Stock barrel chanels and barrel contours

B

Bill Daniel

New member
How do you measure the barrel chanel on a rifle stock to see if a certain barrel contour will fit? What tools are needed to enlarge the chanel if needed to free float the barrel if the chanel is too tight? This is a HS Precision fiber glass stock.
Thanks,
Bill Daniel
 
Bill,
This must be in relation to your re-barreling thread...
Assuming you bought the rifle used with the stock and don't know what you have?

What contour barrel is on the rifle currently?

Usually, one gets a stock with the barrel contour to match the barrel, unless they know they're going to put a larger dia. bull or varmint barrel on it later.

How much taper is there in the barrel channel? A full "bull" barrel will have no change in contour down the barrel channel. Full width from the barrel nut to the end of the stock. Varmint contours taper from about 1" to .8", so there might be a slight narrowing.

If your stock is set up for standard contour, I don't think it will be feasible to modify it because it's fiberglass. With a wood stock, you can take a piece of PVC pipe and sandpaper and enlarge the channel. With the fiberglass you have a very thin glass "skin" over a core, and enlarging would require professional work/re-glassing of the stock.

If that's the case, best to sell it and buy a new one inletted for the barrel contour you need. All quality stocks get pretty good $$ at resale, so it's not a big loss...
 
I would not advise going and buying tools for just one job. The barrel channel can be opened up very easily, just use a rasp or a dowel covered with coarse sandpaper.

Measure the diameter of the barrel channel inletting at the receiver and at the end of the forearm, this will give you a rough idea of how good of a fit you will have. Then simply remove what doesn't belong there. You can use inletting black if you want a close fit, or dig it out then smooth it out if you want a free-floating barrel. I generally float barrels until a sheet of coarse sandpaper clears from the tip of the forearm to the receiver.
 
Thanks fellows! The barrel measures 0.8" at the muzzle and 1.05" at the shank (Savage small shank). I will measure the chanel on the stock to see. The Bull barrel will measure 1" at the muzzle.
Scorch as to tobnpr's point have you ever worked on an HS Precision stock to see how much can be removed before the stock is compromized?
Thanks, again.
Bill Daniel
 
HS precision stocks I have worked on are a glass strand-reinforced molded resin foam, and you can take a lot of it out before it starts to be "compromised" as far as strength. If it concerns you, you can always put a layer or two of glass mat and resin back in after the barrel channel is the size you want it to be. Best solution is to not take too much out to begin with (I know, it sounds simple).
 
Stock barrel channels and barrel contours

Thanks Scorch. I talked with some one at HS Precision who said the channel on my stock will free float a 0.95" barrel diameter. So maybe I won't have that much to remove.
Thanks again,
Bill Daniel
 
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