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NO 6. All stocks need pillars, even stocks with bedding blocks
This Accu-Riser Kit fits the following applications and more.
Remington
M-700 Sendero, Remington M-700 Varmint Synthetic Fluted, Remington M-700 varmint Synthetic stainless Fluted, Savage M-12,
Long Range Precision Varmint, H-S Precision Pro-Series 2000, and Winchester M-70 in an H-S stock. Also Bell & Carlson
medalist.
Don't miss an opportunity to actually fix your rifles bedding problem. "Skim
Bedding" just locks the receiver firmly in the same position that has been the problem all along.
Both the H-S Precision, and the Bell & Carlson Medalist stocks have an aluminum bedding block with a machined bedding
surface. Also, we know that our rifles receiver is a machined part. Since these two parts were machined to fit
each other, it seems logical that when we assemble these two items, we should only have to install the guard screws, tighten
them, and be done with it. This seems especially true with a Remington, where you are placing a round receiver against
a "V Block".
But wait, is your action straight? Most are not! The heat treat process
occurs AFTER the reciever is fully machined.
During this heat treat process, each receiver will warp in
its own small, but unique way. This warpage, by itself, prevents a stress free fit of the receiver to the bedding block.
Accu-Risers and epoxy are not just the easiest way to deal with this warpage, but the most accurate way
as well.
In stocks of wood or fiberglass, pillars provide resistance to compression when the guard
screws are tightened. In a stock with a solid aluminum bedding block, more resistance to compression is not the concern,
the concern is fit. By adding pillars to an aluminum bedding block stock, you gain control of where the receiver first
contacts its bedding surface in the stock. This is so important that I am going to say it again, with Accu-Risers,
you take control of where and how the action contacts the stock. Accu-Risers may look like washers, but they are pillars
in every sense of the word. They work in the same way, and provide exactly the same benefits as the longer pillars you
may have used in other types of stocks. Accu-Risers are the short little links which complete the strongest trio available
in pillar bedding.
AFTER INSTALLING ACCU-RISERS YOU WILL HAVE:
1. The solid foundation of
an aluminum block molded into the stock.
2. The action stress relief provided by stainless steel bedding
pillars.
3. The precision fit of epoxy resin.
Pillars provide solid support for the
receiver. This support immediately surrounds the trigger guard screws. The closer this line of contact is to a
trigger guard screw, the less leverage there is available to bend the receiver when these screws are tightened.
Accu-Riser Kits contain 2 each of the following sizes, .005", .010", .015", .020", and .030".
By stacking different thickness combinations, you have the choice of any height necessary, from, .005" to .080"
in .005" increments. Accu-Risers are manufactured from 18-8 stainless steel.
| Picture #2 |  |
You may have a brand new rifle that came from its manufacturer equipped with an aluminum bedding block stock.
You may have a new H-S Precision, or Bell & Carlson Medalist stock ready to install on your old rifle.
You may have a used Remington Sendero.
You may have an accuracy problem with any of the above.
Or maybe you just want the best fit possible.
In any of these cases, I suggest that
you or your gunsmith do this simple "Spotting In", and create a picture of how well your action and stock fit each
other, (or Not). Use a Q tip to daub inletting black on the lower 1/2 of the receiver, and then smooth it out with a
shaving brush.
Place the stock in a vise with padded jaws, and now place the barreled action in the stock.
Next, rotate the barrel back and forth with 1 hand, while holding the receiver squarely and firmly down against its bedding
surface with your other hand. The goal is to transfer inletting black from the receiver to the stock. Now you
can identify each point at which contact was made between the two. "Spotting In" with no guard screws is the
only method which provides an accurate view of your receivers contact with its bedding surface in the stock. Just don't
be surprised if the contact points are small, and that there are not many of them.
A customer
said that he had good results "Spotting In" his stock by using a felt tip marking pen, instead of spreading inletting
black around with a brush. In his case, the marks left on the aluminum bedding block, provided clear evidence as to
why the barrel twisted to one side each time the guard screws were installed and tightened. Each case is different,
because each receiver is different. You can play detective by noting the location of each contact point relative to
the guard screws, and then visualizing which way the receiver will bend when those guard screws are tightned.
| Picture #3A |  | | Picture #3B |  |
this is an example of "Spotting In" while using hand pressure only, so as not to bend the receiver.
Don't use a mallet, and don't use the stress of a guard screw. Do your "Spotting In" with hand pressure only,
as this provides a picture that tells the truth.
Pictures #3A and #3B show both sides of the
same point of contact. Notice the blue arrows which point out the largest areas of contact between the stock and the
receiver. You will see that the location of this contact is about 3/4" in front of the guard screw. When
this screw is tightened, the aluminum bedding block is not going to bend or compress to allow more complete contact between
itself and the receiver. The relatively weak mid section of the receiver will bend and allow what appears to be nearly
full contact with the stock.
Relive your actions stress! Support it with stainless steel Accu-Risers,
and fill all the voids with hard, form fitting epoxy.
| Picture #4 |  |
The red dots illustrate the location of the contact points between the receiver and the stock as they exist in picture #3B.
Just look at where the contact points are located. Then look at where the guard screws are located. Now imagine
tightening those screws. What do you think is going to happen to the receiver? The unsupported area of the receiver,
which is adjacent to each guard screw, will be pulled downward until it contacts the aluminum bedding block, and after having
65 in. lbs. of torque on the guard screws, and shooting for a while, you will be able to remove the barreled action from the
stock and find what appears to have been good contact between the two. This amount of contact was only achieved by bending
the receiver!
There is nothing wrong with 65 in lbs. of guard screw torque, but only if your action has
a form fitting foundation strong enough to support that much pressure. MOST WILL NOT. The good news is that a
solid aluminum bedding block with stainless steel pillars (Accu-Risers), and hard epoxy filling all the voids, is the strongest
foundation available. By the way, 1300 lbs. of clamping force is generated by a 1/4" screw which has been tightened
to 65 in. lbs. of torque.
P.S. There is a difference in how
hard the different epoxies are.
Picture #5 | 
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This picture shows a pair of Accu-Risers which were painted orange for clarity,
and then positioned in the bedding area of the stock.
Drawing #6 | 
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The orange lines in drawing #6 illustrate the Accu-Risers location, as seen in picture #5. Now when you tighten those
guard screws, the receiver is pulled squarely down against a pair of stainless steel bedding pillars, which closely encircle
those screws. This way, there is almost no leverage available to bend and distort the receiver.
Also
illustrated, are how the front, the rear, and the mid section of the receiver are free, as I say it, to find their own resting
spots in a bed of soft epoxy. If your action has been blueprinted, it was done while the receiver was under no bending
pressure or stress at all. Those locking lugs, which were machined and lapped to fit so well with the receiver at rest,
will NOT fit the same way if the receive is forced to bend by pressure from the guard screws. If this fit of the locking
lug surfaces is to be maintained, a receiver at rest must be maintained!
Picture #7 | 
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Select a combination of Accu-Risers which when placed between the receiver and the stock, create a clearance of .010"
or less. Verify this clearance by assembling the entire rifle (with Accu-risers in place and guard screws tightened
to only 10 in. lbs.), then be sure that you have enough clearance to slide a piece of paper between the receiver and its bedding
surface in the stock at any point. Remember, that since the receiver is not straight, this clearance will not be uniform
from end to end, or side to side. Less clearance is better, but you must have at least "some" clearance everywhere.
Or, to put it another way, the barreled action must be supported entirely by the Accu-Risers, with no other contact between
it and the stock. This clearance is often achieved with an Accu-Rise thickness of .035" to .050".
| Picture #8 |  |
During the previous step, we have determined that on this particular rifle, an Accu-Riser height or thickness
of .050" is necessary to support the barreled action about .010" above the aluminum bedding surface in
the stock.
Now, without removing the Accu-Risers, lift the barreled action out of the stock and prepare
to wrap the barrel with masking tape. Locate this tape just to the rear of the forearm tip. I place a few more wraps
of tape on the barrel than are necessary to fill the barrel channel in the forearm, next replace the barreled action in the
stock & estimate how much tape is necessary to remove in order to fit the taped barrel into the barrel channel.
The goal of course is to remove tape until a small amount of clearance is obtained between the tape and the barrel channel.
An easy way to check for this clearance is shown in picture #8 .
When both hands
are placed as shown in picture, and sufficient tape has been removed from the barrel, you will be able to push down on the
receiver tang with your right thumb and feel a small amount of upward movement by the barrel with your left forefinger.
Remember that your .050" (in this case), stack of Accu-Risers must be in place at this time.
| Picture #9 |  |
Fill the trigger slot, the bolt stop slot, & the trigger pin holes with modeling clay. Also add a layer of masking
tape to the bottom of the recoil lug, but leave all 4 sides tightly bedded (no tape). With a round receiver,
the largest surface available to resist rotation are the sides of this lug.
Now is the time to apply some type of mold release. For the best fit, use the release agent which creates
the thinnest build-up on the surface of the metal. Johnson's paste wax is my favorite. Apply with a brush, a cleaning
patch. or a Q-Tip. After allowing this wax to dry for a few minutes, buff it off with a soft cloth, just like you would
wax you car. For a little extra peace of mind, I go through this wax and buff sequence twice. Cover every surface
where epoxy, in your wildest dreams, could possibly go. Don't forget the guard screws.
| Picture #10 |  |
In picture #10 we have cleaned the aluminum bedding surface with lacquer
thinner so the epoxy will stick. We have masked the exterior of the stock so the epoxy will not stick. Use a Q-Tip
to wax the interior of the guard screw holes and any other surfaces where you do not want the epoxy to stick. Having
this beautiful aluminum foundation means that we will be able to install these Accu-Risers & bed the receiver in
1 step.
| Picture #11 |  |
When you are sure that all surfaces
needing protection from epoxy have been masked or waxed, it's time to mix some of this wonderful stuff and apply a small amount
n each "pocket" as shown in picture #11.
| Picture #12 A |  | | Picture #12 B |  |
It will almost always be necessary to place 2 or more Accu-Risers in each "pocket"
the correct order of placement is epoxy first, as we see in the previous picture, an Accu-Riser next, as we see in picture
#12 A, then another dab of epoxy, followed by the second Accu-Riser. Repeat this order until your chosen thickness
of Accu-Risers have been placed in each pocket.
Picture
#12B, is a close up view of picture 12A.
| Picture #13 |  |
Once both stacks of Accu-Risers are in place, it's time to add a
bed of epoxy sufficient to support the entire bedding surface area of the receiver, and the recoil lug. Do you add a
little epoxy to support a small bit of the barrel in front of the recoil lug? The choice is yours.
| Picture #14 |  |
Here the barreled action has been placed into its bed of epoxy, and since the Accu-Risers and aluminum foundation
are in place, you do not have to hold things together with surgical tubing.
Go ahead and install the waxed
guard screws and tighten to about 30 inch pounds of torque. Follow your epoxy manufacturers guidelines for curing time
and temperature.
At this point, I support the entire rifle by its barrel. This can be done in many
ways, but I use a short piece of 2X4 with a hole drilled near 1 end. Clamp this short (6" to 8") long piece
of 2X4 in your vise, then slide the rifles barrel into the hole in the 2X4.
If we hold the rifle by its
stock, it becomes necessary for the receiver to support the weight of the barrel. If we hold the rifle by its barrel
the receiver must support the weight of the stock. Since the barrel often weighs more than the stock, we place less
tension on the receiver, by supporting the rifle by its barrel.
Wait a few hours, and you may
be able to catch the epoxy in a "rubbery" stage of its curing period. You may be able to trim away some of
the excess epoxy at this point, but be very careful how you do it. Don't apply pressure anywhere that will disturb the
fit of the curing epoxy.
Picture
#15 | 
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Here is a completed Accu-Riser
installation, in a Bell & Carlson Medalist stock. This picture shows how all the criteria described
in picture #7 have been met. Namely, that after the receiver and the guard screws were installed, and as the epoxy was
hardening, the receiver was being supported entirely by the Accu-Riser
Pillars. And that there was no other contact between the receiver and the stock.
The
receivers contact points with the pillars , are clearly visible, where they show through the surrounding epoxy. They
are just in front of, and to the rear of , each guard screw
Accu-Risers,
Other Examples
| Example
#1 | | |  |
Here again we have the same .221 Remington Fireball shown above. This action was taken out of its original wood stock,
and is now being installed for the first time in an H-S Precision stock, which was purchased as an after-market accessory
item.
The bedding contact pattern shown above was achieved by brushing the receiver with inletting
black and then placing the barreled action in the stock. Next rotate the barrel back and forth with one hand, while
placing firm downward pressure on the receiver with your other hand.
Now, remove the
barreled action from the stock to view your rifles "Real" action to stock fit. "Real" meaning without
the stress of guard screws bending the action.
I n this example we have a Remington Sendero
SF in cal. 7mm. Remington Ultra Mag. This rifle and H-S Precision stock were assembled by Remington and sold as
a complete top of the line rifle.
The bedding contact pattern shown on the left was achieved
in the same way as described in example #1.
This is an example where both the action and the stock were manufactured by the same company, and
at the same time.
The rifle is an H-S Precision Pro-Series 2000, in cal. .338 Lapua.
No inletting
black was applied to this action. The shiny spot in this photo is simply a "wear pattern" created by hard
contact with the aluminum bedding block at that point. There is no corresponding "wear pattern" on the other
side of the tang. This tells us that the bedding contact is uneven, with extra pressure being concentrated at the point
of wear,and on one side only.
I have chosen these 3 examples because they illustrate how a bedding
problem can (and likely doe's) exist in any combination of factory or after-market parts.
The
pictures below illustrate the correct location for Accu-Risers
in a Savage M-12 LRPV aluminum bedding block stock.
| Picture #1 |  | | Picture #2 |  | | Picture #3 |  |
Here we see some features unique to this model,
they are the right bolt, left port, single shot action with solid bottom and 3 screws securing it to the stock.
Here we see the orange Accu-Risers
placed in the front and center action screw locations. These are the screws to
use when epoxy bedding your rifle.
In this picture, we see the top of the rear action screw.
The red paint on the right side of this screw represents an area where the aluminum bedding block provides no support to the
receiver at all, while a similar area of the receiver on the other side of the action screw is supported by the aluminum
bedding block. Because of this uneven support, I recommend that you not install this rear action screw during the bedding
process. This will allow the receiver to find its own stress free location, as the epoxy under it is curing. Re-install
this screw after the epoxy has fully hardened.
I mention the uneven support under the receiver because
a 1/4" diameter action screw tightened to 65" lbs. of torque, generates 1300 lbs. of clamping force. You can
verify this figure by going to engineers edge on the Internet.
Accu-Risers
and really hard epoxy are the best support available for this application.
©
Ernie the Gunsmith
To purchase Accu-Risers click here: Accu-Risers
No liability is expressed
or implied for damage or injury which may result from the improper installation or use of this product.
Item #2006
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