Question: What is the reason why many gunsmiths relieve the forward area and sides around the recoil lug after glass bedding?

Thought: With low recoiling BR rifles, glue-in bedding is often performed. It would seem to me that leaving the bedding tight around the recoil lug would provide a more secure bedding platform compared to stocks where the area around the recoil lug is relieved.

Your thoughts?

re5513

for me it works like this
1, so that i can still remove the action from the stock
2, to prevent binding when the forearm flexes

------------------
born on a mountain, raised in a cave, hunting and fishing is all i crave!

First, this does not apply to the Mauser 98 which is bedded tight around the front recoil lug....

to bed the recoil lug tight all the way around will give you fits removing that barreled action from the gun in M-70 Winchesters, Ruger 77's and M-700 Remingtons, and others....

bedding all the way around will cause binding of the action in most cases and create shifts (again M-70 etc.)....I usually put 2 layers of paper tape on the sides, bottom and front of the m-70 or m-700 recoil lug. then cut out the front area a bit after I'm finished bedding...

The same applies to a barrel recoil lug, which you had better give a good deal of frontal clearance if you ever want to get it out of the stock.

------------------
Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

re5513,

I bed all the way around the lug. After I pull the rifle apart I then put a chamfer all around the side edges and bottm edges of the recoil lug. I do this so that when I reassemble the rifle the recoil lug does not shave off bedding material which would then get caught under the lug.

I have also used tape as Ray has suggested.

Another way which is common on round actions like Rem 700 is to put some tape about 1/2" wide lengthwise under the receiver. This results in what is something like a V block.

Glue ins were originally done because benchrest fiberglass stocks are hollow through the action area and you can't bed and screw the action down.

In Australia we also use bench style stocks that are made from aluminium and look like a skeleton in the butt and forend. These can be bedded and screwed togther. I have bedded and done glue ins with them but have no real firm conclusion which is the best.

Mike