Barrel torque question

[Firearrow]

I have a stiller predator action that I am having the cerekote taken off, will be melonited/nitride, and then re-cerekoted. I was having a hell of a time breaking the barrel and action loose and I contacted the gunsmith that built the rifle for me and said that he torques his barrels/actions on at 100 ft/lbs. I know what the minimum and max torque specs are, and common since would dictate that if I do not want my headspacing to change I should re-torque the barrel back to 100ft/lbs.

So my question is is there any reason why I should not re-torque it back to 100 ft/lbs, and if I only did 80 ft/lbs would that really effect my headspacing?

And, any special grease I should put on the threads?

Thanks

 

[JuddL]

If it's a magnum some manufacturers say to torque to 100lbs.

To specifically answer your question 80lbs versus 100lbs have not made a headspace difference in my experience.

Any anti seize I have handy to swap barrels. I haven't noticed it makes any difference on the target.

 

[Firearrow]

If it's a magnum some manufacturers say to torque to 100lbs.

To specifically answer your question 80lbs versus 100lbs have not made a headspace difference in my experience.

Any anti seize I have handy to swap barrels. I haven't noticed it makes any difference on the target.

Thank you for your reply

 

[tobnpr]

Should make no difference on a high end barreled action.
In the future, punch a witness mark on the barrel/receiver- takes a few seconds.

As to meloniting an action- did you call Stiller to discuss this??

Meloniting affects heat treatment. Barrels are one thing- but receivers are a completely different animal.
Make sure you do your homework here.

I've thought about spinning up a new barrel and trying the melonite treatment to see how it affects throat erosion.
I see no reason to do this to a receiver.

 

[Firearrow]

Should make no difference on a high end barreled action.
In the future, punch a witness mark on the barrel/receiver- takes a few seconds.

As to meloniting an action- did you call Stiller to discuss this??

Meloniting affects heat treatment. Barrels are one thing- but receivers are a completely different animal.
Make sure you do your homework here.

I've thought about spinning up a new barrel and trying the melonite treatment to see how it affects throat erosion.
I see no reason to do this to a receiver.

Their bolts already come that way and are options on their other actions as well Defiance and other companies. When the bolt head and body as well as having the race ways treated it helps to provide a smoother bolt cycle. Plus when my rifle was built there was cerekoting applied to the inside of race way and cycling the bolt is sticky regardless of how much oil I use.

Using a punch is a much better idea than the marker I used, because the action is going to be re-coated. Dumb me.

 

[kaseyfied]

If you dont have 5 or so thou between bolt Diam and raceway diam it will be sticky.. raceway reamers are your friendall the action manufacturers I talked to said it wasnt a great idea to DLC an action after production... even though the change was minuscule at best. Same with nitride because of the treatment process. Can cause welds to break and such which I have seen. It is a very nice thing once it is completed.

Kasey

 

[parshal]

I run 80 ft. lbs. on all my barrels regardless of caliber. I haven't made anything bigger than a 300 PRC, though. 80 is just easier to get back off and works just fine.

 

[bigngreen]

Cerakoting behind nitriding sucks to the point I wouldn't do it. You have to perfectly block of the bore of the action for sand blasting then clean it and block it of again for paint. It blows!! Putting oil on cerakote make for a sticky mess, it should run like butter dry unless to thick or the bolt is bent which is a likely scenerio.

Your barrel was hard to get of because of the cleaning process with cerakote, when you put the barrel back on a very light copper antiseize seems to work best and not leach during cerakote.

 

[BallisticsGuy]

I torque shouldered barrels to nothing at all. Just hand tight, then shoot. The bullet traveling down the barrel the first time after spinning it up torques it all it needs to be. Nets very consistent results with a properly faced receiver and barrel shank. Does require the gunsmith to pay some attention and dual indicate everything super carefully. With barrel nut guns, I give the barrel nut wrench a mild swat with a rubber mallet.

 

[Firearrow]

Cerakoting behind nitriding sucks to the point I wouldn't do it. You have to perfectly block of the bore of the action for sand blasting then clean it and block it of again for paint. It blows!! Putting oil on cerakote make for a sticky mess, it should run like butter dry unless to thick or the bolt is bent which is a likely scenerio.

Your barrel was hard to get of because of the cleaning process with cerakote, when you put the barrel back on a very light copper antiseize seems to work best and not leach during cerakote.

Short Action Custom says they have the process down, and they are the ones i sent to have the old cerekote stripped off and Nitrided. I'm sure they outsource the nitride, but when I talked them on the phone it seemed that this was a common service that they perform. When I get it back I'll post some pictures, and compare the difference in working the bolt.

 

[kaseyfied]

I torque shouldered barrels to nothing at all. Just hand tight, then shoot. The bullet traveling down the barrel the first time after spinning it up torques it all it needs to be. Nets very consistent results with a properly faced receiver and barrel shank. Does require the gunsmith to pay some attention and dual indicate everything super carefully. With barrel nut guns, I give the barrel nut wrench a mild swat with a rubber mallet.

Yeah.. I've seen barrels like that.. and I pop them off with my hand.. 100% not very smart.. but that's just my opinion...to each there own

Kasey

 

[parshal]

Short Action Custom says they have the process down, and they are the ones i sent to have the old cerekote stripped off and Nitrided. I'm sure they outsource the nitride, but when I talked them on the phone it seemed that this was a common service that they perform. When I get it back I'll post some pictures, and compare the difference in working the bolt.

They probably use H&M Machine who does Defiance and Kelbly actions and, I'm sure, others. I've sent a couple actions direct to them to have them nitrided. They will remove cerakote as well. The first action is around $250. Any additional is about $50. Don't quote me on that but it's pretty cheap if send a bunch in.

 

[Firearrow]

They probably use H&M Machine who does Defiance and Kelbly actions and, I'm sure, others. I've sent a couple actions direct to them to have them nitrided. They will remove cerakote as well. The first action is around $250. Any additional is about $50. Don't quote me on that but it's pretty cheap if send a bunch in.

I think I'm in it for 260 dollars, give or take, to have it stripped, Melonited, and re-cerekoted. Plus the return shipping. So over all that isn't bad in my book.

 

[parshal]

Not bad at all!