Hello Guys

Is it possible to "machine" Rem 700 actions (eg rebore and rethread for a larger barrel shank) with normal tools ?? Is it possible with specialist tools or is annealing and fresh heat treatment required (with all the associated risks . . . )

Cheers - Foster

quote:

Originally posted by Tentman:
Hello Guys

Is it possible to "machine" Rem 700 actions (eg rebore and rethread for a larger barrel shank) with normal tools ?? Is it possible with specialist tools or is annealing and fresh heat treatment required (with all the associated risks . . . )

Cheers - Foster

This is a regular process when truing the Remington action. It doesn't require anything special other than set up, which is everything with these. Once it is set up in the lathe, standard internal threading tools work just fine.

Thanks, My dear old father in law gets awfully precious about the 'smithing jobs I ask for, so I need to know the answers to his "its too difficult questions" before I ask.

However, bless him, they usually get done in the end.

Cheers - Foster

Dave Manson makes a set of piloted hand tools for blue-printing Remington 700’s and Winchester 70’s...and they ream out and recut the receiver threads .010†oversize.

quote:

Originally posted by Tentman:
Hello Guys

Is it possible to "machine" Rem 700 actions (eg rebore and rethread for a larger barrel shank) with normal tools ?? Is it possible with specialist tools or is annealing and fresh heat treatment required (with all the associated risks . . . )

Cheers - Foster

A modern heat treated action is around 36-40 Rc

HSS lathe bits and other cutting tools can cut this quite easily and even up to about 45 Rc or a bit more. When one reaches 50 Rc and up to even 58 Rc carbide and small cuts works well.....after that grinding is in order.

My personal experience with heat treated steels (other than rifle actions) is that they should be heat treated once and left that way.

To re heat treat them just leads to dimensional problems and degredation of the metallurgy.

Maybe some folks get away with it but I'd certainly try to machine the action as is and not mess with the hardness. For a modern rifle action this is easy even with HSS (Hi-Speed Steel) tools.

Reaming and cutting .010†oversized threads on a 700 does not have any effect on the heat treatment or strength of the receiver so there is no reason to worry about it.