Anyone have a comparison photo of the new vs the old saddles? According to McMillan they have changed the design.
New McMillan Saddle Cheek Pieces
- Thread starter kmc0929
- Start date
Re: New McMillan Saddle Cheek Pieces
The new saddle cheekpiece set-up looks just like the old one except it has three slots along the side for the clamp screws. The difference is the adjustment lock inside. The new one uses a clamp-bar lock which is always under tension and won't vibrate loose like some of the old style ones did. Single thumbscrew on the side to lock. The saddle cheekpieces themselves have three slots, one center one to fit the new system and the two slots on either side of it to fit the older adjustment system. These are being used now on the A4 and A5 stocks and will phase into the A2 and A3 stocks later in the year.
The new saddle cheekpiece set-up looks just like the old one except it has three slots along the side for the clamp screws. The difference is the adjustment lock inside. The new one uses a clamp-bar lock which is always under tension and won't vibrate loose like some of the old style ones did. Single thumbscrew on the side to lock. The saddle cheekpieces themselves have three slots, one center one to fit the new system and the two slots on either side of it to fit the older adjustment system. These are being used now on the A4 and A5 stocks and will phase into the A2 and A3 stocks later in the year.
Re: New McMillan Saddle Cheek Pieces
So they are backwards compatible with the old stocks, and are available as replacements?
My current cheek piece rattles loose all the time and I'd really like to get one of these new ones if it solves that problem. I've even thought about going as far as drilling holes through the cheek piece's aluminum bar so the thumb screws go through the holes.
So they are backwards compatible with the old stocks, and are available as replacements?
My current cheek piece rattles loose all the time and I'd really like to get one of these new ones if it solves that problem. I've even thought about going as far as drilling holes through the cheek piece's aluminum bar so the thumb screws go through the holes.
Re: New McMillan Saddle Cheek Pieces
will these be the same as the old ones where the screw is steel and the threaded part in the stock aluminum?
will these be the same as the old ones where the screw is steel and the threaded part in the stock aluminum?
Re: New McMillan Saddle Cheek Pieces
Yes, the new cheekpieces are backwards compatible with both systems. This is necessary for our replacement items for all the government stocks out there.
The new system uses a clamp bar inside the stock line the intergral cheekpiece does. It's similar to KMW's logger-head system and the old Graco system that was in Brownells for years.
We just made it a little simpler and it uses off the shelf nuts instead of expensive single source machined itesm.
In the old system the extrusion in the stock was aluminum, then it was drilled and tapped for Heli-coils and steel Heli-coils were installed. The threads were not just in the aluminum.
Most of these worked fine for years. Some tended to work loose after a lot of shooting. We finally decided this was caused by two problems, tolerances between the tapped aluminum and the Heli-coil, tolerances between the heli-coil and the screw, and the fact that the heli-coil is only about 1 screw diameter long which does't give a lot of support. The other reason and probably main one is the aluminum post in the cheekpiece would deform around the tip of the screw after a lot of shooting. The best solution here is to use the thumbscrews to set your cheekpiece, and when you get it set then get a couple of 10x32x5/8" long set screws and put them into the opposide side. you now need an allen wrench to raise and lower the cheekpiece but with two screws on each side it doesn't leave enough tolerance slop for the aluminum to move around a thousand'th or so and deform. It is just held tighter against the back and forth jolting of recoil. If it's a big deal to go the the hardware store then send me a request at the company e-mail with your mailing address and we will send you a couple of the set screws.
Yes, the new cheekpieces are backwards compatible with both systems. This is necessary for our replacement items for all the government stocks out there.
The new system uses a clamp bar inside the stock line the intergral cheekpiece does. It's similar to KMW's logger-head system and the old Graco system that was in Brownells for years.
We just made it a little simpler and it uses off the shelf nuts instead of expensive single source machined itesm.
In the old system the extrusion in the stock was aluminum, then it was drilled and tapped for Heli-coils and steel Heli-coils were installed. The threads were not just in the aluminum.
Most of these worked fine for years. Some tended to work loose after a lot of shooting. We finally decided this was caused by two problems, tolerances between the tapped aluminum and the Heli-coil, tolerances between the heli-coil and the screw, and the fact that the heli-coil is only about 1 screw diameter long which does't give a lot of support. The other reason and probably main one is the aluminum post in the cheekpiece would deform around the tip of the screw after a lot of shooting. The best solution here is to use the thumbscrews to set your cheekpiece, and when you get it set then get a couple of 10x32x5/8" long set screws and put them into the opposide side. you now need an allen wrench to raise and lower the cheekpiece but with two screws on each side it doesn't leave enough tolerance slop for the aluminum to move around a thousand'th or so and deform. It is just held tighter against the back and forth jolting of recoil. If it's a big deal to go the the hardware store then send me a request at the company e-mail with your mailing address and we will send you a couple of the set screws.
Re: New McMillan Saddle Cheek Pieces
P.S. On both the new clamp-bar systems on the intergral cheekpiece and the saddle cheekpiece if you don't want the 1" Thumbscrew protuding on the off side you can just replace it with a standard 1/4"x20 socket head cap screw about 3/4" to 1" long. Standard hardware store item again. And the threaded nuts in the aluminum clampbar are standard 1/4"x20 square nuts, one with the threads drilled out to act as a pressure washer. Both the systems can be changed from right hand to left hand just by changing the position of these two nuts and putting the thumbscrew on the other side. If you loose one they are again standard hardware store items. I like to keep things simple and easy to service.
P.S. On both the new clamp-bar systems on the intergral cheekpiece and the saddle cheekpiece if you don't want the 1" Thumbscrew protuding on the off side you can just replace it with a standard 1/4"x20 socket head cap screw about 3/4" to 1" long. Standard hardware store item again. And the threaded nuts in the aluminum clampbar are standard 1/4"x20 square nuts, one with the threads drilled out to act as a pressure washer. Both the systems can be changed from right hand to left hand just by changing the position of these two nuts and putting the thumbscrew on the other side. If you loose one they are again standard hardware store items. I like to keep things simple and easy to service.
Re: New McMillan Saddle Cheek Pieces
Saw this and wondered if anyone has a pic or two of the new ones?
Even though I made a new one, still waiting on my Saddle piece to be returned. Mine would still suffer this same issue.
Mark
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthre...416#Post3238416
Saw this and wondered if anyone has a pic or two of the new ones?
Even though I made a new one, still waiting on my Saddle piece to be returned. Mine would still suffer this same issue.
Mark
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthre...416#Post3238416
Re: New McMillan Saddle Cheek Pieces
I do have pictures if you still want them, pm me, or text me at 5403201453 that would be easier.
I do have pictures if you still want them, pm me, or text me at 5403201453 that would be easier.
