Barrel nut systems for bolt actions

[Camus]

[ar15barrels]

Yes, as long as the stock will clear the nut.
Most milsurps don't have clearance for a nut.
A nut can not be used on any barrel where you have indexed features so any barrel with sights or hardware cuts/notches on it is a no-go.
The nut also makes the barrel to receiver junction more flexible than a shouldered barrel and causes more trouble getting the headspace correct during installation.

[Camus]

[ar15barrels]

What I’ve been mulling over, my first high power hunting rifle is a Remington made 1903a3. The barrel has long since been shot out. It’s been a safe queen for the past dozen years as I was given a BLR in 30-06, but I would like to get the 1903a3 back into action. I like the idea of the barrel nut system as I hunt several different geological areas. I hunt the Trinity Alps, Humboldt Mountains and the PNW coastal range. But I get invited to hunt the wider open ranges of the mid western states which require longer ranges. I would like to be able to switch barrels accordingly from 20 inch to 24 inch barrels when needed.

It is easier to switch barrels without a nut system.
The purpose of the nut system is to reduce manufacturing costs.
By having the nut, headspace is adjustable so that the tolerances for chamber length do not matter when making the receivers, barrels and bolts.
Only the least expensive mass produced bolt guns come from the factory with a barrel nut system.
Higher quality guns all have shouldered barrels because the shoulder is better than a nut.

Shouldered barrels will require the barrel to be machined for correct headspace for a specific action and bolt.
If you want to swap back and forth, it's easier to just unscrew one shouldered barrel and screw in another shouldered barrel until it's tight.
All you need is a barrel vise and an action wrench.

With a barrel nut system, you need a barrel vise, action wrench and headspace gauges and you have to set the barrel into the receiver very carefully to get the headspace correct.

I will guess that your 03a3 is scoped and that you do not need iron sights on it because you can't get a barrel nut type barrel with iron sights.

[Camus]

[Scota4570]

The nut would only work on actions that don't have an extractor cut.

IF you have a cut, mauser, 'O3, Pre64 M70, and so on I don't see the point. IF you have a Savage post 64, M70 then it sounds fine. ...Except you want the bolt end play to be reasonable.

I am not sure what is being achieved. IF it is eliminating the need for a finish reamer, then PAC-Nor can fill that bill with a long chamber. You turn the shoulder back to make the head space correct.

[flustercuck]

It is easier to switch barrels without a nut system.
...
Shouldered barrels will require the barrel to be machined for correct headspace for a specific action and bolt.

You're contradicting yourself with these two statements...I don't see how it is easier to swap barrels when machining is involved

Adjusting headspace with a barrel nut system is so easy it's ridiculous.

[ar15barrels]

You're contradicting yourself with these two statements...I don't see how it is easier to swap barrels when machining is involved

Adjusting headspace with a barrel nut system is so easy it's ridiculous.

AFTER the machining is complete, it's far easier to swap barrels because the correct headspace is machined into the barrel.
ALL barrels have to be machined, even barrel nut barrels.
How else did the hole, rifling, threads and chamber get put on the steel bar?

Not everyone finds it easy or wants to buy all the necessary tools.
I have 100+ customers that have brought their guns to me for me to do it for them over the years.

[jimmykan]

If you want a "modular" rifle, you can still do that with shouldered barrels.

I have tried barrel nut switch-barrels, e.g. Savage and Remage, and I have tried shouldered switch-barrels. It's a toss-up: each style has it's own advantages/disadvantages and different set of tools required to swap barrels.

The barrel nut switch barrels are cheaper in that you can buy them for around the same price as a top-tier barrel blank about $300 to $350, and for factory take-off Savage barrels much less, even.

The barrel blank used to make a shoulder barrel would require further threading and chambering which costs about $250 to $300 on top of the cost of the blank. For the price of a gunsmith-chambered barrel blank, you can almost buy two Remage barrels.

For either switch barrel method, you will need a way to hold down the rifle receiver while you switch barrels. A receiver wrench or receiver vise cost anywhere from $60 to $150. Northland Shooters Supply (the company that sells Remage barrels) sells one for Remington 700 and Savage actions for $60. There is an optional insert called the Taper Loc for the NSS action wrench that keeps the recoil lug aligned while you tighten down the barrel nut ($30).

Then for a barrel nut barrel, you also will need the barrel nut wrench ($20) + torque wrench ($40) + headspace GO/NOGO gages ($60). So you are looking at about $180 to $210 in tools to switch barrel-nut style barrels on your own.

For a shoulder barrel, you will need a barrel wrench or vise. No torque wrench or headspace gages are necessary, because the gunsmith will have set the headspace already and punched witness marks on the receiver and barrel. Tighten the barrel down until the marks line up, and you're done.

A ready-made barrel vise and aluminum bushing from Brownells cost about $100. If you wanna get it done for cheaper, you can make your own barrel bushing from wood to use in your existing bench vise. Take a block of wood that will fit in your bench vise jaws, and drill a 1.25" hole into it. Then saw it in half through the hole's axis to make two C-shaped halves. Use powdered rosin on the barrel/bushing interface to keep the barrel from slipping while you torque it down. So you are looking at about $90 to $190 in tools to switch shoulder barrels on your own.

[flustercuck]

AFTER the machining is complete

alright, well that's a big step that shouldn't be left out. Swapping in a pre-fit barrel does not require any machining and with a barrel nut system, all you need are go and no-go gauges...

[Fjold]

The nut would only work on actions that don't have an extractor cut.

IF you have a cut, mauser, 'O3, Pre64 M70, and so on I don't see the point. IF you have a Savage post 64, M70 then it sounds fine. ...Except you want the bolt end play to be reasonable.

I am not sure what is being achieved. IF it is eliminating the need for a finish reamer, then PAC-Nor can fill that bill with a long chamber. You turn the shoulder back to make the head space correct.

You're almost right.

The post 64, Classic action M70 will not work because it has the notch for the claw extractor. Any gun without an external (CRF) extractor will work with a barrel nut, Savages, Remington 700, 788, etc.

If you get a barrel with a long chamber you have to cut the shoulder and the shank.

[ar15barrels]

The barrel nut switch barrels are cheaper in that you can buy them for around the same price as a top-tier barrel blank about $300 to $350,

Keep in mind these are typically $150 class blanks with $200 worth of machining to make them a complete barrel.
It's really not that much more for having a blank gunsmith fitted to a reciever when you realize what quality level you are getting with any of the barrel nut barrels.
The additional cost of headspace gauges and a wrench to do it yourself more than covers the difference in cost of a gunsmith fitting a blank vs the barrel nut machining when you are comparing equal quality barrel blanks.
There is no comparison in quality between a $350 barrel nut barrel and a $350 bartlein blank.

So much like you can buy 2 barrel nut barrels for the price of one installed bartlein barrel, you can also buy 2 Shaw barrel blanks for the price of one Bartlein blank.

The people that are concerned with the cost of gunsmithing to put a great barrel blank on their receiver are simply not the type of people who can appreciate what you get with a premium quality barrel blank that's truly fitted to a specific action.
A lot of people simply don't need that sort of quality that comes with a high end fitted barrel blank.
Look at how many people are happy with stock barrels...

[flustercuck]

* Factory barrels are generally crap and are one of the easiest ways for a manufacture to cut costs.
* Pre-fit barrels are way better than factory and can actually hold their own in competition. Barrel-nut designs make swapping a breeze.
* Custom barrels are the top of the line and this is what you want if you're competing at a very high level, because hey...you're sponsored.

For me it's a matter of convenience. I have a distinct lack of gunsmiths in my area and I don't feel like waiting 6 months to ship a barrel out to be machined when I can, within a few minutes, swap in a prefit barrel capable of half moa or better...

[Fjold]

Hart, Shilen, Douglas, Criterian (Krieger), Pacnor, McGowan, Douglas and others, make pre-fit Savage barrels.

[highpower790]

alright, well that's a big step that shouldn't be left out. Swapping in a pre-fit barrel does not require any machining and with a barrel nut system, all you need are go and no-go gauges...

Shhh,keep the genie in the bottle.