Forgot there's a Gunsmithing/Armory section. Originally posted in Precision Rifle section...
Good morning guys, hope everyone is doing well. I have a nice stainless Remington Model 7 in 243 from back in the mid-90s. Great little gun, but never liked the pencil thin barrel. Therefore, I want to rebarrel it to a 6.5 Creedmoor as I have several guns in various 6.5 calibers and I'm setup for reloading it all.
I'm looking at using one of the Criterion pre-fit Rem/Age barrels from James at Northland Shooters Supply. However, I have some questions that I hope you can clear up for me. They are:
1. Am I correct in that the shank size and threading are the same on Rem Model 700 barrels as on the Rem Model 7 barrel? (my research indicates yes, but more confirmation is welcome)
2. Can a Rem Model 700 action wrench be used on the Model 7, or would I have to fabricate a custom wrench for the Model 7? (I have the Northland action wrench and could get their taper lock system to locate the recoil lug on the wrench, but I do not have access to a 700 action to measure where the front action screw is in relation to the end of the receiver)
3. What about the bolt and bolt head, are they cross compatible if the Model 700 barrel itself will thread into the Model 7 receiver? Or are there issues with the sizing of the bolt head being slightly different between the 700 and 7? (Again, if I had a 700 to measure I would, but I don't)
4. If this sounds like an idea that will not work, then what are other options for rebarreling the Model 7 to a heavier barrel?
I really like the Rem/Age idea as I'm primarily a Savage shooter and have swapped many barrels myself and changed calibers on guns, but never worked on any Remingtons. Plus, I'm a DIY kind of guy who wants to further increase my knowledge in working on guns, continue to build up my vast array of tools for working on various guns, etc.
If any of you could help answer these questions it'd be much appreciated. Again, research shows that some on other forums have done the Rem/Age swap on a Model 7, but details were few and far between and the posts were old.
Thanks,
Mike