Question on Barrel nuts on Marlin

You guys know more then I will ever know...or hope to but here goes:

I have a young machinist friend who wants to begin gunsmithing. He is of the opinion that the Marlin and other Barrel nuts are the pits. He is old school I guess and things a barrel should be threaded in and not have a nut to work loose.

Another friend, older bud, is considering a ML7 action in 338-06 with the bbl nut and a custom barrel.

I hate to tell tales, but what is the base opinion on the barrel nut from you who do this stuff and have field experience with them...?

The barrel nut was conceived by Nicholas Brewer for Savage in the 1950s AFAIK. A brilliant idea; the only downside is cosmetic.
The number of manufacturers that have adopted it should tell you something.

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Thanks, TBG, I sent your reply to the friend who is investigating owning that gun in 338-06... I just has one young friend disparage the bbl nut and I had no idea it was even done...I'm old and knew/know only old stuff..

Thanks!

If one is fitting and chambering a barrel I agree just do it right to begin with, no nut needed. If you think about it when you adjust the nut you are moving the barrel back and forth...so you are changing other things too such as the clearence between the end of the barrel and the end of the bolt for instance. On a rem 700 I like to shoot for .01" clearance on all of those dims, if I used to nut to make up for not being careful on chamber headspace I would be changing the .01" to worked to establish.

The nut is a mfg shortcut plain and simple, and it takes you from a two part system (barrel and action) to a 3 part system (barrel, action, and nut). If the person doing the work is as careful as they can and should be there is simply no need for a nut :-).

Bill