Bedding action in Savage model 93 17HMR tutorial

[LureM In]

Well here is my first bedding job in my 17hmr, I have been around machine tools and hands on all my life so I figured I would give it a shot on my rim fire before I messed with anything else. Let me know what you guys think. It shot pretty well out of the box, Was holding 1.5MOA out to 200yds but I think it can do better, Especially seeing how sloppy the action is with those measly thin bottom metal plates and one action screw actually just pressed against the laminate :o

Well it looks like I cant post pictures... Any ideas how? I have a walk through on how to do it.

[LureM In]

Well here are the photos and a description of steps labeled in order. Check them out
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=5257043&sk=photos&collection_token=5257043%3A2305272732%3A69&set=a.10103888721837113.1073741826.5257043&type=3

[shovelheadave]

Can't access your pics without a facebook account.

[LureM In]

This forum won't let me post them in here. Ideas?

[Berniep]

Photobucket maybe?

[thomae]

You will need to have your pictures hosted on the internet someplace that does not require a log in to view them.

This should help: http://www.savageshooters.com/showthread.php?16607-The-ultimate-guide-to-posting-pictures-so-easy-a-caveman-can-do-it!

[LureM In]

Ok I got it guys, here you go. Funny part is I went to the range today. after the bedding, that gun is not a 1/2 MOA rifle all day. Amazing at what this did to the groups.

Here is a link to all the pics, http://media.use.com/images/s_1/917fd16342608dfe1c8c_1.jpg (http://www.use.com/917fd16342608dfe1c8c?p=1) http://media.use.com/images/s_1/917fd16342608dfe1c8c_2.jpg (http://www.use.com/917fd16342608dfe1c8c?p=2) http://media.use.com/images/s_1/917fd16342608dfe1c8c_3.jpg (http://www.use.com/917fd16342608dfe1c8c?p=3) http://media.use.com/images/s_1/917fd16342608dfe1c8c_4.jpg (http://www.use.com/917fd16342608dfe1c8c?p=4) http://media.use.com/images/s_1/917fd16342608dfe1c8c_5.jpg (http://www.use.com/917fd16342608dfe1c8c?p=5) http://media.use.com/images/s_1/917fd16342608dfe1c8c_6.jpg (http://www.use.com/917fd16342608dfe1c8c?p=6)

[LureM In]

Here is how it was done in order.

pic 1 Measure distance from bottom lug to stock. I actually raised the entire action and barrel .01" because the barrel was not 'Free floating enough' This will be fixed during the glass bedding phase.

pic 2 Inside of stock with receiver holes bored to 3/8"

pic 3 machine standoff to the distance measure from pic 1 @ 3/8 inch

pic 4 standoff machined with grooves for more adhesion to stock

pic 5 Tight push fit and jb welded into place

pic 6 looks good!

pic 7 measure same as in picture 1 for second pillar

pic 8 you have to hog out the channel to accept 3/8" pillar. lucky enough the barrel comes stock with a 3/8" diamater hog out right where you need to put it.

pic 9 jb weld into place (This will be reinforced later)

pic 11 Topside picture

pic 12 I made a **** out of a piece of plastic sheet to about 1/8" away from the magazine when installed. This provided much more strength for the pillar

pic 13 plastic removed

pic 14 both pillars installed

pic 15 Dremel out some distance on the inside rail to get more then a super thin layer of glass bedding in. Bed all around the perimeter.

pic 16 This is after the barrel was set into place plugging all the holes w/ putty and removed.

pic 17 Dremel the left over and sealed the inside raw wood of the stock.

http://media.use.com/images/s_1/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da_1.jpg (http://www.use.com/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da?p=1) http://media.use.com/images/s_1/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da_2.jpg (http://www.use.com/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da?p=2) http://media.use.com/images/s_1/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da_3.jpg (http://www.use.com/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da?p=3) http://media.use.com/images/s_1/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da_4.jpg (http://www.use.com/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da?p=4) http://media.use.com/images/s_1/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da_5.jpg (http://www.use.com/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da?p=5) http://media.use.com/images/s_1/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da_6.jpg (http://www.use.com/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da?p=6) http://media.use.com/images/s_1/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da_7.jpg (http://www.use.com/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da?p=7) http://media.use.com/images/s_1/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da_8.jpg (http://www.use.com/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da?p=8) http://media.use.com/images/s_1/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da_9.jpg (http://www.use.com/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da?p=9) http://media.use.com/images/s_1/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da_10.jpg (http://www.use.com/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da?p=10) http://media.use.com/images/s_1/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da_11.jpg (http://www.use.com/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da?p=11)

[shovelheadave]

Looks good.

[LureM In]

http://media.use.com/images/s_1/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da_12.jpg (http://www.use.com/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da?p=12) http://media.use.com/images/s_1/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da_13.jpg (http://www.use.com/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da?p=13) http://media.use.com/images/s_1/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da_14.jpg (http://www.use.com/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da?p=14) http://media.use.com/images/s_1/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da_15.jpg (http://www.use.com/57e920c550e3e1c6c9da?p=15)


had to split up the pictures.

[savgebolt]

lurem in
great job ,,,, did u think of bedding the first inch or so of the barrel at the reciever,,,, what bedding material did you use , what did u reseal the wood with,,,, thanks for the great info

[LureM In]

Thanks bud, no I did more research than I wanted and got cross eyed, as to bed the barrel not bed it, bed the rear of receiver or float it. etc etc lol, After it was done and taken to the range what I did served its purpose ten fold.

I used Acraglass gel, much easier to use than the other stuff that runs quite a bit. The inside was coated with a polyurethane sealer

Funny part is now I have this stock all complete and gloved fit for the Savage 93r17 sitting in my gargage haha. I bought some wood and am starting on a new custom one.

[Smokey262]

That turned out pretty nice. If you are interested for your next stock I have a nice thick stainless steel bottom metal pieces to give away that are now posted in the Free Stuff section of the classifieds.

[Westcliffe01]

LureM in
I also want to thank you for your photo essay.

My model 93 (stainless 22 WMR) shoots like crap currently. Before finding your photo essay, I had taken my action out the stock a few times and honestly, the only thing I could say was "WTF was Savage thinking with this inletting ?" When one looks at the action, you get the impression that Savage put pillars on the action, instead of in the stock. But that is the wrong assumption... The "pillars" are close to 1/4" in the axial direction from even touching the stock.

Their router has removed so much material from the stock, that only about 1/8 to 1/4" remains at the bottom, with the deep channel going all the way through. The lack of any vertical support, combined with the deeply notched out stock (which is now very weak laterally - it spread apart easily at the top) is just a disaster.

Can anyone verify whether one can remove the front pillar from the action and install a much longer pillar into the stock which can then bear directly on the underside of the action and use a regular (longer) action screw ? The barrel appears to be retained with the 2 pins so it does not seem that the front thread is for anything more than attaching the action ? (update, just tried removing the front pillar, but its in there so dang tight I couldn't move it... Red loctite maybe ?) I feel that control of the action will be more positive if the underside of the action could bear on a more continuous surface and have the front action screw engage directly into the action, instead of a half inch long extension....

[LureM In]

Thanks, I just did the whole thing again with my Tacticool stock. came out great.

Yeah first time I torqued the screws down and stock just split. Very stupid inleting job, A tid bit of info though every laminated stock savage uses are actually Boyds stocks... lol so you can blame them not savage.

I actually can answer this because I have tried everything, The back pillar holding the trigger on is easily replaced, the front one however for some reason I cannot get to budge what so ever and I have put an ass ton of torque on it. So I left it.She shoots .5MOA all day long so I dont think its an issue.

[Smokey262]

Can anyone verify whether one can remove the front pillar from the action and install a much longer pillar into the stock which can then bear directly on the underside of the action and use a regular (longer) action screw ?

The issue has always been that no one can get the 12-32 screws. Fred's advice was to make them into 1/4-28 threads instead, then a million screw types are readily available

[Westcliffe01]

I'm liable to disagree. I'm pretty sure that when Savage orders a stock from any supplier, the supplier is supplied a print to work to. Regardless of what the vendor may think about Savages choices, thats what they work to or don't get the business. Now what Boyd or anyone else chooses to supply directly to end customers, thats another matter altogether...


Yeah first time I torqued the screws down and stock just split. Very stupid inleting job, A tid bit of info though every laminated stock savage uses are actually Boyds stocks... lol so you can blame them not savage.

[LureM In]

If they do its because Boyds either cant deliver in time or some other reason because this information came directly from a Savage Tech I spoke to... This is for there rimfire rifles FYI, Didnt ask about the others. But I know they get others from Mcmillian Choate etc for the centerfires.
:cheer2:

[Westcliffe01]

I had to make do last night with just 5 Min epoxy and carbosil thickener for my bedding job. Given that this is a rimfire, the bedding is not going to see any substantial recoil, like would be the case for a magnum. I didn't have pillars, so I put a stack of stainless washers of the appropriate size under the action screws until the action had a small gap all the way around and the barrel was guaranteed to be free floated. Used super glue to fix the washers in place, then taped off the trigger/magazine guide and all the parts of the stock I didn't want anything to stick to.

Mixed the 5 min epoxy good then kept adding carbosil until it was thick enough not to slump anymore. Put some of it around the washers previously glued in place to absorb the load of the action screws. Because it was so thick, I didn't need a dam to contain it. Let that cure up and before it was fully hard I trimmed off the excess.

Made another batch of the thicknened epoxy. Applied the peanut butter consistency mixture on the sides of the stock where it would contact the action. I also put a dollop at the barrel/action intersection. I ended up bedding the first 1" of the barrel as well as the first 1/4" of the action. This is right next to the front action screw which is what I wanted, a good "nest" for the front end of the action.

I have to say that the coupling between action and stock is drastically improved now. The rifle even sounds different when you work the bolt. Now I just need to clean the bore good and I am ready for a range session. I let the stock stand a few hours near the wood stove this morning so that a little heat would fully harden the epoxy. That seems to have worked out perfect.

The final work that needs to be done is open up the barrel channel slightly on the left (it is free floating with a double thickness of paper) but the gap on the left is smaller than the right. Then re-seal the exposed wood. But for today, it is going to the range.

[MLN1963]

I had to make do last night with just 5 Min epoxy and carbosil thickener for my bedding job. Given that this is a rimfire, the bedding is not going to see any substantial recoil, like would be the case for a magnum. I didn't have pillars, so I put a stack of stainless washers of the appropriate size under the action screws until the action had a small gap all the way around and the barrel was guaranteed to be free floated. Used super glue to fix the washers in place, then taped off the trigger/magazine guide and all the parts of the stock I didn't want anything to stick to.

Mixed the 5 min epoxy good then kept adding carbosil until it was thick enough not to slump anymore. Put some of it around the washers previously glued in place to absorb the load of the action screws. Because it was so thick, I didn't need a dam to contain it. Let that cure up and before it was fully hard I trimmed off the excess.

Made another batch of the thicknened epoxy. Applied the peanut butter consistency mixture on the sides of the stock where it would contact the action. I also put a dollop at the barrel/action intersection. I ended up bedding the first 1" of the barrel as well as the first 1/4" of the action. This is right next to the front action screw which is what I wanted, a good "nest" for the front end of the action.

I have to say that the coupling between action and stock is drastically improved now. The rifle even sounds different when you work the bolt. Now I just need to clean the bore good and I am ready for a range session. I let the stock stand a few hours near the wood stove this morning so that a little heat would fully harden the epoxy. That seems to have worked out perfect.

The final work that needs to be done is open up the barrel channel slightly on the left (it is free floating with a double thickness of paper) but the gap on the left is smaller than the right. Then re-seal the exposed wood. But for today, it is going to the range.

Westcliffe

How has your stock been holding up? The washer stack is something I have been contemplating doing too. Especially after I added the DIP bottom metal I think it would be more than sufficient to keep the wood from compressing any. Also, what is this carbosil you speak of? I find something called that for winemaking. I found a CAB-O-SIL for gel coat use is that what you used? How did you determine it was compatible with your epoxy?

Thanks