is this a bedding compound of some kind?
ive noticed that the stocks that Rock Island Arsenal refinishes has some kind of bedding on the trigger housing area. does anyone know what material this is?. it's a very hard black bedding compound of some kind. it's nice, i like it. gives my stock a good lock up.
im just trying to learn what it is and how it was done:
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im just trying to learn what it is and how it was done:
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what is Marinetex?
i'll look it up.
i'll look it up.
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On going to bed....
Yes, it is bedding compound, tho' I'm not sure exactly what type. Best compound to use, IMHO, is probably Devcon Liquid Steel or, as I use here now, Liquid Titanium, though that particular version is about $70/can,[vs. about $21 for the Liquid Steel tub] and it's activator/hardener may stiffen up a bit before I get through an entire tub of it. It does not interact with the action metal. It does set up very tough & strong, it won't chip or flake, and it's a very supportive and hard material.
For years, a lot of gunnies used good old Brownell's Acra-Glas, but it remains sort of rubbery, and it can also get a bit granular if it ages in the cans for too long. Remember to keep such chemicals and compounds from freezing out in your garage or shop in the winter. This doesn't do them any good, I've found!
The process of epoxy-bedding your M1A stock is quite tricky. I'm trying to find some damaged or scrapped stocks (possibly from Boyd's?) on which to practice, since it is a multi-step process and you have to be careful not to LOCK your action in there semi-permanently! Oh-oh-ohhh.....
It's best if you have perhaps bedded a few normal bolt-action rifles first, because by comparison, they are a snap, but dealing with sticky, gooey bedding compound and then getting it to release properly from your action, are fairly important skills to experience and master.
Good luck!
Yes, it is bedding compound, tho' I'm not sure exactly what type. Best compound to use, IMHO, is probably Devcon Liquid Steel or, as I use here now, Liquid Titanium, though that particular version is about $70/can,[vs. about $21 for the Liquid Steel tub] and it's activator/hardener may stiffen up a bit before I get through an entire tub of it. It does not interact with the action metal. It does set up very tough & strong, it won't chip or flake, and it's a very supportive and hard material.
For years, a lot of gunnies used good old Brownell's Acra-Glas, but it remains sort of rubbery, and it can also get a bit granular if it ages in the cans for too long. Remember to keep such chemicals and compounds from freezing out in your garage or shop in the winter. This doesn't do them any good, I've found!
The process of epoxy-bedding your M1A stock is quite tricky. I'm trying to find some damaged or scrapped stocks (possibly from Boyd's?) on which to practice, since it is a multi-step process and you have to be careful not to LOCK your action in there semi-permanently! Oh-oh-ohhh.....
It's best if you have perhaps bedded a few normal bolt-action rifles first, because by comparison, they are a snap, but dealing with sticky, gooey bedding compound and then getting it to release properly from your action, are fairly important skills to experience and master.
Good luck!
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I did the exact opposite. I did my M14 first. When I did my Savage, it was almost too easy in comparison. It took me 6 weeks and 4 attempts before I got my M14 bedding job right and I still feel like I did things wrong.
I did my bolt action rifle in an afternoon and it came out really nice the first time.
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well, Art lives in my neck of the woods. maybe i can get him to do a good bed job on one of my stocks.
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Art is only available on saturdays from like 9-11..the man is pushing his mid-70's but he is still sharp as a tack!
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Best guestimate
Don't know how many hours it takes for someone who really knows what they are "about" on bedding an M1A, but I'm betting it must be in the 4 hour range at least, and even then, that time must be broken up into several phases as I understand it. I"m almost dreading my first attempt, but someone's gotta learn how to do these things, huh?
All of which should means it should end up at about 4h X $75 - $100/h, or ≈ $400 I'd guess. Anything less would, IMHO, be like stealing food from your gunsmith's mostly starving mouth!! (GI3).
(Special Q: How do you become a millionnaire as a gunsmith? Give me your best answers...)
There yah go, but make sure you "tip" him [$$$]. He's probably is like so many of the good old guys; he under-charges and is very honest & humble.
Don't know how many hours it takes for someone who really knows what they are "about" on bedding an M1A, but I'm betting it must be in the 4 hour range at least, and even then, that time must be broken up into several phases as I understand it. I"m almost dreading my first attempt, but someone's gotta learn how to do these things, huh?
All of which should means it should end up at about 4h X $75 - $100/h, or ≈ $400 I'd guess. Anything less would, IMHO, be like stealing food from your gunsmith's mostly starving mouth!! (GI3).
(Special Q: How do you become a millionnaire as a gunsmith? Give me your best answers...)
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671 Posts
My first bedding job was an M1, it was my 90% original May of 1943 DCM Garand (CMP now) turned out really well, unitized the gas system too and the thing shoots inch groups at a hundred yards, probably better if I could see that far
Very nerve racking trying to get it right
Very nerve racking trying to get it right
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i was thinking i might just want to bed my trigger housing area for a tighter lock up.
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Only the trigger area huh? Hmmm.. I don't have any info or thoughts on that. Anyone? Anyone?
Isn't a partial bedding on an M1A sorta like being partially pregnant?
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PS, sjstill: Right on! but... I usually say "you start with $2 Mill", but you have correctly accounted for and built in the appropriate Barama Inflation Factor (BIF), and I'll now have to pay taxes on the $2M I lose, won't I? Baranomics to the rescue of the common man... Nah...nah...na .Naaaahhhh!)
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Obam...4&tbnw=152&start=0&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0
Isn't a partial bedding on an M1A sorta like being partially pregnant?
__________________________________________________________
PS, sjstill: Right on! but... I usually say "you start with $2 Mill", but you have correctly accounted for and built in the appropriate Barama Inflation Factor (BIF), and I'll now have to pay taxes on the $2M I lose, won't I? Baranomics to the rescue of the common man... Nah...nah...na .Naaaahhhh!)
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Obam...4&tbnw=152&start=0&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0
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well my original post was of a stock with just the trigger area bedded yes?
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My Thoughts?
if you have to bed just the trigger area for a tighter lock up then there is something wrong with the stock to begin with,
if you have to bed just the trigger area for a tighter lock up then there is something wrong with the stock to begin with,
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