Remage Hybrid build (range report update)

[JLA]

I got the call from Jim Briggs yesterday afternoon. My barrel and recoil lug will be here thrusday. That gives me 2 days to get the action ready for it and if all goes well I'll be shooting this monster friday morning.

I thought some of you guys might like to see how a semi custom rifle build goes. So here we go. Ill document it every step of the way and do my best to explain what im doing.

Step 1 is to remove the factory barrel from the action. They make barrel vices for this purpose, but i find a heavy mechanics vice on my homemade floor stand gives me more leverage. I do use the barrel vice blocks and powdered rosin for rem 700s.

Tools you need to debarrel an action are simple.. Wheeler action wrench 2 (for rem 700s and savages) some masking tape, an adjustable wrench, a hammer, the oak barrel blocks and powdered rosin and the vice, and of course your barreled action. The set up below is how I do rem 700s. Savages require a bit of a different setup.

Remington is notorious for putting their barrels on with about a million ft lbs of torque so you gotta smash the blocks in there good and dont be stingy with the rosin. Once you have it all set up and youre ready to remove the barrel give it a good shove and see if it will break lose. It probably wont so this is where the hammer comes in. just give the end of the handle on the action wrench a good sharp blow. I used a 15 oz ball peen, a 3 lb sledge would have been a better choice.

[JLA]

The reason for the masking tape is so the action wrench doesnt mar the action. You gotta clamp it in there tight and it will remove the finish if you dont put something between it.

Some guys use brass shims. I find a couple layers of masking tape work well.

Once you have the barrel off the action its time to clean it up. I used carb cleaner and rem oil to degrease and degunk, and a couple brass wire brushes to clean the barrel threads in the action and the action face.

Also i took a couple of before pics of the lugs in the action. you cant really see them because they are finished the same as the action, but itll give you a comparison for the after results when I lap them.

[JLA]

Then I took the action to the bench to look it over real close.

I disassembled the bolt with my trusty homemade rem 700 bolt disassembly tool and got it set up for lapping. You never want to lap an assembeld bolt, especially with a lapping fixture like the brownells fixute I have. You need the ejector out and the firing pin out. you dont want that pin inadvertently getting dropped on the hardened steel pusher on the fixture, one of the 2 will break and it prolly wont be the fixture.

Notice how the lugs brighten as they are lapped. Im looking for even removal across the entire width and length of the lugs. You want at least 80% contact. I lapped these to 100%.

[JLA]

Watch the back of the lugs brighten as lapping removes the factory finish. (if the bolt was stainless to start you would use layout fluid on each pass)

[JLA]

And finally a shot from the inside to show the lugs in the reciever show full engagement as well.

[JLA]

And this is where im at now.

I am going to take a chance on this action and not do much more than lap the lugs square to the barrel threads. It shot sub MOA with the factory barrel to begin with. It just had a problem with heat related stringing. If I fired a shot every 5 minutes it would put a whole box of factory rem corelokt into a 3/4" group at 100 yds and I had it shooting 1/2 MOA with handloads in HDY brass. Anyhow, all im doing is cleaning it up and lapping the lugs, then im going to adjust the trigger down and anxiously await the barrel.

My hopes is for another 1/4 MOA shooter that i can shoot a string of 10 fairly quickly without heat related stringing.

The stock Im using for this build is a hogue pillar bed stock with a bull barrel channel. I am going to epoxy bed the lug to the stock and ensure the barrel is floated with at least .100" clearance.

[JLA]

Much more to come.

[Airdale]

Very Cool. How about some details on the build?

Thanks for the pics (looking forward to more). I've been delayed because I didn't get the 1/4" machine screw with my wrench. Drove 40 miles yesterday when the guy in town would only sell me 100 of 'em at a time but I finally ended up with three just in case I lose one.

Good to know Jim's in 'cause I haven't been able to get ahold of him and he didn't return my call. Just want to make sure of the proper proceedure so I don't screw up the action. Guess I'll try again tomorrow.

[JLA]

Details..

Rem 700 action converted to Savage barrel nut
.243 winchester, CBI hand lapped match grade 8 twist 26" varmint contour w/ 11* crown
Hogue Varmint stock in forrest green, pillar bedded.
Nikon 4.5-14X40 w/ BDC in a DNZ Gamereaper
And topped off with one of Jons handmade slings.

I have done the savages airdale. Feel free to PM me. They are easier than the rem 700s.

[Airdale]

Thanks alot, that's really a relief. If I can't get him in the morning I'll be sending you a PM.

Anxious to see how the "Remage" turns out.

Thanks agian JLA.

[JLA]

No sweat Airdale. It would be my pleasure to talk you thru the process. Theres really nuttn to it.

[H-D]

Awesome I cant wait for Thursday

[JLA]

me either. im jonezin over here..

[JLA]

Todays efforts consisted of debarreling the savage to use the action ring as a guide for cutting the recoil lug key hole. I photographed the process for you guys.

[JLA]

I also ordered a new recoil lug for the savage too so I need it apart anyway. And while i had both torn down i went ahead and slightly countersunk all the screw holes in the action so theres no chance of a bur effecting the scope bases or the bedding, and also so theres no chance of cross threading an action/scope base screw. (I.E. it wasnt really necessary but i was bored and am just justifying it..)

made a quick template off the savage action, then stuck it to the rem action and cut the key notch CAREFULLY with my dremel. I made the cut iundersized and finished it with a file. ill finish it completely when the recoil lugs get here tomorrow. Ill have to address the savage key hole too, its a little out of square.

[JLA]

Cutting the recoil lug key is best done by a 'smith on a mill. But I have about 10 years experience messing stuff up with a dremel so I was rather comfortable taking the job on.

Just be careful if you decide to take a job like this on with a dremel. With an action you only get 1 shot, screw up and its new gun time..

And I must stress the importance of undercutting the hole and finishing with a file.

[JLA]

I also prepped the stock for the bedding at the recoil lug. I take pics of that tomorrow when i get set up to do it.

[gdmoody]

Josh, silly questions. On the first set of pics it looks like the barrel is in the vice and on the next to the last set, it looks like the action is in the vice.

Do you tighten the vice on the receiver or the barrel?

If you tighten the vise on the barrel, what did you use to keep from marring the barrel and keep it from turning in the vice?

Is that where the wood blocks come in and how did you make the wood hold the barrel?

What is powdered rosin and how is it used?

Which way do you turn the action? To the right or to the left?

Sorry for all the questions, but in the next couple of months I am going to attempt to remove an M1 barrel form its receiver and really don't know how to start. I do not own any "gunsmithing" tools. I will probably be using a big vice and pipe wrench or a great big old railroaders adjustable wrench.

I am finding this thread educational.

[JLA]

Originally Posted by gdmoody

Josh, silly questions. On the first set of pics it looks like the barrel is in the vice and on the next to the last set, it looks like the action is in the vice.
Good eye George. In the first set of pics I set it up the way i normally do a rem 700 actions, which is the correct way and they usually come off that way. but after nearly crushing the oak blocks trying to keep the barrel from turning i had to clamp the action wrench in the vice and use a pipewrench on the barrel. The threads in this particular reciever are very tight cut and rem put some gunky lookin thread dope on it too which ive not seen. Usually its std. antisieze

Do you tighten the vice on the receiver or the barrel?
for rem 700s you clamp the barrel in the oak blocks into the vice, for savages you clamp the action wrench in teh vice and use the barrel nut
If you tighten the vise on the barrel, what did you use to keep from marring the barrel and keep it from turning in the vice?
Oak blocks and powdered rosin

Is that where the wood blocks come in and how did you make the wood hold the barrel?
The wood blocks are Oak barrel blocks from wheeler engineering, you put a little pinch of powdered rosin in the cradle of each block and clamp it toght on the barrel
What is powdered rosin and how is it used?
Powdered rosin is groud up rosin (like violin bow rosin) it makes the wood grip the barrel without marring the finish

Which way do you turn the action? To the right or to the left?
All ive ever done is mausers, savages and rem 700s and they have all been lefty loosey righty tighty

Sorry for all the questions, but in the next couple of months I am going to attempt to remove an M1 barrel form its receiver and really don't know how to start. I do not own any "gunsmithing" tools. I will probably be using a big vice and pipe wrench or a great big old railroaders adjustable wrench.
Be careful George, I had to use a big pipewrench on the factory rem 700 barrel on this one and it marred it pretty good. Its fixable on a lathe but itll loose some of its OD over the chamber. Go to youtube and search removing an M1 barrel. When i first started i found youtube very helpful with hands on visual aide. Good luck George!

I am finding this thread educational.

[JLA]

Also George, having just re-read your questions, the next to last set of pics in post #14 I was pulling the barrel on my savage. The first set of pics I was pulling the barrel on my remington. Its the same general procedure except on a savage you have a barrel nut and barrel nut wrench so you clamp the action wrench with the barreled action in it into the vice and turn the barrel nut to loosen the barrel.

Factory rem 700s dont have a barrel nut, the barrel is shouldered and jammed intot he recoil lug and reciever really tight. so to remove one of those you have to clamp the barrel in a pair of barrel blocks with some powdered rosin and turn the action to loosen.

I much prefer the savage way of barreling and setting headspace, but I much prefer the rem 700 action over the savage action, hence the reason Im doing the remage conversion on my fav rem 700 so i can have the best of both in a sweet shootn rig.

[Albtraum]

Looking good! Just wondering, what is this Rem-age chambered in?

You mention your accuracy decreasing due to firing 10 shots in succession and heat stringing occurs. What did you do to prevent this? Or is that fixed completely by going from the thin sporter contour barrel to the heavy bull SS barrel?

[JLA]

.243 winchester reamed with a long leade and rifled with a faster twist for heavy 6mm bullets.

The heat related stringing was rectified by not shooting fast. If i let the bore cool for a couple minutes between shots theyd group rather nicely.

Usually a heavier barrel will withstand sucessive shots longer than a thin sporter and wont show heat related stringing nearly as quickly. All barrels eventually secumb to heat and begin to string shots. the fat ones just take longer to get there. The factory rem 700 sporter barrel would put 2 shots onside each other and the third would be an inch away. If i cooled 3 minutes between each shot I could put 20 inside 3/4 inches at 100 yds every time and on a good day it would give me 1/2s. My hopes by going with a heavier longer barrel is to get the same or better results but be able to do it in quicker succession, and then of course allow the barrel to cool before another string.

Just another way for a gun nut to drop a few hundred bucks on shooting small groups..

[JLA]

Juat as promised. The barrel arrived with this thursday afternoon.

[accident]

Josh, I just wanted to say thanks for going thru the trouble of posting this for us.Unlike a magazine article,the wording is in laymans terms and the pictures are clear as a bell.Anytime you feel or have the time to post a repair or whatever it is you are doing on a gun I'll sure study and enjoy it!!! THANKS again Joe

[JLA]

First thing i did was look everything over and make sure it was as ordered. And it was, so I began putting things together.

I made sure the key recess in the reciever face would accept the lug key without bottoming out and it did after a few file strokes.

Then I clamped the action back into the action wrench and clamped it in the vice and rounded up all my tools to install the barrel.

Once I was set to go I smeared a light coat of moly lithium grease on the barrel threads to prevent galling and started the barrel into the action a few turns.

Then I inserted my manson go guage for .243 and closed the bolt. Then I turned the barrel down onto the guage with hand pressure and started the barrel nut against the reciever.

Once I had the barrel nut snug I pulled the guage and placed a piece of scotch tape on the back of it (scotch tape measures .002") which turns a standard go guage into a tight no-go (difference between go and no go is .004").

The bolt wouldnt close on the taped guage so I torqued down the barrel nut.

Now my remage .243 has headspace in the .000" to .002" range, which is excellent. Makes for accurate shooting and long case life.