I tried a little experiment with the bedding and finish on my Custom 9,3x62 that I've posted the pictures of. After reading about the excellent accuracy that Melvin Forbes gets with lightweight barrels with full bedded forends I decided to try one on my 9,3.
Knowing that wood likes to move I also tried a new finish to seal the wood. I used a penetrating Epoxy sealer as my first coat and to seal the checkering before I sanded in Tung oil and Linspeed.
I was a little curious to see how well the rifle would shoot with the full bedded forend. It took a few shots to get on paper and then I fired a 3 shot group:




The ammo was a few left over loads from another 9,3 I had seated to fit the magazine of the Pre-64 M-70. Here was the last group of the day fired with 2 different powder charges (1gr apart):




Needless to say I'm pretty excited about the way it shoots so far. I'd like to get the 250gr X bullets to about 2600, which I think is doable even with it's 22" barrel. I'm also wanting to keep track to see if my zero wanders much with changing weather i.e. how well the epoxy sealer does it's job. I'll keep you informed......................DJ

DJ

Nice groups.

Certainly some credit must be given to the barrel and whomever installed it. What barrel is it. Who installed it.

DJ,
You are in danger of losing your amature status! Amatures don't build rifles that look that good AND shoot like that.
Fully bedded was the IN thing when I first got interested in rifles, last century.
From my experience, you stand a good chance of being pleased with your efforts in the long run.

Very Nice! I full-length bed the forends of all my single shots.
SDH

DJ,

Very nice. Whose epoxy sealer did you use?

JimD

22WRF, Well the metalwork requires a little explanation. I have a few good buddies with whom we often share tables at gunshows, projects etc.. It's not uncommon for us to be at the Wannemacher gunshow in Tulsa with our 6 tables among the 15,000 other tables and do about 2/3rds of the business between ourselves instead of the other 14,994 tables at the show.
The 9,3 was one of the projects started by one buddy, picked up by another and then finally latched onto by me. One had the metalwork done, the second had a stock blank pantographed, and I bought the both of them (the bottom metal probably came from a fourth) to take on as a project.
The end of this is that I'm not totally sure who did the barrel and who the original blank was from, I think I know who it was but details occasional fall from exact memory. It came to me as a mostly contoured barreled action. I touched up the contour and stocked it, replacing the original bottom metal, reworked the rails, polished internals etc..
The next time I run into the original progenator of the barreled action I'll ask him for the details, but it might be the next Tulsa show before I see him, he's moved since. This is actually the 3rd 9,3x62 he and I have traded back and forth!.......

JimD, I'll check on the brand name, but I got from "The Japan Woodworker" and it's the only one they sell. It was less than $30 and is probably more than enough to do 30-40 guns.........DJ

Looks good...Check
Shoots like a house afire...Check

Looks like an A+ to me!

Hey DJ, I got a real kick out of the top picture.... You ACTUALLY had it SIGNED AND WITNESSED???!!! We trust you, brother... Anyone who builds guns like you've been posting HAS to be an honest john....lol.

MKane160