Gunsmithing how much $ to mount and headspace

[anthonylapoint]

I have 2 rifles, a Remington 700 and a Savage Model 10. The old 700 got a lightly used SPS barrel and the Savage is getting a lightly used Hart 6X barrel. Both barrels have been already mounted to the same actions as mine before I purchased them and the Hart barrel came with the recoil lug.

My question is, how much can I expect the gunsmith to charge me since they really shouldnt require much to headspace them. I have my 700 back, it took the smith 5 months (dont ask) to headspace but didnt only require a little gunsmithing to mount and headspace. The Savage with the 6X is still there , 7 months, and as far as I know its the same story, not much is going to be needed to mount.

Im hoping a good price because they have had it so long but if I have a ruff idea of what I SHOULD pay, all things considered like a 7 month wait, ill have a good leg to stand on. The smith refuses to quote me a price.

Thanks guys

 

[PraetorianArms]

Re: how much $ to mount and headspace

I would be leary of any smith who refuses to quote a price to headspace a rifle.

A quote is just that. Its like going to a mechanic, if the mechanic discovers a problem with your car in addition to the original work, they call and ask what you want to do.

 

[skog]

Re: how much $ to mount and headspace

Savage should be the easy one if it uses a barrel nut. The remington is more indepth but you already have that one back.

 

[anthonylapoint]

Re: how much $ to mount and headspace

Exactly what I was thinking, the longer he goes without giving me a price, the more I feel like he's gonna try and screw me.

The Savage is loosing the barrel nut with the Hart barrel but its threaded and headspaced on a previous Savage action.

 

[PraetorianArms]

Re: how much $ to mount and headspace

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SavageMOA</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Exactly what I was thinking, the longer he goes without giving me a price, the more I feel like he's gonna try and screw me.

The Savage is loosing the barrel nut with the Hart barrel but its threaded and headspaced on a previous Savage action. </div></div>

Well putting a barrel on another action doesnt always go on smoothly, any differences will either require increasing the depth of the bore, or removing material from the action thread face, and potentially cutting new threads, which requires chasing old threads, which is a pain in the ass.

But he should still be able to tell you what he will need to do, then give you a price based on that.

 

[Beef_Supreme]

Re: how much $ to mount and headspace

Actually bore depth will remain the same, but the chamber may need to be deepened a little

Shouldn't require much else if it is a factory barrel, but I insure it will be a bit snug because I will atleast dress the receiver face and surface grind the recoil lug. Worst case is that I have to push the bolt counterbore forward a few thousandths. Being an SPS barrel there will be no sights or holes to index, so it is pretty straight forward work and is no big deal.
The Savage should be a quick job, either he is stalling, lazy, or doesn't know what he is doing. Often times all of the above.

 

[PraetorianArms]

Re: how much $ to mount and headspace

lol I meant the chamber....

you would have serious problems if the bore wasnt deep enough...

 

[dmg308]

Re: how much $ to mount and headspace

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Praetorian Arms</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I would be leary of any smith who refuses to quote a price to headspace a rifle.

A quote is just that. Its like going to a mechanic, if the mechanic discovers a problem with your car in addition to the original work, they call and ask what you want to do.

</div></div>

That would be an estimate.A quote is an actual price for said work.

 

[beretta989]

Re: how much $ to mount and headspace

The smith I talked to in Aberdeen SD said 125$$ kinda high in my book.

 

[Keith Johns]

Re: how much $ to mount and headspace

<span style="color: #000099">The Savage barrel you sent him... is it cut/designed to use a barrel nut? Cause if so, how can it be used <span style="font-style: italic">without</span> a barrel nut? There's no shoulder...
If it DOES have a shoulder and was NOT set up to use the barrel nut, then its pretty much the same as the Remington set back.</span>

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SavageMOA</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The Savage is loosing the barrel nut with the Hart barrel but its threaded and headspaced on a previous Savage action. </div></div>
If it used a barrel nut on the previous action, it cant be used without the barrel nut because there's no shoulder on the barrel. The nut was the shoulder before.



We charge $150 for a "set back"
And if those barrels came off different actions, they probably need to be set back.

 

[jsthntn247]

Re: how much $ to mount and headspace

Just had a friend do this for me this weekend. Gun was a 1990''s model 22-250 with 26" varmint barrel. I wanted a 20" 308 and found a new take off from a aacd. All we did was unscrew the old barrel and screw the new one on. It didn't headspace correctly at first so he ground off several thousandths off the recoil lug until the go gauge would not close with a single piece of tape but would with no tape. Took about 30 minutes. We didn't set back anything or chase threads.

 

[Keith Johns]

Re: how much $ to mount and headspace

How'd the counterbore dimensions measure up? Might be pretty tight after grinding the lug and not touching anything else.

 

[2156SMK]

Re: how much $ to mount and headspace

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Keith Johns</div><div class="ubbcode-body">How'd the counterbore dimensions measure up?
Might be pretty tight after grinding the lug and not touching anything else. </div></div>

In my experience of doing 700 barrel swaps and fine tweaking the headspace via lug thickness, the un-molested barrel and action were usually within 0.002" or so on the headspace spec with the factory lug.
There was usually 0.015" clearance between bolt nose and lugs to the respective areas on the barrel.
So, when I tightened up headspace by say 0.003", I still have 0.012" of clearance.
That's still more clearance than I leave when I re-barrel a gun with a high end barrel.

 

[Keith Johns]

Re: how much $ to mount and headspace

Is .015" pretty consistent?

I haven't measured what Remingtons gap is before. I didn't think they'd let it be over .010" for fear of lawsuits and stuff. I figured they'd rather have it rub(tight) than have too big a gap.

 

[2156SMK]

Re: how much $ to mount and headspace

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Keith Johns</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Is .015" pretty consistent?

I haven't measured what Remingtons gap is before. I didn't think they'd let it be over .010" for fear of lawsuits and stuff. I figured they'd rather have it rub(tight) than have too big a gap.
</div></div>

Start measuring it yourself every time you get a factory gun in to re-build.
Use my handy 700 print to keep your records: www.700barrels.com/stuff/700dimensions.pdf

I have done a similar thing by documenting the profiles, weights and gas ports of every type and manufacture of AR-15 barrels for 10 years now.
235 drawings later, I know a LOT about how different companies make their barrels...

 

[jsthntn247]

Re: how much $ to mount and headspace

Bedded the rifle Wednesday and went to the range yesterday. Gun shot the 168's with 44-45 grains of Varget all under .5" with best groups in the .35" range. Measured headspace on the gauge and it was right around .002, Good enough for me.