WVguy,
You really don’t want to true up the front of the action without truing the threads, especially if it’s way off. If you to then the threads MAY very well pull the shoulder of the barrel tenon in cockeyed to the new action face surface. Using the mandrel in the race method of the action will let one measure the thread alignment, and concentricity, along with the action face flatness - this is what will tell you if the action is warped from hardness treating / machining.
The barrel could be bent, or the method used to thread the barrel had an “off alignment” that has it tighten off center - normally a smith (God help you with factory work), has the barrel tight up with the barrel being high or low (not sideways)... preferably high. This is done so shots aren’t thrown right or left as your range goes out, but it also keeps the barrel on the centerline in the stock.
You can pull it out of the stock and check it with a straight end to see how bad it is, but to find out what part or threading is warped / bent you’ll probably need a smith to pull the barrel.
Spot
Last edited by Spotshooter; 03/29/21.
