Filling The Void

[shooterchris]

I have a Savage model 12 BVSS with a laminate stock. I am going to be bedding it and shooting it in competition. This model rifle came with a box magazine under the action, not the trapdoor type. I have no desire to ever use the magazine and want to fill the void of the old .308 mag well. This is a very substantial amount of space to fill. Every gun that I have bedded up to this point has been a single shot, so I have not encountered this before. Any suggestions on the filler? I want to try to avoid any shrinking or the filler material not curing. Thanks!

[ANeat]

I think I would make up a block of plywood to fill most of it. Something like a good birch ply that has no voids and is probably similar to whats in the stock.

Basicly glue up a block that will fill in the majority of the hole. When that sets up glue that into the hole. Leave it a little shy of the bedding line and you can just fill in any imperfections with bedding material.

[ANeat]

I should add, orient the grain/laminations the same as the stock

[MtGun44]

Are you trying to stiffen the stock locally or just fill up the hole? Stiffen the stock, bond
in a piece of aluminum milled/hacksawed & filed to a rough fit with a filled epoxy like
JB Weld. Just fill the hole, get some plastic foam and shape and glue it in place.

If you are into composites, mix some epoxy with cotton flocking and fill it with flox.

[shooterchris]

I woould like to stiffen the stock if i could, but I wouldn't mind adding weight either. In some of my unrestricted guns the stock has lead shot to add weight, but i don't know what epoxy the gunsmith mixed it with.

[MtGun44]

Cast up a chunk of lead and glue in with JB Weld. Make a temporary mold a touch smaller
that the opening. Wood will work for a mold for one time use.

Bill

[Molly]

JB Weld is good stuff, but Accuraglass from Brownell's is specificly made for bedding problems, and has ZERO shrinkage as it cures. I'd recomend you try that before anything else. Most epoxy / urethane materials willl exhibit some - sometimes lots - change in dimensions as it cures. Dunno about JB Weld, but I DO know about Accuraglas, which also comes with fiberglass to add further stiffness to the assembly.

[Mk42gunner]

I agree with Molly on using Accraglas, but it is going to take a lot of it to fill a magazine well in a stock. To add weight to it you could mix in some lead shot.

What about buying a stock for a single shot Savage?

Robert

[Molly]

I agree with Molly on using Accraglas, but it is going to take a lot of it to fill a magazine well in a stock.

Umm. I guess I took it for granted that my sugestion would be taken in the context of cementing a large block of aluminum into the magazine well. The aluminum would significantly stiffen the stock, particularly when held in place with the Accuraglas. I suppose you could use a steel block if you wanted a heavier gun. If you want a REALLY heavy gun, just mill a slot down the barrel channel and behind the buttplate. Fill with a mixture of lead shot and any cheap, slow curing epoxy, because precision inletting won't be a factor here.

[shooterchris]

I have accraglas in the shop and I usually use it or marine tex for bedding. I'll probably mix it with shot. Thanks for the input guys.