Embedding Arca Rail into CF Stock?

[atmat]

I have a Stocky’s VG for my Tikka and planned on adding a 4” Area 419 arca rail just in front of the bottom metal, as I do shoot off a tripod a lot due to tall grass preventing prone shots.

However, the forearm of the stock is slightly rounded, so the arca rail sticks out quite a bit.

Has anyone cut into a carbon fiber stock to just slightly embed a rail? Obviously I don’t want it flush with the stock, as the dovetails need to be accessible to grip the arca head; but I would like it to be slightly less obtrusive.

Pics for reference. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[turbobrick]

This is why I went with the SRS rails. Most of the arca rails are made for a flat rail. I put the mini on a Stockeys Tikka and Howa mini CF stocks, and the shorter Hunter's rail on my Manners EH8+.

SRS Arca Mini – Salmon River Solutions

Hunters Rail – Salmon River Solutions

The Howa stock was unbelievably hard to drill, I would not want to try and inlet a rail like that into a stock without professional tools.

 

[willfrye027]

What clamp are you using on your tripod?

My solution to this was putting a short arca rail that clamps into an RRS BCR head. Much less sticking out than a arca rail. Might be easier that what you’re considering.

 

[TaperPin]

I wouldn’t cut the cf skin or you loose a lot of strength. Either fill the gaps with epoxy, grind out the back of the plate to match the stock, or get a different plate.

 

[atmat]

This is why I went with the SRS rails. Most of the arca rails are made for a flat rail. I put the mini on a Stockeys Tikka and Howa mini CF stocks, and the shorter Hunter's rail on my Manners EH8+.

SRS Arca Mini – Salmon River Solutions

Hunters Rail – Salmon River Solutions

The Howa stock was unbelievably hard to drill, I would not want to try and inlet a rail like that into a stock without professional tools.

Can I get pics of the SRS rail on your Stocky’s?

 

[atmat]

What clamp are you using on your tripod?

My solution to this was putting a short arca rail that clamps into an RRS BCR head. Much less sticking out than a arca rail. Might be easier that what you’re considering.

I use the Wiser precision head.

I wouldn’t cut the cf skin or you loose a lot of strength. Either fill the gaps with epoxy, grind out the back of the plate to match the stock, or get a different plate.

Does the skin provide a greater proportion of strength than the interior part of the CF? I can’t imagine that replacing a small portion of CF with a metal rail is going to lose much strength — but I could be wrong!

 

[TaperPin]

The structural cf is a thin shell - the filler 1/16” under the surface is foam core or maybe a low strength epoxy filler - probably epoxy filler in a forend. Heck, maybe it will work just fine and look cool.

The good news is cf is easy to repair. If the Arca rail cutout develops cracks around it, you can always strip the finish and add a new layer over the top of the existing forend, fill it, sand it and repaint. Gosh, sounds easy when I say it like that.

 

[atmat]

The structural cf is a thin shell - the filler 1/16” under the surface is foam core or maybe a low strength epoxy filler - probably epoxy filler in a forend. Heck, maybe it will work just fine and look cool.

The good news is cf is easy to repair. If the Arca rail cutout develops cracks around it, you can always strip the finish and add a new layer over the top of the existing forend, fill it, sand it and repaint. Gosh, sounds easy when I say it like that.

I’m sure I’ll embarrass myself by saying this: but I didn’t realize only the outside is carbon fiber. I assumed the whole thing was built out of CF. What you’re saying makes sense then.

 

[TxLite]

The structural cf is a thin shell - the filler 1/16” under the surface is foam core or maybe a low strength epoxy filler - probably epoxy filler in a forend. Heck, maybe it will work just fine and look cool.

The butt stock of my VG2 was similar to a “great stuff” type foam. The forend is like a really firm foam. Not sure how to describe it. It’s very firm but can be removed with a sharp tool or drill bit. I had to scrape some out underneath the threaded portion of the front sling swivel stud so my rail screws could reach

 

[TaperPin]

I’m sure I’ll embarrass myself by saying this: but I didn’t realize only the outside is carbon fiber. I assumed the whole thing was built out of CF. What you’re saying makes sense then.

Quite honestly I don’t know for sure what that particular stock has under the surface. A target stock just came to mind that was built for long deeply inletted rails to be cut through the shell - that construction would cancel out everything I said. If you reach out to the manufacturer or someone who knows more they might be able to shed better light on the issue.

Like a lot of things in life, there is the gut reaction, the best case, the worst case and then the real story somewhere in the middle!

 

[bigunit]

Not a cf stock, this was an old factory one that i embedded a small piece of arca into. It works great on my tripod.

 

[madgrad02]

Believe I saw a video by ultimate reloader on YouTube where he basically milled a bit off the fore end of the stock so it mounted flush. SRS makes a rounded bottom arca/pic rail as well that mounts a little more flush.

 

[atmat]

Believe I saw a video by ultimate reloader on YouTube where he basically milled a bit off the fore end of the stock so it mounted flush. SRS makes a rounded bottom arca/pic rail as well that mounts a little more flush.

I had seen a side-by-side someone posted the Area-419 vs the SRS, and the Area-419 was much lower profile — which is why I went that direction. That said, his fore end was completely flat. It may be worth me going SRS just for the flush mount.

I did email Stocky’s to get their thoughts on it. I asked if they could shed light on what foam/filler they use, but I doubt they’ll give that away.

 

[atmat]

Not a cf stock, this was an old factory one that i embedded a small piece of arca into. It works great on my tripod.View attachment 576153

That looks beautiful. It’s so flush!

 

[bigunit]

Thanks. It was easy to do with epoxy, jb weld and a bit of bondo.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

I like the idea to recess it - I had my smith use an SRS “balance” rail that wraps around the action screw so it was a bit less obtrusive for me. Just a bit more engagement length than the mini from SRS. Really like how it turned out, but I could see getting it recesses a bit more as even better. My one concern would be reduction of stock strength in that critical area.

 

[TaperPin]

Not a cf stock, this was an old factory one that i embedded a small piece of arca into. It works great on my tripod.View attachment 576153

That looks really cool - good job. Seeing yours it wouldn’t be a surprise to see factory stocks come out with a built in plate.

 

[bigunit]

I like the idea to recess it - I had my smith use an SRS “balance” rail that wraps around the action screw so it was a bit less obtrusive for me. Just a bit more engagement length than the mini from SRS. Really like how it turned out, but I could see getting it recesses a bit more as even better. My one concern would be reduction of stock strength in that critical area.
View attachment 576190

I like the looks of that. That may be the way I go on my stockys vg2. Is the top of that plate contoured or flat?

 

[atmat]

I like the idea to recess it - I had my smith use an SRS “balance” rail that wraps around the action screw so it was a bit less obtrusive for me. Just a bit more engagement length than the mini from SRS. Really like how it turned out, but I could see getting it recesses a bit more as even better. My one concern would be reduction of stock strength in that critical area.
View attachment 576190

Can you take a side angle pic? And what stock is that?

 

[MT_Wyatt]

Can you take a side angle pic? And what stock is that?

I would if I had my rifle in hand, that’s from my smith.

That’s a McMillan GW 2.0.