Pillar bedding - should pillar protrude from wood

[Jtarm]

I've glassed a couple of actions but never pillar-bedded before. I ordered a set from Rock Solid Industries for a 91/30 Nagant.

Now, I'm under the impression the action, recoil lug, trigger guard, etc should only contact the pillars, with everything floating just a hair above the wood. However, after drilling out the recoil lug hole, the pillar, when centered in the stock, is beneath the level of the wood on both sides. Basically, it's a hair short.

I've contacted RSI, but am I correct in my thinking of how the pillars and action should fit?

Thanks!

[fouronesix]

Never messed with a "Moosey Nugent" but the primary purpose of the pillars is to isolate the barreled action including the action screws and bottom metal from the rest of the stock. Usually they are not standing tall above the surrounding bedding compound but even with it as they are set in place with the compound securing/surrounding them at the tang end and the front part of the receiver. The idea is that when the action screws are tightened, the action comes to rest on the bedding with the pillars stopping the screws from torquing or warping the action or compressing the stock material. With the action in place and the bottom metal in place, the screws should turn with light finger pressure all the way down then tighten almost instantly with a driver to very tight condition the last quarter turn or so. As said- never messed with a Nagant, but the easiest type pillars to set for height are the screw adjustable ones. And yes, the middle or rest of the action including the magazine, trigger etc. should not be in hard contact with the stock.

In your case if they are so short as to be well below the wood, then the only compression support, top or bottom, would be the layer of bedding compound sitting on the ends of the pillar. Which will work "ok" but it's best if the pillars are VERY near flush and have metal to metal contact- top and bottom. Kinda hard to explain but if you could look at a correctly done action you'd see immediately the way is should turn out.

[MBTcustom]

Why not whip out the chisels and carve out little excess wood to provide a solid seat on the pillars? If they are so far off that it needs more than a little tweaking, then you have the wrong pillars.
Personally, I don't see the point behind the screw adjustable pillars? The idea is to get a truly solid lockup between the top metal and the bottom metal, so that the wood is not being crushed between the two. I make mine out of steel, and you can too with nothing but a hand drill.

Go buy a piece of 1/2" mild steel, and cut two pieces off that are a hair longer than they need to be.
File them till you have about .005-.010 protrusion before bedding.
Carefully mark the center of the pillars with a scribe and use a centerpunch to make divot right there.
Use a small drill bit in your hand drill to start a hole, as strait as you can.
Once drilled about 1/4" deep, step up to your clearance drill.
Again, drill as strait as you can to get started, but here's the trick: press the drill into the material, and then open the vice jaws without pulling the drill out.
Touching the trigger of the drill will make the part spin with the bit, showing you how strait you are.
Close the vice, and make corrections.
Repeat this process all the way through the pillar material, and you will be strait enough.

I used this very same process when I was 14 to drill the barrel for the first gun I ever built (a cap-lock pistol) deep holes can be drilled with amazing accuracy with a hand drill using this method.

[fouronesix]

The reason for the adjustable pillars is to make the job easier. Once the exact length is determined by trial and error for top and bottom contact, the pillars are set in place in the enlarged holes, bedding is applied to the holes and pillars and surrounding bedding area then the whole pillar column is bedding in with the action in place. Once the bedding sets up the pillar becomes a solid unit at the correct length and part of the stock.

[MBTcustom]

The reason for the adjustable pillars is to make the job easier. Once the exact length is determined by trial and error for top and bottom contact, the pillars are set in place in the enlarged holes, bedding is applied to the holes and pillars and surrounding bedding area then the whole pillar column is bedding in with the action in place. Once the bedding sets up the pillar becomes a solid unit at the correct length and part of the stock.

I didn't say I didn't know how they work, I said I don't see the point.
They're expensive, and I don't like the two piece-held together with threads-held together with glue, thing. Make 'em solid and you got no worries, and it's cheap.

[Shooter6br]

I have used the "poured pillar " technique.Drill out around screw holes Replace with steel reinforced epoxy.More to it than that.Goggle search

[Jtarm]

Yeah, I already took the chisels to it. I figure if I end up glassing, wood removal will be easier before the pillars go in.

Thanks.