What exactly does "Bedding" a rifle mean?

It's a method of perfectly fitting the action to the stock using a compound usually made of some sort of epoxy resin, sometimes reinforced with fiberglass or metal.

The idea is to get a precise fit between the stock and action so that there is absolutely no movement of the action in the stock when it is fired.

If the action moves around in the stock during firing, it makes getting the most accuracy wise a lot more difficult, if not impossible.

Given the amount of play, it can also make recoil feel a LOT worse because the action can get a "running start" and then slam into the stock, which transfers a lot more force to the shooter.
 
Bedding question

The question begs, however, if the barrel is bedded too. I was always under the impression that the barrel is supposed to "float" and not actually touch the stock.

Isn't that true?

Rome
 
Rome, best accuracy seems to occur when the barrel is "free floated", not touching the stock. The reason is that the barrel and stock heat at different rates, and thus changes in dimension would change the force of the wood (etc.) against the steel of the barrel.

Unless a barrel is absolutely perfect, it can be that the vibrations which occur when the rifle is fired can vary from shot to shot. The Browning "Boss" attempts to rectify this. I have always free-floated my barrels and use a thin shim out at the end of the forearm as a damper, making the vibrations more uniform.

Now you know how to build a watch.

:), Art
 
Only sometimes. It all depends on the design, make, and purpose of the rifle.

The barrel can be made free floating during the bedding process simply by wrapping a couple layers of electrical tape around it. (To be removed after the bedding process is completed) sometimes a stiffening block or support is desired at he end of the barrel and that portion is left bare of tape. (or whatever is being used to create space) I always free float the bolt actions I bed by taping off the entire barrel from the front end of the chamber forward.

The most important thing is to remmeber that a portion of the barrel can not be filled to make the barrel block in the end or to solidly bed it to the sock wihtout rebedding the entire action. If the barrel is raised fractionally the bedding still stays the same and the things get quickly out of kilter. The action's bedding level needs to be constant to maintain the accuracy level it had when new. Do it all at once!
 
Rome,

Most centerfire rifles seem to do best with the barrels free floated.

Most .22s seem to do best with the barrels fully bedded. Go figure.
 
Thanks for the clarification

I've seen bedded rifles and now remember someone checking the barrel float with a piece of paper. The person inspecting the rifle put a piece of paper between the barrel and stock and slid it down to the receiver to see if the space was constant.

I'd like to bed my M1 over the Winter and will start looking at some of the kits out there. Thanks for the info!

Rome
 
Interesting...

Thanks for all the replies!

So, is bedding just a compund applied to make the fit better, or is it a method of permanently attaching the action to the stock (which would seem like a bad idea to me)?

Also I've heard "Glass" bedding and "Pillar" bedding. What do these mean?

-LevelHead-
 
Glass bedding involves using a fiberglass like compound (usually a 2 part epoxy such as Acraglass) that is smeared in the stock. When the action is put in place, it basically fills in the little gaps between the stock and the rifle action. The bedding doesn't adhere to the action, only to the stock. Pillar bedding involves use of an aluminum fitted "bedding block", and is usually done by factories or custom riflesmiths. I don't know too much about that process. Remington probably has a picture of the bedding block that they use on one of their higher end models. Also, check a stock company called Bell & Carlson for pics.
 
LH,

To further elucidate what Mike said...

"It's a method of perfectly fitting the action to the stock using a compound usually made of some sort of epoxy resin, sometimes reinforced with fiberglass or metal. "

The compound he speaks of is the "glass", one of the most popular is Acraglass(sp?) from Brownells. The purpose is to provide a exact fit (think of a casting mold) of the underside of the rifle's receiver. You want the stock and the receiver to become one unit when you tighten down the action screws. Which leads to your next question - "pillars". The action screws can compress the wood of the stock, which can cause them to work loose and then you get movement of the receiver in the stock - in other words - bad. Pillars are metal sleeves that are used to line the action screw holes, to prevent that compression of the stock. Gunsmiths usally provide a combo job, glass and pillar bedding as a package, since they have to take the action out of the stock for either job.

Hope this helps - JohnDog
 
Poodleshooter sez "The bedding doesn't adhere to the action, only to the stock..."

Well, it won't adhere to the action if you use a release compound.

If you forget to use the release compound, the bedding material DOES adhere to the action, and binds the whole thing together.

I've seen a couple of guns where the people doing the bedding forgot to use a release compound on the action.

In the attempts to remove the action, 1 rifle was essentially ruined because the owner tried to pry the action out using the barrel as a lever. Bent the barrel, warped the action, and cracked the stock.

On the second rifle, the owner knew he had a problem, so he wrapped the gun in plastic and got 50 pounds of dry ice, which he packed around the gun in a box, and left it for the better part of 2 days.

The ice chilled the metal, causing it to shrink and pull away from the bedding.

Removing the action only required a few taps with a rubber mallet.

The moral of the story is that if you bed your own rifle, DON'T forget to coat the action with SEVERAL coats of release compound!
 
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