How "necessary" is a metal chassis in a synthetic/carbon stock?

[RidiculousMetacarpus]

Hi. I apologize if this is in the wrong section, mods please move if necessary.

I recently bought a Manners T6A carbon to mate to my Stiller (6.5CM) build. It does not have an aluminum chassis, i guess its just carbon shell + whatever fills they use throughout. Its currently in the process of being pillar bedded by Mile Hi Shooting accessories.

As an afterthought, I'm curious, how necessary is an aluminum bedding block for stocks IN GENERAL when it comes to precision/hi-end guns? I do not intend to toss this thing around or beat it up, its more of a range queen. I might use it for hunting in the future, but im pretty careful with my guns in general, i.e. ive never once dropped one. I'd imagine a big-bore caliber would benefit from a metal block, but with something as mild as a 6.5 or short action in general, are blocks really necessary? Beyond the benefit of subjective reassurance, do they provide anything else at an empirically measurable level?

Im asking this because i dont like having regrets with anything i buy. Im more of a buy once cry once sort of guy i suppose. But i say this with emphasis that im not tossing this around or pretending im some sort of tactical make believe operator. I dont like extra weight for the mere sake of extra weight.

 

[Supersubes]

Most would argue that the route youre taking with your composite stock is the preferred one. There's a simplicity to a chassis/mini chassis(point, click, and bolt it together when it arrives), as well as a cost savings. Most chassis manufacturers seek to minimize the effects of having a less than perfect receiver bolted into them. Various V-block arrangements, etc. They do a good job, so it's no wonder they're popular. It's not for everyone though. There's an ergonomic difference between a composite and a chassis. You chose the composite route, and naturally, it should be bedded imo. The mcmillan/manners stocks are incredibly tough, dont give that a second thought. All one has to do is look at how well the Marine m40 stocks survived decades of field use, and were then sold to civilians to live a second life.

 

[RidiculousMetacarpus]

Most would argue that the route youre taking with your composite stock is the preferred one. There's a simplicity to a chassis/mini chassis(point, click, and bolt it together when it arrives), as well as a cost savings. Most chassis manufacturers seek to minimize the effects of having a less than perfect receiver bolted into them. Various V-block arrangements, etc. They do a good job, so it's no wonder they're popular. It's not for everyone though. There's an ergonomic difference between a composite and a chassis. You chose the composite route, and naturally, it should be bedded imo. The mcmillan/manners stocks are incredibly tough, dont give that a second thought. All one has to do is look at how well the Marine m40 stocks survived decades of field use, and were then sold to civilians to live a second life.

Well, im suddenly less inclined to believe ive made any sort of mistake. Thanks for the reply.

 

[6point5CM]

A metal chassis/block within a composite stock doesn't gain you any accuracy over bedding, or increased durability. Just nets you the ease of swapping barreled actions around and bolting it back down. If this gun is going to stay as is, bed and enjoy. No need to be gentle, it'll handle it all with ease.


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[spife7980]

A metal chassis is good for mass production but it is only trying to replicate an actual bedding job.

 

[Sendit6.5]

You didn't make a mistake at all. I'd argue you did it the right way, made the better choice. Lol! I own some VERY accurate rifles and not one of them sits in a chassis or a bedding block. I think and expertly pillar bedded rifle is the most accurate setup.


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[snarkscarbine]

A metal chassis is good for mass production but it is only trying to replicate an actual bedding job.

Bingo. The historically tried-and-true method is to glass bed the action into a composite or wood stock. The chassis block system is trying to take a shortcut (usually with great success) to the same place.

 

[Ledzep]

What is required for the performance we need?

What is the performance we need?
We need the maximum accuracy possible from the assembly. F=ma in 3 dimensions, so relative to the stock, if there is any room (freely, or because of weak material interactions) for the action to move differently than the stock, there's a chance for the recoil impulse to be different, and generate a different POI. If things are so bad that they allow the barrel to touch the inlet of the stock, we know there's going to be issues.

So to answer the first question, we need a bedding platform that allows the barrel to remain free floated, and that keeps the action securely fixed in place relative to the stock. For longevity/consistency purposes, it's best if you're able to pull the action out of the stock, replace it, and with the same torque applied to the screws, achieve the same fit.

That's it. How you get there can range from some brass/steel tubing, a file, and JB weld from Ace Hardware, to a V-block chassis/mini-chassis, to a half-pipe surface machined chassis/mini-chassis, to a partially bedded V-block chassis, to a traditional skim bed, to a $750 surface machined uniform thickness 416 stainless pillar bed job.

Don't look at the method being done, look at if the method being done works. In many cases I'd prefer the JB weld method to some crap I've seen in HS mini-chassis. Further, and this is my experience/opinion so it may vary and I'd love to hear about it if it does, but my opinion is that high end composite stocks by and large don't need pillars. I think they're just a carry-over from wooden stocks that for sure will compress over time and are very susceptible to geometric change from things like temp/humidity. The fills being used today, not so much. I have put my money where my mouth is and done a very simple bed job on my Manners EH1 with just two pads of epoxy at the front and rear action screw locations (the front one also gets the recoil lug), and omitted pillars. It's working great for me so far.