Re: Question on pad under barrel
Metal heats up and cools down, yes, even from just being in the sun, it moves.
When the bedding job was performed I bet the barrel was cool to the touch, 72ish degress maybe. Now, it's home on the range, pun there, and in the sun.
What does metal do when it heats up? It starts to move around. Measure a small peice of metal at room temperature. Now place it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes or longer, measure agian. Now, heat it up,measure again.
You should get three different measurements. A barrel pad IMHO adds another varible to the mix and is why I dont use them, period, ever. Just for conversation, W/O barrel pads, I've hung an MTU that was +.100" it's entire length @ 27" and a 1.250" straight for 30" with zero issues.
Each to his own and if it's working for you I say keep it up but, thats not how I'd roll it.