Wavy Washers and Rem 700 screws

[Doozy]

I read online, "Putting wave washers on your stock screws will help compensate for stock dimensional changes with temperature" (see reference link below).

My question is if this is possible with a Remington 700, since all the bottom metal screws I've seen are all angled or countersunk heads. Does the washer go somewhere besides near the screw head, or does it just not work?

https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=433049

 

[Orange Dust]

Pillar bed action and bottom metal in the stock.

 

[Doozy]

I do appreciate the brevity (there isn't enough of that in the world) but it was a bit too brief for my experience level and your words were lost on me.

Are you recommending I go another route and use pillars? Or does what you say fix my issue? I promise I'm not being snarky... I genuinely don't understand.

 

[Orange Dust]

OK, sorry, didn't know. Remington has three styles of stocks for the most part. They have wood, injection molded plastic, and fiberglass with an aluminum bedding block. If you have accuracy issues with the stock all three are different. The wood would need to be pillar bedded and both the action and bottom metal bedded to the stock with filled epoxy. The fiberglass may or may not get better after what is called skim bedding, but usually does. The injection molded one, commonly called "Tupperware" around here, is usually replaced with something of higher quality and not normally bedded. Unless you are a really hands on kind of guy and like to tinker, these are things best left to a good gunsmith. Most around here charge in a range of $100-250 depending on the stock you have and the amount of work needed. If you have the tupperware stock you can play around with screw tension. You have to have a screwdriver that reads torque in inlbs. Remingtons usually shoot a little better with more on the front one than in back. Sometimes a little more or less can make a difference in accuracy. If you happen to have an ADL with the blind magazine the middle screw should be very little more than finger tight, just enough to hold it. does this explain it better?

 

[Doozy]

It does, but I still feel like my original question hasn't been answered. I think I need to share more details on where I'm at.

I've never bedded a rifle before but have read up on it, and watched several videos that lead me to believe that I can do it, such as the one posted here. I have a vise and all the other tools... I was leaning towards getting Steel-Bed, based on the recommendation from @J E Custom at this post on compounds ; I really liked @ntsqd 's arguments for the Devcon aluminum, and Brownell's is low on details for the Steel-bed, but if it carries over some of the thermal expansion properties of stainless steel (which Steel-bed claims to contain a very high percentage of), then I could excuse some of the lack of technical details and give it a go.

My stock I ordered is a carbon fiber make from Stocky's , which will be filled like you said (they call it a V Accublock composite). Because of this, I expect I will be doing a skim bedding, as you described. Also, because of this I'm also thinking that pillar bedding is not going to happen, or that "that ship has sailed." I have a Wheeler's torque wrench, and will be attaching a Wyatt's BDL...Stocky's recommends 45 ft/lbs with their composite.

To my actual question: Based on the recommendation by that guy in my original post, I would like to add wavy washers if I can. I'm not clear on where to put the washer though. If I add a wavy washer directly under the screw's head, it won't compress flat because the screw's head, and the corresponding recessed hole in the action, is angled. Does this mean I can place a washer between the action and the stock, or bottom metal and stock? Or should I just scrap the idea?

(Thank you for the tip on different torque levels for the screws!)

 

[Orange Dust]

It does, but I still feel like my original question hasn't been answered. I think I need to share more details on where I'm at.

I've never bedded a rifle before but have read up on it, and watched several videos that lead me to believe that I can do it, such as the one posted here. I have a vise and all the other tools... I was leaning towards getting Steel-Bed, based on the recommendation from @J E Custom at this post on compounds ; I really liked @ntsqd 's arguments for the Devcon aluminum, and Brownell's is low on details for the Steel-bed, but if it carries over some of the thermal expansion properties of stainless steel (which Steel-bed claims to contain a very high percentage of), then I could excuse some of the lack of technical details and give it a go.

My stock I ordered is a carbon fiber make from Stocky's , which will be filled like you said (they call it a V Accublock composite). Because of this, I expect I will be doing a skim bedding, as you described. Also, because of this I'm also thinking that pillar bedding is not going to happen, or that "that ship has sailed." I have a Wheeler's torque wrench, and will be attaching a Wyatt's BDL...Stocky's recommends 45 ft/lbs with their composite.

To my actual question: Based on the recommendation by that guy in my original post, I would like to add wavy washers if I can. I'm not clear on where to put the washer though. If I add a wavy washer directly under the screw's head, it won't compress flat because the screw's head, and the corresponding recessed hole in the action, is angled. Does this mean I can place a washer between the action and the stock, or bottom metal and stock? Or should I just scrap the idea?

(Thank you for the tip on different torque levels for the screws!)

If its the aftermarket ones I'm thinking about they go between the receiver and stock and are meant to simulate pillars in a way. The idea was to get stress off an unbedded reciever, if memory serves. Wood swells and contracts. The stock you ordered does not need this. It may shoot great with the bedding block already installed in it. Glass bedding may or may not help it. I would bolt the thing together and go shoot it. You might be happy the way it comes. If not, then you can skim bed it yourself. This is the easiest of bedding jobs. At least this will give you a baseline to work from and you will know if you made it better, worse, or it stayed the same.

 

[J E Custom]

It does, but I still feel like my original question hasn't been answered. I think I need to share more details on where I'm at.

I've never bedded a rifle before but have read up on it, and watched several videos that lead me to believe that I can do it, such as the one posted here. I have a vise and all the other tools... I was leaning towards getting Steel-Bed, based on the recommendation from @J E Custom at this post on compounds ; I really liked @ntsqd 's arguments for the Devcon aluminum, and Brownell's is low on details for the Steel-bed, but if it carries over some of the thermal expansion properties of stainless steel (which Steel-bed claims to contain a very high percentage of), then I could excuse some of the lack of technical details and give it a go.

My stock I ordered is a carbon fiber make from Stocky's , which will be filled like you said (they call it a V Accublock composite). Because of this, I expect I will be doing a skim bedding, as you described. Also, because of this I'm also thinking that pillar bedding is not going to happen, or that "that ship has sailed." I have a Wheeler's torque wrench, and will be attaching a Wyatt's BDL...Stocky's recommends 45 ft/lbs with their composite.

To my actual question: Based on the recommendation by that guy in my original post, I would like to add wavy washers if I can. I'm not clear on where to put the washer though. If I add a wavy washer directly under the screw's head, it won't compress flat because the screw's head, and the corresponding recessed hole in the action, is angled. Does this mean I can place a washer between the action and the stock, or bottom metal and stock? Or should I just scrap the idea?

(Thank you for the tip on different torque levels for the screws!)

In my opinion the use of wavy washers defeats the whole purpose of Pillar bedding. the Idea is to lock the action in the exact place every time and let the stock add extra strength to the whole system. Anything that Is compressible Is not good In my opinion and will allow the torque to change depending on the temperature.

As far as bedding, I prefer the steel bed because of it'e ease on mixing (50x50), working, and its slow pot life that keeps the temperature down, reducing shrinkage.

Devcon is good bedding like some others, But I don't like the mixing ratio and having to weigh them to get the correct ratio.

There are also cheaper compounds, but in the long run they end up more expensive
because of there quality and difficulty to use.

J E CUSTOM