Free-floating barrel?

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Eastman

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Hi Guys,
I hope this is in the right forum! I have a Savage Long range precision varminter in .223 (LRPV) I was cleaning it today, and noticed on checking with the old $ Bill that there seems to be some touching near the end of the stock. I am new to the shooting sport, and have certainly never taken off a barrel or any other part of a rifle, so need help in sorting this out...Please! It is a fairly new rifle, and shoots great, but i feel it can do even better. It was truely "Free-Floating" last time I checked, so maybe it is just settling in or something? It is a very heavy barrel on this model...1 inch diameter! I am told that free-floating is essential to accuracy, and this rifle cost me more than $1,000, so want the best from it.
Can someone guide me through the process of checking it out, and correcting?
Many thanks in advance,
Eastman.:redface:
 
Some rifles have pressure points near the end of the barrel , winchester was one of those. Some guns shoot very well with 4 or so pounds of pressure there.
The only problem with that is the pressure can change with climate, or whatever else you can think of. Floating a barrel with maintain day after day consistent accuracy.
If it were me, and the gun shot to my liking, I would let it be. If your getting fliers, or having to adjust your scope after a while , I would take some sand paper to the channel, only after bedding the action.
 
freefloatin barrel

Thanks for the advice. I'm afraid I wouldn't know where to start with "Bedding the action" As I said, I haven't a clue about working on guns. I aren't afraid to have a go though. I suppose the barrel will simply lift off if I remove the screws/bolts under the stock? Sorry to be so ignorant, but when you haven't ever done these things.....? Will sandpaper do the job on a plastic stock? It's a H S precision.
Thanks. Eastman
 
If you want, you can test if the rifle will shoot better free-floated by placing a small piece of ammo box cardboard behind the recoil lug and between the action and bedding block, then retighten the action screws. This will essentially free float the barrel by slightly raising it (the thickness of the cardboard). Fire some rounds to see if there is an improvement in your groups.

If there is an improvement (or if you prefer to have it free flaoted anyways), then its time to free float the barrel. Loosen the action screws and raise the barrel slightly so the dollar (as per free float test) will pass easily between the barrel and stock forend. Then replace the dollar bill with a piece of 150 grit sandbaper and run it back and forth in the barrel channel using the barrel contour as your guide. Be careful not to remove stock material along the sides of the barrel channel. Repeat and tighten action screws until there are no contact points with the action screws tightened to spec. Whoala....free floated barrel perfectly matching the contour of the barrel.
 
Yes it will take her down, I would not mess with it , if I was not gonna bed the action. Also you gotta be careful not to remove to much and keep it the same distance from the barrel, so it don't look out of round. You can't put the material back, and its a costly stock.
If you got a flathead bolt on the action , be sure to use a snug screw driver fit with parallel blade head, not tapered like you often see. Don't wanna tear up the screw heads. Get it in the slot firm , hold firm , then turn while you maintain pressure , so it don't slip.
 
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free-floating barrel

Ok, I'm going to have to give this a bit of thought! If I need to bed the action, I will have to understand exactly what that entails. If I do remove the action scews/bolts, can I just re-tighten them without any special tool? The ones in this rifle are tightened with an allen-key! Why do I need to bed the action when working on the free-floating thing? Is it an easy job, and what material do I need? Wish I had a bit more knowledge about these things!:confused:
Thanks again,
Eastman.
 
Well your good to go with those bolts, easy removal of metal from wood without damage, and when you loosen, take note of torque , ie back off quarter turn , tighten quarter turn. Can also mark bolt/action, to return to same place, if they are set at where their supose to be in the first place.
As for working on a gun that cost that much, for the quality of work the gunsmith's do, they should be the ones doing it, and it is not that much money, to get a good job done.
 
The LRPV rifle you have has an aluminum bedding block integral with the stock that mates the action to the stock. Technically speaking, no additional bedding is required for such a set-up.
 
With conventional bedding you will get 100% action to stock match. The integral bedding block is OK but the action will still be sitting on the high points of the bedding block. Most rifles shoot better when bedded.
As for free floating...All my target rifles are free floated, likely 1/8 of an inch minimum around the barrel, some 3/8" or more.
Take the action out of the stock. Get a 7/8" or 1" wooden dowel (broom handle) and wrap some sand paper around it. Sand the barrel channel to get rid of the hump that is touching the barrel. If the accuracy goes to sh*t without the pressure point a small dab of 5 min epoxy where the hump was will repair this problem. Remember to use a release agent on the barrel if you need to put the hump back in. You do not want to glue the barrel into the stock.
 
Wow! What a great response! This needs some thinking about....Can I do it? Does it need doing? I think I will have to take another careful look at it again tomorrow. I do remember checking the clearance after I bought it 5 months ago(New) and the $ bill slipped under the berrel then( only just ) but today I noticed it wouldn't pass under beyond an inch or so! I will have to do a more careful check and then decide. The gun does shoot great, but I am looking for a bit more from it. It shot at it's very best the first week i had it. Maybe it has been effected with the barrel/stock contact? I would prefer to have it properly Free-floating though.
Thanks to you all,
Eastman.
 
If you are not comfortable bedding the action and floating the barrel, why not take it to a qualified gunsmith. Get him to check it out for you.

They do it all the time and therefore are good at it. It doesn't cost alot and you will know it will be done right.

I have seen some bedding jobs that were obviously done by people unqualified.

Getting the most accuracy out of a rifle is about eliminating all the negative factors, poor bedding being one of them.
 
The LRPV comes from the factory free floated and mated to the bedding block with no additional bedding. Reviews by from various writers report the gun shots in the 1/4" MOA range no problem. If it were me I would free float the barrel and not worry about additional bedding. A gunsmith can alway scim bed it later if you want.
 
free-floating barrel

Hi guys!
Many thanks for all the good advice. I have taken it on board. I think I will have a go at free-floating the barrel again. It is only just touching the stock, but it wasn't 3 months ago!! That's what worries me. If it is touching now, then something must have moved? Can I move it back? What made it move? There are no gunsmiths anywhere near me, so I will have a go myself...but only at free-floating the barrel! Any advice will be appreciated. Everyone tells me it is a simple procedure, but when you haven't done it before.......?
Anyway, Thank you all for your help.
Eastman.
 
free-foating barrel

Well, I checked my rifle again, and decided it did need free-floating again, so I removed the stock, and used a piece of 1 inch dowelling with sandpaper to carefully remove just a very small amount of material from the very front of the stock where there was contact. After putting everything back together, the $ bill slid smoothly and easilly under the barell with no contact at all!!!!
This is the first time I have done anything with a rifle, so I am well pleased! I know it was only a simple task, but it feels great to have done it myself.
I want to thank all you guys for your advice and guidance....it was a great help.
Eastman
 
Eastman, just google "glass bedding" you will get at least 3 or 4 hits that address just what you're talking about. I did, as I'm about to bed a heavy barreled 12FVSS. You might want to read up a bit just in case you don't like the results, you can always put material back in.
 
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