater, Mapp to 350F using IR scanner to monitor temps. Stuck in freezer for 24 hours, smacked with 5lb anvil hammer. Since I was a farrier in another lifetime I feel comfortable swinging that bad boy like I mean it! Actually felt good to swing the old girl again like that. BUT that is one stubborn barrel. So do I give in! Nay say I! Got one more thing to try. Going to set the barrel end in dry ice which will take the temp down lot lower than freezer can. This has become a quest more than just getting a barrel off! So I also mixed Kroil with PB that I will hit threads when barrel is in dry ice. I may hit the receiver with heat gun when barrel is in dry ice at same time. So now this has become a such a challenge that I will keep trying different methods. Cutting barrel off will be anticlimactic so I plan to beat the barrel! It will not win!

I just disassembled on myself last week, after three tries I took the Dewalt cut off wheel to it , Easy Peasy

 

[Susquatch]

Not first Rem barrel but first that was prob thread locked. Have gone through 2 sets of blocks even one made of teak that usually does job. Used rosin up the whazoo, lead shims and aluminum bushings. 4' cheater, Mapp to 350F using IR scanner to monitor temps. Stuck in freezer for 24 hours, smacked with 5lb anvil hammer. Since I was a farrier in another lifetime I feel comfortable swinging that bad boy like I mean it! Actually felt good to swing the old girl again like that. BUT that is one stubborn barrel. So do I give in! Nay say I! Got one more thing to try. Going to set the barrel end in dry ice which will take the temp down lot lower than freezer can........ So now this has become a such a challenge that I will keep trying different methods. Cutting barrel off will be anticlimactic so I plan to beat the barrel! It will not win!

The barrel prolly doesn't matter. BUT...., if you twist that action, then the whole exercise was just a big waste of time. It's a lot easier to twist an action than you might think. If the dry ice doesn't work, I'd play it safe and cut the recoil lug out on a lathe.