Gunsmithing Can I bed this way for a stress free bedding?

[Leozinho]

I've read the article on stress free pillar bedding on 6mmbr. Stress-Free Pillar Bedding

I have a Savage 110 that I'm going to bed in a Boyd Tacticool stock. I bought some pre-fab pillars that are rounded to match the radius of the action. But, I don't know that it's the perfect fit. I got them off Ebay. Looks like there might be slight gaps. And the article above also recommends not using pillars contoured to the action.

I was planning on snugging the pillars tight to the action with the actions screws, applying the bedding compound to the inlet, outside of the pillars and the action screw holes, which have been bored out so that the pillars drop freely into them. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this would give me a "stress free" bedding job.

However, it seems as if where the pillars meet the action may be the weak point of the bedding job if the contour isn't exactly perfect.

So...

Instead of snugging the pillars to the action, could I leave a gap (half inch, maybe?), fill it with bedding compound, maybe tighten a turn or two to ensure compound is filling the gap, and then put compound in the inlet and action screw holes and bed it that way?

I'd still get the benefits of being able to torque on aluminum pillars which have been bedded stress free in the stock. And, if it works, the action would touch only perfectly matched bedding compound, rather than a possibly mismatched aluminum pillar.

Downside would be that I might not be able to keep bedding compound out of the receiver's action screw hole or might bed the exposed action screw to compound. (I'd have the action screw coated in neutral Kiwi.)

Or.... I could grind the top of the pillars flat, as the pillars are in the article above.

What say you guys? I suspect I'm overthinking this.

 

[Hogshooter]

I used some of the contoured pillars for a Remington 700 in a laminated stock. I did a two step process by first installing the pillars and letting them set up. I then bedded the action normally using Steel Bed. The pillars I used matched the action perfectly. I only had to cut them to length to fit. Any way for you to mill or file the contour of the pillars to fit your receiver exactly?

 

[jonaddis84]

Go with your first thought. I dont know why you wouldnt want the pillars contoured to the action, I keep a boring head setup at 1.35" to contour all my pillars to perfectly match a 700 that way you dont get any bedding on top of them. I also do what you suggested, snug the pillars to the action, this allows you to cover the stock and the action/pillars in compound before dropping it in. Then once its in and you squeeze all the excess compound out I use electric tape to hold the action in the stock, you want to do this only in two points at the action screws so as to not distort the stock at all, and not crazy crazy tight, just enough to hold it in there.

Dont forget your rear pillar needs to be notched out for the sear on a savage. Also suggest floating the action behind the rear screw.

 

[athhud]

Lay a sheet of sand paper/emery cloth on the action and sand the pillars to the correct contour.