Savage 111 bedding project.

M

myshoulderissore

New member
So, I've been tinkering with my rifle lately... I find that if I tighten the bolts to the stock very tight, the bolt is HARD to operate, and if I loosen the bolts till the action runs smooth, the groups open up. I have decided surgery is in order. I have watched a ton of videos for the last week, and read everything I can find on glass/epoxy bedding rifles. I have a few questions, though!

1. On most videos, and pictorials, folks are working with M700s. I have a Savage, so I figured I would run my plans by you. The very well animated photo I uploaded has green marking where I plan to bed, how does that look?
2. Multiple photos of the naked rifle, thoughts? Ideas?
3. I have read, and the advice seems sound, that one would want to bed to the center of gravity of the barreled action... Is this true, mine balances about an inch forward of the barrel nut.
4. Would I be better off with Devcon Plastic Steel or JB Weld or some other type of epoxy?

Besides for playing with M16s and adding a Timney trigger to this rifle, this will be my first smithing work. I do plan on putting on a better stock in the future, I figure bedding this can help till I have the money, and if I mess it up, I can have a new stock on it before hunting season starts anyway. Thanks for any help!

Raw pics
bedding%2520plan.jpg
 
First: check the front action screw, when you tighten the front screw it is making contact with the bolt lug, (had this happen to me).
Second: Do not bed the tang on a savage ( the area behind the trigger), and be careful if you bed around the barrel nut.
 
Regarding the barrel nut, I am busy puttying it so it remains free later, and doesn't lock to the stock.

Regarding the tang, I did not know that... Is it not part of the load bearing surface? I'm finding it difficult to find Savage specific bedding advice or experience.
 
If the bolt is not dragging on the front action screw, then as you tighten it down the action is bending slightly. This is causing your difficulty in operation. The goal of the bedding is to prevent this from happening: when you tighten the screws down the action should not move. I respectfully disagree with oldday, bedding at the tang area can keep that area of the action from flexing down when the rear screw is tightened. But he is right: keep the glass out of the grooves in the barrel nut unless you want your stock to become part of your action.

For your first bedding job it may be worthwhile to go with Brownell's Acra-glas gel. Its cheap, easy to work with, won't run all over the place, is easy to dye to the wood color, and is very forgiving. Remember to avoid mechanical interlock and get a good release agent and apply VERY well. If you have a .22 plinker it might be worth it to practice on something a little less valuable if your nerves are likely to get the best of you.
 
The tang is not part of the load bearing surface on a savage. My source of info is from Savage Shooter forum. I know that floating the tang will yield the results your looking for, but you can bed it anyway and grind it out later if you feel you need to.
While bedding my 110 (30-06) I made sure the barrel and tang were floated and it will shoot 3/8 inch groups.

As "TrailBlazinMan" suggested use the Acra-glas gel you don't want to fight the thin stuff.

Good Luck:)
 
Last edited:
I have glass bedded a Garand and and a Rem 700 and a Weatherby rifle and a sporterized 03 springfield and I found the simplest bedding compound to work with and does the nicest job and lasts longer is the Brownells steel bedding compound, costs more and well worth it. You can redo the bedding if you do not like the job,just wash the bedding with water and dry to get the slime off and grind off the bad part and re do it. It is a fun job to do, take your time and have all the parts ready when you start.
 
Seriously, thanks a lot for all the replies... I have looked into Acraglas, and I think I am going to go with that, it checks out better than the other stuff I've been looking at.

I've kinda been working the stock and action with a dremel today, smoothed the recoil lug, it had some marks at the bottom that would have hung up in the bedding, and opened a channel for the barrel to float in. I used electrical tape on the barrel to give it some "room" in the bedding compound, and I am going to do the same at the tang. I am confident I can pull it off ok, I do think it's going to be ugly, but I am hoping it is an ugly rifle that functions perfect and shoots even better!
 
I'll definitely post pics! They may be shameful, though, I warn you now. Taped up the action, puttied the holes, turtle waxed it all, waiting to put on coat 2 while puttying the stock, then in a couple hours the magic happens. Hopefully good magic, not noob magic!
 
And it is done. Now I hope I didn't screw anything essential up!

As I figured, it is going to be ugly, but if it lets the action off of the stock, it should be a great bedding job. I'll tell you tomorrow if it is ugly and functional or just ugly and for sale "as is". ;-)
 
If it turns out ugly then treat it like an ugly baby.
"It's all mine and I love it to death".
If it performs well no one will be looking under the action, they will be admiring the target YOU just retrieved.
 
It released really easy... 2 applications of turtle wax and a spray of cooking oil worked GREAT. Looks like crap aesthetically, but also looks like a great mounting bed. Tomorrow I will clean it up and post pics!
 
Check the action for stress: lay the assembled rifle down on its side. Then loosen only the front action screw. The barrel should not rise up out of the barrel channel. Tighten the front screw down then loosen the rear. The tang of the action should not rise.
 
Everything is working great, although not shooting it till this weekend... Pics coming soon, but you've got to promise not to laugh! It's bad! Learned a lot, though, once I get a new stock I should have no problem doing a much better job.
 
I have a question about my similar project, I have a 30-06 Savage 111 that I took the action off to install a Rifle Basix trigger; I noticed that the hole for the forward action screw is mostly stripped, like it was repeatedly over tightened. Is this something I can re-tap and just go a wee bigger or what do you reckon is the best course of action (no pun intended)? I had planned on going with a fully bedded Hogue stock (similar to the AccuStock) but with this hiccup I'm not so sure. I am still a noob working on firearms, but an aspiring 'smith (meaning I haven't created any basket jobs or KBs yet). Thanks.

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk 2
 
I have no experience with that, but I imagine it is doable. I don't know if I would recommend it, though, without also enlarging the screw hole in the stock also. Personally, I would talk with a gunsmith about that stuff, more advanced than I am.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top