Correct Stock Bedding For Long Barrel Milsurps

[blastit37]

I have seen several articles about correct military bedding for short barreled milsurps but nothing on the long (29") models. Can anyone give a reference to articles or provide information on this topic. I assume that the bedding of the receiver would be the same as the short barrel models but what about the barrel channel? Most of mine have the barrel tightly clamped at the muzzle end and at the front hand guard clamp but when the front and rear clamps are released, the barrel may go up away from the channel or the opposite and push down against the channel. The contact area in the channel can be as little as 1-2 inches to full contact from the front to the rear clamp. Sure would like to get some input on this subject.

[Dutchman]

Study the Swiss Schmidt-Rubin 1896/11 & 1911 rifles as to how they dealt with bedding of the barrel.

Some have used mylar shims under the barrel at the upper band and have reported improvement in group size.

.005" mylar.

Dutch

[Outpost75]

For the M91 Nagant:

96379

96380

[petroid]

I have had good luck with my Mosin Nagants by using JB Weld epoxy as a pseudo glass bedding and free floating the barrel except for the last inch or so. I read somewhere that a lot of mil surps have thin barrels especially for their length and free floating the entire barrel can allow for excessive vibration so a solid contact point near the end of the barrel can help stabilize it. Cork bedding can be done for the entire length or just at the end. If you don't permanently affix the contact point near the end you can adjust it to get the best accuracy. My 1939 Izzy with a .315 bore will shoot 2" or less five shot groups with the Hornady .312 174grRN bullet at 100 yards. I'll take that from a $99 rifle any day

[madsenshooter]

I have a very accurate Krag rifle that was worked on before I got it and said work appears to have been done long ago. The barrel is free floated from the receiver ring to a point about 1/2" behind the front band. The inside of the lower band has been filed so that it just barely touches the barrel, the barrel will flex up and down just a few thousandths if pushed on at this point, but the band is tight to the wood. Same with the upper band. It has two straps that go over the barrel, the one at the rear touches the barrel on the right, the end one just touches the barrel on the left. Other than these two points, I can see light between band and barrel, and the band is tight fitting to the wood. Townsend Whelen thought it important that the bands didn't hamper lengthwise expansion of the barrel as it heated up, but didn't say anything about working on the barrel channel. With a couple select jacketed loads, the rifle will shoot 1" groups at 100yds. Not too shabby for a 118yr old rifle.

[Hang Fire]

IMO the best bedding job of a milsurp was done on this 1968 No Name M39. Where or who did it I have no idea, rifle was one of two Wife bought from LGS, they both came packed beneath the wood with a yellow grease.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105432.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/TANSTAAFL-2/media/P10105432.jpg.html)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105442.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/TANSTAAFL-2/media/P10105442.jpg.html)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105462.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/TANSTAAFL-2/media/P10105462.jpg.html)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105452.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/TANSTAAFL-2/media/P10105452.jpg.html)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105492.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/TANSTAAFL-2/media/P10105492.jpg.html)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105422.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/TANSTAAFL-2/media/P10105422.jpg.html)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105402.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/TANSTAAFL-2/media/P10105402.jpg.html)

[blastit37]

Hang Fire: It appears there is up-pressure on the end of the barrel on your rifle. If so, can you determine about how much? Also, is there any down pressure exerted by the hand guard? My M39 is a 43 B barrel with a late war new stock on which they used stacks of shims under the tang and recoil lug. Best it will do is 3" at 100 with the best load I have tested (and I have tested many). I have tried different "up pressures" on the end of the barrel with little improvement (by changing the shim stack). This rifle was what looked like a "unfired barrel" when I got it. Epoxy bedding is not an option as I use the rifle for "as issued" military competition.

[Hang Fire]

There is no up-pressure there and none down on the hand guard. Thin paper slides full length of both with no binding. This rifle has been pillared and the trigger is equal to any set ones, I got one of Dutchman's scout mounts and working up hand loads for it now. The other 1968 No Name has shims only.

I have been told the Finns did some accurizing of M39 rifles for competition in the 60s and 70s and this may very well be one of them.

More info on Finn's accurizing and this is from; http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinM39.htm which is pretty well the last word when it comes to MN rifles

M39s are well known for their accuracy and were produced for match shooting and training in the late '60s and early '70s.

[Frank46]

My model 27 dated 1935 has the brass shims under the recoil lug. Frank

[jonk]

Well each gun is unique in and of itself, so I like to go in stages.

1. Bed the receiver and first few inches of barrel. See how it shoots.
2. If needed, relieve wood to free float barrel. See how it shoots.
3. If needed, add bedding near the muzzle. See how it shoots.
4. If none of that worked, full length bed.

This is of course assuming it needs bedding at all. If the gun will shoot 1.5 MOA with factory sights that is about as good as I am looking for or can shoot it. If it is a rare or valuable piece, I won't bed it at all, though I may use shims. Sometimes a U shaped piece of sheet metal under the front of the barrel and a few flat pieces under the recoil lug and tang are all it takes to get things doing quite well.

Speaking of which; with ANY gun with a recoil lug, after taking off the bands and removing the action screws carefully, now try to shift the gun action back in the stock, then forward. If there is any slop it is usually in front of the stock cross bolt/recoil lug. Odds are this gun will not shoot well if you don't shim it there at least- the action screws should be taking up very little if any of the recoil, and in this situation they are taking up most of it.

[JHeath]

I am interjecting with a thank-you. Few areas of shooting are as worthy as bringing old milsurp rifles up to potential, bedding is often the key, and has so many variables that this kind of information has heirloom value.

Madsenshooter's Krag story reminds me of a long-gone older friend from the surplus-Krag era. Now we can only study the work they left behind.

[UBER7MM]

Sticky!