Now on to the action, this is the single MOST important part of bedding. I can’t imagine the pain of not being able to pull the stock/action apart when you’re done. MAKE SURE all the holes are filled with modeling clay on the action. If you don’t do this you can mechanically lock the two together with epoxy. I pull the trigger assembly and magazine off, and then fill ALL holes with modeling clay. The only holes I don’t fill is the Action screws.
To make it easier to put your action in and out when you’re done, I put two strips of green masking tape on the sides of the recoil lug, and one piece on the front. Some guys skip this step, but I like just a tiny tolereance here to allow your gun to come apart easier.
Now for the Release agent. I’ve heard of a plethora of different release agents. Shoe polish, commercial agents, wd40, wax. Basically, anything that will make a greasy, oily, or waxy barrier against your action will work. Best thing to do is that whatever you decide to use, test if first on a piece of metal you have laying around, put your release agent on and then some epoxy, let your epoxy harden and it should just fall right off the surface.
I use Filson clothing wax. It smells like a Pine tree and is pleasant to use J. I coat the entire acion inside and out with this, let it set for a bit, and then coat it again. If you’re as nervous as I was my first time, you’ll do this step 5 times to make sure you don’t stick anywhere. Coat EVERYTHING, modeling clay, recoil lug and tape. You don’t want to rush this step.
