Nice work Kevin, looking good. Don't worry to much about using the Devcon, you will have at least an hour before it starts to harden and the stuff is like peanut butter so it doesn't run everywhere like other epoxy's. Just mask it off good where you don't want epoxy and your good to go!
Installing the Loggerhead ACP adjustable cheek riser hardware on my .338LM
- Thread starter Kevin M.
- Start date
I threw the rifle together to see if fit would be comfortable... my goodness it feels like a totally new rifle by getting the cheek weld perfected. When I lie down behind the rifle, it just... fits. The scope comes right into place exactly where it should be and does not take any moving around to bring it into perfect focus.
Most of all, my main goal was to keep the cheek bag, and it works perfectly on my rifle. I did not do this modification for looks, (although it is nice to do it right) but for practicality and proper fit of the rifle, and anybody who uses their rifle a lot and records dope can not deny that a cheek bag is pretty damn convenient for guys who go out in the bush to shoot.
I am happy.
Bolt at full rear position.
Most of all, my main goal was to keep the cheek bag, and it works perfectly on my rifle. I did not do this modification for looks, (although it is nice to do it right) but for practicality and proper fit of the rifle, and anybody who uses their rifle a lot and records dope can not deny that a cheek bag is pretty damn convenient for guys who go out in the bush to shoot.
I am happy.
Bolt at full rear position.
Was getting a mite concerned ... mayhaps upgraded KM-LM to surpass 'ol Fugly, out there on the icefields?.
... Naaahh .... not likely ... them rancid smelly 'ol socks? ... they are long gone now.
And with them ... the advantage.
Nice job Kevin.
Looks like a great job hope it works awesome for you. I think personally though I would be swapping for a different scope ring set up. Get the scope closer to the barrel center line. I find it easier to shoot long range that way but thats just my opinion.
So far I would estimate that I have roughly 5.5 to 6 hours into the project, spread out over a bunch of nights after work. (Double that time if you count the time I spent researching and thinking about how to do it, and buying tools)
Epoxy still to be done, hoping for a quiet night this week, not seeming to come around yet.
Had a bit of free time today, so I did some more work.
Followed the instructions to a tee, and the putty process went fairly smoothly all in all.
The stuff has roughly the consistency of peanut butter, so it is workable, but tends to cling to whatever tool you use, so some patience is required to do a reasonably clean job.
I started off by taping off the top and bottom holes on the loggerhead hardware so no epoxy got into the inside of the holes.
Quadruple checking the test fit...
All good. Now taping up the rest of the buttstock, as I had no clue how messy the stuff would be.
And after about 35 minutes of working with the putty, she was secured on all sides! Maybe not as perfectly smooth as others could have gotten the epoxy, but this was my first go at it, and I am pretty happy with the results. I can smooth it a bit more after it cures as well if I decide to. Thank goodness for the tape!
Since I did not trust the provided screws alone to hold the upper assembly, since it is a foam core stock, I used a bit more the Devcon 10110 and epoxyed and screwed the upper assembly to the upper cheek piece, squeezing it into the epoxy. I used the last bit of excess 10110 to coat a thin layer of the exposed foam and fibres as well. I will use something else for the bottom of the stock as well, just to make sure the foam and kevlar fibres are protected properly.
Woo hoo!!!
I'm really on the home stretch now!
Followed the instructions to a tee, and the putty process went fairly smoothly all in all.
The stuff has roughly the consistency of peanut butter, so it is workable, but tends to cling to whatever tool you use, so some patience is required to do a reasonably clean job.
I started off by taping off the top and bottom holes on the loggerhead hardware so no epoxy got into the inside of the holes.
Quadruple checking the test fit...
All good. Now taping up the rest of the buttstock, as I had no clue how messy the stuff would be.
And after about 35 minutes of working with the putty, she was secured on all sides! Maybe not as perfectly smooth as others could have gotten the epoxy, but this was my first go at it, and I am pretty happy with the results. I can smooth it a bit more after it cures as well if I decide to. Thank goodness for the tape!
Since I did not trust the provided screws alone to hold the upper assembly, since it is a foam core stock, I used a bit more the Devcon 10110 and epoxyed and screwed the upper assembly to the upper cheek piece, squeezing it into the epoxy. I used the last bit of excess 10110 to coat a thin layer of the exposed foam and fibres as well. I will use something else for the bottom of the stock as well, just to make sure the foam and kevlar fibres are protected properly.
Woo hoo!!!
I'm really on the home stretch now!
Was getting a mite concerned ... mayhaps upgraded KM-LM to surpass 'ol Fugly, out there on the icefields?.
... Naaahh .... not likely ... them rancid smelly 'ol socks? ... they are long gone now.
And with them ... the advantage.
Nice job Kevin.
I'll keep one of those socks inside the cheek piece for the familiar, confidence boosting smell.
As for surpassing 'ol Fugly, she may not be quite as accurate yet as your 6.5 stainless barreled beaut of a mouser.... but I think I may have a wee edge in the ballistics dept, at least as far as bucking the wind with those super slippery Lost River Ballistics bullets.
Well then, it appears that the dead calm stalled arctic air mass forecasted for this entire winter ... 'wee edge' foresaken.
Indeed, both of us thank you most profusely KM ... the 'ol mutt, she just up 'n shrugged off a few more "stainless" barrel oxidation fleas, in response to such glowing praise.
Methinks, thou doest have tongue placed firmly in cheek however.
As to this threads topic of discussion, if I may consume yet more bandwidth ....
That thick layer of epoxy will shrink a fair bit on curing, leaving depressions, as you will by now have noticed.
Maybe knock off the high spots and give it a second glaze coat for finished appearances?.
Just an opinion.
We appreciate your time and effort to document and post this install step by step.
I thought the epoxy was only supposed to be used on the ends like this.
http://i1336.photobucket.com/albums/o641/WalterEKurtz/20121017_183233_zps067ec0d9.jpg
http://i1336.photobucket.com/albums/o641/WalterEKurtz/20121017_183233_zps067ec0d9.jpg
I applied a release agent to the sides to prevent them from sticking and preventing the ability to clamp it shut. Cracked the bond at the right time, worked good!
Well then, it appears that the dead calm stalled arctic air mass forecasted for this entire winter ... 'wee edge' foresaken.
The cold air won't be so static if I have a big bean breakfast the morning of the shoot.
Indeed, both of us thank you most profusely KM ... the 'ol mutt, she just up 'n shrugged off a few more "stainless" barrel oxidation fleas, in response to such glowing praise.
Methinks, thou doest have tongue placed firmly in cheek however.
I think so far out of the box... that I am probably right back in the box.... the same probably goes to the proverbial "tongue in my cheek." .... wait what?
Hmmmmm ...
'Praps KM, ... may play out just a titch to the better for that "wee edge" 'o yers ... vis a vis 950yd gongs at -20C ... iff'n y'all sticks to yer normal 1 1/2 lbs of thick slice smokey bacon 'n yer 4 magnum mugs of fire hardened java.
I'm with Shibby!.
It's not polite to offer a try, with all that frozen nose mung 'n drooley crusties all stuck into the nylon.
^ that said ^, & despite the onerous potential health issues ...
