I have a fiberglass stock with aluminum pillars in it, and my floorplate (the Winchester two piece kind) sits proud of the bottom of the stock by a few hundredths of an inch.

I am inclined to take some metal off of the top of the trigger guard and floorplate hinge plate instead of dealing with removing fiberglass and shaving metal off of the aluminum pillars.

Are there any pitfalls to this method?

Thanks.

I would remove some of the pillar and lower the floor plate; that is the right way to do it.

does the mag box bottom out.

The mag box does not bottom out on the floor plate. It seems to have the same clearance. A few hundredths.

I would also machine the stock instead of the bottom metal. In fact I almost always bed the barreled action first with the pillars affixed to the action, once hardened remove the barreled action, flip the stock over in the mill and cut the pillars and clean up whatever inletting is needed for the bottom metal.

quote:

I would also machine the stock instead of the bottom metal.

+1

If only I had a milling machine . . . .

MNR - I just sent you a PM.

Mike,

Do you have a drill press with a depth stop?
A double edged cylinder-shaped grinding burr slightly narrower than the width of the tangs mounted in a drill press might get you close. Just finish the corners with a utility knife and a fine chisel.

Thanks, all. I have decided not to do this, but to give it to MNR, to be done right, along with a few other things. Thanks for steering me straight.

quote:

Originally posted by MNR:
I would also machine the stock instead of the bottom metal. In fact I almost always bed the barreled action first with the pillars affixed to the action, once hardened remove the barreled action, flip the stock over in the mill and cut the pillars and clean up whatever inletting is needed for the bottom metal.

Why not fit the pillars and then atach to the action and glass with the bottom metal in place, tht's how I do it

That sounds like a good way to do it as well. The way I understand it is the theory behind bedding the barreled action prior to the bottom metal is that it can be done "stress free". With the pillars attached to the action with guard screws and set into the epoxy-lathered stock, I apply just enough pressure on the tang to keep the barreled action in the stock. I'm not saying the other way wouldn't work just as well. I think the only pitfall would be torquing the guard screws too much during bedding and causing stress.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Kobe:

quote:

Originally posted by MNR:
I would also machine the stock instead of the bottom metal. In fact I almost always bed the barreled action first with the pillars affixed to the action, once hardened remove the barreled action, flip the stock over in the mill and cut the pillars and clean up whatever inletting is needed for the bottom metal.

Why not fit the pillars and then atach to the action and glass with the bottom metal in place, tht's how I do it

I agree and that's why I cut the pillars to the correct length at the git-go

It sounds like the pillars were already bedded into the action and that poses the problem that the OP ran into.

I agree with others, take the pillar and bedding down a bit rather than cutting on the gun.

Sounds like the OP made his decision to let someone else clean it up for him. Not a bad way to go.

When in doubt, phone a knowledgeable friend (or take it to him)!

Zeke

quote:

Originally posted by ZekeShikar:
It sounds like the pillars were already bedded into the action and that poses the problem that the OP ran into.

That’s it. As for the rest, in the words of Dirty Harry Callahan, “A man’s got to know his limitations.”

Matthew did a great job.

He glass bedded the action, fitted a Timney trigger, fitted a one piece, Williams Oberndorf, straddle floorplate (which required re-contouring and repainting the stock), and coated the metal work, including Talley mounts and rings, in Cerakote Elite.

And he did it in lightning fast time.

Huge thanks to Matthew for a job well and quickly done.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
If only I had a milling machine . . . .

MNR - I just sent you a PM.

For a "one off" you might consider using a counterbore with a pilot