free floating question

[gabriel999]

I just bought a wood stock and I had to adjust it to fit my barrel.
I'm able to sqeeze a paper in between my barrel and the stock but is very tight and it's a letter type paper(A4).
I would like to know what thickness should I be able to put in between?
Thanks.

 

[Brambles]

I usually like a business card to go through or at least 2 thicknesses of regular lined paper without effort

 

[skeetgunner]

My test is a new CDNTire bill, folded over on itself. It should run in smoothly, without binding or snagging. I occassionally us a business card.

But business cards are thicker, which means more clearance (which might be a good thing) but I find they leave too much wood to metal air gap.

 

[guntech]

Depending on the thickness of the barrel and the stock, different rifles need different clearances.

More clearance is better accuracy wise than less.

The detriment to a large amount of clearance is it looks crappy.

The thickness of two or three pieces of ordinary writing paper is enough clearance on most rifles.

The trick it to make the clearance at the sides of the barrel no larger than two or three thicknesses of paper, and the clearance underneath where you can not see, larger. You do not want any contact when the barrel vibrates on firing.

Often I see stocks that have been free floated and the edge has been sanded out like a "V" and the clearance underneath is not enough. It looks like hell and it doesn't do the job it was supposed to either.

 

[gabriel999]

thanks a lot !

 

[sunray]

Paper money. It should move freely to the beginning of the chamber area of the barrel. You may need to put a pressure point just aft of the end of the stock. Free floating doesn't help every rifle. Some of 'em like the pressure point. Shoot it first. If the accuracy is mediocre, put a dab of bedding material in the barrel channel. Remember the release agent.