Barrel ise for Rem 788 not muy macho enough

[ohland]

After failing to remove the factory 222 barrel on his 788, my Dad finally took it to a gunsmith. The torque wrench showed 300 ft/lbs before the barrel screwed out.

Wow.

[flounderman]

a lot of remington barrels will have a relief cut made just in front of the receiver to make removal easier. Hitting the wrench with a large hammer has a way of loosening them better than just pressure on the wrench.

[shotman]

most do a heat/ cool but 300lbs is not that much on cold rem
can cut by 1/4, cool barrel and heat receiver

[felix]

BR guns are less than 35 foot pounds. ... felix

[GabbyM]

Was the gunsmith just trying to show off?
Torque wrenches flex so make a poor breaker bar.

I've never in my life tried to remove a rifle barrel without at least a four pound hammer for the first strike on the action wrench. My hammer of choice is a Snap-On four pound dead blow orange plastic. I give it a full swing as if I was driving a spike. Something is going to give. So far I’ve always heard a snap and the receiver is loose. Have always soaked the barrel threads for a couple days in Kroil penetrating oil. Back when I was a young man one of my many beloved mentors whom was teaching me the machinist trade explained to me how and why a single sharp blow with a hard heavy hammer on the wrench would do far less damage than peckering around on the thing. Proper work holding and a proper wrench are a must. If you don’t have the barrel properly griped in the vise and a proper action wrench then all the peck peaky on your parts won’t help.

Stand a gun muzzle down and poor in KROIL around the thread bevel so it will soak down into the thread. I’ve never tried under 48 hours but overnight should work. I use a barrel vise from Brownells. Hardwood blocks bored to crush fit around the barrel with a good layer of rosin. Tighten the vise bolts down with my 22” Cresant wrench. Closer you can get the vise blocks to with receiver the more rigid the work holding is. Action wrench wants to be up on the ring and definitely not over the cutouts in the receiver or you’ll twist it. Then comes the easy part, not. With your huge hammer in hand. Look down upon your beloved rifle, think about all the happy memories, draw back full swing then whack that wrench handle with everything you’ve got.

Not everyone is good with a hammer. Before I was a machinist I was a carpenter so I’ve the hammer swing down pat.

Being just a hobby gun smith I’ve never dealt with the century old military rifles. If the barrel is scrap anyway it’s hard to see why you’d want to risk the action. I’d just chuck it up and make that relief cut.

Good to hear your project is on track.
Is he staying with another 222 rem?