What do you do with a bolt action forend that has warped and is putting pressure on one side of the barrel?

one way-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKz_I2DfesM

I would prefer to have a stock with no induced stresses in the fore end. The video shows how to put more stress into the wood. I admire the creativity in the video but I see it as a misguided solution.
But what do I know; he is the owner of Midway.

Not me

Relieve the pressure on the offending side/areas as necessary, seal the crap out of the barrel channel (and whatever other areas) and hope it doesn't warp again.

Or go to a synthetic stock.

If I recall correctly, a post on D'Arcy Echol's blog (or perhaps he posted it elsewhere?) describes how he installs an aluminum (I think) rod in his wood stock forends to keep the would from moving. However, I believe the rod is firmly attached to the actions recoil lug.

I've read that article by D'arcy, and he does that, but I believe it is done prior to the final fitting of the barreled action. Make sure it can't move, then get a perfect fit.

I read a comment by Paul Dressel that he would sometimes mill, or chisel, slots (not all the way through) in the barrel channel about 1.5-2" long with a 1/2"-3/4" space between them. It was supposed to relieve the stress in the forearm, and then he did the final fitting. This was in a commentary on mannlicher stocks with continuous forends.

You could try the bottom technique and see if the forearm straightens. You have nothing to lose, but it will change the rifle balance a little.

If that doesn't work, sand it out to a floating barrel channel and make the gaps even on both sides.

The issue I have with Potterfields technique is that the stock may not stay warped the same in all temperatures/conditions.

My dad has a 1978 Remington 700 that warps up in temps below zero, but is perfect above that temp. He sanded out the barrel channel and it has been fine for 40 years.

Jeremy

All depends on how bad.

Sand paper and glass bedding has worked well for a long time.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
All depends on how bad.

Sand paper and glass bedding has worked well for a long time.

I moved from South Carolina to Idaho and the stock on a Savage 110 warped severely. I took about .100" off the left side of the barrel channel and a week later the left side of the fore end was hard against the barrel again.


I solved it by replacing the stock with a fiberglass one.

Be real careful about releaving pressure on the offending side of the forend, I have seen this done many times as the accepted offender when in fact the pressue that pushed the barrel one way or the other was one side or the other of the tang and there lies the real culprit, Inletting 101...

Always check the tang first, if its clean then play with the forend..failure to do so when the gunsmith releaves the tang because the stock was near ruin, is a huge gap on one side of the barrel when it pops back in place after the tang release..Hope this saves a stock or two.

MOst of such problems are the result of wood that is not cured nor properly handled from tree to stock blank..Properly cured wood is stable IMO, Ive never had a custom stock move. I only hunt with wood and been in every climate one can imagine..
Alaska is the worst IMO, and requires proper care of wood and fiberglass may be the best option???, but so does fiberglass in extreme heat, I've seen glass stocks warp from being to close to a camp tent oven or in the trunk of a car or on the hood of a car in extreme weather, all this stuff is man made and can fail, nothing is 100% foolproof..