Bedding the barrel?

[Ontario Hunter]

I have heard it is advisable to bed the barrels as well as action for big bore rifles. I'm building a 404 on a standard Mauser 98. Shall I bed it full length? Or consider a pressure point? The stock came with one recoil lug installed ahead of the magazine. Should I add a second? Can this be done by bedding the lug or do I need special equipment to bore a flat hole for lug? The wood is good tight straight grain walnut. A bit of "character" but only at the butt. Looks to be very stout stuff.

 

[nztimb]

When I did mine I had the second recoil lug dovetailed into the barrel after I had bedded the barrel into the forestock. I smoked the barrel down on to the wood then double tapped it from the front of where the second recoil lug was marked to go forward to the muzzle and smoked that down to give me the light float then cut in for the recoil lug and glass bedded the lug with the all faces taped except for the rear face. I always bed on wood and the smoker is the best accessory for doing that.

 

[BourbonTrail]

My action out to my chamber is bed on my 416. The rest of the barrel is free floated.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I was more concerned about the second recoil lug behind the magazine and ahead of trigger. At this point I don't think I'll have time to dovetail the barrel for a lug.

So ... a typical bedding with action and chamber only bedded and free float the barrel?

 

[nztimb]

You need clearance behind the magazine the same as you do behind the tang as the stock sides at the mag well can flex under recoil and without the clearance there is the potential for splitting the stock at the tang and breaking out the wood between the mag well and the front of the trigger.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Thanks. So you're saying stick with just the one existing recoil lug ahead of the magazine, at least for now? Then what is the point of second lug behind the magazine? Seems to be standard equipment for most wood stocks 308 and up these days. I will, of course be bedding the stock at both ends. I note that the old factory Mauser sporter stock a friend gave me (it was broken) had a steel sleeve through the stock at the rear action screw and two thin steel pins ahead and behind the magazine. Probably 8mm looking at the barrel trough. Interesting that Mauser was putting screw together recoil lugs on military rifles but not on sporters.

 

[WAB]

Most of my rifles are free floated. However my .458 Lott and .375 H&H are bedded all the way out.

 

[nztimb]

To be honest I am not familiar with a recoil lug behind the magazine.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

To be honest I am not familiar with a recoil lug behind the magazine.

I think he’s talking about crossbolts

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I think he’s talking about crossbolts

Yes. My mistake. Duh. Blame it on the meds. I've been battling pneumonia for a month. I don't know what they put in that cough syrup but it seems I'm living in slow motion. Antibiotics are not touching this bug. Wish I could inhale a DGR and blast the buggers. I'm sure there's more than two so not a job for a double rifle.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Yes. My mistake. Duh. Blame it on the meds. I've been battling pneumonia for a month. I don't know what they put in that cough syrup but it seems I'm living in slow motion. Antibiotics are not touching this bug. Wish I could inhale a DGR and blast the buggers. I'm sure there's more than two so not a job for a double rifle.

Hope you get over it soon. Dad’s had it 4-5 times. Rough stuff

 

[nztimb]

I think he’s talking about crossbolts

I should have picked that but yes I added a pair of cross bolts to my stock. It will certainly help but the clearance behind the mag, tang and the trigger guard (I forgot to mention that earlier) is important. It is because of the flexing of the stock walls under recoil that the stock bolts helps to prevent the cracking of the areas these three parts of the rifle would contact without the clearance.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Thanks. So drill a round hole for flat crossbolt and fill it with bedding glass? The front crossbolt that came in this stock had the flat hole machined through the wood to accept flat bolt. As you can probably discern, I've never felt compelled to do anything but glass bed my rifles ... but none have exceeded 30-06. And I've only owned two of those ... one being 760 pump with two piece wood.

 

[nztimb]

One of the reasons that the bolts are left as I have done is the allow for tightening if there is any stock shrinkage over time and while this may not happen, being able to do so is another maintainence facility to keep the stock in its best recoil proof condition.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

The crossbolt that came in this stock is rather large: 9/16". I'd like to find one to match it. Who made them that size? Seems everything in North America is 7/16". I think Sako were about half inch. Someone said on another forum they copied the Russian Mosin-Naget crossbolts. What size cap were the military Mauser crossbolts? This one is definitely not military but might be an aftermarket copy. I'm having a helluva time finding specs.

 

[Nhoro]

I epoxy bedded behing the main recoil lug as Von Gruff describes and have 2 crossbolts in front and behind the magazine. The action is not bedded and the barrel is free floated but it came with a barrel lug (CZ 550) which i bedded in epoxy as well. I also left the crossbolts unbedded so i can tighten. Also if you look at the design, they are meant to pull/ hold the wood across grain and prevent flexing. I also have a 1 mm gap behind the tang. I think 2 crossbolts and bedding the lug are necessary. I have seen stocks cracked at the crossbolt- i believe from epoxy bedding them. They need to compress and hold the wood and epoxy is like a tube or pipe that takes the screw pressure and the does not = split wood.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I epoxy bedded behing the main recoil lug as Von Gruff describes and have 2 crossbolts in front and behind the magazine. The action is not bedded and the barrel is free floated but it came with a barrel lug (CZ 550) which i bedded in epoxy as well. I also left the crossbolts unbedded so i can tighten. Also if you look at the design, they are meant to pull/ hold the wood across grain and prevent flexing. I also have a 1 mm gap behind the tang. I think 2 crossbolts and bedding the lug are necessary. I have seen stocks cracked at the crossbolt- i believe from epoxy bedding them. They need to compress and hold the wood and epoxy is like a tube or pipe that takes the screw pressure and the does not = split wood.

Thanks. That clarifies it. Ordering a second lug today. I'll remove some wood behind the tang. It's tight. With no barrel lug I should probably bed the action? Of course, I planned to bed the main recoil lug. Both receiver and bottom metal fit very tight in the wood.

 

[fourfive8]

If the wood is more or less stable- cured/dried/sealed, I have settled on a system that seems to work well. May not be gilt-edged for target competition but works for hunting. I do my own work. Pillar bed with full length glass bedding including rear surfaces of both recoil lugs if rifle has two. Relieve by taping, bottom and front contact areas of lugs.

 

[Nhoro]

Thanks. That clarifies it. Ordering a second lug today. I'll remove some wood behind the tang. It's tight. With no barrel lug I should probably bed the action? Of course, I planned to bed the main recoil lug. Both receiver and bottom metal fit very tight in the wood.

I dont claim to be an expert - i am pleased to be in agreement with von gruff- i respect his advice. Anything that takes recoil load needs epoxy. Anything that may split needs crossbolts. Back of the magazine and back of tang need relief otherwise they can become a recoil lug

 

[fourfive8]

No matter what you decide to do, if you bed, you'll have to remove some wood in areas where metal to wood is tight. Otherwise what's the point of the bedding? The magazine box needs clearance all around. Use layers of tape for clearance where needed like around bottom and front of recoil lug(s). Properly installed cross bolts won't hurt. The rear of the tang needs some relief- sides, bottom and rear. Bedding should then fill the space and strengthen that area where splitting is historically common. Use a good gunstock bedding compound. The term "glass bed" refers to an older terminology where actual glass fibers being mixed into the epoxy... as in the Acraglas brand product. Currently there are several excellent bedding compounds that don't use a fiber glass matrix- many using some form of foamed, low density ceramic. I use either Bedrock or Score High bedding. You can even use marine grade epoxy or JB Weld slow set gray if you want. I have used a lot of JB Weld on composite stocks where the color already matches the stock. Always use complete coverage and enough release agent on metal. I use Johnson's Paste Wax as a release agent

If wanting to free float the barrel- relieve wood from the barrel channel from in front of the receiver recoil lug first- maybe 1/8" to 3/16". Full length bed the barreled action. Then relieve the excess bedding from the channel so barrel free floats when gripped or rested on end of forend. To remove barrel channel bedding for desired amount of fee float clearance, use sandpaper wrapped around various deep well sockets to evenly match the barrel contour. Keep removing compound from channel until the barrel doesn't touch the channel anywhere when holding or resting to shoot. By using this sequence it is easier to get a square and plumb bedding in the action. The curved shape of the bedding in the channel also acts as a forend stiffener. A limber forend can require an undue and unsightly amount of free float clearance... so the stiffer the better. Some DIYers and even some smiths tape the barrel then bed the barreled action then remove the tape to create the free float clearance... not the best way to end up with a stress free and plumb bedding job between the stock and action. A taped barrel may pull the action too far out of correct location and depth in the stock and if the action screws are even lightly secured during bedding set up, the action may be unduly stressed in relation to the stock. None of which is good.