Installing a new barrel on a '98 Mauser action

[db22]

I have a good 1930s-vintage Czech Mauser action, and am ready to install one of those short-chambered Midway barrels on it.  Can anyone give me some advice on how tight to screw the barrel on?  I have a proper action wrench, and a good home-made barrel vise.  The old, shot-out 8mm barrel came off clean, and the new barrel screws on by hand smoothly until the chamber face is tight against the C-ring.  When screwed down by hand, there is about 1/32" of space between the barrel shoulder and the forward face of the receiver. 

I don't want to proceed until I know how much force to apply.  Will that 1/32" disappear when I bear down on the wrench, or should I turn it over to a gunsmith to mill the barrel's breech end down?

Thanks!

[Double D]

There should be about .001 gap between receiver face and barrel shoulder.  They should not touch.   

It isn't a case of force. Use your depth micrometer to measure the depth to the seating ring from the action face.  Then measure the length of the barrel shank. 

The shanks should be .002 longer than the depth of reciever face to seating ring.  If it is to long face it off in the lathe when you deepen your chamber to about .010 from headspace depth.

Cut the last .010 by hand.

[db22]

Thanks!!

[db22]

Double D:  Re-reading your post, I became confused as to which receiver face you're talking about.  Mausers have an inner bearing surface sometimes called the "C-ring", and an outer bearing surface, like any other action.  If I understand you correctly, you're saying the barrel should bear directly on the inner surface or C-ring, and there should be a .001" clearance on the outer shoulder.  Is this correct?

[Nobade]

Yes. You want it to tighten up on the inside ring, and not touch the front of the receiver. Like the other poster said, cut the shank .002 longer than the distance from the front ring to the inside shoulder it tightens up on. When you torque the barrel up it should be just barely shy of touching. 1/32" is way too much gap.