Mcmillan bedding job gone wrong

[Millhouse27]

Couldnt wait until next week. I took the stock in and told them this was unacceptable and the stock is probably ruined. They refunded me and insisted they could repair everything and if I was still not happy they would buy me a replacement. I didnt really expect things to go that smoothly, it was a plesant surprise. I greatly appreciate everyones opinion and advice.

 

[xsn10s]

Glad to hear they reacted well. Sounds like they will work with you and try to make it right. I hope it goes well.

 

[338 dude]

Just got my rifle back from the gunsmith. I had my tikka t3 .308 bedded in a Mcmillan gamehunter stock. When I got home and disassembled the stock I was lets just say angry. It appears an needless amount of material was removed from an already fully inleted stock and now there is a gap between my action and the stock where my bolt closes. I also spent over an hour cleaning compound off the barrel and even inside the action had serious debrie and all of this for the bargin price of $130. I would love some opinions on this because I am taking it back looking for a labor refund and the cost of a now worthless stock that I cant even resell in its current condition.

I've done things for myself when possible I don't own a lathe and I'm not a machinist but after seeing that maybe I am a gunsmith !

 

[25WSM]

I've never liked marine tex. Or accraglass for that matter. Both to brittle in my opinion. Accraglass gel is not too bad. I use score hi for all my bedding. I use the tubes that go in a glue gun and it's fast and masters out great. It's super thick so it stays right where you put it and has very little shrinkage. Won't chip or crack like marine tex and accraglass. I make pillars out of 5/8 stainless. But there are several ways to skin this cat that work well. Even just a dab in the recoil lug area helps if your on the cheap. Jb weld works well too. I only use clear shoe polish for release agent. Actions just pop out like magic. You do have to polish all the polish off before you put it in the glass. Shep

 

[cohunt]

Interesting thing I found recently .... take a simple job to a well known gunsmith with an A++ reputation and they have flunkies that work for them that do simple jobs like barrel threading and bedding. Well known gunsmith will always make things right but it causes undue stress for the gun owner, I wonder how many of these bad jobs get through when people dont know what to look for.

 

[xsn10s]

That happened to me 20 years ago. Nationally known smith. He didn't charge me much and it was a cheap stock so I let it pass. In retro spect it wasn't a bad job, just a simple skimbed with a couple of bubbles. After that I started learning how to do them myself.

 

[300 whby]

Or maybe its to far gone

It's probably repairable, but its a long tedious job, but if the stock fits you, why not have go at fixing it yourself with marine tex & working it back to where it should be... There is no way you could make it worse....

 

[kmilner65]

You state the stock "is no longer safe". Can you explain why?

The base structure of the stock has been cut and whittled away to do a really bad bedding job. That damaged the stock in itself. Then the bedding compound soaks into the stock material, all that has to be taken out to lay new compound in further weakening the stock. Be it wood, laminate, Plastic, or even carbon fiber, stocks are engineered with a specific amount of material for strength, even though they generally go 10% above the standards there is risk in removing material. The object of bedding a stock is to add material to gain a custom fit, like a good leather gloves. Unfortunately many that bed remove material from the stock just to add bedding, rather defeats the purpose. A good bedding job would install pillers raising the action .010" then bed paying particular attention to the recoil lug and chamber area where a snug fit and added strength are needed.
By removing stock material you weaken your base, create voids, and introduce sharp corners where a crack can begin. Somewhat like building a skyscraper on quicksand.
I must say that it is impressive seeing so many gunsmiths and experienced shooters imputing help and advice on here. Great job, keep it up.

 

[kmilner65]

Man, I like you already. Could I send you some pics of a chamber throat of my 6.5 RM to get your opinion? I am thinking of getting a throater to see if it will clean up. BTW, I'm an AF vet.

Your a good man Shep, I float the same boat. Vets and first responders get discounts or free work, small jobs are always free. Makes dinner sort of lean at times but in our profession it's about service. I don't agree with your thoughts about being able to repair the bad job but I do believe that you can do it. Thanks for offering to help this guy, it is nice to see a fellow Smith with service as a priority.

 

[MOOSE39465]

First off I'm a master gunsmith graduating from PGS in 1992. Yes your bedding job looks horrendous. I would never ever put something like that out the door. It can be fixed easily. Also McMillan recommends their stocks to be bedded for best accuracy. I use my dremel all the time. Big time saver on many things. If you get your money back. I'll fix it for you for that amount and you can take the shipping out from that total. If he won't give you your money back I will fix it for you for free if you pay shipping both ways. If I was not a gunsmith I would box it up and send it to McMillan and let them fix it. Let's hope your non gunsmith refunds you. I hate when someone in my profession does stuff like that. I do free work all the time also 50% labor for all vets and first responders. Shep

Very nice gesture. A

I've never liked marine tex. Or accraglass for that matter. Both to brittle in my opinion. Accraglass gel is not too bad. I use score hi for all my bedding. I use the tubes that go in a glue gun and it's fast and masters out great. It's super thick so it stays right where you put it and has very little shrinkage. Won't chip or crack like marine tex and accraglass. I make pillars out of 5/8 stainless. But there are several ways to skin this cat that work well. Even just a dab in the recoil lug area helps if your on the cheap. Jb weld works well too. I only use clear shoe polish for release agent. Actions just pop out like magic. You do have to polish all the polish off before you put it in the glass. Shep

Shep. What is your contact info. You sound like a person I want to do business with. A+ in my book.

 

[25WSM]

If I gave you contact info on this forum it would probably break some rule. But my info is under my 25WSM account.

 

[DXHI]

I've done 2 myself...and I'm an amateur..and mine came out much better than that

 

[25WSM]

Bedding is definatly something the home hobbyist can do. Technique is way more important than the appearance. Little bubble or two Won't hurt anything. When the gun is assembled you can't see it. But when you pay a professional to do it all should be good with the world. Main objective is the stress free fit of action. And pillars so torque can be set the same on the screws. Richard Franklin has one of the best ways to do it. Look it up. I do mine slightly different. I will post a pic of what mine look like.

 

[John Klingenberg]

Wow, that hurts. Id certainly hit the BBB with that if he doesnt reimburse you completely!