Glass Bedding

[JRBlue]

I am new to the forum and have been thinking about the need to glass bed the stock and install aluminum pillars in a rifle and am unsure of the physics behind this, I know that gunsmiths claim that this improves the accuracy of a rifle but I am not sure if it actually does.

Scenario #1- A scoped rifle in which the barrel is not free floating and resting on the stock. The scope is mounted directly to the reciever and does not move when firing. The stock absorbs vibrations when a shot is fired. Glass bedding would maintain a solid connection with the action and barrel absorbing vibrations and improving accuracy.This is what gunsmiths did with the older rifles especially military rifles with barrel bands.

Scenario #2- A scoped rifle in which the barrel is free floating and does not touch the stock. Only the action(reciever) is touching the stock. The scope is mounted directly to the reciever and does not move when firing. When firing freehand or with a bench rest (and the rifle is not permanently attached to the rest) the stock only holds the rifle. The barrel has vibrated with the first shot but has returned to the same position since it too is permanently attached to the reciever. The reciever, barrel, and scope have not moved independently but are still attached as one. When the target is recentered in the crosshairs of the scope, how would glass bedding and pillaring the stock improve accuracy upon shooting a second shot?

Gunsmiths now recommend that the rifle barrels be free floating and to glass bed and install pillars. The physics just does not add up to me in scenario #2 for glass bedding. Would someone explain what I am missing.

 

[colliers_customs]

OK I'm not quite sure where i want to start with this one so I'm just going to dive in. The point of bedding is to create a stress free environment for the metal work. When the action is bedded and done right it is sitting stress free and and supported in part by the stock. Pillars are to keep you from crushing the stock and to ensure a constant torque on the guard screws. Now i know what i just said isn't going to win and arguments so just loosen up your guard screws 1/2 a turn and shoot some group. You will quickly see how important the stock fit is to accuracy.

Jake

 

[JRBlue]

Thank you for your reply. Correct me I am wrong in what I understand you are saying.

The factory stock does not have a perfect bedding and when the guard screws are tightened down, the reciever is actually slightly torqued or twisted. This stress which is not stable, because the wood can compress over time changing the stress, will affect the aiming point of the crosshairs of the scope and in turn change the point of where the round will hit the target. A pillared and glass bedded stock completely removes this point of stress improving accuracy.

This is what I have been trying to understand. Thank you again for the imformation.

 

[pintopete]

JRBlue, There is information about this on many sites but one that I thought was helpful is attached below. I think it demonstrates what Jake has described. There is also a good demo article on this parent site. I will try to list the link below as well. Good luck, Peter.

http://erniethegunsmith.com/catalog/i130.html

http://www.6mmbr.com/pillarbedding.html

 

[JRBlue]

Pintopete: The information in the first website you listed is exactly what I was looking for. I have a couple of rifles that I plan to glass bed and had question about the reasoning behind it. I am the type that wants to know how it works and this article explained why glass bedding is needed very well.
Thank you for you help.

 

[PendletonCowboy]

Got to Youtube and search glass bedding there are a lot of videos out there that will be you some ideas. You can see the variety of ways it can be done.

 

[CyaN1de]

You can see the variety of ways it can be done.

Yep, right AND wrong.