Damaged stock pillars

[DShortt]

He asked why use pillars. Its so we dont crush the stock.
If we’re saving weight we dont use pillars or screws period, thats what that stock was designed for.
Very rarely pour pillars. I just use aluminum or similar if i use a pillar.

OK, gotcha. Thank you for the clarification.

 

[rebeltex]

ok, so y'all are using ''pillars" in this case as a means to protect the bottom of the stock from damage by the tourqing of the action screws. ?
just trying to learn....

 

[Dusty Stevens]

ok, so y'all are using ''pillars" in this case as a means to protect the bottom of the stock from damage by the tourqing of the action screws. ?
just trying to learn....

Well, pillars in every application do the same thing. They keep the action screws at a constant torque. If theyre in a wood stock the wood expands and contracts. If theyre in a hollow body stock it keeps them from loosening if the stock collapses a bit

 

[Bc'z]

Wood also compresses under a load.

 

[DShortt]

One other question for you all. How thick do you like the bedding compound to be? Just a skim coat, 1/8", 1/4"? It's a laminated stock if that factors into it.

 

[Rat Rifle]

One other question for you all. How thick do you like the bedding compound to be? Just a skim coat, 1/8", 1/4"? It's a laminated stock if that factors into it.

I assume You have a Savage 12BTCSS or equivalent? I also assume it has the typical Savage Steel Pillars, which are the most robust in the industry. I doubt the pillars are damaged enough to make any difference. I believe if You do a normal bedding job, You will get all the performance out of Your rifle it has to offer.

Part of a normal bedding job includes removing some stock material, roughing up and/or punching some drill holes for the bedding epoxy to bite to. Use Your judgment on the thickness of the bedding. When finished, the action will set on 3 metal points. 2 on the front pillar, 1 on the rear. If the bedding covers the pillars, it’s not a problem. Like Dusty says, may even help.

If You haven’t bedded before, follow what ever instructions You use to the hilt.
You can do it !

 

[DShortt]

I assume You have a Savage 12BTCSS or equivalent? I also assume it has the typical Savage Steel Pillars, which are the most robust in the industry. I doubt the pillars are damaged enough to make any difference. I believe if You do a normal bedding job, You will get all the performance out of Your rifle it has to offer.

Part of a normal bedding job includes removing some stock material, roughing up and/or punching some drill holes for the bedding epoxy to bite to. Use Your judgment on the thickness of the bedding. When finished, the action will set on 3 metal points. 2 on the front pillar, 1 on the rear. If the bedding covers the pillars, it’s not a problem. Like Dusty says, may even help.

If You haven’t bedded before, follow what ever instructions You use to the hilt.
You can do it !

I have done a couple of bedding jobs but in this particular instance the stock has factory pillars and at some point the action screws have been loose enough they rubbed all the bluing off the pillars in a spot about 3/16" wide. The bottom of the action is missing some bluing as well. If I loosen the action screws even a smidgen it moves around a LOT. A bedding job will definitely make a difference, but I've never done one with pillars that I know are damaged so I just want to make sure I don't have problems show up again down the road.

 

[AlNyhus]

Are you up comfortable with removing the old pillars, making new ones and getting them in correctly?

 

[DShortt]

Are you up comfortable with removing the old pillars, making new ones and getting them in correctly?

I was leaning that direction but the factory pillars are tight in the stock and if replacement pillars should be off contact with action anyway it just seemed like an unnecessary step. If that's a poor idea I'm open to replacement.

 

[AlNyhus]

FWIW, those factory Savage pillars have a reputation for not being in the stock well. They are just pressed in with several ribs around the circumference of the pillars to make them fit into the stock with some tension. There's a couple dozen here that just pushed out with very little effort.

At the very least they should be removed and epoxied in. Which, of course, still leaves you with the ridiculous notched pillar to clear the sear. Notching the sear opens the door for better things.

 

[DShortt]

FWIW, those factory Savage pillars have a reputation for not being in the stock well. They are just pressed in with several ribs around the circumference of the pillars to make them fit into the stock with some tension. There's a couple dozen here that just pushed out with very little effort.

At the very least they should be removed and epoxied in. Which, of course, still leaves you with the ridiculous notched pillar to clear the sear. Notching the sear opens the door for better things.

Good to know. I was looking around trying to find information somewhere about how those pillars were installed but couldn't find anything. I should have guessed they were just a press fit because that's the inexpensive way to do it. New pillars it is. Thank you for the info.

 

[KMW 1954]

At the very least they should be removed and epoxied in. Which, of course, still leaves you with the ridiculous notched pillar to clear the sear. Notching the sear opens the door for better things.

Just caught the end of this thread and have to ask. Do you happen to have any pictures of the notch you put in the sear? Would love to see what it looks like.

 

[Cloudrepair]

Just caught the end of this thread and have to ask. Do you happen to have any pictures of the notch you put in the sear? Would love to see what it looks like.

Took the words out of my mouth

 

[AlNyhus]

Sorry...don't have a pic. Basically, it's just a notch in the sear to clear the pillar rather that the pillar being notched to clear the sear. Since the sear moves quite a bit in an arc, the bigger the pillar the bigger the sear notch. A 1/2" pillar in there with a 5/16" I.D. for screw clearance works well. A small flat (not a notch) on the backside of the pillar can give some extra room if needed.

 

[shootrj2003]

I’m sorry,but I cant see the point of no contact between the action ,pillar and bottom metal,it makes no sense to me to leave a space then fill it with a crushable epoxy and if the epoxy is hard enough to be uncrushable then it might as well be the pillar and leave the pillar full length.I haven’t had epoxy bedding shrink and loosen and if it did,I would just rebed it,I have rifles I built years ago with the bedding still tight. The purpose of a pillar is an uncrushable support…..or,Am I wrong?