Arisaka Rebarrel Questions

This is concerning the Arisaka I'm restoring to close to original without going nuts over it.

Old 30-06 rechambered barrel is off. New barrel index does not line up. It travels approximately 1/2" beyond to tight.

Discussed 3 options with gunsmith, did not get a clear answer on which was the best. Obviously all would affect headspace in some regard.

Option 1 - use spacers/washers between the barrel shoulder and the receiver. Currently, I have done this. Two Mountain Dew can walls seems about right although I did not tighten with a wrench. I am concerned with using aluminum rather than steel here, so have no problem changing washers to stainless.

Option 2 - Polish the face of the receiver so I can tighten it the 3/4 turn it needs. This I could do myself.

Option 3 - Have a gunsmith reduce the shoulder of the barrel on a lathe. This I cannot do and adds considerably to the cost of the money pit. My least favorite option but I recognize this is probably the best way to do it.

He suggested red loctite on all three options.

With the spacers, it's possible the headspace is too long. With the other two options, it's possible the headspace will be too short. Of course could get lucky and not have a problem with either but not counting on that.

Again, no rush on this. I have no need to fire it and it at least looks presentable now.

What do the experts think?

Option one is ,imo, the bubba way of doing it..
Option 2, nothing wrong with skimming a bit off in a lathe to true up the receiver face but trying to polish it off will leave high spots or cause it to be out of square, the barrel shoulder needs to make even contact with the receiver face along to whole circumference.
Option 3 is the correct way to do it. Turn enough off the shoulder until the barrel will hand tighten about 15 degrees before TDC, This should give you a .002-.003 crush fit and require somewhere between 60-80 ft. lbs. torque to bring it on around to TDC. No loc-tite needed. It wasn't used initially and you won't need it now if the barrel is installed correctly.
Most likely the breech face will have to to turned also to allow the bolt to fully close. You'll also need a pull through finish reamer to set CHS. This will cut through some of the chrome lining in the neck/shoulder/ throat area and may or may not cause the rest to begin peeling over time if you shoot it much.
I wouldn't put much faith in any ''gunsmith'' that would make suggestions like option 1&2 or recommends loc-tite on barrel threads, it would tell me he don't know much about barreling rifles.
This is only my opinion as I'm no professional gunsmith, I've fit a few barrels under supervision but that's been a while back and I might've gotten some of the info wrong. I'm a millwright by trade. Others with more experience will be able to give you better advise.

Bubba ways never seem to last the distance and are always in the back of your mind will it work VH has the right approach as what your gunny suggested with loctite is like someone saying to PL that he should use filler bog on a dint when restoing his MG's that he likes so much :D

Update with a few pics Aragorn be good to see progress

I knew the answer before I asked but was really hoping you guys would all jump on the Bubba option. :)

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Originally Posted by Aragorn243

was really hoping you guys would all jump on the Bubba option.

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Not me bud, anything worth doing is worth doing right.:thup:

I was directed to this post through a PM and based on it and another recommendation, I'm going to go with steel shims:

"I hate to see such a nice rifle with a barrel with fresh cut threads as that takes away from its originality. Was the barrel from the same series and arsenal. I have shims that I use so as not have to move any metal in changing barrels. Wish I had seen this sooner. For what its worth A John Deere Cotton picker Spindle shim is .005' thick and fit the threaded end of a Japanese barrel perfectly. Any one needing some contact me and I'll send you some.


Riceone "

The rifle is near the break even point financially now and adding $100+ in gunsmithing costs will push it over the top. Steel shims cost about $1.50 each. The added benefit is that if it is ever changed, dismantled for parts (not that I would) all parts remain original.

Wait awhile, maybe anther parts/ donor rifle will turn up or even one with a good barreled action that you can use in its entirety. You already know shimming it will work, which will allow you to complete the project easily, but I suspect you wont be happy over time knowing there is a shim in there. Maybe by then the extra parts you have gathered will help someone else out. I'd let it soak, focus on another loose end and troll around for a donor. just a thought, Brian

True, the shims aren't going to hurt anything. But at the same time, I don't think they are going to bother me. I just want it functional and don't want to further alter good parts.

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Originally Posted by Aragorn243

I just want it functional

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So you intend to shoot it then?
BTW, how many shims did it take(total # and thickness) to get the barrel to tighten up and index correctly?

I will probably shoot it once and put it away. I haven't gotten the steel shims yet. Two mountain dew can walls are the correct thickness whatever that is.

How many shims will it take to make the barrel clock? I'm guessing more than one, if it only needed one I would peen or swage the barrell shoulder to get .005 and put it together completely dry, not every barrel is 80 to 100 ft lbs. and the extractor would let you know if something was rotating by wear pattern or the bolt not closing. Some mausers only bear on the inner ring. If I could not do that I would have to set the whole barrel back but the problem maybe is going to be the chrome lined barrel if that's the case with your rifle. If you just want to shim it and shoot it that's fine, but I wouldn't want to leave a vintage rifle to some one else that at a later time does not recognize the alteration. I do not know how many jap rifles would have been armory re-barreled in the first place but the originality is already gone with the replacement barrel. What condition is the original barrel that was re-chambered in since it was removed, mite be better to work with that if you just want to shoot it a bit.

Original barrel was 30-06, not messing with that. Magazine was not altered so rounds would not fit.

Took the barrel off the receiver today and found an excellent reason to not use aluminum shims. They were crushed, bent, and torn inside there. Bought a .006 stainless shim that measured .005. Barrel clocked 1/8th inch beyond the index line. Took the barrel off and peened the shoulder until I could hand tighten it to 1/4 inch short of the index line. Then tightened with wrenches as tight as I could get it which matched the index line. Ground off the exposed shim, polished a bit and cold blued. Looks pretty decent. Now hopefully the headspace is suitable, if not, I'll deal with it later. It probably did not help that the gunsmith polished the face of the receiver a bit before I could get him to stop messing with it.

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Originally Posted by Aragorn243

the gunsmith polished the face of the receiver a bit

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Nice...I guess he wasn't there the day they taught how a barrel tightens up.

1/2" on the OD of the shoulder translates into about .007" in headspace increase.

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Originally Posted by Aragorn243

True, the shims aren't going to hurt anything. But at the same time, I don't think they are going to bother me. I just want it functional and don't want to further alter good parts.

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Originally Posted by ireload2

1/2" on the OD of the shoulder translates into about .007" in headspace increase.

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I understand what you are saying but as the barrel and the receiver are probably from two different manufacturers, there is no way to tell (without checking) if the shims will affect the headspace or not. Barrel shank could be longer or receiver shorter or vise versa. Add to that a bolt not original to either and it's a crapshoot.