Basically if you do some research. Tuing up the face of a single shot action and also truing up threads. is basically the same of what they do to Remington 700 action for improved accuracy before installing and chambering a new barrel to attach to it.

I agree with the thinking that too tight isn't a good thing....usually. But I can say from experience that a pretty tightly fitted barrel can still shoot extremely well.
The first Ballard I had rebarreled has a .45-70 GM barrel, and was fitted by my late friend. He fitted and chambered it, and then I sent the action off for color case. When it came back I called my friend to ask if I could come over and use his barrel vise, as I had none back then. He said to come right over, as he was headed to Australia the next day, and would be gone two months.
So I rushed over, and we applied some light oil to the threads, and spun the barrel up tight by hand. He looked at where it stopped and told me it was going to be pretty tight, and might want to give it just a little more clearance. But since were were in a hurry we decided to try it, and adjust it after he got back. So we cranked it down, and it was pretty darn tight getting the alignment marks centered.
I shot it a lot while he was gone, and it shot so well we never did break it down to relieve the tension. It's still doing great 30 years later, and I don't plan on messing with it.

Steven Durren had a very nice gunsmithing article in a past ASSRA Journal. He likes to leave .002 on the shoulder for wrench tightening. I now do the same for those barrel installations that don't us a barrel retaining screw and I also use a bit of Blue LocTite. I have done very few not having the barrel retaining screws and most for CPA's. So for those few without the retaining screw I referred to Steve's article and used the same method as he describes with a bit more detail added.

Vall thank you for also sharing that information and the luck involved to actually have it fit.

S99VG wrote on Jul 9^th, 2021 at 4:41pm:


Stevens rifles I've had screwed on very easily, and stopped pretty much just where they needed to be. Then just tighten the setscrew.
But I have had people tell me there's went too far, and had to unscrew them a bit to align the setscrew indent.

JLouis wrote on Jul 9^th, 2021 at 5:36pm:


I’m comparing the Stevens system with the hand tight proposals for the high wall that have been talked about.  Effectively making a solid frame 1885 into an ersatz take down.  I’m not comparing the Stevens system to the Winchester take down system as the latter seems like it leaves a lot to be desired.  Thanks 

The Ballard rifles I own that are set up like Stevens system are two Schoyen, a Peterson, and a Stevens-Pope. All have the setscrew to retain them, but still wont just spin off if I remove the setscrew and try it by hand. They don't need a barrel vise, but it takes a gorilla's grip to grasp them tight enough to break them loose. Once loose they spin off freely, so they're not an interference fit. I can clamp the barrel in my wood vise, or vise with urethane jaw pads, and easily break them loose. But just a bit too snug to do by hand.
But I've only taken the barrels off once or twice in many years, as I don't think taking them down is a good practice.