Rifle Bedding

[TexasBob]

Best compound to use? I've read different opinions- bed the full action or just the front and back? Kimber Montana if it matters.

[flyinstroke]

Marine-Tex is easy to use and you can find it at boat shops locally.

[kck]

I use Devcon 10110 but MarineTex is popular as well. I bed all the way around and wrap the barrel in front of the recoil lug with 6 or so wraps of painters tape to create space needed between the barrel and bedding compound that comes out the front (you can always go back and mill that off or hit it with a dremel as well). One thing I’m a believer in, and others may agree or disagree, is keeping your aluminum pillars, if you have them, from touching the action by at least 15-20 thousands. Let the bedding compound take care of that last little bit of room.

[Cajun Blake]

Accra Glass, JB Weld, Marine Tex, Devcon, Brownells Steel Bed

very very important to use: modeling clay, masking tape, tape the recoil lug, and RELEASE AGENT !

FYI - I'm fully capable of doing my own, but prefer to have a skilled and competent professional GS do mine

bad job


good job

[Mike D]

Originally Posted by Cajun Blake

Accra Glass, JB Weld, Marine Tex, Devcon, Brownells Steel Bed

very very important to use: modeling clay, masking tape, tape the recoil lug, and RELEASE AGENT !

FYI - I'm fully capable of doing my own, but prefer to have a skilled and competent professional GS do mine

bad job


good job

Yep, what Blake said. I am capable, but don’t want to risk ruining a gun or at least a stock. Well worth the small cost to have a more experienced person do it.


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[diamond10x]

Originally Posted by Cajun Blake

FYI - I'm fully capable of doing my own, but prefer to have a skilled and competent professional GS do mine

X2. I bed my bases and rings on all my rifles but pay to have a professional do the stock for me.

[kck]

Originally Posted by kck

I use Devcon 10110 but MarineTex is popular as well. I bed all the way around and wrap the barrel in front of the recoil lug with 6 or so wraps of painters tape to create space needed between the barrel and bedding compound that comes out the front (you can always go back and mill that off or hit it with a dremel as well). One thing I’m a believer in, and others may agree or disagree, is keeping your aluminum pillars, if you have them, from touching the action by at least 15-20 thousands. Let the bedding compound take care of that last little bit of room.

Not that it matters here but my post should have read 15-20 thousandths. Good old autocorrect...

[TexasBob]

Thanks guys. I’m torn now. I’m a DIY person and wanted to do this.


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[trophy8]

Originally Posted by TexasBob

Thanks guys. I’m torn now. I’m a DIY person and wanted to do this.


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I too am in the “take it to a good gunsmith” vote

There’s more to a quality bedding job than just slapping it all in there.

[TxAg]

Originally Posted by TexasBob

Thanks guys. I’m torn now. I’m a DIY person and wanted to do this.


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It's easy if you're a DIY person. I use JB Weld.

This is a 2 part video that's helpful. https://youtu.be/L0Z7ujjv89g

[coop2564]

JB weld is what I used last few times. Just bedded a handi rifle forearm last week with it.

[Cooter]

What’s an approximate cost to have a GS do it?

[kck]

Originally Posted by Cooter

What’s an approximate cost to have a GS do it?

$125-150 for bedding without pillars. Add another $100 or so if pillars need to be installed.

[sierracharlie338]

Originally Posted by TexasBob

Thanks guys. I’m torn now. I’m a DIY person and wanted to do this.


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I HATE paying people for things that I am capable of doing. With that said I bedded a rifle and wasn’t pleased with the outcome. Sent it to a real gunsmith and it came back as expected.

Send it off for this job. Tinker with the other jobs.


Sierracharlie out…

[RifleBowPistol]

All of the stocks I have bedded, I used Accu Glass, it's good stuff. The Devcon stuff it supposed to be pretty dang good, but I have never used it. I would not use JB weld if the gun produces much of any recoil. JB Weld can break up pretty easily, never really been a fan of JB weld for much of anything.

If you use a good epoxy, such as Accu Glass or Devcon, you have to have everything right, use plenty of release agent of whatever type you choose. You can easily make a huge mess, if leave the receiver in the stock too long. Then just the opposite, if you don't leave it in the stock long enough, you may have to start all over.

Getting someone who has done numerous, to show you how to do the job and how long to leave it together before taking it apart, is a good idea. Then I would probably use the same epoxy they use, because they have figured out about how long to leave the action in the stock with the mixture of the epoxy they use. If you change brands or types of epoxy the cure time can vary quite a bit, that can bite you. Or just let a gunsmith do the job, they usually have done hundreds of them. I know even gunsmiths have actions get stuck in stocks on occasions. I remember a old gunsmith I used to know, showing me a stock he broke, because the action got stuck in the stock. He was so mad, because he had done many hundreds of stocks over the years and then had one get stuck on him. He built many custom rifles, with custom stocks he had made himself, so bedding stocks was his specialty.

[Coastal Ducks]

If you can take your time, plan it out, prep it correctly and are good at these type projects bedding a rifle isn't terribly difficult.

I have bedded lots of mine and have had much success. But it would really depend. If I was going all in on a full custom rifle build I'd just have the gunsmith do it. If I am bedding a Savage into a Boyd's stock, I am not paying $250 for a smith to bed it. It's just not that hard.

[zac221]

Somebody on here posted a very detailed write up and I follow it. Started using joe weld and have done about 15 guns now with improvements on all of them. Sometimes I mess up with tape and overfill but it cleans up.


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