Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing How much should a new barrel cost today?

I was looking at a prefit barrel for my Savage model 10. I found companies like Shaw, Kreger, X-Caliber, McGowen, and a few others. The price range is from $290 to $530 not including S&H.

Two smiths here said about $100 to swap out the barrel with a prefit. Another smith quoted me $800 to mount a prefit. When I asked why it was so much more he said "the cost of the wrench, time to headspace, and the Go/NoGo gauges weren't cheap.

What should I be expecting to pay for a prefit barrel swap?

I was going off of a Turkish M38 action I sent to a smith back in 2009. He put on a new barrel, polished the bolt body, bent the bolt, and added a new safety for $360. It's a tack driver.

HaYen

Sounds like he doesn't have any of the tools, and want you to buy them outright for him, with the idea he keeps them, and his time and labor $.

Look elsewhere, or keep the tools.

Swapping out barrels on a Savage bolt action is a breeze if you have a barrel vise. My gunsmith does it in a jiffy. $100 is easy money for any gunsmith worth his salt.

If talking a prefit, $100 sounds about right. However, if it were me, I'd be doing my own prefit installs as it's not a difficult process if you have any mechanical ability. All you need is a barrel nut wrench ($18-$28), action wrench ($60), go/no-go gauges ($57), a bench vise and your in business. There's multiple Youtube videos out there that can walk you through the process.

All the tools except the bench vise can be found here:

http://northlandshooterssupply.com/tools/

If you want to do a swap on a Savage I'd advise you to buy the tools. They are not "cheap" but not all that much either..
Look here:
https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...enches/barrel-nut-wrench-prod129691.aspx
https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...savage-barrel-nut-wrench-prod122932.aspx
https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...10-110-barrel-nut-wrench-prod105086.aspx


On the Savage action for your own use, you need no headspace gauge. You simply need a loaded round of the ammo you shoot, or better yet a sized and empty piece of brass that you will load later. An empty, sized case is most safe, but if you set up your bench and vice for this work using a loaded round can be safe too. No less safe then loading the rifle when you are going hunting. "Rule #4 is to be observed at all times is you use a loaded round.

You'll need a good sturdy bench with a heavy vice, but you may have a work bench already.

I helped a friend install a muzzle break on his daughters 7-08 Savage just last week. Time for the entire job including cuttings threads (which you will not be doing) and re-assembly AND zeroing the rifle at 200 yards was 45 minutes.
If I only needed to swap a barrel out it takes me about 10 minutes. From start to finish it will go like this:

Remove Scope. (1 minute)

Remove front scope base (1 minute)

Remove barreled action from stock. (1 minute)

Clamp either the action or the barrel in a set of blocks in your vice. (1-3 minutes) (note, you can make either or even both from blocks of Oak and they work just fine for Savage actions. If you clamp the action in a set of blocks the job is even easier then if you use a barrel vice and clamp the barrel. But either way is fine.

Use the nut wrench to loosen the barrel nut and then simply unscrew the barrel by hand. Take it off and screw the nut on the new barrel as far down the treads as it will go to be sure it's out of the way when you put that 2nd barrel on the action. (10 seconds)

Take the piece of sized brass or a loaded round and place it in the camber of the new barrel. If using a loaded round be SURE the safety is locked in the ON position and muzzle is pointing at something that would safely stop the bullet if you had a mishap. (like a sear breaking of some other event. Remember, Murphy's law. If it can go wrong it will some time, so be sure it CAN'T go wrong) (10 seconds)

Screw the barrel (with the case or round in it's chamber) into the action until the extractor clips over the rim and the head of the shell runs up hard against the bolt face, and then back it off about 1/16 of a turn for about .003 headspace, or about 1/32 turn for 16 tenths headspace (1-2 minutes)

Lock down the barrel nut. (10 seconds)

Place safety in the mid position and open the action to eject the case or round. (5 seconds)

Install your barreled action back into the stock. (2-3 minutes , from action/barrel blocks to being back in the stock)

Install your front scope base. (1 minute)

Install you scope. (30 seconds)

Go zero it in.

The 1st time will take you more time because you may have to make a set of barrel or action blocks. But once you buy the nut wrench and have a set of blocks made or bought the whole job is about 10 minutes just going slow and easy.

So doing a barrel swap on a Savage with a fully machined barrel is NOT very time consuming and is NOT difficult. Smiths that ask high prices are just trying to rip you off

HA!!! I didn't look it up but he said the wrench was $100 alone!

Damn it. I should have asked you guys first

This is from the Shilen website:
"Shilen Savage Barrels come threaded and fully chambered ready to be installed into the action with no additional machining or modification needed. Barrel finish will be polished for stainless and blued for chrome-moly. "

And the price is $ 374.00 Chrome-moly Match Grade (blued finish)

So I'm not sure how this guy came up with $800 to install a prefit?

I have a Savage wrench out there somewhere, Bought it for a customer's job, Used it ONE time. If you're looking to buy one?

PM Me,

I have put on one Savage barrel (I am a Tikka and 700 guy) It took me about 15 minutes to do. I would look on ebay and find the action/nut wrench (they are about $35 best as I remember) and a set of go/no go gages for your cal. (about $80 for the set) and now you have the tools you need and can do it yourself.
A bench vise can be picked up on the cheap at Harbor Freight

if I can do it, anybody can, done several times and no problem

Take a look at Northland Shooter Supply for a barrel, he works with Criterion and Shilen. Both have been great for me.
Invest a couple bucks in the tools and the headspace gauges, which will be cheaper than letting a smith do the job and watch some youtube videos on how it's done.

Thank you folks

Ok swapping a barrel on a savage is not technically challenging. But if it is a relatively new action they have become a lot tougher the take the old barrel off. Seems they are not cleaning up there blasting media and bluing salts very well any more. Making them susceptible to galling threads on the nut and barrel. Barrel vice and barrel nut wrench is pretty much needed to do this job. Go / novo gauges you can rent for a few bucks. Also buy a supply of hardened 1/8 inch steel balls. So when the extractor ball disappears while either taking it apart or reassembling you have spares. They seem to be carpet soluble. A pin punch to remove the ejector is also handy but not nessacary.

I wd40 the hell out of the threads I can get to around the nut and wait. Then I slide the wrench on and whack it with a big hammer and sooner or later that damn thing comes loose. Reverse for putting one on lol

If I can do it, anyone can do it. Only wish I had purchased a different contour so I could add a can...