Glue in a Rem 700 Action-----or not?

[amlevin]

I have a Rem 700 in .308 that shoots really nice. Like everyone else, I want just a little more.

The barreled action is currently bedded into a stock with aluminum action block but even with all that support it seems to be sensitive to action screw torque.

What is the consensus on "gluing" the action into the stock/action block and afterward just screwing the action screws into the action tight enough to just keep them from getting lost (as a friend suggested)?

I have no plans on changing anything as the rifle now sits until the barrel is completely shot out (about 5,000 rounds from now as it looks).

What product is normally used for this process? Would using the same bedding compound (Devcon) as it's now bedded in, only seriously de-greasing the action and removing some of he existing bedding first (1/16" or so) be fine?

I'm open to thoughts and suggestions.

 

[Toby Bradshaw]

The biggest disadvantage with a glue-in 700 is that you can't access the trigger to clean, adjust, or replace it. Rebarreling a glue-in is no big deal and doesn't require the action to be unglued, although removing a factory barrel from a glued-in action could be tricky.

Given that screw-in bedding works fine for most of the record-holding long-range shooting disciplines, if I were you I would first check (with a dial indicator) your existing bedding for problems, and re-bed if necessary.

Personally, I would never glue in an action on a sporting rifle.

 

[swd]

On a 700 gluing in your action would be the least of your concerns with it. Have the bedding checked with a dial indicator and if it's out more than a few thousandths re bed it.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Sounds like you just need a good rebed. Dig down beside the block in some spots it may not have a good foundation. Dont let the bedding get on the front, bottom or sides of the recoil lug only the back should touch. Let the compound run out under the barrel cyl a bit. Look up some stress free bedding tips and do it til it checks out. A proper remington bed job should shoot without screws- torque doesnt matter

 

[Lapua40X]

The biggest disadvantage with a glue-in 700 is that you can't access the trigger to clean, adjust, or replace it. Rebarreling a glue-in is no big deal and doesn't require the action to be unglued, although removing a factory barrel from a glued-in action could be tricky.

Given that screw-in bedding works fine for most of the record-holding long-range shooting disciplines, if I were you I would first check (with a dial indicator) your existing bedding for problems, and re-bed if necessary.

Personally, I would never glue in an action on a sporting rifle.

What he said ......

 

[bheadboy]

Forget glueing in the action,

if you are concerned with the bedding you have, glass bed the action as it is, that will fill any voids or minor errors in contact and still have the aluminum block base.
I have done this a number of times and had very good results, be sure to get bedding into the recoil lug area so the lug has no play, and after bedding clear the bottom of the lug bed.

Bob

 

[noload]

Forget glueing in the action,

if you are concerned with the bedding you have, glass bed the action as it is, that will fill any voids or minor errors in contact and still have the aluminum block base.
I have done this a number of times and had very good results, be sure to get bedding into the recoil lug area so the lug has no play, and after bedding clear the bottom of the lug bed.

Bob

Bob, I want to get this right....so bedding on the sides of the lug is ok, but clear the bottom for clearance. What about the front of the lug ?
I expermented with a bedding job last year, I taped the sides and front of the lug. Put Kiwi on everything, set the action in either JB weld or Devcon. Let it harden and shot it with out taking it apart. It shot well for awhile until the barrel loosened up. I don't know bedding the lug made the barrel loosen or I just did not tighten enough ??

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Tape the front bottom and sides. The only thing you want touching is the back.

 

[Toby Bradshaw]

so bedding on the sides of the lug is ok, but clear the bottom for clearance. What about the front of the lug ?

I like to have bedding provide positive location of the action in all directions -- fore-aft, rotation (for a round action like the R700), and up-down. On a round action I only tape the bottom of the recoil lug to provide clearance. If you don't bed the sides of the lug the only thing keeping the action from rotating under the torque produced by the bullet is the tension on the action screws -- not a sound mechanical design. In principle the action shouldn't move forward under recoil, but bedding the front of the lug positively locates the action fore-aft. The "down" location is done by the bottom surface of the action, which is why I provide clearance under the lug. The "up" location of the action is done by the tension on the action screws, which loads the screw in the only direction that a screw is meant to be loaded.

 

[LHSmith]

Tape the front bottom and sides. The only thing you want touching is the back.

^^^^^Very important on factory recoil lugs.....or you may end up destroying the stock in an effort to remove it from the action. However, I still apply one layer of tape to the sides and front (3 layers on the bottom) on tapered aftermarket lugs with draft angles.
In any event I also would never glue- in a hunting stock....for one reason it is not truly an end-all solution to bedding problems. Competition glue-in's have been known to "un-glue" themselves which is why "glued and screwed" is now common.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I believe there is an advantage to gluing round actions. At the very least I dont tape the sides of the lug, to stop rotation in the stock.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

so bedding on the sides of the lug is ok, but clear the bottom for clearance. What about the front of the lug ?

I like to have bedding provide positive location of the action in all directions -- fore-aft, rotation (for a round action like the R700), and up-down. On a round action I only tape the bottom of the recoil lug to provide clearance. If you don't bed the sides of the lug the only thing keeping the action from rotating under the torque produced by the bullet is the tension on the action screws -- not a sound mechanical design. In principle the action shouldn't move forward under recoil, but bedding the front of the lug positively locates the action fore-aft. The "down" location is done by the bottom surface of the action, which is why I provide clearance under the lug. The "up" location of the action is done by the tension on the action screws, which loads the screw in the only direction that a screw is meant to be loaded.

+1

 

[bheadboy]

I have to say, on the recoil lug area, I bed 1-1/2 inch in front under the chamber, fill the slot so the lug is touching all around, with the exception of I tape the bottom of the lug so it is clear, then bed the action ring behind the lug,

this eliminates any rotation, movement of the action in the stock. the action must then be taken out very carefully straight up and reinstalled the same, this works for me on br rifles and hunding /pd rifles reguardless of weight they wind up shooting in the <.300's depending on the cal / bullet etc. some comp rifles in the .100's

Bob

 

[M14AMU]

If bedded properly....gluing isn't required!

 

[SteveOak]

For the shooting I like to do, NRA High Power Rifles Silhouette, the 10 lb, 2 oz weight limit makes a bedding block impractical, as much as I would like to use one. The additional weight would have to be taken out of the barrel. The Pierce titanium action looks interesting though.

What I have done in the past is to glue the action in with JB Weld and drill holes through the stock to facilitate access to the trigger pins. The trigger can be removed and reinstalled with the action in place.

 

[RemingtonAI]

what kind of aluminum bed block stock is it?

 

[noload]

The way it looks is this:
1) Bed everything except the bottom of the recoil lug (to prevent action rotation)....OR
2) bed action and recoil lug (back side only)with( clearance on sides, bottom and front of lug.)
I guess I will do my experment again...Do number (1) if it doesn't shoot as well get the dremel out and go to number (2). I'm fortunate to have a well documented shooting history of this gun as well as the best groups it will produce. This should give me a postive result one way or the other.

 

[amlevin]

what kind of aluminum bed block stock is it?

The stock I'm thinking of doing this with is a B&C Medalist "A-5".

 

[johara1]

Did you give any thought on when you change a barrel? pin the lug first………. jim