Mxracer532
Well-Known Member
Hey guys I got a Vanguard 22-250 (sporter barrel) that im thinking about swapping the barrel out to a Heavy barrel also in 22-250 (howa barrel) and was wondering what it would cost to have the barrels swapped. Thanks
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Vanguard barrel swap/cost?
- Thread starter Mxracer532
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J E Custom
Well-Known Member
Vanguards have metric threads and most smiths will not do them, However there are some barrel
companies that will ship you a barrel pre-threaded (And pre-chambered if you want them to).
I do not recommend pre chambered barrels but if you can get the barrel pre threaded then you or
your Smith can chamber it.
Some barrel makers "Short chamber" but if it is not concentric or sized right .005 to .007 thousandths
is not enough to clean it up.
Decide which way you want to go and talk to your smith, or talk to him first and ask if he does metric
threads and how much ether way.
J E CUSTOM
Hired Gun
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't put a Howa take off on it. To put a new barrel on it is the same as most any other action.
Mxracer532
Well-Known Member
Im definately not buying a new aftermarket barrel. I can get a take off for about $50 so thats why i was wondering what it would cost to swap them.
I dont have a smith at all around here that i know and for sure trust.
I dont have a smith at all around here that i know and for sure trust.
J E Custom
Well-Known Member
A take off will still have to be head spaced with a reamer. I have only seen 2 barrels over about 15
years that head spaced with the replacement barrel.
The other option is to sell your Vanguard and buy a new one or another brand with the caliber you
want. This way you wont have to get with a smith at all and it should not cost that much using the
difference in the sale of the old vanguard and a new one. The last time I saw one it was under
$400.00 new.
You should be able to sell yours for $300.00 +
Something to think about.
J E CUSTOM
Mxracer532
Well-Known Member
Its the caliber i want. Was just curious if it would be worth swapping to have the heavy barrel.
J E Custom
Well-Known Member
A heavy barrel can be a little more accurate than a light barrel some times but normally they are
just more forgiving with different ammo where as the light barrels need more load development
to find the right load.
If it shoots good, don,t mess with it.
J E CUSTOM
In your opinion is it possible to re-thead the receiver to a standard thread with out running into a problem.
Cliff
J E Custom
Well-Known Member
There are two ways to rebarrel a Vanguard. One is to lock in the lead screw on the thread pitch
and never unlock it until completed. (You must turn the lathe by hand)
The other method is to find a thread pitch that is very close to the metric threads pitch,
set up in the middle of the metric thread in the receiver( This cuts the error in half)
You want to reduce the error by only .004 or .005 thousandths and by setting up in the middle of
the action threads you are only cutting one side of the threads going in and the other side going out.
This way you will end up with a standard thread pitch without removing to much of the receiver threads.
The barrel can then be threaded to fit the receiver threads.
This is very tricky but it saves cutting to much out of the receiver ring by removing all of the metric
threads and re-threading to a standard thread.
Shortgrass can cut you a metric thread (He has a setup for this) you can PM him or maybe he will
chime in.
J E CUSTOM
Thanks, I have a 300WBY Vanguard and have been pondering how to handle a re-barrel if I ever shoot it enough to need it, or if I should just sell it now and buy what i need. I really like the actions, they just don't come with a barrel I like.
My thinking was that the material lost in the receiver by cleaning out all or maybe the majority of the thread would be offset by the larger diameter of the barrel thread, thus no loss in strength, but not having knowledge in that area I have no idea of the problems that could arise.
Cliff
My thinking was that the material lost in the receiver by cleaning out all or maybe the majority of the thread would be offset by the larger diameter of the barrel thread, thus no loss in strength, but not having knowledge in that area I have no idea of the problems that could arise.
Cliff
shortgrass
Well-Known Member
Re-thread the receiver for an inch thread? I wouldn't. Haven't a good reason why, except maybe the cost of such a task. I think, without stopping to make measurements (and I don't have a Howa or Vanguard in the shop at the moment), a fair amount of material would need to be removed to accomplish it. My experience with metrics tells me it'd be more than just "trueing" threads. Thread the new barrel for the metric thread, and be done with it. The simplest solution is usually the best solution.
Hired Gun
Well-Known Member
If a smith tells you he can't handle the job due to equipment limitations then simply pick up the phone and find someone who will. All the modern lathes cut metric easy. Vangards are a fine action for custom builds with a few advantages over the Rem 700 platform. I personally never gave it a thought that metric was ever an issue for other smiths. Measure the thread count, flip the levers to that setting and thread away. Just another day.
J E Custom
Well-Known Member
Sorry, The lead screw is in inch threads. and just simply setting to the thread pitch will not work
because when you disengage the lead screw it will not pick up in the same spot.
That is why once you start with the pitch that matches the metric thread pitch you cannot dis engage
the Inch thread lead screw.
Yes it will cut the same pitch but it will start in a different place each time.
A true Metric Lathe has a duel lead screw or a metric lead screw.
Very few Gunsmiths have a metric lathe because there is just not enough work to justify the cost
of one.
J E CUSTOM
