Bedding 98 Mauser tips and tricks info request

[Dave in WI]

I've bedded numerous Rem 700 (or clones) but have never bedded a Mauser 98. I re-barreled a 98 action with a Wilson #4 barrel in 30-06. It is going into a Boyd's Heritage stock. I have relieved the barrel channel and have the action sitting in the stock to my satisfaction.
What do I do differently than I would on the 700's? Looks like a rear pillar would be a step.
Pictures or links to pictures and videos are very helpful!!!
TIA

 

[jackieschmidt]

I did a Mauser project last year. I was lucky to find one of the FN Browning stocks from the 50’s or 60’s, which with a little minor grinding fit the 98 Action really well.
I did a glass bedding with LocTite EA 9460.
As you can see, there isn’t a lot of bedding area. The Browning Stock does have a steel insert in the rear tand that the action actually seats against.

If your stock does not have this, it might be a good idea to install one.
It’s probably not a bad idea to bed the trigger guard as well.

 

[Fast14riot]

For mauser type actions i always put a layer of tape around the outside of the rear tang because if fitted too tight it will chip out.

 

[akajun]

I do my Mausers in two steps, get it sitting where you want with tape around the barrel, in the channel, tape the rear of the tang, front and sides of the lug, and I make a small plug a little bit bigger than the boss of the front of the trigger guard but counterbored like it too and secured in the front action screw, make it out of aluminum, plastic, whatever as long as it’s smooth as you’re gonna knock it out. Make sure you have a rear pillar in the rear action hole, I like to use threaded tube for that.
Anyway bed the action clamping the barrel into the stock, when dry knock out that front plug, then make a small washer/ shim that will sit inside the boss of the front of the trigger guard , doesn’t need much,
, .020-.030 then bed the trigger guard and screw it down with the action screws. When dry, remove that shim and clean up your mess

 

[Sniperhandle]

I also do Mausers in two steps. Take a file and lightly taper the recoil lug all the way around it to prevent mechanical lock. Also add a small piece of blue masking tape to the rear of the lug and trim it with a razor.

 

[Dave in WI]

Also add a small piece of blue masking tape to the rear of the lug and trim it with a razor.

Tape on the front or rear of lug? I've always taped front of lug. Thanks

 

[Sniperhandle]

yes front

 

[SBS]

OP, if you are working with a military action, you may have to reshape the bottom of the action, recoil lug and tang so that it will release from the bedding. Military 98's were not made with the idea in mind of bedding them, so often they need work before bedding. Quite often the back of the recoil lug is the culprit, being larger at the bottom of the lug than at the top of it. The trigger guard should not take any part of the recoil, that's the job of the recoil lug. Likewise, the tang should have clearance behind it, as several above have noted. Make sure your action screws have clearance through the stock (or pillars); they should not be handling the recoil. DO use a pillar under the tang -- with a long springy tang, it needs support with the proper length pillar to keep from springing the tang and causing vertical stringing. Make sure there is clearance between the back screw and the inside of this tang pillar. Since the front action screw is located so close to the front of the action, I bed the first inch or so of the barrel to have sufficient bedding surfaces on both sides of the screw location.

 

[Minerigger]

Realize this is an older thread but have some questions.

Have a Remington 798 in 7rem mag…Mauser commercial clone. Shoots horrid. Nice gun but short of sending to a smith was going to bed the action and see if it helps.

So question on the bedding. Does the front pillar need to be the one in contact with the recoil lug? I can snug mine up but the mag well/box portion touch the action. This causes the btm metal to rock forward creating the rear of the btm metal to have to be under spring tension in order to tighten up the rear bolt to tang.

I did notice a few spots on the mag box that are shiney and look like they are what is contacting the btm of the receiver.

Should I slowly file/sand these high spots down to get correct fit?

Or say hell with it and send to a smith or sell the gun as it probably isn’t worth all the damn money/time to be invested in order to shoot even close to 1moa?

 

[Will Henry]

You want to have about .015" or so clearance between the top of the mag box and the bottom of the receiver. I usually just use little pieces of aluminum flashing as a shim when I bed, to provide clearance. The pieces are removed after the bedding sets up. You want to have roughly the same clearance between the boss at the front of the bottom metal and the recoil lug. Put release agent inside that boss so that, when you take it apart, you can easily clean any bedding material out of there.
In general, the only rear facing surface which should contact, is the rear of the recoil lug. you should have clearance at every other rear facing surface. This includes the rear of the little boss on the bottom of the tang. Gluing the sleeve at the rear into the stock is a good Idea, so it can act as a pillar. WH

 

[Minerigger]

So theoretically .015 of clearance on front boss on btm metal to recoil lug, .015 clearance on mag box to btm of action and rear pillar should be touching tang and rear of btm metal. I ask about the rear spacer as it is awfully short for contacting both points.

Clearance on rear of tang and sides/front of recoil lug.

Any need for bedding on the barrel? Read quite a bit and seen info stating no bedding under barrel, bedding under first 1” of the barrel forward of receiver and also info stating bedding first 3” of barrel forward of receiver

Leery in the bedding any of the barrel as it’s be easier to add that than to remove.

Just trying to not have to ship the rifle across the country to a smith that is more Mauser friendly than the locals I have. They all looked at me cross eyed when I said Mauser and offered to build a different gun.

Worse case I’ll have someone make it a 375 ruger if the 7rm doesn’t play nice

 

[Will Henry]

If the rear spacer is too short, it can be glued into the stock where it will act as a pillar with a layer of bedding material over it. I also bevel the front of the boss on the tang, so it doesn't bind up and crack the bedding when the barreled action is removed. I prefer to fully float the barrel. WH

 

[Minerigger]

So front action screw is snug. The small recess in the pillar is faced off to the embossment off the bottom of the recoil lug the front action screw threads into. With no tension on the rear screw there is a country mile for the spacer.

My question for you now as I can’t find the answer or I missed it, when action is in the stock and bottom metal in, will the front pillar actually contact or should it to prevent stock compression?

If this is the case, do I need to inlet the stock more or make an extra bit of pillar with a recess or is this where the added .015 of clearance on the mag box to bottom of action comes in and I need .015 of clearance front to back?

Hopefully that made all the sense…sounded good in my head.

 

[Will Henry]

It should not contact. If it does, the barreled action can become loose in the stock. In a perfect world, the wood would compress just enough to allow firm contact with the bottom metal at the front and the spacer at the tang. Perfection is transitory though, where wood is involved. A little less moisture, or a little more, and the perfect fit goes out the window. So, it is better to allow for some clearance. WH

 

[Minerigger]

How many thousandths is a good number to shoot for? The .015? .050, .100

Just so I don’t over do this.

I do know when I put the gun in the stock and install action screws I can bow each end of the bottom metal. When this happens the magbox portion comes into contact with the bottom of the action.

The action sits flush in the stock where it has been relieved for case ejection. The bottom metal sits flush with the bottom of the stock.

So seems the inletting is somewhat decent. That said do I need to clearance the magbox to have .015 and then add .015 for front and rear pillar areas in order to not contact but have enough crush when I torque screws?

I’ve been torquing to 35in/lb

 

[Sniperhandle]

So front action screw is snug. The small recess in the pillar is faced off to the embossment off the bottom of the recoil lug the front action screw threads into. With no tension on the rear screw there is a country mile for the spacer.

My question for you now as I can’t find the answer or I missed it, when action is in the stock and bottom metal in, will the front pillar actually contact or should it to prevent stock compression?

If this is the case, do I need to inlet the stock more or make an extra bit of pillar with a recess or is this where the added .015 of clearance on the mag box to bottom of action comes in and I need .015 of clearance front to back?

Hopefully that made all the sense…sounded good in my head.

You want light shining through the mag box and the bottom of the receiver just like in your pic. Kuhnhansen's book says the amount, But I don't remember exactly off hand the number he quotes. Just make sure when it is torqued in that it is not touching the receiver.

You can stick a dental mirror down the magazine and look at that space after assembly and torque down.

 

[Minerigger]

You want light shining through the mag box and the bottom of the receiver just like in your pic. Kuhnhansen's book says the amount, But I don't remember exactly off hand the number he quotes. Just make sure when it is torqued in that it is not touching the receiver.

You can stick a dental mirror down the magazine and look at that space after assembly and torque down.

But front pillar does not actually touch?

Rear pillare does not actually touch.

I have the book you’re talking about…I’ll go back through and see if I can find that space on the mag box to action clearance.


I really appreciate all the help and info. Newer to Mausers. First posts so hopefully you all don’t think I’m to special

 

[Will Henry]

By using shims and bedding compound, you can end up with just what you want. Aluminum flashing is usually .010".If you add some scotch tape to keep it in place, there's another .002. That should be ok. WH

 

[Minerigger]

Got everything fit up. Used permatex Prussian blue to check clearances. Mag box has .018-.020 of clearance from action. Mag box was then tweaked until it was actually straight per Jerry Kuhnhausen’s book. Front pillar boss off bottom of recoil lug now makes contact with front pillar of bottom metal.

Used marking compound on bottom of action and pillars to confirm fit. Had to slowly relieved the stock so it did not rock and was solely touching pillars.

Put the trigger and all parts back on and checked for and function again and ran 4 dummy rounds 10 times to confirm safe firearm operation.

Disassembled again and now just need to mask off and fill holes and get release agent on for rear tang/pillar bedding.

Then as the book says bed the front recoil lug and 3” of barrel.

Plan is to shoot and see if it is better…we were 3-4” groups at 100yds prior to this experiment. If it is not then try a pressure pad and end of forearm. If that does not work then pad will be removed and will be removing bedding compound under the barrel in 1/2” increments and testing.

If we still don’t shoot then I suppose it’ll go to a smith and get a barrel and have the action checked for true and lug engagement. At which point it would go in another stock.

The help has been great and putting up with silly questions.

 

[Minerigger]

Well all went well. Action is bedding front to back. 3” of barrel as well. Also bedded bottom metal in. She is rock solid. Went and shot Thursday afternoon and up and down was great. No more than 1/2” up or down from point of aim but had a lot of left to right I couldn’t get to stay centered…used new scope and a solid 1 piece pic rail. Definitely a chineseiam base but can’t expect much for $8. Double checked torque on everything after first few rounds and all was tight and still at torque. Ended up adding .115 of shim under the barrel about 3/4-1” back from end of stock. Went and shot today and had to rezero scope and slip turret halfway through as I didn’t have enough adjustment. Once I got that squared away I was pleasantly surprised. I’d say solid 1.5-1.75”. Think i may throw a trigger in it. But im pleased. Didnt deviate more than 3/4” left to right just had to get it centered.