How did they bedd rifles using 1940's wood filler, putty, wax, toothpicks & glue ?

[lesrles]

Just how did they do it/ Help
I am trying to recreate the old style bedding on a scoped a4..Thanks, Les

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

Contact pressure via inletting.

Good luck. It is an art not easily mastered.

jt

[wolley]

I've never heard of glue type bedding on an A4. Most were only shimmed and inletted.

[lesrles]

Yes, Glass bedding is easy, the old way is a art. The problem is finding a good release agent that works on the old methods..

[lesrles]

A paper shim can raise or lower the action to free float or put downward pressure on the barrel. A dab of glue can keep the shim in place so it doesn't move.

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

Yes, Glass bedding is easy, the old way is a art. The problem is finding a good release agent that works on the old methods..

Floor wax.

jt

[chuckindenver]

bisonite...

[lesrles]

Before acra-glas and bisonite... The more I approach it, the old airplane kits of balsa wood come to mind. These kits were popular in the 30's 40's.. Could you fit areas on a stock using model airplane cement and hard wood/ release agent might have to be bees wax. Not sure if paste wax will work on a lacquer or model cement/ just might work/
onward I go// 4 points rear screw, recoil area, first two inches of brl, barrel tip, down pressure....

[Johnny in Texas]

USMC M1903 Sniper rifles were bedded by stock selection and minor inletting work done to to get the above mentioned contact points precise. Same as S.A. built M1903 NM rifles. They had hundreds of stocks to select from and lots of time.

[lesrles]

My best choice is to start with glued in brass repair pins 3/32. Vertical holes drilled between bearing surface [edge of stamped trigger guard and receiver/ equal on both sides.
Front and rear. This will prevent wood compression... Pins will be below the wood and glued in...
The trigger guard will be one large Piller..
next Varnish and thinner/ soak the stock inside and out/ this will take several coats..
Brass washers under the rear tang/ 9/16 od 1/4 id .035 thick. this one needs two for 10 lb pressure down at tip/ measured with fish scale..
The trigger guard can be filed where it meets the wood to make it fit closer but not touching receiver and magazine need to be close to prevent the follower from catching..
More varnish

[purple]

Before acra-glas and bisonite... The more I approach it, the old airplane kits of balsa wood come to mind. These kits were popular in the 30's 40's.. Could you fit areas on a stock using model airplane cement and hard wood/ release agent might have to be bees wax. Not sure if paste wax will work on a lacquer or model cement/ just might work/
onward I go// 4 points rear screw, recoil area, first two inches of brl, barrel tip, down pressure....

You shouldn't find anything like bedding agents in an original stock. In addition to the points mentioned, you also need to ensure that the barrel is free of contact with the wood, except at the forend tip. Also, the barrel should not be in contact with the bottom of the upper band. I just finished bedding a late Remington M1903 in a NOS scant grip stock and didn't find too much work necessary to fit it. Most of the time was spent on inletting the stamped, first pattern trigger guard which is appropriate to the late serial number. I needed to clear the recoil lug cuttout a bit to make sure that the front of the recoil lug wasn't binding against the wood. After that it was just a bit of work to eliminate some high spots along the barrel channel. When I was finished I got a solid bearing of the recoil lug, clearance from the wood at the rear of the upper tang, clearance from the upper band and 7lbs of forend pressure. This scant stock was different from the others that I have as it was only inletted for the M1903 fixed rear sight base and was not inletted for the 03-A3 barrel ring. The forend tip was also pre-drilled for the upper band screw. Any other NOS stock that I've used had to be drilled for the upper band screw. No markings on the stock, except for an "S" in the cuttout relief.