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HiBC · August 28, 2019, 06:18 AM

Assuming a scope,line of sight is from the receiver. Bore axis is in the barrel.
A light facing cut on the front receiver ring, can make a full 360 degree foundation with the barrel shoulder.Drawn up tight,the barrel and receiver become as one.

That facing cut is seldom done after the warpage of heat treat.

A good,solid barrel receiver joint is key to making free-float work.

Without it,the joint wobbles like a table with one leg too long. The root cause of the wobble is the table leg is too long(or the barrel/receiver fit is poor)

What do we do when we are at a restaurant and the wobbly table is annoying?

Put a bar coaster or napkins or a matchbook under the table leg. BINGO!

The wobble is gone! The shim worked!! .And so shimming table legs and rifle forends becomes the new standard.

In fairness,and deference to Mr Oheir, at some time the Gentlemen in the accurizing shop were faced with the SMLE,tasked to make it shoot for snipers and matches.

Long,skinny barrel and wood to the muzzle,free float was not too practical.

So under the proper phase of the moon,salamander lips,bat wings,and incandations were used to make the SMLE shoot rather well,for a while.

Remember,the military Mauser did not seat the barrel against the receiver ring.

Commercially,Winchester came out with the free float barrel in 1964,and people hated the aesthetics of it. Best thing that ever happened to Remington.
I remember when the High-buck,Cadillac fancy dream rifle,the German made Weatherby Mk 5,proudly guaranteed 1 1/2 MOA accuracy for 3 shots.

Today,a decent mechanic can buy good quality AR parts,and if the upper front receiver face is true,He/she can get a good barrel from even a moderately priced outfit like White Oak,and a solid free float forend ,say a Yankee Hill,Maybe an Aero lower, and hobby build a sub-MOA free floated rifle (using match grade ammo) a high percentage of the time. No salamander lips or bat wings or incantations,just properly assembling quality parts.

And,with minimal shifts/variation,it will shoot true with a bipod,or a sling,or on a bench,or offhand.

Free floated. No bar coasters in the forend,

It works with bolt guns,too.if upsteam you build them so they don't need patches to take the wobble out. It also helps if the bedding is stress free.

If the guard screws start to snug,and you get two more turns before full torque...that's a sign the receiver is being bent to fit the stock. Not best.

August 28, 2019, 06:18 AM	#20
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,286	Assuming a scope,line of sight is from the receiver. Bore axis is in the barrel. A light facing cut on the front receiver ring, can make a full 360 degree foundation with the barrel shoulder.Drawn up tight,the barrel and receiver become as one. That facing cut is seldom done after the warpage of heat treat. A good,solid barrel receiver joint is key to making free-float work. Without it,the joint wobbles like a table with one leg too long. The root cause of the wobble is the table leg is too long(or the barrel/receiver fit is poor) What do we do when we are at a restaurant and the wobbly table is annoying? Put a bar coaster or napkins or a matchbook under the table leg. BINGO! The wobble is gone! The shim worked!! .And so shimming table legs and rifle forends becomes the new standard. In fairness,and deference to Mr Oheir, at some time the Gentlemen in the accurizing shop were faced with the SMLE,tasked to make it shoot for snipers and matches. Long,skinny barrel and wood to the muzzle,free float was not too practical. So under the proper phase of the moon,salamander lips,bat wings,and incandations were used to make the SMLE shoot rather well,for a while. Remember,the military Mauser did not seat the barrel against the receiver ring. Commercially,Winchester came out with the free float barrel in 1964,and people hated the aesthetics of it. Best thing that ever happened to Remington. I remember when the High-buck,Cadillac fancy dream rifle,the German made Weatherby Mk 5,proudly guaranteed 1 1/2 MOA accuracy for 3 shots. Today,a decent mechanic can buy good quality AR parts,and if the upper front receiver face is true,He/she can get a good barrel from even a moderately priced outfit like White Oak,and a solid free float forend ,say a Yankee Hill,Maybe an Aero lower, and hobby build a sub-MOA free floated rifle (using match grade ammo) a high percentage of the time. No salamander lips or bat wings or incantations,just properly assembling quality parts. And,with minimal shifts/variation,it will shoot true with a bipod,or a sling,or on a bench,or offhand. Free floated. No bar coasters in the forend, It works with bolt guns,too.if upsteam you build them so they don't need patches to take the wobble out. It also helps if the bedding is stress free. If the guard screws start to snug,and you get two more turns before full torque...that's a sign the receiver is being bent to fit the stock. Not best. Last edited by HiBC; August 28, 2019 at 06:24 AM.