Restock Browning A-Bolt Short Action

[98s1lightning]

Have my 284 Medallion I bought because I'm a fan of the Miroku guns, and I like the tang safety, and 60 degree bolt lift

I swooned over how nice this rifle was. Then once I got the dang thing I'm like jeez how am I gonna hunt with this or throw it in/out the truck.....I need a working gun.

Decided to hang up the beautiful wood stock and ordered a factory Browning short action Synthetic stock so I'd have plastic for the woods.

Got pretty bitter over how much error was in the new stock and both Browning and the distributor I bought it from refused to take a return and test fit it on an action to see what error I was explaining.

I ended up buying the right sized end mill to move the mag pocket over the amount needed and had to oblong the front action screw.

Its possible this stock is for a MICRO model but it is labeled S/A inside.

Look at the casting pad versus where the sling mount hole is............

Still partway through this and it needs bedding. Kind of ****ed off about the whole deal but I'm learning that stocks aren't usually a drop in job.

 

[98s1lightning]

 

[98s1lightning]

 

[98s1lightning]

You can see the end mill mark in this picture
I must have moved the counterbore/pocket over 0.020" or maybe 0.030" I can't recall. But it sure wasn't anywhere close to hand fitting parts to make it work.

 

[98s1lightning]

See the location of the hole versus the casting pad. That's a red flag to me.

 

[98s1lightning]

Labeled S/A

No reason to believe this is a micro stock. My rifle is not a micro I have a 22" barrel and its my understanding the micros are 20". But maybe this stock had a micro CNC program ran on it by accident. Thats what I think happened.

I also bought a spare mag for my rifle, and it was labeled NOT FOR MICRO. Its a twin to the one I have.

 

[98s1lightning]

I got the gun mocked up and the action height is correct.

As far as I can tell the next move is to bed it with some Marinetex Gray then I will be able to distinguish the bedding compound from the black plastic.

I never bed a rifle before so am hesitant and kind of sketched out to get the compound in my action screw holes.

Not quite sure how to get the action dropped on in perfect alignment, probaby need to make up some long screw that are compatible to pilot the barreled action into place with no wiggling around upon bedding.

One of my friends suggested aluminum pillar bedding but I see no room for those o this crammed action/stock combo they will break out into other areas. I don't have that kind of time/patience at this point.

I also think this forearm needs stiffening, I shimmer the barrel lug up and took the elastic off in the picture and I can twist the forearm back and forth. Maybe bed some aluminum rods in??

The factory only put bedding compound on the recoil lug.
The way I envisioned this rifle getting bedded was 3) places.
1) Recoil lug
2) action belly before mag box
3) action belly ahead of mag box

 

[chav0_12]

Either use long screws or use the factory screws just make sure they have enough release agent on them. Use a lot of release agent. Use clay, play-dough works, for any holes that you don't want filled. Take your trigger off before you do it, you don't want to break it when you try to break it free, ask me how I know.

 

[chav0_12]

Oh, I have an extra SA stock laying around. I could take some measurements or I'd sell that to you instead. Should've asked here first. I switched to Bell and Carlson stock on one of my A-Bolts. At some point I'll do the others.

 

[98s1lightning]

I'm looking at B&C. Did you notice if the trigger reach is further? It looks to me on their sporter stocks like the pistol grip area is further away than the factory stocks.

No spending $ right now.....But thanks for the offer.
My action screws are 7 1/4" on center.
Also I just found this forum.

 

[chav0_12]

I'm looking at B&C. Did you notice if the trigger reach is further? It looks to me on their sporter stocks like the pistol grip area is further away than the factory stocks.

No spending $ right right now.....But thanks for the offer.
My action screws are 7 1/4" on center.
Also I just found this forum.

I didn't really notice much difference. Not going to lie, I bought that stock off of someone second hand, waited a while to install it. Isntalled it (with a bedding job), broke the trigger, ordered a new one, then it sat in the safe for more than a year or maybe two. I just started shooting it again this past summer. It feels good though, I like it, I have a couple of other Bell and Carlson stocks on other rifles too.

 

[98s1lightning]

I thought the B&C selling point was "drop-in, no bedding"
With the full aluminum bed

 

[chav0_12]

Yeah, you can, or you can be certain and bed it. Everything I have, even like that, is bedded. I probably wouldn't bed a full chassis though. There's enough space in the recoil lug recess to make me want to eliminate that.

 

[sable tireur]

I thought the B&C selling point was "drop-in, no bedding"
With the full aluminum bed

The key to getting the accuracy you want is to have the barreled action 'stress free'.

Most rifle actions, yes even some customs, are not manufactured EXACTLY the same. There are small variations which change the way the action fits into the aluminum bedding block in the stock. Skim bedding will often minimize the variations in the machining found in those blocks allowing for better stress free mounting of the action.