Barrel torque when installing mauser barrel?

[threepdr]

I'm about to install a Shaw heavy .308 barrel on a Turk action.  The barrel has not sights.  There is no witness mark as on a 1903 to line it up to, so how much to I tighten this thing down to know it is torqued properly?
 :?
Thanks!

[John Traveler1]

The rule-of-thumb when installing Mauser barrels is to use the old German torque: get it "guttentight".

Seriously, there is no set torque value for these old surplus mauser barrels.  Anything from say, 30-40 lb-ft up to around a 100 lb-ft is enough to prevent the barrel from loosening under firing.  That is good enough.

You might try cranking the barrel up to the shoulder, loosening, and repeating this a few times to make sure the threads are fully engaged.

[gunnut69]

A bit of high pressure lube on the threads will also be of great benefit. I use Caterpillar anitsieze.. choke tube lube will also work, the kind that looks like aluminum...

[Longrider]

Just tighten your barrel securely in the vise and give it all you can with your action wrench. No cheaters, no dead blow hammer, no jerking, kicking, jumping, etc.  :wink:  Seriously, you'll have plenty of leverage to give it all the tightening you need with just good, steady pressure with your action wrench and when you can't get it any tighter, it's tight enough. Anti-seize is a very good idea too.

[cntryboy1289]

Back when I was in school, a guy did an experiment using his Mauser and did the following:  He tightened up the barrel and shot a five shot group.  He then lossened the barrel and shot it hand tight for five shots.  he then did the same estimating the torque values in series up to 100 ftlbs.

What he found was that as long as the barrel was hand tight, it didn't make much difference in his groups.  Follow gunnuts advise and put antisieze on the threads and snug it up and forget it.  Scribe a witness mark so you can return it to that position.  

They used to crush fit the barrels on the Mausers.  I think that did more harm than good.