Progress and ?

[tiswell]

After my initial experience with the stock savage barrel was less than inspiring, I ordered a .45 Pac-nor. After receiving the barrel, I duplicated the stock breechplug in 17-4 stainless. When installing the barrel with the new plug installed, I threaded the barrel into the receiver by hand with a primer in the bolt until resistance was felt. Then I backed the barrel out until the rib between the flutes was indexed vertically( I thought it looked better with the rib up than the flute up). As a guess I would say that I backed the barrel out 30-40 degrees. IIRC the barrel threads are 20TPI, so this would mean I backed the barrel up .004"-.0055". I locked everything down and went to the range.

Outside temp was 85-90 and I loaded 60 grains of RE-7 and a 200 SST with blue harvester sabot,lit by a CCI 209M primer. 1/2 hour between shots no cool rod. After a sighting shot and scope adjustment the next three shots went into an inch group with two shots touching, so things are progressing. When primers are removed they have a grey wash around the diameter that is housed in the plug. The stock plug had an ID of .242" that is .270" deep and that was recreated in the stainless version. I didn't perceive any blow by, but is the wash on the primer an indication of something to address?


Thanks, Bill

[twoodard]

So if I read that right you lined up the barrel for looks and not proper headspace? If this was a centerfire you could be asking for big trouble. Re headspace it and try again

[edge]

Actually that headspace sounds fine. Factory barrels are often much larger!

edge.

[twoodard]

but also on the barrel nut system tighten the nut down and you actually pull the barrel out of the action some, just pulling it forward in the threads. that can account for another .001-.0015" easily. could also be the primer used to headspace was long compared to the ones you shot

[tiswell]

Thanks for the input. Prior to removing the factory barrel I did the same check. Using the sights for index I could rotate the barrel almost 90 degrees before resistance was felt. So I thought I would be OK by reducing that amount by 50 to 60 degrees. It has been several months since I shot this and I don't remember exactly how the fired primers looked from the stock setup. Rifle functions fine, I just wanted to check.
Thanks, Bill