Filling magazine well

[Lucky Shooter]

I'm thinking about filling a magazine well to allow full-length bedding for a 40X action.

Looking for something cheap and easy to get. Bondo comes to mind but I've never used
the product.

Anybody have any suggestions?

Thanks.

A. Weldy

 

[dsculley]

Cut/trim a wooden block to fit in the magazine well then put your bedding epoxy on top of that. If you ever want to go back to the magazine feed then you only have to grind out a bit of epoxy then remove the block.

 

[shortgrass]

The insulation foam in a can for doors and windows. Use the rest of the can where needed to seal up any of those winter time air leaks!

 

[alinwa]

Bondo is a seriously bad choice. I've used buckets of it. It's H E A V Y and it shrinks a ton, cooks off, splits and cracks, can't physically cure correctly in thicknesses over about 3/16 inch. It may melt the surrounding filler on a fiber stock.

Wood block is a great choice.

Spray foam??? I've warped doors, blown out sheetrock, bulged body panels on cars..... just make sure both sides are left open!

I have done them with wadded up tissue or a cardboard platform and epoxy a skim over it top and bottom. Then bed.

But IMO, once you're doing the job ya' might as well make it better which means fill it with floc'd up epoxy so's it's stiffer than the original. Make it work for you. I use AcraGlas and Cabosil or Aerosil which is as light as and stronger/stiffer than the original filler for a fiber stock. Stiffer than wood and lighter.



opinionby




al

 

[Lucky Shooter]

Thanks for the replies.

Al, I've never used Bondo but have heard its very easy to use-----will heed your warning.

This is for a laminated wood stock----will see how she shoots.

A. Weldy

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Put tape over the bottom and pour in your favorite epoxy, small thicknesses with some filler in the middle like al said. I have used foam peanuts

 

[DaveTooley]

Bedding contact patches. Less is better.

 

[JFrank]

The insulation foam in a can for doors and windows. Use the rest of the can where needed to seal up any of those winter time air leaks!

I don't believe I would try spray foam for one it's messy, for two spray foam expands too much and three there may be chemicals that could react to epoxy or bedding compounds unfavorably.
Just something to think about.
Urbanrifleman could make you a filler block using a 3 D printer
J

 

[DaveTooley]

If it's a single shot 40X why do anything?

 

[RWO]

If it's a single shot 40X why do anything?

Exactly. Full length bedding does nothing for a bolt action, single shot or repeater. If properly bedded at the front end and at the tang, there is nothing else needed. Don't lose sight of the fact that bedding simply insures that the action does not move in the stock under recoil.

RWO

 

[Will Henry]

On on 40-x I used a piece of birch, about 3/4" thick, inch fitted to the mag well. I glued this in then filled up the rest with Acraglas and glass cloth. I drill and tap for a screw 3/4" ahead of the trigger group, bed this area, then float the tang (no screw, no contact).
On a Model 70, I milled out an aluminum bedding block. I soldered in the plate to make it a single shot and, again, added a screw in the middle. Once more, I bedded in front of the trigger and floated the tang. I started doing the 40x this way in the '70's, when I was shooting short range BR, and have done so ever since. WH

 

[NorCalMikie]

If you plan on filling the mag well, think ahead. What if you ever want to remove the fill? Anything you put in that mag well, put it a plastic baggie. That way it won't stick to the stock. Fill the mag well (inside the baggie) to just shy of the top surface. Trim the baggie and cap it with maybe 1/16" or less of bedding. Just enough to hold it in place. Easy enough to pop it loose if you ever want too without damaging the stock.

 

[shortgrass]

If you plan on filling the mag well, think ahead. What if you ever want to remove the fill? Anything you put in that mag well, put it a plastic baggie. That way it won't stick to the stock. Fill the mag well (inside the baggie) to just shy of the top surface. Trim the baggie and cap it with maybe 1/16" or less of bedding. Just enough to hold it in place. Easy enough to pop it loose if you ever want too without damaging the stock.

Excellent post! Few seem to plan ahead these days. Whatever happened to good ol' American ingenuity?

 

[shortgrass]

Don't forget before you go to fillin', the front trigger guard screw needs a place to fasten to. More of that "plan ahead" stuff.

 

[Lucky Shooter]

Thanks for all the replies.

I'm not going to fill the magazine well and I'm going to follow the thinking that full-length bedding does not improve things----makes my job a bit more simple.

This is a single shot 40X going into a Boyds laminated stock----will post how the job turns out and how she shoots.

A. Weldy

 

[p-man]

Sculpt Epoxy Putty

I've use the natural and loved it - don't buy the tinted colors.

/www.dickblick.com/products/aves-apoxie-sculpt/?clickTracking=true&wmcp=pla&wmcid=items&wmckw=30570-2021&gclid=CjwKCAiAz7TfBRAKEiwAz8fKOBjS-BbD3B4F6KMbLR4lFkghg_1Jj0UxGfkFSlmitYfgRc8t9Nl_YBoCIrgQAvD_BwE

 

[Lucky Shooter]

Epoxy

Thanks for the recommendation.

Will probably use JB Weld------the stuff is ugly but I've used it a long time.

Plus, I have some on hand.

A. Weldy