Sanding stock for floating barrel

[imq707s]

I've got a Ruger Mark 2 all-weather. I removed the stock yesterday and noticed some abrasion marks on the very end of the stock where the barrel has been resting. If I sand enought material off of the stock where the barrel is touching, would that make it a full floating barrel? Is this a good idea, or is the barrel supposed to rest on the end of the stock? Thanks.

 

[Art Eatman]

All "free-floating" means is that there is no contact between the barrel and the wood. This is easily checked by sliding a dollar bill or a business card from the front of the stock back to the rear of the channel.

When it's free-floated, there is no change in the pressure on the barrel as it heats up during a string of shots. Free-floating also lessens or eliminates changes in pressure on the barrel from any warping of a wood stock from changes in humidity.

Some barrels, when free-floated, do not vibrate exactly the same from shot to shot during a string. I have no idea why this is; it just "is". (Ask WJC)

What I have found to be effective over the last 50 years is to take a 3/4" to 1" strip of kitchen wax paper and fold it back and forth until this "shim" is thick enough to require a five-pound pull between the forearm and barrel to get it in place at the front of the forearm. It acts like a shock absorber on a car--sorta--and dampens barrel vibrations. It has improved the accuracy of a bunch of my rifles, over box-stock original. Cheap, too.

Hope this helps,

Art

 

[Southla1]

Some "freefloated" factory barrels have a "bump" in the stock right at the forearm to put that 5 pounds or so of pressure that Art speaks of on the barrel. If you do decide to free float do as Art says and shim the barrel. One of the major things to do if you do sand, or rasp, or remove any wood from the barrel channel is to be SURE to seal that "raw" wood (where you removed it) with Truoil or some type of wood sealer to help prevent moisture from easily getting into the wood of the stock and warping it.