Bedding action

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Post up the best video you have seen showing how to skim bed an action.

I am thinking of doing my Kimber Montana. Any input welcome. I am completely new to this. As in this is the first time a have even taken the stock off a rifle. Help me 😳.
 
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Seems like most people just bed the recoil lug area when it comes to Montanas.

A few guys have done write-ups on this over on 24hourcampfire.

Just a suggestion - if you don't already, you need to buy yourself a torque wrench so that you can torque the action screws appropriately. It makes a difference.
 
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I thought of doing the same thing on a rifle to increase accuracy but all it really needed was to be torqued properly and it shot great, so I never did it. Like JeffRaines said get a torque wrench and start there, it may surprise you.
 
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MuleyFever
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I am using 45lbs on the front and 35 on the rear with a Wheeler Fat Wrench.

Doing the recoil lug area is what I was thinking. I did see a good post on 24hrcampfire but all the picture links were broken so no visual aid.
 

XLR

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I am using 45lbs on the front and 35 on the rear with a Wheeler Fat Wrench.

Doing the recoil lug area is what I was thinking. I did see a good post on 24hrcampfire but all the picture links were broken so no visual aid.


Be sure that you are using INCH pound values and not FOOT pound values when it comes to action screws, scope bases, rings, etc.
 
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Be sure that you are using INCH pound values and not FOOT pound values when it comes to action screws, scope bases, rings, etc.

I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure that you’d pull the threads out if you tried to torque any of the above to foot lbs instead of inch pounds.
 
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XLR

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I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure that you’d pull the threads out if you tried to torque any of the above to foot lbs instead of inch pounds.

That is exactly what would happen, and unfortunately, it happens more often than you think! And doing so can make for a really, really bad day!
 

30338

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Find the right video and watch it 2 or 3 times. My materials are blue tape, q-tips, jb weld, and paste wax. Total time is around 20 minutes and it is not complicated. If you screw up, dremel it out and do it again.

First couple you'll be a bit nervous on lol. Good luck.
 

Wrench

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I bed a lot of rifles. Ozzie Suarez has some good vids on youtube.

Here's what you need to know.

Plug EVERY hole, bump, cut...etc that can be a mechanical lock....even above the stock line. This includes removing the trigger and anything that can get glued in place.

Clean the stock and relieve it to accept the bedding. I like a minimum of about. 040"

Use a release agent that won't mess with the compond. I use Johnson paste wax. One can will bed 7 million rifles. Keep it thin but apply to all metal. You may get compound where you don't want it. Don't forget to put it on your action studs, stock pillars....everything.

Tape over all of the areas on the stock that you do not want bedding to stain or stick. I run my tape about 1/16" shy of the stock to barrel/action edge and clean up with WD-40. I think it makes the best finished edge vs cutting with a knife. I also add a layer to the bottom edge of the recoil lug to give some space in case of dirt in the future.

I like to put two to three wraps of electrical or masking tape around the barrel at the end of the stock to keep the barrel centered in the channel. If you want a super custom look, add 2 layers of polyken tape to the bottom of the barrel as smooth as possible and forgo the barrel wraps. This will give a smooth bedding but free floating fore end. A bit of pressure from a wrap or two of masking tape will be needed on thin barrels to force the bedding out.

Use more than you think you need. It's expensive, but frustrating as hell to have a void. It's going to ooze all over.....that's good. Use WD 40 soaked q tips to clean up. You'll use 30 or so at a minimum. WD is amazing with devcon and jb. I can't comment on marine tex and it's been 20 years since I've bedded with Acra glass/gel....and I don't recall if it worked on them. For a one time job, I'd do jb since it's cheap and has a long work time. Devcon is better and has better shrink rates....but most of us will never shoot to that potential.

Make sure your action studs are free floating. Stress here is your enemy. I use alignment studs and pull the action to the pillars with surgical tubing. I've used tape in the past and it worked fine.

Once you have it glued together and cleaned up, let it sit. Keep some of the bedding you used where you can test the hardness to see where you're at in terms of cure.

Once it's set up, it's going to feel like you glued it in.....that's normal, don't panic. You can grab the barrel and smack the butt of the stock down. Be aware that the lug is going to try to bust your bedding if you don't come out square. This is important.

Once you get the action out you'll have some clean up to do in the mag box and trigger opening. Open that area up to zero contact. Ensure the action screws have zero contact except the action and bottom metal contact.

Reassemble and rock on.
 

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If you pay attention to the barrel channel, you'll see that I had to load it up to fill in a previously hogged out stock. I used the poly ken tape to provide the clearance. Once it's coated...it looks good.20160229_154545.jpg20160229_154622.jpg20160402_161518.jpg
 

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MuleyFever
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Couple questions:

I see some people tape the recoil lug and some just coat it with wax or whatever. Thoughts?
I saw some put clay in the action threads and some just stick a q-tip in there with wax. Thoughts?
To keep the barrel floated just coat it with wax forward of the recoil lug, tape off the barrel channel and then cut with a knife and break out the material?
 
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AirborneEScouter

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Are you bedding your scope base too? I've done it in the past after watching one of 8451 Tactical's videos on youtube. But he doesn't bed both attachment points and I didn't either, felt like it was lacking in that regard
 
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Really nice work Wrench.

My bedding jobs (4 now) have all been blue tape, play dough dams, JB weld, using Kiwi shoe polish and One-shot case lube for release agents. They have all come out really well and every gun shot better afterward. I once forgot to tape the back of the recoil lug on a Howa mini, and was pretty nervous about getting that action out of the stock after it had set, but it came out with a light tap and now that's the most snug bedding job so far!

I thought I stuck a Ruger 77 once because that weird angled action screw is a pain, but it came out fine.

Lots of good advice above and Wrench knows what he's talking about. Take your time and think it through and you will be fine. Even if you get bedding compound in the action screw holes, you can always take a tap and clean them out (been there too). After you do one, you'll likely do the rest of your rifles. It's easier than I had first imagined.
 

Wrench

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Are you bedding your scope base too? I've done it in the past after watching one of 8451 Tactical's videos on youtube. But he doesn't bed both attachment points and I didn't either, felt like it was lacking in that regard
I bed EVERYTHING that can move or be reinstalled in a different spot.
 

Wrench

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Couple questions:

I see some people tape the recoil lug and some just coat it with wax or whatever. Thoughts?
I saw some put clay in the action threads and some just stick a q-tip in there with wax. Thoughts?
To keep the barrel floated just coat it with wax forward of the recoil lug, tape off the barrel channel and then cut with a knife and break out the material?

I use clay in every hole I can. I don't use tape anywhere on my builds....BUT I have the capability to ensure my recoil lugs are square. If you get a lug that's twitted a bit, it can be a pita to get it apart. That's where the tape comes in. I'd not do it on a integrated lug action....but on a washer style, I'd give it a hard look before you choose otherwise. It's the rear of the lug that does most of the work.

As for just bedding the lug....not for me. It's only another few minutes and a buck to do the whole action. Get it all right and send it home without worrying about stock flex.
 
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MuleyFever
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Is this the Devcon I want?

So I only have 1 rifle to bed and this is way more than I need I assume. I can get Arcaglas Gel, JB or Marine Tex in smaller less expensive quantities. Is Devcon worth it?
 
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Northernpiker

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I did my first bedding on my T3 with a Boyd stock I had put on the gun. I just did the recoil lug and the tang area. It came out pretty nice and shoots great. I used plumbers putty to fill any open areas and holes, Kiwi shoe polish as a release agent and Marine Tex for the bedding. I was nervous and watched YouTube videos that were very boring but very useful. You don't need a lot of bedding material, it can get messy with too much. I also used painters tape on my stock. Watch videos and be careful you'll do fine it's not that hard.
 
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