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When inletting a 95% (or whatever they are) do you guys do the barreled action or the bottom metal first? It's a 98 Mauser. Westbrook does the bottom metal 1st if it's 1 pc and works from the top 1st if it's a multiple pc bottom. I'm not questioning Westbrook by any stretch, but this confuses me. My zero experience with this says work from the top down regardless. What say the experts? Reasoning? | ||
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Bottom metal first and make sure it is straight on all planes. If this is your first stock I can only offer two pieces of advice: 1) Sharp tools! 2) Take your time I use an alcohol lamp filled with kerosene of Tikki torch fuel to apply smoke to mark the high points for removal. Many on this Board are far better than I will ever be so feel free to obtain all the advice you can. Jim | |||
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99% of mine have been semi 98 based. I did them bottom metal first. That is what the old smith told me about 40 years ago. The couple 2 piece I did action first. The one from a blank I hand shaped it was action first them bottom metal even on the 98. As usual just my $.02 Paul K | |||
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Hi, Am in agreement with most responses however, there are a few better inletted in reverse. Per Dunlap inlet Springfield and Enfield guards first as the guard screws are not parallel and only the front screws are perpendicular to the bore. Mauser and Winchester actions may be best inletted first due to parallel action screws. IMO, it is easier to correct a slight mis-alignment through the length of bottom metal than the full length of action and barrel. Pre '64 Winchester bottom metal is tougher to inlet according to Dunlap in that there are 2 pieces to fiddle with. His recommendation is to weld up a one-piece to use as a fitting piece when inletting. Quite a few actions will tell you the order if you spend some time studying them and, as others stated, be patient. Check out Les Brooks' treatise in this forum. Good and sharp tools with guide screws. Nothing better. Luck, Stephen | |||
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Flat bottom actions always start with bottom metal, but for round actions it doesn't matter. John Farner If you haven't, please join the NRA! | |||
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I start with my check book. Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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 My current one is being handled exactly that way.  While I work on the wife's bedroom furniture I have promised for 8 or 9 years.As usual just my $.02 Paul K | |||
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Thanks. It seems most agree with bottom metal first, but I'd like to know why. As pointed out earlier, "IMO, it is easier to correct a slight mis-alignment through the length of bottom metal than the full length of action and barrel." This was my initial reasoning. | |||
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The large front hole in the semi-inlet can allow the barreled receiver to become misaligned, through allowing the guide screw to wallow around instead of being guided (grin). Installing the bottom metal first provides a sure and accurate alignment for the top metal's guide screw(s). When inletting from a blank, begin with the top metal and a snugly-fitting initial guide screw hole in the wood. Regards, Joe __________________________ You can lead a human to logic but you can't make him think. NRA Life since 1976. God bless America! | |||
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Thanks Joe. That makes sense. Anytime my thinking differs from a large group of competent people, I gotta figure I'm missing something. LOL. | |||
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Walnut, I mentioned in the Show and Tell at the top of the page that I like to inlett the top metal first from a blank. It is easier to align the trigger guard to the barrel and action. After all what is the most important part of your rifle? The barrel and action in my opinion. If you are doing a semi inlet stock you assume that the pattern is inline and correct before the blank is cut. In that case start with the guard and then guide to the trigger guard with guide screws. Before you start cutting take a look at the semi inlett to make sure that it hasn't warpped. I have found some off the center line and needed to make a slight correction before starting the final inletting. Les Brooks, | |||
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Thanks Les. I printed your show and tell post a while ago and keep it with my stock making books. And yes, every time I see someone starting with a blank it's top down. Partial inlets, bottom up. With all the complaining I read about partial inlets, I assumed I better get the barreled action where I wanted it and adjust previous errors with the guard. And thanks again for the fantastic post. Ron | |||
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Ron, I've been scratching my head all day trying to remember why I was told to do a mauser bottom metal first. The smith had a specific reason but I can't come up with it now. Sorry that must be one of the holes in my swiss cheese memory. As to you alignment concern. I lay the action and barrel into the barrel channel with long inletting screws going down through the stock to insure that the guard and everything line up. I have had to remove more wood on one side or the other. Then proceed to inlet the guard and us it to line up the action and barrel. As usual just my $.02 Paul K | |||
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