Anyone ever bed the barrel channel of an injection molded stock?

nomad 68

nomad 68

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
36   0   0
Location
NS,Alberta and sometimes, points in between
Just wondering what you might have done? I've been kicking around the idea for a while. I'm thinking of drilling locking holes in the plastic ribs for the material to grab and making a channel in these ribs for one or two carbon fibre or aluminum arrow shafts to lay in and then tie them into the holes i drilled with stainless snare wire. Sound alright so far?I am just having a hard time deciding what compound to use.Weight is as much a concern as strength in this case. Ideas? thanks
 
Did exactly that on a ramline a buddy was trying to stiffen up on a ruger. Except for the snare wire that is..... Why tie them in when they are going to be glued?

Used JB weld and Hornady OneShot. Worked great.
 
I just did mine, I heated up a wire and burnt holes everywhere, that also created a little crater of raised material around each hole for the epoxy to grab. I actually bent the wire in half and made a small handle of electrical tape to make two holes at the same time, used a small torch. I have read that it can be a potential problem if you only fill the barrel channel and not bed the action, escpecially in a cheaper flimsy stock, that it might create a flex point and cause random vibrations. Like I said it's just what I read so I don't know for sure. Good luck
 
I have used a lot of cheap dollar store 5minute epoxy with great results.
I usually router a channel in the barrel Chanel and fit an 5/16" aluminum solid rod, epoxied in place.

I have had good luck, just make sure you rough up and drill a few securing holes. Bed the action as well.
 


The center rib is routed out and a 1/4 inch piece of aluminum held in place with Devcon.

Should have mentioned this is the .243 Model 700 SPS SS that my grandson shot a .83" 3 shot groups . . . at 300 yards.
 
Last edited:
I did the Tupperware stock on my 375 about 25 years ago. Fired a few thousand rounds with no seperation so far. What I did was to put a pointed carbide burr in my Dremel tool and make lots of small holes. Then it just ran it over the surface to rough it up. It left lots of little hairs and whiskers to grip. I used Brownells Acraglas Gel and it worked slick.
 
Rough up the inside of the stock and epoxy-in the arrows. You don't need to fill the whole stock with epoxy, just enough to firmly affix the arrows to the stock and you'll greatly stiffen the forend with very little cost in weight. If you like the heavy&stiff route, just fill it all in with epoxy and call it a day.
 
I epoxied two 2219 arrow shafts into a savage plastic stock .... the forend did stiffen up but there is still a lot of flex from the action area of the stock when a bipod is mounted.
 
I just did an old Butler Creek stock for my Rem 700 heavy barrel in 6mm (circa 80's or 90's rifle). The stock was flimsy like the rest of them but I really like the Remington Classic design so just for fun I decided to stiffen it up and save on buying a fiberglass unit. I inserted a piece of 1/2" aluminum square tubing from the recoil lug area to the swivel stud area and used Devcon Steel epoxy to completely surround the tubing in the forend channel. At the same time I fully bedded the action. The tubing required some fitting/cutting out towards the front end but I made it work. The stock is super stiff now; impossible to press to the barrel and a mounted bipod causes no flex. I used some low expanding spray foam to fill in the butt to get rid of that hollow sound and am now in the process of painting it up.

So far I'm quite happy with the results and it was a relatively low cost job. I have a Hogue stock from a SPS Tactical that I am going to try next. I like the stock but it's flimsy as all hell. I don't think there is enough room for the tubing in this stock as the barrel looks to sit quite low in the channel. I was just going to drill a couple of holes in each rib and then completely fill in the channel with an epoxy. I may pass on the Devcon for this, although it might be the best, but maybe a little more than I want to spend. I was thinking of using Marine Tex if I can find it or J.B. Weld; not sure yet. When I did my last job, I built up the barrel with layers of masking tape so I was able to get a nice looking finish on the inside of the channel with a consistent gap. I basically got as much epoxy in there as I could without interfering with the barrel. I will do the same on the Hogue.
 
For all you that have epoxied aluminum into the forend, how much extra weight did it add to the stock? Was it a significant amount? I just picked up a Ruger American and love the light weight but hate the stock flex so I'm looking for ways to stiffen it up without adding tons of weight.
 
I've done many... Don't bother with aluminum tubing... Just fill all of the injection molding pockets with modelling clay and then use Acraglass to bed... The stock is very rigid when done.
 
Saskshooter, I didn't weigh mine before and after but I don't think the difference is significant especially for what you end up with after. I'll take a stiff stock over one that is a few ounces lighter and flexy.

Regardless of what you use, tubing or not, as long as you have one homogenous pour of epoxy from the rear of the receiver all the way to the front of the stock I think this will take care of any flex issues one might have. Fill up that recoil lug area solid and fill the stock to the contour of the barrel and I'd say you're good to go. I am curious about the flex some people have mentioned at the receiver area once they tightened up the fore-end. I'll will further test this here theory on my next attempt; the SPS Tactical Hoque. Who'd of thought you could have so much fun with epoxy!
 
Don't use epoxy to glue in whatever you are going to use to stiffen the front end, it is waaaayyyy to heavy. I use square carbon fibre tube in 6mm from the local hobby shop and Gorilla or polyurethane glue to install it. I drill a bunch of small holes all along the channel where the tube is going to sit, I usually put one tube down each side and sink them into the webbing as well as I can. I also sandblast the entire inside of the stock to rough it up and clean out any mold release compound. I then put a hole in the webs so I can twist a small piece of wire around the tubes to hold them in place. Then comes the magic. You put the polyurethane glue anywhere the tubes touch the stock, be very liberal with it, twist the wires tight to hold the tubes in place and then mist the whole thing with water. The glue then foams and fills the whole bottom of the stock. It holds very firmly but weighs nothing. If it overfills the area you want it sands or cuts fairly easily to trim it up. I just did a Savage tupperware and you can barely flex the forend and it added just 22 grams to the weight:)
Kim
 
Just finished my Butler Creek stock. Final weight with Devcon and aluminum tubing... 32 ounces. Not a lightweight by the numbers but it's hard to get picky about the stock when I have a 20" heavy barrel .223 now mounted in it. I'll use it as my utility gun for now until I drop the hammer on something lighter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom