Is this normal for a bedding job?

[Dusty Stevens]

Hopefully better than it did. Or I just spent $550 on nothing and ruined my favorite rifle.

Nothing that cant be fixed. Sucks youll have to pay again though.

 

[tobnpr]

As mentioned, certainly couldn't affect anything related to headspace or the chamber.
It's impossible to tell from pictures whether the bedding job was done correctly so as not to stress the receiver.

If the bolt binds, where it did not before bedding, after torque is applied is an absolute indication it wasn't bedded correctly and the action is being bent as the screws are tightened.

IMO, a correctly bedded action will shoot the same regardless of action screw torque (within reason of course). Torque should not change the fit of the receiver in the stock, and if you put an indicator on the barrel and it moves when you apply additional torque that tells you it ain't right.

 

[BIG D]

So I dropped my rifle off, a Rem 700 Sendero, a while ago to have the muzzle re-crowned and a bedding job completed. I knew the HS stock already had the aluminum blocks, but I wanted to squeeze as much accuracy as I could out of this gun.

Well I get it back and I notice that the action seems stiffer than normal. Like the lugs have been tightened. Which I know is not a thing. I asked the shop if they touched the action because it felt tighter, and they just said it feels that way because now it is torqued properly.
They talked me into threading the muzzle as I may put a can on it one day. Because of this, they said they repainted the barrel and action at no charge. I thought maybe some of the paint or bedding material got in the action.

Then once I get home I find that I cannot chamber some of the previous hand loads I made for it. Some now feel as if they are seated far too far into the lands.
I pull the stock and this is what it looks like. Does this look normal? It looks to my novice eye, that the action was not bedded, but only the portion forward of the recoil lug. Any advice would be great.

Can you post pictures of the barreled action after it’s been painted? I’m wondering if the bolt is painted. This could cause binding due to paint on cocking ramp. Also if your front action screw is a bit long the lug on the right side of the bolt will show scratches or dings from coming into contact with the action screw. Also the hole on the side by your lug abutments could have let paint into the lug abutments if it wasn’t plugged during the paint process. That could also have allowed paint or overspray into the chamber. Honestly the bedding job doesn’t look bad. It looks like they maintained contact points to the aluminum bedding and clearanced around those for bedding compound. I think the paint or overspray from it is your culprit.

 

[Bill Rodolph]

WOW!! $550! I'm not charging near enough!!

 

[butchlambert]

You can thread the muzzle with the receiver attached. I don't do it though. It appears that the rear tang and the front ring and recoil lug area. Are you trying to chamber new or reload rounds?

 

[Adam0321/0306]

Well, now I really want to see how this thing shoots.

WOW!! $550! I'm not charging near enough!!

That was for the bedding and the cut, crown and thread of the barrel.

 

[Adam0321/0306]

You can thread the muzzle with the receiver attached. I don't do it though. It appears that the rear tang and the front ring and recoil lug area. Are you trying to chamber new or reload rounds?

Reloads

 

[butchlambert]

Reloads

I believe I would start with new brass.

 

[Bill Rodolph]

That was for the bedding and the cut, crown and thread of the barrel.

I stick by my previous statement. I would have done it all for under $200

 

[butchlambert]

I stick by my previous statement. I would have done it all for under $200

Bill, that is a hobby price you quoted him.

 

[Adam0321/0306]

I don’t mind paying premium fees. But I expect quality work.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I think LRI does probably the best barrel threading service available and include a thread protector for $75. No painting necessary but if you wanted it they do the best cerakoting around for under $200 for a barreled action. No problems with paint getting in the way then. Sometimes ups is the best place to drop your gun off

 

[NateHaler]

So I dropped my rifle off, a Rem 700 Sendero, a while ago to have the muzzle re-crowned and a bedding job completed. I knew the HS stock already had the aluminum blocks, but I wanted to squeeze as much accuracy as I could out of this gun.

#1) WHO DID THE WORK? There are bad gunsmiths out there, just like auto mechanics.

#2) They overcharged you. Way too much. Sorry, but that's the fact. They did not paint your rifle for "free".

#3) The explanations you are getting from them are bullsh*t.

#4) Did you pay with a credit card? If so, dispute the charge, and get your money back.

#5) Dave Tooley is in NC. Maybe he can help you.

#6) I'm really sorry this has happened to you and your favorite rifle.

 

[Will Henry]

When someone says your action just feels that way "because now it is torqued properly", that is a sure sign that they are trying to blow smoke up your butt.
Clean out your chamber real well. There is every possibility that there is sand or glass beads in the chamber.
I can't comment on what other people charge for work because it's their time and they determine what it is or is not worth.
I also don't comment on methodology as long as the work is satisfactory. This example is not satisfactory and the "bedding" job is amateurish. WH

 

[butchlambert]

Guys, listen to Will Henry (Bill). Bill has been around longer than most of you have lived. I really like him because of his vast knowledge, helpfulness to others, and honesty. He needs to relocate from Canada.

 

[tobnpr]

This example is not satisfactory and the "bedding" job is amateurish. WH

Other than a holiday or two around the tang- please be specific- picture number, and area of concern- that justify calling it "amateurish".

It ain't perfect in appearance, but there's NO WAY to know whether the receiver was correctly stress-free bedded from pictures. No way, no how.

Yeah, five bills is far too much. OP agreed to pay for it- now someone else says to dispute the bill because they think it's too much? You gotta be effing kidding me.

Anyone here that's bedded more than a handful of rifles has had one come out less than "perfectly purty" aesthetically. Sanctimonious to say otherwise, it ain't so.

I care as much about appearance as anyone. But "less than perfect" is no reason to trash a job- and I don't see anything in those pictures that's deserving of calling it a hack job. But, I'm not one of those guys that spends hours shining his brass until I can shave in the reflection 'cause I think it'll somehow make the ammo shoot better.

Could be a poor bedding job. Could be perfectly stress-free. Put the rifle in a vise, an indicator on the barrel.
Let the indicator tell you which one it is.

JMO. Flame suit on.

 

[AlNyhus]

Assuming everything else is squared away , the performance will tell the story.

Until then, it's all just speculation, arm chair quarterbacking and undeserved comments about someone's work, skill and business practices. -Al

 

[Alex Wheeler]

You can see the thin spots in the bedding where the bedding block is showing through. That tells me the action screws were most likely tightened to pull the action against the block or at least just finger tight. So far as how much stress, I would guess at worst it would be no worse than before you had it bedded and you didnt have binding problems then. I doubt its the bedding. If it was ceracoated or duracoated it would have been oxide blasted first so check for grit binding things up. I have seen shrouds so full of grit the rifle would not even fire, because the bolt was not disassembled before or after blasting and coating. Make sure the front action screw it not too long, you would see a rub on the OD of the right hand lug. I would not have taken the barrel off to thread the muzzle, unless it was too short to fit my lathe with the action on. Even if they did that would not effect headspace. A new piece of brass would not be a bad thing to try. Price for muzzle threading, bedding, and coating was normal for a full time shop so long as the quality is there. Its tough for anyone to diagnose anything without seeing it. Take it down to them and let them look at it.

 

[clowdis]

Looking at the bedding block in the photos I don't see much on the way of support under the tang. I see a bedding pillar but I don't see anything of the bedding block back there. IF that is true then I can see where the action could be tightened down to the point of warping it. A quick and dirty check would be to see if the action pops up in front when the back action bolt is tightened without the front one installed.

 

[butchlambert]

Other than a holiday or two around the tang- please be specific- picture number, and area of concern- that justify calling it "amateurish".

It ain't perfect in appearance, but there's NO WAY to know whether the receiver was correctly stress-free bedded from pictures. No way, no how.

Yeah, five bills is far too much. OP agreed to pay for it- now someone else says to dispute the bill because they think it's too much? You gotta be effing kidding me.

Anyone here that's bedded more than a handful of rifles has had one come out less than "perfectly purty" aesthetically. Sanctimonious to say otherwise, it ain't so.

I care as much about appearance as anyone. But "less than perfect" is no reason to trash a job- and I don't see anything in those pictures that's deserving of calling it a hack job. But, I'm not one of those guys that spends hours shining his brass until I can shave in the reflection 'cause I think it'll somehow make the ammo shoot better.

Could be a poor bedding job. Could be perfectly stress-free. Put the rifle in a vise, an indicator on the barrel.
Let the indicator tell you which one it is.

JMO. Flame suit on.

Bill said the bedding looked amateurish. When cigarcop does bedding it is a "professional" job and looks like artwork. Bill did not make a comment on the bill other than he wouldn't get into it.