1950's Husqvarna Model 4100 lightweight rifle accuracy issues

MD

MD

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I have a 1950's Husqvarna Model 4100 in 270. I think it is a '57 It could be my favourite rifle except for one issue. It shoots inconsistently.

I have a matching rifle in 7x57 (1955) that shoots normally, that is; once sighted in, it maintains its zero.

The 7x57 has a free-floated barrel. For some reason, the 270's barrel is fit snug in the barrel channel. Tight in fact. Actually, the first time I tried to remove the barreled action from the stock I couldn't do it, it was so tight. I had it in to a 'smith for a slim recoil pad, trigger and safety work and then it was removeable.

Anyway, to shorten this tale, the last time I took the 270 to the range to sight it in after having the Leupold scope repaired (dropped it last year-long story) I had it group in nicely at 100 metres, about 2 inches high and centred, so then I tried three shots at 200 metres. I got a great group, barely 2 inches at 200 metres. That's good for me.

BUT- even though the group was at the correct elevation, pretty well level with the bull'e eye of the target, it was six inches left.

I suspect that with the barrel tight in the fore-end of the stock that when the barrel warms up a bit, it expands and shoves itself against the wood, moving the barrel and thus the POI at 200 metres.

What do you think?

I'm no gunsmith or woodworker at all. How can I correct this anomaly?
 
Let your barrel cool off between shots when zeroing....you won't be shooting groups at deer/elk/moose etc.
One trick to help counter stringing from stock contact is to add a pressure point at the end of the barrel channel about where the front swivel is. I use a piece of 2 way tape laid across the bottom from about 4 to 8 o'clock in the channel. I find the tape has the right thickness to compress properly, don't remove the plastic backing on the 2 way tape though.
 
Well - You can either shim the action, which lifts the barrel slightly, or relieve the barrel channel. Shimming is a good way to see if the barrel is offset in the channel. You can also shoot it shimmed to see if the problem goes away, then make more permanent alterations.
 
I think it's odd that two production rifles of the same model only two years apart could be bedded so differently. Maybe the 7x57 was glass-bedded free-floated by a previous owner. Haven't had it apart in a while. I think that's possible.
 
My experience with my light Husqvarna's is that they seem to like a little for-end pressure. They have shot well for me free-floated as well, but due to the slim for-end I don't like to relieve the barrel channel if I don't have to. (I used to think I needed to free float ALL my rifles). I free-floated a .308 Husqy some years ago, and it shot great untill the wood 'moved' far enough to contact the barrel. This is what can happen when you move a wood stocked rifle from Vancouver to the Yukon. By the way it took at least 4 years for the wood to move enough to affect the accuracy, which declined dramatically (<1" groups to 2-3" groups). So I bedded the barrel, and fought with it for a while, erratic groups, the odd good one but most not, and erratic POI as well. I removed the action at the range and put two layers of book match under the barrel near the tip of the stock and immediately the rifle began shooting like it should, or used to. So now there is a little bedding block in place of the shim, and it continues to shoot great.
 
MD said:
I think it's odd that two production rifles of the same model only two years apart could be bedded so differently. Maybe the 7x57 was glass-bedded free-floated by a previous owner. Haven't had it apart in a while. I think that's possible.
Click to expand...

Not only possible, it's more than likely.
 
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