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Gunsmithing Rifle Bedding Problem!

keith jones

Full Member
Full Member
Minuteman
Sep 14, 2010
407
3
44
Bulls Gap,TN
When putting long action screws in barreled action, do you guys put tape around them as thick as the holes in the stock to keep devcon from going down into the holes? Do you put release agent on the on entire bolt then screw it into action? I bedded an old rifle last week, and everything was going good until the front action screw got bedded in as well! Finally got it out bedding looked good just trying to figure out how to prevent this from happening again.
 
I put about 3 coats of release on the action screws and scrape any runs out of the holes with a razor if any bedding gets in. are you putting pillars in with it? if so, bolt the pillars to the action and lay it all in together
 
No pillars, I must have not got enough release agent on the action screws. Just dont wont to dot this on my other stock!
 
Put lots of release agent on the screws and its a good idea to wrap masking tape around the screws so there centred in the stock.
 
I use plumbers teflon tape on the shanks, with release agent on the threads of the screws. Devcon won't stick, and three layers of teflon centers the screws.
 
When putting long action screws in barreled action, do you guys put tape around them as thick as the holes in the stock to keep devcon from going down into the holes? Do you put release agent on the on entire bolt then screw it into action? I bedded an old rifle last week, and everything was going good until the front action screw got bedded in as well! Finally got it out bedding looked good just trying to figure out how to prevent this from happening again.

I dip my screws in Vasaline, seems to work good.
 
paste wax works great , I wait an hour then crack the screws loose and just snug them back.At that point the bedding compound is setting up but not hard.
 
I follow Gerry's method. Triple wax the screws. You just don't want to glue them in.

Before final reassembly open up the screw holes to the next size up drill bit. You don't want the screws touching on their sides. The screws just hold the action into the top bedding and the bottom metal into it's bedding. They are not a recoil surface.
 
Tape the screws. Wax everything on the screw. Better yet, ditch the bedding screws and make studs.

Studs will solve the drama.

Polish the studs to a mirror finish so stuff doesnt stick.
Chase your pillar bores with a chucking reamer prior to bedding. I use a 5/16ths.
Polish the pillar bore if you get tool marks from the reamer. Again. This aids in getting stuff back apart.

I make my bedding studs intentionally long. This way once the nuts are cracked loose I can use a dewalt to pull them out. Tape centers the stud in the pillar while also allowing for stuff to come apart during tear down.

PREP WORK IS GAWD!

Good luck.

C.
 
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I use studs from Home Depot, wrap them in blue tape, add some release agent (mentioned above), then redrill the hole after I have removed the barrel action to provide better clearance. I use a countersink to remove the sharp edges around the bolt holes.