Axis / Edge Stock Reinforcement Made Easy - Take II

[stingray]

Here they are (I think). I am more firearms savvy than computer savvy. Hope they came through. If not I'll try again.

[DocNugent]

First, let me add my thanks and congratulations on this excellent how-to!

I also have an observation and a question:

- As to the weight issue, aluminum tubing is almost as rigid as solid aluminum, but lighter because it is hollow. Both are much lighter than steel rod or all-thread. I learned from several fiberglass car body part projects that what's inside the epoxy need not be that strong by themselves - fabricators often use such materials as paper rope and cardboard tubes - because it's the structure, not the material that is important. If you think about it, the stiffness of a fiberglass panel is created by very thin threads of glass (structured by being woven together)! As a result, I'd expect something as light as drinking straws to work well.

- For my shopping list, how many ounces (total) of the 5-minute epoxy is needed to complete the whole job?

[fgw_in_fla]

I've used the Ace Hdwre's own brand. There's 1.25oz. per tube x 2 tubes per package (resin & hardener). All total I used 2 packages of the epoxy (4 tubes) & had some left over - about 1/2 tube of each.

Personally, I prefer the JB weld. Don't know why.... I guess I have it in my empty head that epoxy shouldn't be transparent.
I've used steel rod & alum rod. I really don't see much difference in weight. Since my Axis rifles all have truck axle sized barrels, the weight of the rods are not a concern to me....
Frank in Fla

[The Toolman]

"Carefully remove the barreled action so as to not let the pin fall out of the trigger assembly."

I did mine today that I just got, an didn't see any pin that could fall out, unless it did an I missed it somehow. Does the new axis .223's not have this pin, or is it now made to not fall out. The only pin I had out was the trigger pin with the e clip on it.

I guess a small pic with an arrow would help me out. Sorry, I do machine work, but I don't know what to do on this deal.... Look for one on floor or put it back together as is. UPDATE--Everything seems to work fine since I changed spring an set new screw for trigger stop.


On another note, I don't have the same grease that comes on the trigger mech. It looks like a graphite base type grease. But I do have some white synthetic waterproof marine grease thats slick as heck. Would that be alright in its place?


Thanx,
Ron

[fgw_in_fla]

"Carefully remove the barreled action so as to not let the pin fall out of the trigger assembly."

I did mine today that I just got, an didn't see any pin that could fall out, unless it did an I missed it somehow. Does the new axis .223's not have this pin, or is it now made to not fall out. The only pin I had out was the trigger pin with the e clip on it.

I guess a small pic with an arrow would help me out. Sorry, I do machine work, but I don't know what to do on this deal.... Look for one on floor or put it back together as is. UPDATE--Everything seems to work fine since I changed spring an set new screw for trigger stop.


On another note, I don't have the same grease that comes on the trigger mech. It looks like a graphite base type grease. But I do have some white synthetic waterproof marine grease thats slick as heck. Would that be alright in its place?


Thanx,
Ron

I'm wondering....
maybe that's why mine fell out. It's missing the clip. I'll have to remind myself to write a note to remind myself to look & see if it's there.
I can't recall exactly but, I thought I remembered a pin holding the trigger assembly in place.
It really sucks boloney skins getting old. Memory is the 2nd thing to go.
Or is it the 3rd?...
I forget.

[plutonium]

thanks for the info boss I did my axis the same way with 1/4 inch steel rods in fore arm ....drilled the I/4 holes in next rib forward recoil lug housing and epoxied two the front tip cross rib ... went further and ran 2 picatinny rails on side of forearm with screws and bolts embedded in same epoxy below the barrel line.. installed rubber rail guards so forearm is strong ,beefy and very comfortable to hold thanks once again

[fgw_in_fla]

I gotta hand it to you...

Interestingly unique.

Let us know how it handles.

[patrolit]

Hi,

I have been thinking about fgw_in_fls idea of putting rods in the stock, wanted to leave all the ribbing in there for extra support. So I used ¼” threaded rod and drilled the end of the stock, just up to the belt attachment nut. Then I sharpened the end of the threaded rod and heated it. This allowed me to push it through the rest of the ribbing and into the barrel locator area.









Once thread cut to length and slotted in one end to take a flat blade screw driver I slid them in then installed nuts up against the first rib and the barrel locator area, applying a little forward pressure on the first rib. (hopefully this folds the front of the stock down just a little.)






Once this was done I fitted the action back in the stock, I know had a good 2mm of clearance at the end of stock to barrel area. I could still make the barrel touch the side of the stock with side to side twisting so I did grind some material out of the side area, even thought I think the epoxy will stiffen it up enough.

[Tack]

Great idea patriot, I wonder if installing nuts on each rib would take more of the sideways movement out. Definitely a great and new idea.

[patrolit]

The gaps between the centre rib and side is 2 narrow to allow nuts further down the stock. I had originally intended doing that, a nut either side of the rib.

[Tack]

Well, that's probably a pretty good reason why not to then. I salivate every time I see a mod on these. I have had one on order sinc late January. I'm hoping it will turn up this week. Love your work.
Tack

[fgw_in_fla]

Pretty cool idea. I like it.
Anytime you can achieve the same or similar results with less work, go for it.

Have fun.

P.S. - Never underestimate the creativity of an Axis owner.

[thermaler]

Pretty cool idea. I like it.
Anytime you can achieve the same or similar results with less work, go for it.

Have fun.

P.S. - Never underestimate the creativity of an Axis owner.

"P.S. - Never underestimate the creativity of an Axis owner. " to which I would add "necessity is the mother of many inventions." : )

[fgw_in_fla]

"P.S. - Never underestimate the creativity of an Axis owner. " to which I would add "necessity is the mother of many inventions." : )

Agreed....

"morning, Therm.

[thomae]

The gaps between the centre rib and side is 2 narrow to allow nuts further down the stock. I had originally intended doing that, a nut either side of the rib.

You could grind off the sides of the nuts to decrease their outer diameter.

[Willy]

My first time posting here. I want to do some stiffening on my Savage Edges (yes, I bought the early ones when they were still Edges....), and also some of the 11 and 111 models I have. Got several questions for fgw. First, would it reinforce the stock trigger area if you only filled the cavities in the stock around the trigger area without actually epoxying in the trigger guard itself? I purchased a four foot section of steel shelf rail (that the shelf support brackets attach to); the rail is shaped like a "U" with square corners at the bottom, and is about 5/8" wide and about 7/16" high, and is very stiff. I was wondering if something like this would work instead of the two 3/16" steel rods? Rather than drilling into the plastic recoil lug, would it be just as beneficial to butt the rail against the plastic lug? To use the rail one would probably have to take a bit off the top of the long center rib. One nice thing about the rail is it is full of slots and therefor provides a firm grip for the epoxy. Threaded rod would also provide a firm grip for the epoxy. Couple of other thoughts: buy a Dremel (or similar) tool for cutting and buffing the stock. Also, for a work surface, get one of those cheap ($15) folding work tables that comes with clamps and screw adjustments. BTW, excellent site, and appreciate the help. This is my very first time doing something like this with my rifles. I may be purchasing a Boyd stock for at least one of my Savages. Too bad Savage doesn't spend an extra $10 to make a little nicer stocks. Gonna try to camo paint some of my Tupperware stocks this summer, I hope. I have one Edge in camo and I love it.

[thomae]

The recoil lug is metal.

[Willy]

I should have stated placing the rail up against the plastic block the recoil lug is imbedded in.

[thomae]

That makes sense.
When I reinforced my Axis stock, I put my rods all the way through underneath the recoil lug. They came out beside the magazine release.

[fgw_in_fla]

My first time posting here. I want to do some stiffening on my Savage Edges (yes, I bought the early ones when they were still Edges....), and also some of the 11 and 111 models I have. Got several questions for fgw. First, would it reinforce the stock trigger area if you only filled the cavities in the stock around the trigger area without actually epoxying in the trigger guard itself? I purchased a four foot section of steel shelf rail (that the shelf support brackets attach to); the rail is shaped like a "U" with square corners at the bottom, and is about 5/8" wide and about 7/16" high, and is very stiff. I was wondering if something like this would work instead of the two 3/16" steel rods? Rather than drilling into the plastic recoil lug, would it be just as beneficial to butt the rail against the plastic lug? To use the rail one would probably have to take a bit off the top of the long center rib. One nice thing about the rail is it is full of slots and therefor provides a firm grip for the epoxy. Threaded rod would also provide a firm grip for the epoxy. Couple of other thoughts: buy a Dremel (or similar) tool for cutting and buffing the stock. Also, for a work surface, get one of those cheap ($15) folding work tables that comes with clamps and screw adjustments. BTW, excellent site, and appreciate the help. This is my very first time doing something like this with my rifles. I may be purchasing a Boyd stock for at least one of my Savages. Too bad Savage doesn't spend an extra $10 to make a little nicer stocks. Gonna try to camo paint some of my Tupperware stocks this summer, I hope. I have one Edge in camo and I love it.

I'll attempt answering in the order you have them written....
Epoxy the trigger area & guard - I'm of the frame of mind these stocks are so flimsy, ANYTHING would help. Personal experience has shown that quite a bit of flex was gone after epoxying the trigger guard in place. I suppose adding the extra mass makes it stronger. Still, I wouldn't be using it for a pry bar.
Steel shelf rail - As long as extra weight isn't a consideration & if it allows the barrel to sit in the groove, use what you have on hand. I encourage you to use a little planning & fore thought (remember the 6 "P"'s...) and most importantly, without sacrificing safety, be creative...
Butting the reinforcement against the recoil block - After the 2nd or 3rd stock, I started putting a little "pre-bend" in the rods & always drill & epoxy them into the recoil block. This allows for a little pressure against the weight of the barrel. A very slight downward bend, then epoxy it in place seemed to help stiffen it a bit more. Remember - I shoot from a bipod 99% of the time. That's where the stock reinforcement comes into play. Without it the "FLex-O-Matic 500" Axis stock will push against the bipod when I shoot. While it does help with side play & twist, that's the reason I started doing this.
DREMEL!!! It should be a federal law - If you own rifles & work on them yourself, you must have a dremel tool....

Ya know, even with my 110's, I still do the stock stiffener thing. To me, it just seems to go against the grain to buy one of the best shooting rifles & pump another $1000 into it. I like to keep it cheap but that's just me. I suppose if I had an extra $500 laying around with absolutely nothing else to do with it, I would probably buy a different stock. I even use the factory triggers & work with them to where they are smooth & silky. At least up until my friend Jim in California ruined me by selling me a few Accu-Triggers.

I hope this helps. Have fun with it & take your time. Dry fit your pieces BEFORE you epoxy them in. If you have any other questions, I'm sure someone here can help or drop me a line.
Enjoy!
Frank in Fla

[Willy]

Thanks Frank, much appreciated. Re those Accu-Triggers you bought; did you retro fit them into the Axis, and/or other non Accu-Trigger Savage rifles? I have 3 or 4 Savages with the Accu-Trigger and I prefer those triggers to the the Timney and Basix triggers I have.

[Willy]

BTW, I want all the extra weight I can get in that light Savage 300 Win mag!

[fgw_in_fla]

Thanks Frank, much appreciated. Re those Accu-Triggers you bought; did you retro fit them into the Axis, and/or other non Accu-Trigger Savage rifles? I have 3 or 4 Savages with the Accu-Trigger and I prefer those triggers to the the Timney and Basix triggers I have.

Standard Savage Accu-Trigger fits the Axis with minimum modification. All it involved was a little filing / grinding on the sides of the accutrigger where the "bumps" are.
There's a real good article written by thomae in the tech article secton. Pictures & everything.
it's an easy swap out.
And it's like night & day compared to the Axis factory trigger.

[fgw_in_fla]

BTW, I want all the extra weight I can get in that light Savage 300 Win mag!

Weight? You want a little extra weight in that 300 WinMag?....

Don't laugh -
Pull the butt stock recoil pad off, pull the Styrofoam out & epoxy as much weight as you want. Here's where it get amusing....
Door hinges work great. They fit right in, all the way forward & you can stuff a piece of 1x2 in the middle of it (open the hinge & place 1x2 in between the hinge leafs). Epoxy the bejinkies out of it. Let set / dry thoroughly.
I have sheet lead, also. I can cut a custom weighed piece to fit exactly the way I want it to. Lead is real soft (sheet roofing lead) so it fits where you want it to. Weather it wants to or not.
try the door hinge thing. Cheaper is better. If you want a piece of lead, drop me a PM. I have a little extra. The extra weight help a lot with recoil. My 30'06 was brutal until I weighed it down. The muzzle brake helped after the shoulder surgery, too....

PS - use a screwdriver or the tang end of a file & scratch the inside of the stock. It'll help the epoxy adhere better.

[180pilot]

thanks, Frank As soon as I get some time between work and cutting firewood I plan on doing the stock mod to my 2 Axis, The 243 and the 223. would you happen to know how to do the trigger mod with out cutting the spring. I heard you can modify the trigger block itself almost turn it in to a acutrigger.

Thanks for the detailed pictures
lockwoodjohn

Go to: http://www.savageshooters.com/showth...3-5-lb-trigger