How to free float a Browing BPCR forearm?

[Black Prince]

Guys,

Awhile back a very helpful man here named Steve Witt advised me to free float the forearm on my Browning BPCR. So now that I finally get around to doing what Steve advised me to do, I discover that DUH!! I didn't ask him how to do that. Since the forearm screws to the barrel, looks like I'm going to have to insert something between the barrel and the forearm maybe like a rubber "O" ring and screw the forearm back on.

But there may be a better way to do it and if Steve or any of you guys know the best way to do this, I'd appreciate somebody giving me some instructions.

I was told to do the same thing with my Ruger No.1, but I glass bedded it instead and that helped a WHOLE LOT. It now shoots neat little groups. So I'm wondering if maybe instead of free floating the forearm, maybe I should glass bed it?

What do you boys think and why do you think that? Hell, I don't know, but I'll bet some of you boys have been down this same road before and if I can get down it without having to reinvent the wheel, I am open to suggestions on how to do that.

[Bullshop]

I dont think the forend screws to the barrel. There should be a forend hanger under the barrel that the forend screws to. Its an extension of the receiver. You should be able to free float the forend from the barrel by shimming or by inletting.
BIC/BS

[crossfireoops]

Bullshop's correct,....when assembling a Browning BPCR from bare raw parts, ......the first thing you attach is the forend hanger ( attaches with a massive screw comin' in from after end of reciever).

Slick setup, and superior in all respects to traditional screwed or dovetailed block / screwed forearms.

Clearance between the rear forearm face and reciever is the critical issue to start with, ....and will not have to be much more than .002-.003"....

as noted, the rest ( channel) is just inlet, or shim.

Don't ask me how I know about installing that hanger before assembling the rest of the action.

GTC

[Black Prince]

Well dang!! Yawl are right. It does have a hanger bracket. Okay. So I have some brass shim stock and this ought to be easy to do. Thanks.

[August]

'Round here, most folks support their barrel out front of the forearm -- about a third of the way back from the muzzle. Presumably this cancels out the vibration in the barrel.

That's a very heavy barrel and probably doesn't need the benefit of floating the forearm any more than the hanger already provides. I would suspect the hanger is there to benefit lighter barrels that were common on other configurations of high walls.

Both my BPCRs are rock solid unless they get extremely hot. They will shoot a half dozen rounds in rapid succession with no wiping at m.o.a. out as far as you wish. However, if I push it to eight rounds, the p.o.a. moves north significantly. I either have to allow time for cooling or wipe to get past six. I have always thought this was barrel warping rather than forend issues. Again, I felt this way because of the size of the barrel.

[Black Prince]

Ya know son, when I look at tha size ah that barrel, I figer not much is gonna bother it cause mine ain't got but a 40 caliber hole in it anyway. I rest mine on tha "null" spot which on my barrel and most other Browning BPC & R's I've seen, is about eight to 10 inches back from the muzzle. Ya can find that by tapping tha barrel ya know. If ya rest it on cross stciks thar, whut is tha dern forend got to do with anything? But ya cud write a book about whut I doan know about this stuff and it's why I come here and ask this sorta stuff to you fellers whut do know about it.

Thanks to all of you who gave me information on this. Yawl boys dun gud!

Man. I'm ah look'in forward to sprang so's I can take these here dern clod hoppers off until next winter. I hate wear'in clod hoppers.

[montana_charlie]

If ya rest it on cross stciks thar, whut is tha dern forend got to do with anything?
Clearance between the rear forearm face and reciever is the critical issue to start with, ....and will not have to be much more than .002-.003"....
Attention to this can help, too...
CM

[Black Prince]

Yep Montana, I figered on doing that and it don't need much. Thanks!!!