So I have two rifles, that I have been wanting to bed the actions for months. But with all that we have going on now days, I have not felt like working on any of my guns, for the most part.
I had the old Stevens 620A, that needed a stock, then a screw and a spring. I eventually bought those parts and fixed that shotgun. Been shooting squirrels with it, works great. I think it's going to be my back pack quail gun.
So I have also have a Howa 1500, seems to be pretty rare or at least in the US. It seems to be some Euro Varminter model. It's a stainless, bull barrel gun, with a Boyd's Extreme Varmint pepper colored laminated wood stock. It's chambered for 6.5 Creedmoor. I was hoping for something in 6.5X47 Lapua, but then found this Howa and had to have it. I decided right off the trigger was getting replaced and the action needed to be bedded. I eventually bought a Timney trigger for the gun, found one with a silver finish for a Weatherby.
Then I have a Savage 93R 17 BTVSS, which I replaced the Boyd's thumb hole stock on that gun, with a different thumb hole stock. The stock is much more comfortable than the Boyd's, but definitely needed to be bedded.
So I bought a Accuglass bedding kit, months ago. Finally Sunday, I decided, I had some time, I would start on bedding those rifles. I started with the Howa, took it apart, waxed up all of the metal parts thoroughly, then plugged up any holes, ECT., with plumbers putty, then more wax. I noticed right off, that the shape of the recoil lug on the bottom of the receiver, was going to make getting the receiver out of the stock pretty easy, once I had put the epoxy in the stock and let it set up. So I removed a little bit of wood, with the Dremel tool, then mixed up the epoxy and put some in the stock. Then put the receiver and barrel back in the stock and lightly tightened the receiver screws.
While I had that one curing, I was feeling very confident after doing the Howa, it was way too easy. So I took the Savage receiver out of the stock and looked it over. It definitely needed to be bedded, but it was not going to be easy at all. The front screw went into a round shaft that is about 5/16" diameter, then steps down to about 3/16" higher up closer to the bottom of the receiver. Then the top of that piece, is threaded into the bottom of the receiver. That is basically the recoil lug. I knew that piece being that diameter and the length, then the fact it stepped down in size, was all going to make getting it back out of the epoxy difficult to impossible. Definitely impossible, if the epoxy flowed over the top of where the pin steps down in diameter. Only the front half of that pin was sitting on top of the stock, the rear half was unsupported. So I decided, I would fill in the whole area of the stock, that was cut out for no obvious reason. Then fully encase and support that front pin. I knew that was going to be dangerous, good chance I would not get the receiver back out of the stock. But once I get a idea in my head, I often stick with it, even knowing it likely is going to go bad.
There is one other screw that holds the receiver in the stock, but it is in the middle of the receiver. Then towards the rear of the receiver, there is another pin, that screws into the bottom rear of the receiver. It is also about 5/16" in diameter. It is shorter than the front pin and does not step down in diameter. So that one was not going to be as much of a problem, as the front pin. It also was only supported by wood under the rear half of the pin. There was no wood under the front side of that pin. So I also decided to fill in the stock with epoxy to fully support that rear pin. I removed a bit of wood from the stock, the mixed the epoxy and started putting it in the stock. Then installed the receiver, in the stock and lightly snugged the receiver screws.
Three hours after expoxying the Howa, I removed the tape and receiver screws. Then lifted up on the barrel and receiver. The barreled action came out of the stock with very little effort. Just like I figured, the design of that recoil lug, plus the wax, made it very easy to remove the Howa action from the stock. I removed all of the tape from the stock, trimmed a little epoxy from the stock. then put the barreled action back in the stock and lightly snugged the receiver screws again. Then put that gun back up.
I waited up till about 12:20 PM last night, checking the epoxy, that I mixed up for the Savage. It was still too soft to consider removing the action from the stock. So I had two options, take it apart then and mess up the epoxy work, then have to remove the epoxy. Then later on mix up some more epoxy and make a second attempt at it. Or second option and risky option, leave the gun sitting till this morning. I chose the second option. Got up early this morning. I checked the left over epoxy that I mixed up for the Savage, it was very hard. I knew things were not going to be good.
I removed the receiver screws and tried to remove the action from the stock, it would not budge at all. Oh, I left out a part, because of the way the Savage is designed, I left the trigger assembly on the receiver. The rear receiver lug goes through the trigger assembly, then screws into the receiver. So it was needed to space the rear screw lug down the proper amount. So I waxed up the whole trigger assembly and then covered it with electrical tape. Then when the receiver would not come out of the stock, even with a lot of effort. I seriously considered just removing the tape from the barrel and stock and putting the receiver screws back in it. But then I remembered all of the electrical tape wrapped tightly around the trigger assembly and knew that it would not work with the tape wrapped tightly around it. So I went back to trying to get the receiver out of the stock. I tried sliding a piece or round rod up in the receiver, then pulling up on it, that did not work. I eventually got desperate and pulled up on the barrel while pushing down on the front of the stock. It finally broke loose, nice loud pop. I inspected the pieces, once I got the receiver completely out of the stock and found that the epoxy formed to the two pins very nicely.
After that bedding job, I have decided, that from now on, I will start a bedding job, in the morning, so I have all day to wait around for the epoxy to set up. Then I will be home and awake so, at whatever point the epoxy has set up enough to where it is safe to remove the receiver from the stock, I can. Had I waited till I got home from work today, to try and remove that receiver. I am sure I would have had to destroy the stock to separate the two. I waxed up every metal part thoroughly, then plugged up all holes and slots in the receiver, then rewaxed everything.
I have to say that Accuglass gel or putty, whatever they call it, worked great. It does not run, stays put and the cure time is probably about perfect. The stuff bites hard on both wood and steel, even steel covered with wax. If you don't wax up the metal surfaces, then wait till the epoxy is fully cured to remove the receiver from the stock. I am sure they will be permanently glued together. That is some BA glue.
So after getting very worried, I had seriously screwed up, it came out very nice. I was very happy, once I got to see the inside of the stock. So I got both rifles cleaned up inside and out and back together. The second one sure made up for how easy the first one went. So now I need to work on my 6.5 Creedmoor loads, then get back out to the range for the first time in a long time. I have one other project to finish before I go back to the range. I am building a muzzle brake for the 458 SOCOM I put together. I need to finish that up. I changed the design to simplify it, because I just don't have the time to make the complex muzzle break I came up with the first time. It should not take long to make a simple muzzle break. Then I will work on some loads for the 458. Then it will be time to hit the range. I think the Howa should be a tack driver, once I figure out what it likes for loads. The more I look that rifle over, take it apart, work on it. The more I like it, it seems like they added weight to the rear of the stock, so the gun is very well balanced. The stock is quite a bit heavier than you would think, being a laminated wood stock.
I had the old Stevens 620A, that needed a stock, then a screw and a spring. I eventually bought those parts and fixed that shotgun. Been shooting squirrels with it, works great. I think it's going to be my back pack quail gun.
So I have also have a Howa 1500, seems to be pretty rare or at least in the US. It seems to be some Euro Varminter model. It's a stainless, bull barrel gun, with a Boyd's Extreme Varmint pepper colored laminated wood stock. It's chambered for 6.5 Creedmoor. I was hoping for something in 6.5X47 Lapua, but then found this Howa and had to have it. I decided right off the trigger was getting replaced and the action needed to be bedded. I eventually bought a Timney trigger for the gun, found one with a silver finish for a Weatherby.
Then I have a Savage 93R 17 BTVSS, which I replaced the Boyd's thumb hole stock on that gun, with a different thumb hole stock. The stock is much more comfortable than the Boyd's, but definitely needed to be bedded.
So I bought a Accuglass bedding kit, months ago. Finally Sunday, I decided, I had some time, I would start on bedding those rifles. I started with the Howa, took it apart, waxed up all of the metal parts thoroughly, then plugged up any holes, ECT., with plumbers putty, then more wax. I noticed right off, that the shape of the recoil lug on the bottom of the receiver, was going to make getting the receiver out of the stock pretty easy, once I had put the epoxy in the stock and let it set up. So I removed a little bit of wood, with the Dremel tool, then mixed up the epoxy and put some in the stock. Then put the receiver and barrel back in the stock and lightly tightened the receiver screws.
While I had that one curing, I was feeling very confident after doing the Howa, it was way too easy. So I took the Savage receiver out of the stock and looked it over. It definitely needed to be bedded, but it was not going to be easy at all. The front screw went into a round shaft that is about 5/16" diameter, then steps down to about 3/16" higher up closer to the bottom of the receiver. Then the top of that piece, is threaded into the bottom of the receiver. That is basically the recoil lug. I knew that piece being that diameter and the length, then the fact it stepped down in size, was all going to make getting it back out of the epoxy difficult to impossible. Definitely impossible, if the epoxy flowed over the top of where the pin steps down in diameter. Only the front half of that pin was sitting on top of the stock, the rear half was unsupported. So I decided, I would fill in the whole area of the stock, that was cut out for no obvious reason. Then fully encase and support that front pin. I knew that was going to be dangerous, good chance I would not get the receiver back out of the stock. But once I get a idea in my head, I often stick with it, even knowing it likely is going to go bad.
There is one other screw that holds the receiver in the stock, but it is in the middle of the receiver. Then towards the rear of the receiver, there is another pin, that screws into the bottom rear of the receiver. It is also about 5/16" in diameter. It is shorter than the front pin and does not step down in diameter. So that one was not going to be as much of a problem, as the front pin. It also was only supported by wood under the rear half of the pin. There was no wood under the front side of that pin. So I also decided to fill in the stock with epoxy to fully support that rear pin. I removed a bit of wood from the stock, the mixed the epoxy and started putting it in the stock. Then installed the receiver, in the stock and lightly snugged the receiver screws.
Three hours after expoxying the Howa, I removed the tape and receiver screws. Then lifted up on the barrel and receiver. The barreled action came out of the stock with very little effort. Just like I figured, the design of that recoil lug, plus the wax, made it very easy to remove the Howa action from the stock. I removed all of the tape from the stock, trimmed a little epoxy from the stock. then put the barreled action back in the stock and lightly snugged the receiver screws again. Then put that gun back up.
I waited up till about 12:20 PM last night, checking the epoxy, that I mixed up for the Savage. It was still too soft to consider removing the action from the stock. So I had two options, take it apart then and mess up the epoxy work, then have to remove the epoxy. Then later on mix up some more epoxy and make a second attempt at it. Or second option and risky option, leave the gun sitting till this morning. I chose the second option. Got up early this morning. I checked the left over epoxy that I mixed up for the Savage, it was very hard. I knew things were not going to be good.
I removed the receiver screws and tried to remove the action from the stock, it would not budge at all. Oh, I left out a part, because of the way the Savage is designed, I left the trigger assembly on the receiver. The rear receiver lug goes through the trigger assembly, then screws into the receiver. So it was needed to space the rear screw lug down the proper amount. So I waxed up the whole trigger assembly and then covered it with electrical tape. Then when the receiver would not come out of the stock, even with a lot of effort. I seriously considered just removing the tape from the barrel and stock and putting the receiver screws back in it. But then I remembered all of the electrical tape wrapped tightly around the trigger assembly and knew that it would not work with the tape wrapped tightly around it. So I went back to trying to get the receiver out of the stock. I tried sliding a piece or round rod up in the receiver, then pulling up on it, that did not work. I eventually got desperate and pulled up on the barrel while pushing down on the front of the stock. It finally broke loose, nice loud pop. I inspected the pieces, once I got the receiver completely out of the stock and found that the epoxy formed to the two pins very nicely.
After that bedding job, I have decided, that from now on, I will start a bedding job, in the morning, so I have all day to wait around for the epoxy to set up. Then I will be home and awake so, at whatever point the epoxy has set up enough to where it is safe to remove the receiver from the stock, I can. Had I waited till I got home from work today, to try and remove that receiver. I am sure I would have had to destroy the stock to separate the two. I waxed up every metal part thoroughly, then plugged up all holes and slots in the receiver, then rewaxed everything.
I have to say that Accuglass gel or putty, whatever they call it, worked great. It does not run, stays put and the cure time is probably about perfect. The stuff bites hard on both wood and steel, even steel covered with wax. If you don't wax up the metal surfaces, then wait till the epoxy is fully cured to remove the receiver from the stock. I am sure they will be permanently glued together. That is some BA glue.
So after getting very worried, I had seriously screwed up, it came out very nice. I was very happy, once I got to see the inside of the stock. So I got both rifles cleaned up inside and out and back together. The second one sure made up for how easy the first one went. So now I need to work on my 6.5 Creedmoor loads, then get back out to the range for the first time in a long time. I have one other project to finish before I go back to the range. I am building a muzzle brake for the 458 SOCOM I put together. I need to finish that up. I changed the design to simplify it, because I just don't have the time to make the complex muzzle break I came up with the first time. It should not take long to make a simple muzzle break. Then I will work on some loads for the 458. Then it will be time to hit the range. I think the Howa should be a tack driver, once I figure out what it likes for loads. The more I look that rifle over, take it apart, work on it. The more I like it, it seems like they added weight to the rear of the stock, so the gun is very well balanced. The stock is quite a bit heavier than you would think, being a laminated wood stock.
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