The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Free Float, Glass Bed, or Don't Mess

Elksniper · January 10, 2006, 11:12 AM

I have a M77 MKII. I went to the extreme with mine. I had trouble with the stock warping some and decided to cure the problem. I bought a laminated stock blank and made a new stock. I decided to float the barrel (sporter type) and bed the action. I do not regret my choice. After working up some loads the rifle likes I can shoot .25 to .5 inch groups (off of the bench) at 100 yds. The thing to remember when doing stock work is you can always fix it if it doesn't work. In your case I would glass the reciever area and float the barrel. Make the gap clearance along the barrel channel large enough to slide a business card freely along the length of the barrel. I wouldn't glass the barrel channel. Did that once and spent many hours of sanding to fix that mistake.
If floating the barrel makes it shoot worse, all you need to do is just rebuild the "pillow" on the end of the stock. Leave the spacing along the sides of the barrel. That will help prevent any warping from changing the POI. Use some cellphane and a 5 or 6 pound weight to determine the pressure applied to the bottom of the barrel. Sand the new pillow until the weighted cellphane slips out from under the barrel.
I hope that this helps some.
Earl

January 10, 2006, 11:12 AM	#2
Elksniper Junior Member Join Date: January 8, 2006 Location: Fort Benton, Montana Posts: 4	I have a M77 MKII. I went to the extreme with mine. I had trouble with the stock warping some and decided to cure the problem. I bought a laminated stock blank and made a new stock. I decided to float the barrel (sporter type) and bed the action. I do not regret my choice. After working up some loads the rifle likes I can shoot .25 to .5 inch groups (off of the bench) at 100 yds. The thing to remember when doing stock work is you can always fix it if it doesn't work. In your case I would glass the reciever area and float the barrel. Make the gap clearance along the barrel channel large enough to slide a business card freely along the length of the barrel. I wouldn't glass the barrel channel. Did that once and spent many hours of sanding to fix that mistake. If floating the barrel makes it shoot worse, all you need to do is just rebuild the "pillow" on the end of the stock. Leave the spacing along the sides of the barrel. That will help prevent any warping from changing the POI. Use some cellphane and a 5 or 6 pound weight to determine the pressure applied to the bottom of the barrel. Sand the new pillow until the weighted cellphane slips out from under the barrel. I hope that this helps some. Earl