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Gunsmithing anyone bond their rail to their rifle?

J

josie6637

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Minuteman
Apr 29, 2011
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#1
I just read an article where guys were using JB weld to bond there scope rail to the rifle in addition to the screws. I have heard of some high end companies somehow bonding their rails on too?

Anyone have experience doing this on their own? If so anything a little higher quality than bonding for the diy'er?
 
#3
Re: anyone bond their rail to their rifle?

I've heard of this, but can't understand why it would be done!??! I believe in bedding the pic rail, although it too is not required.
 
#4
Re: anyone bond their rail to their rifle?

Custom action builders mill the base/rail into the receiver when they manufacture it.
I bonded mine, why? because it needed bedding, I'd read about bonding in some benchrest article and I couldn't think of any reason I'd take it off anyway. This way I never have to worry about it coming loose, which I had happen once before with a different base. In the end its JB weld if I wanted a little heat and a sharp whack would take it off.
The theory behind bonding is that it adds rigidity to the action, I couldn't say if it does or not, or what if any tangible difference the alledged rigidity would make.
I suppose you could have a base TIGed on if you don't like screws or screws and epoxy, but its probably not worth the effort, not easily reversable, and potentially damaging.
 
#5
Re: anyone bond their rail to their rifle?

If you are worried about it then do the practical thing. Have your holes D&T'd for #8 screws and then bed it. You won't have any trouble with that.

If you want a semi permanent bond then glue it, and as said, a little heat will unglue it. Or, for a permanent bond have it silver soldered on....of course that would be steel on steel. Aluminum on steel would have to be glued.
 
#6
Re: anyone bond their rail to their rifle?

Thanks guys. JB weld is what I meant not bondo. I recently has a rail come loose after about 200 rounds. It was my error I torqued a little light and didn't use lock tite. I don't know why I didn't it just ended up that way. But regardless i am just looking for a way to double up on my strengths so it wont happen again.
thanks for the info
 
#8
Re: anyone bond their rail to their rifle?

I would never bond as in epoxy glue a rail to an action , bed it yes so nothing adhears to the action itself , loctite it yes so it can be removed fairly easy without bending or twisting the rail , fit stronger screws yes . I know some people do it but it end up trouble for someone down the line .
 
#9
Re: anyone bond their rail to their rifle?

There's a Builder on here that TIGed his rail on his Nesika M40 Clone. Strong, Hell Yea! and you could drive RR spikes with it.
Beauty....its in the "eye of the beholder". Think of this method as failure proof....forever.

Duc
 
#11
Re: anyone bond their rail to their rifle?

I'd be very concerned about welding the rail on the action. Any welding will cause shrinking and or warping to some degree and since its only on one side of the action you might end up with a banana. In addition the heat treat on the receiver will be damaged by welding. Not sure I'd risk either of those two possibilities when its not that big of an advantage. Bedding sure, bonding maybe, welding no way.

Frank
 
#12
Re: anyone bond their rail to their rifle?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: biffj</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'd be very concerned about welding the rail on the action. Any welding will cause shrinking and or warping to some degree and since its only on one side of the action you might end up with a banana. In addition the heat treat on the receiver will be damaged by welding. Not sure I'd risk either of those two possibilities when its not that big of an advantage. Bedding sure, bonding maybe, welding no way.

Frank
</div></div>

Agreed. However, if your base is an appropriate material, and you used tge correct welding rod, and you did a post-weld heat treat, and you did post-heatreat machining, it would be fine. Not sure why someone would go through all that, but it could be done successfully.
 
#13
Re: anyone bond their rail to their rifle?

Blue loctight and put a light coat on the base underside. Never had one come loose and stops water from getting under the base and causing any problems.

Just my .02 cents

Kc
 
#14
Re: anyone bond their rail to their rifle?

I ultimately did use blue lock tite, and it was squeezing out a tiny bit under the rail so I know it got in there.
Thanks
 
#15
Re: anyone bond their rail to their rifle?

I thought I did on my first rail bedding job! Had to get out a hammer and after 30 or 40 whacks with a 3lb sledge it fell right off! Guess I shoulda unscrewed it first!

Ok so that's exaggerated, but it did take a couple taps with a rubber mallet to get it popped loose. I don't really see a benefit of bonding over bedding and a good torque job, but to each his own I guess. I've never had a rail come loose and I don't loctite my screws and have only had 1 rifle with a bedded rail. Will have a 2nd here shortly, just haven't got around to it. Bigger screws would help, but not a must have in my opinion. not a bad idea though.
 
#16
Re: anyone bond their rail to their rifle?

Can't see how it could hurt.
I needed to mount a Weaver side mount on a Mosin sporter I was building up, and since my scope mount drill fixture was useless for a side mount application, I used some JB Weld to bond the mounting plate to the action, then drilled and tapped the holes.

In any case, if removal is ever necessary, epoxy softens and loses it's bond when heated (and the required temp is low enough that tempering of the receiver would not be affected).
 
#17
Re: anyone bond their rail to their rifle?

After seeing all the inconsitencies of remington actions I bed all of my bases now. I do put a layer of johnsons wax on the actions just in case I ever want to pop it off but after it cures I clean the threads with the base in place and then torque the screws to the appropriate setting. Definetly a belt and suspenders approach.
 
#19
Re: anyone bond their rail to their rifle?

I JB Weld mine with NO release agent, I've seen too many loosen up, even with locktite. NOT the screws or screw holes, use release agent on them.

If you ever do need it off, hit it with the heat gun and tap it with a nylon mallet, it'll pop right off.

A poor man's Surgeon action!
 
#20
Re: anyone bond their rail to their rifle?

I bed my bases for a couple of reasons.

I like to use bedding to adjust slope angle.

Also like to use bedding to provide a custom contour match between the mating surfaces of both the base and receiver. I believe this match eliminates stresses in both components.

Nothing fancy; I typically employ a generic 30-minute epoxy material to bed bases.

I use a release compound on the receiver, and clean off both excess release agent and excess bedding compound that oozes out, immediately after joining the two parts. Screws are only tighend far enough to stablish a very gentle contact.

After curing I torque down the screws after removal and application of blue Lok-Tite for thread locking.

Unless removal is needed for some specific valid reason, I never separate the parts.

I just had to have a receiver stripped and Cerakoted because prior removal had allowed moisture to accumulate and grow rust on the receiver beneath the base.

Greg
 
#21
Re: anyone bond their rail to their rifle?

I was going to just bed until I found this link in another thread. It's interesting what is said about how bonding it to the action relieves stress on the mounting screws. Also, a lot of top end bases have some sort of recoil lug jobby that fits flush with the edge of the rifle action to keep it form moving on recoil. I don't have one of those but I figure the less the base moves under recoil the better so I bonded with JB weld.

http://www.murphyprecision.com/Page/Scope_Base_Bedding
 
#22
Re: anyone bond their rail to their rifle?

I would drill/pin the base before I would glue it. Proper bedding and torque covers most issues. Never had the need for loctite. My stillers have a pined and screwed bas and would be neat to adapt that to a rem action.
 
#23
Re: anyone bond their rail to their rifle?

I bonded my rail on my F-class rifle. It is a Murphy Precision on a Surgeon action. It wasn't intentional but I'm not bothered by it at all. The action had dowel pin holes and the rail didn't. The Devcon flowed into the holes and bonded it. If I ever need it off, I'll just give it a little heat from a heat gun and a smack with a hammer.

All of my other rifles have bedded rails. Even custom actions. I don't see how it could ever hurt to bed it.
 
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