Should my 111 be entirely free floated?

[Yosemite Sam]

The old dollar bill test revealed the very tip of the foreend touches the barrel on my 111.Disassembled, it looks like the milling machine did not make a complete pass the last time through on the barrel channel.

Is that something deliberate by Savage to apply some pressure on the barrel or did they just get sloppy on the inletting? A few minutes is all it would take to free float it entirely.

This gun has a wood stock, and was purchased new around 1995, when I was young and knew nothing about guns. I don't recall ever checking to see if it was free floated. It shot great out of the box as a Savage should, and all was good for a young deer hunter back in the day.

[darkker]

There is a very old method for providing up pressure on a barrel at something like 270 degrees apart. Think it was an old O'Conner trick.... Anyhow it certainly CAN work, if designed well. If it's a toss it against the wall and see what sticks, then likely not.

[RC20]

The answer would be no.

When it started guns had bull stocks, maybe merit to that though my mil surplus seems agnostic to it.
They could put pressure at the Tip. (very close)

Now your stock is 10 inches short or more from the tip and it would not work straight up.

As dakker notes, it might work but a lot of fuss and not likely.

[roootie3]

Your gun not being free floated and in a wood stock can have the poi/group size change with the humidity. I would free-float the barrel and to more than the thickness of a dollar bill... a good 1/32" at least. Good luck.

Larry

[culpeper]

I've been having trouble grouping a Model 12 .308. It is in a HS Precision stock. I got to looking at it and the rear of the barrel nut was not floated and neither was the safety tang at the rear of the action. Just a little sanding cured these points. I'm pretty sure these points should be free floating and can cause problems. If I'm wrong please let me know. Thanks.

[RC20]

While by bar not the member with the most longevity, so far I have heard of one stock that is listed as free floating and is not.

The Long Range Hunter (I believe its that one) did have a deliberate pressure point in the channel.

Keeping in mind pressure points were military, full stock and they hung bayonets on them.

While they did get a lot of good barrels, the quality range was not nearly as consistent as it is today.

[TurboSportTSi]

Yes, you are absolutely right that the tang should not touch the stock. If you ever increase torque value on your action screws, be sure to revisit this to make sure it hasn't changed.

There are various reasons to not free float a barrel, but in general it is a good idea to ensure it is floated if the pressure point isn't known to be intentional.