Rebedding

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Grantmac

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I have a custom fiberglass silhouette stock currently inlet for a M700 SA single shot. Planning to drop in an action very similar to a Anschutz 54.

The M700 is 1.35" in diameter, the other is ~1.10" and significantly shorter. Obviously I need to take up some significant amounts of room with the bedding while not adding a ton of weight. Also I need to move the new action up off the existing bedding to center it on the top line of the stock.

Current thought is epoxy with either fumed silica or using glass cloth. I work in composites so either is easy for me. Also considering adding pillars first to allow the action to sit up a little. Currently there are none. Fortunately the action bolts align almost perfectly and the bottom metal is quite similar.

Any thoughts are appreciated. I've done pillar and bedding jobs before but nothing this significant.

Thanks,
Grant
 
Setting the pillars first would position the barreled action correctly. Subsequent bedding would fill the voids.
 
Roger that. Any thoughts on material? The glass cloth will obviously be strongest and is my inclination.

The trigger group and magwell are integral on this action. I'm considering bedding the bare action then doing to inlet for that trigger group. This would make a mechanical lock very unlikely. Thoughts on that?
 
I am not familiar with those actions and have never tried what you are attempting, so I find this interesting to hear how you do it. From my own experiences - mostly mausers, is alleged to be important that action screws are used to pull down action only, not to carry recoil - so has become my practice to use several wraps of masking tape on the guide screws when setting pillars in place - that way, when real action screws installed - they have air all the way around - not pressing anywhere. Then, need your "bedding" structure to accommodate that recoil transfer - again, probably not the same as yours, but only one place usually designed to do that - everything else taped or scraped out for "clearance".

As far as materials, sounds like you are way ahead of where I would be. Most that I have done is with various epoxy - Acraglas, Devcon, Marine-Tex, even J-B Weld. Marine Tex and JB, especially, do not respond well to the epoxy colouring agents that I got from Brownells - so I prefer to use those where result is not visible. What Devcon I had went all "set-up" sitting on shelf too long, so will not be getting any more of that.
 
It's a rimfire action and doesn't REALLY have a proper recoil lug. From what I can see the rather small rear pillar (more of an thin tube) and the back of the trigger housing (which is a VERY sturdy unit) take the recoil.
aussiehunter-Weihrauch-HW-66-action.jpg


On the flip side it looks very easy to inlet for and the stock I have has plenty of room.
 
You describe your action as "similar to an Anschutz 54". I do not know how they were intended to transfer recoil from CL of bore to butt stock plate - must have to transfer into the stock somewhere? So, a good thing that you have posted - maybe someone else will know???
 
The current bedding job on the stock it came with doesn't seem to contact the area behind the safety (the pillar is cut away) and it wasn't bedded behind the trigger. I'm wondering if perhaps this is one source of the inconsistency I'm finding. It's a good shooter but not a fantastic one. I intend on correcting that in the new stock.
 
I have no successes (or failures) to share - have simply never messed with them. Maybe too old school in my thinking - pillars or support points to hold receiver, action screws to pull down - somewhere else must fit "tight" to transfer recoil, everywhere else needs room to vibrate and wiggle the same each time. But a pure "wild ass guess". I know Annies have been made to shoot very, very well - do not know how they were bedded to do that though.
 
Annies have a recoil lug. I believe the centerfire version of this rifle built on the same action might have one as well based on some stock inletting I've seen.

It seems whether they exist or not on various rimfires depends on design with many high end target rifles not having one. Personally I think I'm going to see about adding the function in some way.
 
tiriaq said:
Setting the pillars first would position the barreled action correctly. Subsequent bedding would fill the voids.
Click to expand...

This, but may I suggest filling the major portion of the gap with cork.

Suitable CORK, can be sourced at Staple's, it's used for refacing pin up boards.

I've done a couple of similar jobs.

The cork is easily glued to the stock with Contact Cement and the next layer is applied the same way, etc.

Make your cut outs first, before applying epoxy and screwing your action down on it.

Check the clearances before you start applying epoxy, to ensure you have enough covering the cork to keep it isolated.

This keeps the weight down a lot

It used to be a standard form of bedding, now it's almost unheard of by most firearm enthusiasts.
 
Cork you say? That's very interesting indeed. Cork is sometimes used in windsurf/stand up paddle board construction which is the type of composite I'm most familiar with. It's used as an eco friendlier alternative to ABS foam. From what I understand the cork will absorb quite a bit of epoxy but not enough to be heavier than glass cloth.

Is it rigid enough once it's been glassed though?
 
The first thing to do is make or get made a set of long guide screws that will protrude well past the bottom of the stock. Then you need to locate where you want the trigger shoe in relation to the pistol grip. You can’t just bed the action with matching the centrelines vertically or the trigger will be too high,

If the trigger will work with the action on same centreline, the easiest way to get their is to wrap 1/2” masking tape rings on the barrel and a midpoint on the receiver to support everything centred in the inletting. Then wrap the guide screws with tape bed the receiver and ‘pillars’ around the guide screws. After cleanup you inlet the bottom metal upward using the guide screws. The depth has to be exactly as in the 22lr stock and will be inset from the bottom of the new stock.

The cosmetic will be another job altogether. If you end up bedding the action below centrelines, be careful you don’t bed above the action centrelines or you will mechanically lock the action in the stock.

I put a Brno #4 in a McMillan A5 a couple years ago and that pretty much is how I did it.
 
I don't mind the trigger being inset, matter of fact that would be my preference to make it easier to hold and let me build the comb a bit higher (silhouette rules).
Keeping the action high also reduces the chance of mechanical lock as you say.

Cork would also be a great way to build up the comb.....
 
Grantmac said:
Cork you say? That's very interesting indeed. Cork is sometimes used in windsurf/stand up paddle board construction which is the type of composite I'm most familiar with. It's used as an eco friendlier alternative to ABS foam. From what I understand the cork will absorb quite a bit of epoxy but not enough to be heavier than glass cloth.

Is it rigid enough once it's been glassed though?
Click to expand...

I've used it several times, mostly to save weight and of course expensive epoxys, especially those little Brownelle's Acra Glas kits.

IMHO, once it cures hard, say over a 24+ hour period. It's very rigid, and strong.
 
Looking at it a bit more I'm thinking I'll keep the original bolt holes but increase their size for pillars which can move it back slightly with careful drilling.

The trigger unit will rest on top of the existing bedding with the action at the correct height which is convenient.

My other thought was to make the front pillar a socket to allow that front piece which holds the trigger to the receiver to act as a recoil lug.
Conversely I could install a flat plate there similar to an Anschutz recoil lug which is placed in the stock.
 
Grantmac said:
I'm curious to hear your thoughts, why not post them here?
Click to expand...

OP, if Mr Robinson is offering you personal direction, consider yourself a very lucky individual.

You likely have no idea how much experience this individual has with stocks and fitting them, over decades of manufacturing, selling and installing on his customers builds.
 
The rear of many rim fire actions is flat and can serve as a recoil lug... it's not like the recoil is much...
 
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