Jinx.
This has been an active post with many different comments and suggestions and I have one
more to add .
At this time I would abandon this project and move on. It's not going to get better.
So you learned some/many lessons, It happens to all of us.
I would re group and find the smith you want to use and spend some time/conversation with
him and make some decisions before moving on.
I would junk the barrel and replace it with a high quality custom stainless barrel to start with.
Next I would have the action trued for the new barrel, and the new barrel installed (With or
without the barrel nut). This is one of the things that have to be decided by you before you talk
to the smith.
Make a list of everything you want/expect and come to an agreement with your smith.(This includes
cost and schedule) And if there is an accuracy guarantee understand it and live with it.
The Smith may not want to do it your way but it is better to find out before the rifle is started.
There are three grades of rifles as far as I am concerned , Factory (The cheapest and with marginal
accuracy most of the time).
Next is the factory rifle that has all of the original parts but has been worked on by a smith and
has some rework (Clean up the chamber, set back the shoulder, true the action and bed and
float the factory/aftermarket stock).These are/can be expensive and accuracy is only as good
as the barrel and workmanship.
And then comes the custom rifle. New barrel, factory or custom action that has/is squair and true,
A good quality stock with full pillar bedding and floating, A quality trigger and last but not least
quality Smithing.
This is the best way to get the performance from a rifle and sometimes "NOT" the most expensive
considering the lack of problems that may be encountered with the other two types.
This is not a lecture (I had this happen to me twice so I started doing my own work) just a
suggestion to move on or this thing will drive you crazy.
I did not have a great web site like this to guide me through the minefield .hope it turns out well
for you.
J E CUSTOM