Glass bedding question

[400bull]

I am currently in the process of refinishing an old walnut stock on my Winchester 270. While I am at it I have thought about removing the factory glass bedding around the recoil lug and redoing it. I've read a couple articles on glass bedding your rifle none of them mention anything about removing the trigger. I assume that you would leave it attached. I'm worried about getting epoxy in all those groves so I was wondering if I should remove the trigger or not. Do you remove the trigger or do you leave the trigger attached to the action?

400bull

 

[J E Custom]

I am currently in the process of refinishing an old walnut stock on my Winchester 270. While I am at it I have thought about removing the factory glass bedding around the recoil lug and redoing it. I've read a couple articles on glass bedding your rifle none of them mention anything about removing the trigger. I assume that you would leave it attached. I'm worried about getting epoxy in all those groves so I was wondering if I should remove the trigger or not. Do you remove the trigger or do you leave the trigger attached to the action?

400bull

You "MUST" remove the trigger unless you want to ruin it.

You should only apply bedding to the areas of contact and remove all of the excess bedding.

Midway has a Plastic trigger for this purpose

J E CUSTOM

 

[Bart B]

And fill all the receiver's holes and recesses with modeling clay so the epoxy won't work its way into them making it hard (impossible?) to get out of the stock.

 

[Fitch]

Before you do anything to your rifle, order Richard Franklin's DVD on bedding rifles - it will be the best thirty bux you spent. there are others, but I recommend Franklins because he shows how to do it wout out using a milling machine. After watching it, look up a recent outstanding thread on this forum showing the bedding of a Wetherby using all hand tools + a drill press located here http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f37/pillar-bedding-weatherby-vanguard-pics-68643/. Between the two sources you should have most of your questions answered, and answers to about 1,000 questions you don't know to ask.

From your questions, this would be the first time for you. A little bit of study and knowledge aquisition will make this a rewarding project, and also keep you from ruining your rifle.

Fitch

 

[Bart B]

You don't need to pillar bed the receiver. Pillar bedding was a "must" when the first synthetic stocks came out because the receiver area's material was too soft to withstand tightening stock screws to 70 inch-pounds or thereabouts. Solid or laminated wood stocks never needed it. Nor do the modern, solid synthetics with hard core material where the action goes. There's too many rifles out there winning matches and setting records with conventional epoxy bedding without pillars. Besides, the smallest groups with more than 10 shots in them I know of have all been done with conventional epoxy bedding.

 

[J E Custom]

I would highly recommend installing pillars before bedding to eliminate any compression
of the stock material.

With pillars properly installed you end up with a metal to metal to metal fit so there is no
compression of the stock. causing the torque to lessen over time.

All stock material can be compressed but the pillars can not be compressed, so torque
remains the same.

A good bedding job does not need pillars to shoot well but it does need constant attention
and re-torque'ing to remain consistant.

Also don't over tighten the action screws, Start at 35 inch pounds and shoot a group then
torque at 40 inch pounds and shoot another group if the group tightens then up the torque
5 more inch pounds.continue this until you get the best group but dont go over 65 in/pounds.
If the group starts to open up, back off to the best torque setting and your done.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Bart B]

With pillars properly installed you end up with a metal to metal to metal fit so there is no compression of the stock. causing the torque to lessen over time.

All stock material can be compressed but the pillars can not be compressed, so torque remains the same.

I disagree. Pillars are part of the stock and they will be compressed. Not very much, but measurable. They expand when they get hot and contract when they get cold.

 

[J E Custom]

I disagree. Pillars are part of the stock and they will be compressed. Not very much, but measurable. They expand when they get hot and contract when they get cold.

I agree to a point because most materials have different coefficients of expansion so they may change dimensionally with temperature changes. "BUT" the pillars will return to there original dimension when the temperature returns to the same as when built and it is very very small.

Where as the stock material once compressed will not return all the way back and continue to
lose the original dimensions with continued compression by the action screws.

The main benefit is to keep the bedding material from compressing. most bedding materials
will have a coefficient of expansion 8 to 9 times that of stainless and left to its own (No Pillars)
will eventually compress enough to loosen the fit on the receiver.

Having bedded both ways, the pillar bedded action lasted much longer before skim bedding
was nessary to improve the fit.

As allways this is my opinion based on experience and with a little applied science.

You may not be convinced, but I am and will continue to pillar bed all actions in search for
more accuracy.

Good shooting

J E CUSTOM

 

[Fitch]

I agree to a point because most materials have different coefficients of expansion so they may change dimensionally with temperature changes. "BUT" the pillars will return to there original dimension when the temperature returns to the same as when built and it is very very small.

Where as the stock material once compressed will not return all the way back and continue to
lose the original dimensions with continued compression by the action screws.

The main benefit is to keep the bedding material from compressing. most bedding materials
will have a coefficient of expansion 8 to 9 times that of stainless and left to its own (No Pillars)
will eventually compress enough to loosen the fit on the receiver.

Having bedded both ways, the pillar bedded action lasted much longer before skim bedding
was nessary to improve the fit.

As allways this is my opinion based on experience and with a little applied science.

You may not be convinced, but I am and will continue to pillar bed all actions in search for
more accuracy.

Good shooting

J E CUSTOM

Well said.

Fitch