Free Floating of the forarm is it absolutly essential

[elkaholic]

Most factory rifles that have fore end pressure put it there to overcome poor bedding. With a custom barreled action that is properly bedded, by all means, float the barrel. It is quite easy as others have already pointed out....Rich

 

[Iron Worker]

I'm gonna do it.

 

[shootinfool]

Good choice. With a custom barrel fit to your action by a smith (hopefully a good one) it would be foolish to introduce pressure points on the barrel due to lack of effort. There may be guns out there that shoot with some pressure points but the potential for the change in impact of the bullet when temps change either due to atmospheric conditions or due to barrel warmth from firing the rifle are very high. It is my opinion that I would not want that extra variable playing into the equation, especially when it is as simple as free floating the barrel.

 

[Iron Worker]

As to free floating the barrel, do you have any bedding in front of recoil lug? You will run into problem with a new barrel because it cannot be exact size of barrel that was removed. I always rebed after barrel change to make sure of no undue pressure. As to free-floating, I have found sockets wrapped with various grades of sandpaper will permit even a 5th grader to open up barrel channel. Once barrel is floated-the action must be bedded because the pressure point in forearm is gone. This pressure point is there for a reason. The factories know that the union of the stock and action are far from precise, so they put contact in forearm to help support the entire barreled action. With a relatively light barrel, the barrel temperature increases per shot and pressure point usually causes barrel to whip differently after temp increases. Bedded a light barreled rifle once with no float-action to tip of forearm. It shot suprisingly well. Not much sticking out to whip I guess

Original bedding extended past the recoil lug 2 3/4". New gun smith opened it up for new bbl. So I wrapped 100 grit sand paper around a 9/16 socket.Opened channel up,now I can fold a dollar bill and fit it between wood and bbl just in front of bedding compound and along entire bbl channel. It was simple,now waiting to apply a 2nd coat of oil based exterior varnish. Thanks every one !

 

[SBruce]

Ironworker,

before you get too involved in the finishing, you might take the assembled rifle and bump the forend with the palm of your hand. If you hear the stock slapping the barrel, it might benefit you to take some more material out.

Darrell Holland states: The old dollar bill trick doesn't work, make sure there is enough space. Then he shows the forend bump thing.

I think under most circumstances, the dollar bill trick is maybe sufficient for benchrest type shooting where the rifle sits the same every time, but this is coming from a world class gunsmith that knows his stuff and he's talking about field use rifles when he's saying this.

 

[elkaholic]

+1 on clearance. Sometimes those wimpy fore ends flex quite a bit....Rich

 

[justgoto]

I want a 1/2 MOA rifle.

When scoped, my stock Winchester 94AE gets 1/2moa at 300 yards with my handloads.

 

[Iron Worker]

As to free floating the barrel, do you have any bedding in front of recoil lug? You will run into problem with a new barrel because it cannot be exact size of barrel that was removed. I always rebed after barrel change to make sure of no undue pressure. As to free-floating, I have found sockets wrapped with various grades of sandpaper will permit even a 5th grader to open up barrel channel. Once barrel is floated-the action must be bedded because the pressure point in forearm is gone. This pressure point is there for a reason. The factories know that the union of the stock and action are far from precise, so they put contact in forearm to help support the entire barreled action. With a relatively light barrel, the barrel temperature increases per shot and pressure point usually causes barrel to whip differently after temp increases. Bedded a light barreled rifle once with no float-action to tip of forearm. It shot suprisingly well. Not much sticking out to whip I guess

After I did folded dollar bill test. I did take it apart again and sanded some more.