Gunsmithing Tikka barrel removal, what happened here?

[wareagle700]

I've heard Tikka barrels were tight but wasn't expecting this. After breaking the action free, it took considerable effort to unscrew all the way off. Anybody ever seen anything like this with Tikka? Im leaning towards something going wrong during assembly at the factory and they just muscled it on thinking it would never be taken off.

 

[DisplacedTexan]

I've heard Tikka barrels were tight but wasn't expecting this. After breaking the action free, it took considerable effort to unscrew all the way off. Anybody ever seen anything like this with Tikka? Im leaning towards something going wrong during assembly at the factory and they just muscled it on thinking it would never be taken off.

Pictures are dead links.

 

[wareagle700]

Ah, thanks. They were showing for me, not sure of the best way to post from imgur. Should be working now.

 

[jet_lagged]

Looks like the first 2 turns of the threads galled onto the action, so really just a function of not having antisieze on them. The normal absurd amount of torque that Sako uses is a different story.

 

[hafejd30]

I know nothing about the way Tikka threads line up with scope base screws. So take this guess for what is worth.

But could the front scope base screws protrude enough to contact the threads? Thus unscrewing the barrel as it rubs against a base screw

I know some savage guys have done this with the front screws still in the base

 

[wareagle700]

On the Tikka the front base screw isn't on top of threads. That was my first thought when we heard the crunching sound.

 

[PAYDIRT]

Can you imagine the comments if that was a Remington?

 

[DAVETOOLEY]

What kind of action wrench did you use?

 

[Steel head]

Ouch!

 

[Clearlight]

^^ Very good question Dave. My Smith here in Aus has made an action tool to be
a perfect fit, with the action supported across a large % of its length. With the
barrel firmly clamped to a heavy bench bolted to the floor. 3 foot breaker bar,
lightly preload the bar to take up slack and then a hard snap with the other hand
to crack the action off. Gradual loading the breaker bar doesn’t seem to work as well.

 

[DAVETOOLEY]

I know nothing about the way Tikka threads line up with scope base screws. So take this guess for what is worth.

But could the front scope base screws protrude enough to contact the threads? Thus unscrewing the barrel as it rubs against a base screw

I know some savage guys have done this with the front screws still in the base

Not the front screw but maybe the next one. One of life's lessons. I always tighten the front screw finger tight. Then see if the base still moves. If it does, shorten the screw.

 

[DAVETOOLEY]

^^ Very good question Dave. My Smith here in Aus has made an action tool to be
a perfect fit, with the action supported across a large % of its length. With the
barrel firmly clamped to a heavy bench bolted to the floor. 3 foot breaker bar,
lightly preload the bar to take up slack and then a hard snap with the other hand
to crack the action off. Gradual loading the breaker bar doesn’t seem to work as well.

interior or exterior/

 

[Clearlight]

Interior, but I think ideally a close fitting exterior sleeve arrangement would be even better.

 

[DAVETOOLEY]

Exterior would add pressure on the threads. Maybe to the point of galling the threads. I've got a big honken piece of steel that is an exterior wrench. I'm waiting for the time the treads gall from compressing the action..

 

[salks]

I talked to a guy at tikka once . He told me they heat the actions then thread on the barrels making them a shink fit.

 

[wareagle700]

This was a exterior wrench, not clamped real tight. We even moved it around thinking it may be pinching on the threads.

The attached picture is how we got the barrels back on. The last 3 threads were so bad they wouldn't clean up. Almost lost an action.

 

[dustingaunder]

Yikes. I’ve never seen that.

 

[wade2big]

Ive pulled the barrel on three Tikkas and one Sako TRG. I clamp the barrel right in front of the shoulder and use an outside action wrench and grab the action as close to the union as well. The Tikkas take a whack with the palm of my hand to break free while the Sako TRG took a couple moderate whacks with a rubber mallet. They all broke very easily. In my small sample, only the very last thread near the shoulder of the barrel was slightly rough. Just smoothed out with a small file. Wouldn’t need to do that but did for insurance.

@wareagle700 did you possibly overtorque the action wrench when clamping your action. I snug the bolts by hand andvery lightly bump the clamping bolts with a wrench. The flats keep the action from spinning. All you do with the bolts on the action wrench is take out the slack. Anymore than that will put unnecessary and damaging pressure on the threads of the action and barrel and could cause galling like you experienced.

Are your action threads damaged? I can’t tell by the photos using my phone?

EDIT: i missed your post just above mine. You answered my questions there.

 

[hafejd30]

Not the front screw but maybe the next one. One of life's lessons. I always tighten the front screw finger tight. Then see if the base still moves. If it does, shorten the screw.

i do the same

 

[dustingaunder]

The tikka barrel I sent you was by far the hardest one I’ve ever pulled. Most of them are like wade said. One good whack and it’s free. That bad boy was tight but completely free one it broke loose. I’m like you, I think it was tight when it went together and tight fits with SS really tend to gall if no lube is used. I always use lots of grease fitting SS actions onto SS barrels.

 

[dustingaunder]

The action threads look pretty beat too. Did you run a 1-16 tap in there to clean it up?

 

[wareagle700]

@dustingaunder

Didn't have the tap, that was the plan. However, the barrel you sent me went on with some grease and encouragement. It cleaned up the receiver threads enough.

 

[Cuda-dude]

Wow! Surprised to see this.

 

[mtnhunter22]

Knew they were on tight but haven’t seen anything like this