Changes After Bedding Recoil Lug

[Kmccord]

I would do the whole action as well, but be sure you remove all air bubbles from the bedding compound. I see you have some air in the bedding, that is why you see cracks and holes from air pockets.

 

[trapper1954]

Well I'm a free floater. I bed from the entire Action thru the chamber area and stop. Barrel is free floating.

 

[BillLarson]

I would relieve the in front of recoil lug by hand with a sharp chisel.Then bed the tang.... when I bed I use a small "O' ring in front of the stock to keep barrel centered in rifle.....

 

[ntsqd]

Can buy metal bottom metal for the Howa Mini's. There's a thread here about it.
I agree with BillLarson, I'd relive the front of the lug in the bedding and consider relieving the sides of the lug as well.

 

[General RE LEE]

I chiseled out everything except rear wall of bedding. Lug is still a snug fit. I did upload a short of the action "teeter totting" on the lug with screws removed. I torqued front action screw 35 lbs and rear 40 lbs. Heading to range in a bit. Stock is Bell & Carlson M40.

Video of barreled action in stock without action screws

 

[KRP]

The front action screw on a Howa threads into the lug. You don't want tape on the bottom of the lug as you don't want any space there.

 

[General RE LEE]

The front action screw on a Howa threads into the lug. You don't want tape on the bottom of the lug as you don't want any space there.

Ahhh the intricacies of bedding. I've always taped the bottom of lugs. This is my first Howa. I put 1 layer of electrical tape and cut a hole for the screw.

 

[ntsqd]

Being that my job is to design tools for production use I've never been a fan of locating something with two parallel planes simultaneously. The bottom of the action and the bottom of the lug are those two, parallel planes. Locate off of one or the other, but not both. Locating off of both is a violation of widely accepted tooling design practice. Firearms are no different than any other machined assembly in this, they don't warrant or require a special use case.

 

[General RE LEE]

Being that my job is to design tools for production use I've never been a fan of locating something with two parallel planes simultaneously. The bottom of the action and the bottom of the lug are those two, parallel planes. Locate off of one or the other, but not both. Locating off of both is a violation of widely accepted tooling design practice. Firearms are no different than any other machined assembly in this, they don't warrant or require a special use case.

You're using some terminology that a lay person like myself doesn't understand. Impressive knowledge but can you define "locate"?

 

[med358-boise]

Being that my job is to design tools for production use I've never been a fan of locating something with two parallel planes simultaneously. The bottom of the action and the bottom of the lug are those two, parallel planes. Locate off of one or the other, but not both. Locating off of both is a violation of widely accepted tooling design practice. Firearms are no different than any other machined assembly in this, they don't warrant or require a special use case.

You're using some terminology that a lay person like myself doesn't understand. Impressive knowledge but can you define "locate"?

ntsqd,

Very interesting but please described the change to the process for bedding the action - I am not knowledgeable enough to apply your statement.

Interesting enough, my gunsmith always beds the action plus two inches forward of the recoil leg.

General Lee - do the easiest thing first which is re-shoot your "pet load" to confirm you have a problem.

 

[ntsqd]

The action sits on the bedding. That locates the action, in this case, vertically. By bedding both the bottom of the action and the bottom of the lug now both are trying to locate the action vertically. Physical things being what they are, they will never perfectly agree in that location effort. Since on the Howa Mini's the front action screw threads into the bottom of the lug, that would be my choice to bed. This is sort of pre-determined since I pillar bed everything anyway.

 

[med358-boise]

The action sits on the bedding. That locates the action, in this case, vertically. By bedding both the bottom of the action and the bottom of the lug now both are trying to locate the action vertically. Physical things being what they are, they will never perfectly agree in that location effort. Since on the Howa Mini's the front action screw threads into the bottom of the lug, that would be my choice to bed. This is sort of pre-determined since I pillar bed everything anyway.

Thank you - a follow up if I may.

Is there any downside to bedding the bottom of the action and the back of the tang after bedding the bottom of the lug?

 

[snox801]

Unfortunately the bottom metal of Howa Minis is plastic and they recommend 35/in lbs max. I've heard of folks torquing higher and the plastic cracks.

They crack that's for sure. I replaced mine with a metal one. Mine crack at 28/inlbs

 

[ntsqd]

Thank you - a follow up if I may.

Is there any downside to bedding the bottom of the action and the back of the tang after bedding the bottom of the lug?

Other than we're back to locating on two parallel planes?

The state of the art is now such that I think that any bedding job absolutely should include pillars. The action needs to be bedded around the pillars and it needs to be bedded on the recoil lug's recoil surface. After that it is hard for me to see much benefit from action to stock contact anywhere else. I find the idea that a stock, of flimsy sections around the action, can do much to strengthen the action a bit amusing. If it does then maybe that action isn't worth using. Or should only be used in a chassis. The flip side is that I can see objectionable stock to action contact being a bad influence. That's far from a traditional view, and I'm sure that it will upset or even anger some folks. Remember that my opinion is worth what you paid me for it.