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Look what I got

4K views 33 replies 12 participants last post by  NovaHunter 
#1 ·
I've had this for a few weeks, thought I'd finally share.



Don't know when it's going on her. It was just the first step to buy a blank.
 
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#3 ·
Sticking with .308. Talked to Okran a while back about choices and his questions guided me back to .308. Plus I do love the round.

It will be nice to have a normal spec chamber and a faster twist.
 
#11 ·
I need to talk to my Smith about the chamber, I'll be happy with Sammi spec's really. He's a record holding bench rest shooter himself, so I trust his judgement.

I did consider it, but after some research I found its not any harder to change out shouldered barrels vs but systems. Plus with the nut, you out some slop in the mating surfaces between the action nut and barrel.
 
#12 ·
The Reamer's I mentioned are still SAAMI spec, they're just ground to minimum rather to whatever falls into the "range". On my fired brass you can lay a straight edge on the side of the case and NO bulge in the last 1/4 inch like most rifles show. Like I said, makes for nice brass life and has no effect on accuracy.
 
#13 ·
I realize you guys are more versed in this stuff than I am, but I wanted to think out loud since we're on the switch barrel subject.

I had originally wanted to do a switch barrel with an extra 700 action I had laying around. I contacted a few of the top smiths in the country to ask their opinion of truing it or going custom. 3 out of 4 of them told me for a switch barrel I should really consider an integral lug style custom action and that it was superior for this use when compared to pinning a lug on a 700.

Why that is I am not terribly sure, but I didn't want to abuse the resource and simply took them at their word, particularly considering I got a similar response from the majority. People do them on 700s all the time and they're bughole rifles no doubt. Just thought I'd share and maybe learn something in the process.
 
#15 ·
Its not that it can't be done with a trued 700 and pinned recoil lug, its just better to start with a solid machined piece. Your only have to worry about two surfaces matting, not 4. It just insures that the recoil lug never slips out of position.
 
#18 ·
Its not that it can't be done with a trued 700 and pinned recoil lug, its just better to start with a solid machined piece. Your only have to worry about two surfaces matting, not 4. It just insures that the recoil lug never slips out of position.
When properly pinned there is NO movement. If the hole is drilled through lug and into action when held in a fixture, and the pin is driven in place with a slight interference fit in both action and lug, movement is not an option. Even removal of the lug can be a problem if and when it's tried. A surface ground lug, both sides parallel, on a trued action, and held in place by a properly torqued barrel won't suffer from lug movement.

Yes, it is 'nicer' to start with a Defiance, Surgeon, BAT, etc, action with integral lug as they say, sometimes "it's not in your network".

FWIW, if the action is trued, the lug surface ground, and the rifle has a true (to bore axis) shoulder, the only issue with a recoil lug moving is that it then becomes a problem putting it back in the stock that was bedded for it in another position. In a perfect world the barrel is machined with a shoulder that mates with the ID of the lug and threads begin just before the tenon leaves the lug. This is easier if the lug is a nice thick one (.250"). This all translates into more machine work which adds to the cost of the job but does it exceed the increased price of the integral lug actions? Depends on who's charging what.
 
#16 ·
Congratulations on the new barrel!

As to the reamer, the bullet ogive-to-shank profile ends up determining the leade angle and the depth of the throat, while the diameter of the neck is dependent on how clean the ammo being cycled is. Benchrest clean ammo can use tight specs (0.001 diametrical clearance), tactical ammo should use looser specs (no tighter than 0.339).
Some of the guys shooting really long bullets are using leade angles less than 1º. PALMA95 was 1º45', Bisley 1º30'.

Enjoy the journey.
 
#17 ·
In my opinion...forget about which reamer to use. Just send the barrel and action to Travis and let him work his magic. Whatever reamer he used on my DTA works wonders.
 
#19 ·
Thats a awful small hole and pin to go through the face of a 700 action. Yes when done right it should never move. It is though after all two parts, it can move. It may not, but it can. Now a action that is one solid piece will never move.

Both work, one way is just better.
 
#21 ·
I guess that's why you see some lugs with 2 and 3 pins to increase that solidity.
I think we're all in agreement that an integral lug is the best way but there IS a premium to be paid in the form of significantly extra cost.


Remember also that the "clamping pressure" exerted on all mating surfaces of the action, lug, and barrel, is in TONS. Yes, only 100 lbs of torque (factory value) but when you consider the mechanical advantage provided by the screw threads, ----- Tons.

Just look at the clamping force generated by the action screws against a pillar or action block. 65 in lbs of torque works out to around 1200 lbs of clamping force. Now compare those fasteners to what is possible with a barrel torqued to 5-1/2 times that of an action screw.

In the end it all boils down to what the owner wants and what they can (or will) pay for.
 
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