I use the Savage, REMAGE, locknut approach on all my barrel installations, including Ruger American and even a lock nut to set headspace on an AR-15 I built. 40 ft/lb. torque on all of those with all threads and mating surfaces coated with aniti-seize. I use Osage Orange (very tough) wood blocks I have made by drilling a 1" hole through the wood and then sawing through the hole center to leave arcs on the two blocks. The blocks are strengthened with bolts to prevent cracking. On a good barrel, I use brown paper or fine emory paper to give more grip when I tighten the blocks to the barrel with my bench vice. My major problem has been removing factory barrels from actions that do not use lock nuts. Holding the action without distorting the threaded area is the problem (distorting the threaded means that the torque required to turn the barrel is VERY high, making it very hard to hold the action. If I am not going to reuse the barrel, I take it off with a pipe wrench. With the barrel in the vise when setting headspace with a lock nut I can always hold the action in position by hand while torquing the lock nut to 40 ft/lbs. Just my method: I am amateur and work mostly on my own guns. I have focused on building guns around 300RUM brass: 308 338, 375 and 416 calibers. The Savage barrels also fit my Mausingfield action. Being in the house a lot for the virus gives me time to write more than I otherwise would.
