I'm considering building a rifle using a mauser action with a 20" barrel and a full length, "manlicher" type stock. What's the best way to bed this type of stock for accuracy? I know short barrels usually respond well to free floating, but I'd think the thinner forend up front would tend to move and could potentially contact the barrel if the gun were improperly rested on something. I'm also aware this type of rifle is traditionally full-length bedded. Would a metal rod glass bedded under the barrel channel help? There's a lot of great stockmaking knowledge on this forum, I'd like to hear some of your opinions. Thanks a lot - John

The problems you mentioned are why full length stocks are not used on rifles inteded to be very accurate. You will get practical hunting accuracy but it will not be a bench rest rig. I would not epoxy and rods in the stock. Just accept it as a hunting rig. Keep it light.

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Originally posted by Beelzebubba:
I'm considering building a rifle using a mauser action with a 20" barrel and a full length, "manlicher" type stock. What's the best way to bed this type of stock for accuracy? I know short barrels usually respond well to free floating, but I'd think the thinner forend up front would tend to move and could potentially contact the barrel if the gun were improperly rested on something. I'm also aware this type of rifle is traditionally full-length bedded. Would a metal rod glass bedded under the barrel channel help? There's a lot of great stockmaking knowledge on this forum, I'd like to hear some of your opinions. Thanks a lot - John

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Hey Beezle, you are just up the road from me. I have a factory Mark X 270 manlicher 20", it shoot's 3/4" at 100yds. I'm also building a fullstock mauser, Mexican 1936 action, .257 roberts, 18 1/2" barrel.

I bed them tight to start with, then I might change to 3 point or free float in that order, remember you cannot put wood back..but most manlichers shoot very well indeed bedded tight..the wood is thin and cannot force much pressure on a barrel and if tight that means the wood has no place to go so to speak....

the secret to manlichers is to use some sort of European walnut ( I use Turkish ) thats hard as woodpecker lips, that has been properly cured, and that is properly laid out not to move, and that is with the grain flowing stright up thru the grip into and stright down the forend with perhaps a very slight upward tilt....AVOID marble cake wood like the plague as that is slab sawn wood..go for the quarter sawn with lenthwise dark lines against a slightly less dark matrix.

Most of the Manlicher I have built shot under an inch, mostly due to short thick, stiff stubby barrels. I use a #3 or 4 barrel and the light thin forend wood of a manlicher will not effect them much at all...

I have a 40 year old manlicher that has not changed zero in over 5 years now..It is a Brno 22F 7x57 Mauser factory rifle from the 50's....Nice European walnut..the Brno 22F (Manlicher) and 21M (Rifle)are the very best commercial rifles every built in the history of gundom. I have never seen one that didn't shoot tiny groups.