From: bartb@hpfcla.fc.hp.com (Bart Bobbitt)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Epoxy bedding a rifle?
Date: 6 May 1994 15:11:32 -0400

                          Epoxy Bedding Rifles


Begin by getting the following:

 * Devcon Plastic Steel; three 2-tube kits.

 * Lighter fluid; a great cleaner-upper than dissolves gooey Devcon.

 * Masking tape; 1-inch wide.

 * Modeling clay; you pick your favorite color, I like red.  

 * Old newspapers to put under the stock to catch the dripping epoxy.

 * Toothpicks to poke the fresh epoxy into tiny places.

 * Coarse sandpaper; 80-grit.

 * Wood dowel; half-inch diameter, 3 to 4 inches long.

 * Neoprene O-rings; half-inch inside, five-eighths inch outside diameters.

 (If I forgot something, it's mentioned in the instructions.)

Here's the process:

1. Before you actually take your rifle apart, use your tools........
Please carefully read these instructions as many times as needed
before you actually follow them.  It's important to learn why things
are done in this order so you'll know what's happening.  Should
something not go right, if you know very well what to expect, quickly
solving the problem is easy.

2. Remove the barreled action from the stock.  Then rout out about
one-tenth of an inch every place in the stock that contacts the
reciever.  Use a round ball bit in the Mototool.  It doesn't have to
be real smooth, just even.  Don't forget to rout out the stock's
recoil lug recess, too.

3. Get a couple of neoprene O-rings that have an inside diameter of a
half-inch; outside diameter of about five-eighths inch.  Put one on
the barrel about half an inch in front of the recoil lug; the other on
the barrel where it fits about half an inch back from the front end of
the stock's forend.  These O-rings will position the barreled action
properly in the stock when the epoxy sets up.

4. Remove all parts from the reciever except the barrel.  This
includes the trigger, magazine, scope mount bases, etc.  Then using
modeling clay, fill in all the holes and recesses in the reciever.
You can put a twisted piece of newspaper in the bolt way, then pack
modeling clay in the magazine cutout so the bedding epoxy won't get
inside the reciever.  The reciever's trigger port can be filled with
clay the same way.  Smooth up the outside areas of the clay to where
it blends in well with the reciever.  Put about 3 layers of masking
tape on the bottom of the recoil lug; this keeps it from bottoming out
when the stock screws are torqued up as well as preventing vertical
shot stringing due to the metal bouncing off this part as the bullet
goes down the barrel.  That part of the stock that the factory routed
out to let the safety clear wood should also be filled with modeling
clay.

5. Fill the stock's magazine port and trigger port with modeling clay.
The top parts, next to where the reciever will eventually be, should
be trimmed smooth with the top edge of the stock.  Leave the stock
screw holes empty.  Put a cofferdam of modeling clay aroung the
reciever's tang area to keep the flowing, oozing epoxy from getting
away too much from this important part.  Then wrap the stock's middle
part with masking tape to keep the epoxy off the wood; about 5 inches
in front of and in back of the reciever should be enough.  Trim the
tape even with the edges of the stock next to where the reciever goes;
the masking tape can be put in the forend's barrel channel, too so
clean-up will be easier.

6. To make a test fit, put the modeling clay packed barreled action in
the clay filled stock.  The O-rings should keep the reciever in the
same place it was before routing the stock.  If the reciever is too
high, use smaller thickness O-rings, or you can wrap masking tape at
the places where the O-rings are.  The objective is to have the
barreled action position itself properly in the stock so that later,
when the bedding epoxy is setting up, an absolutely perfect fit
between the hard epoxy and receiver is done.

7. Use Simonize car wax as an epoxy release agent.  Smear a thin coat
all over the reciever and barrel, then smooth it up by polishing it
just like you would your car.  The very thin film left will make the
epoxy-to-metal contact perfect.  And put wax on the stock screws, too;
in the thread area as well as on the body of the screws.  I suggest
going to your hardware/gun store and getting a couple of correct thread 
socket-head screws of a length to fit your rifle.  These will be much
easier to remove after the epoxy has hardened with their hexagonal 
socket.  If they're a quarter-inch longer than the stock screws,
that's about perfect.  Wrap enough masking tape on the screws next to
their heads to hold them in their respective stock holes.  This lets
you put 'em in place before your pour in the bedding epoxy.  Put the
stock screws in the stock.  A trial fit of metal to wood will tell you
if all fits properly.

8. Get some Devcon Plastic Steel from your local hardware store at
about $2.65 per two-tube kit; you'll need three kits.  Mix the epoxy
and hardener together in a plastic container.  Mix it very, very well;
you have plenty of time, like two hours before it starts to get just a
little bit hard.

9. Position the stock firmly in a padded vise so the stock screws can
be later tightened from the bottom.  Then put a cofferdam of clay in
front of the recoil lug area so the epoxy won't flow under the barrel.
If you are satisfied with everything at this point, pour in the epoxy
around the reciever area.  Use a toothpick to be sure the epoxy gets
into all the nooks and crannies; being careful not to damage the
modeling clay you put in the stock.

10. Position the barreled action into the modeling clay by starting the
barrel into the front of the stock, then easing the receiver into the
epoxy.  When the reciever gets close to the bottom, put in the stock
screws and tighten them up just enough to put the receiver in the
vertical position it needs to be.  As the epoxy oozes out, clean it
off with a plastic spoon or knife.  It gets really messy at this
point, but the end result is worth it.

11. Finish clean up of the oozed-out Devcon.  Then stand back and
admire what you've done.  Finally, go away from it for about 24 hours;
the epoxy will cure just as fast without you watching it.  Clean up
yourself and your tools with the lighter fluid.

DO NOT use lighter fluid to clean off any oozing epoxy from around the
reciever where it fits into the stock.  Any lighter fluid used in this
area will work its way between the epoxy and reciever, diluting the
wax used as a release agent.  When this happens, the epoxy bonds
extremely well with the reciever.  Later, if this bad situation
exists, when the barreled reciever is forced out of its bedding, any
metal areas whose release agent wax diluted will pull the stock wood
out with it.  Some folks have had this happen and really got upset
when a nice stock split and broke out as it was bonded to the metal.

Instead, scrape the oozed out epoxy off with a plastic knife or spoon.
Use lighter fluid to clean off the tools used and your hands.  If the
stock is well protected with masking tape, it's OK to let any epoxy on
it just harden.  It'll come off when you take the tape off the stock.

12. 24 hours after you left the curing epoxy, come back with your
rubber- faced mallet.  Before you use the mallet, remove the stock
screws with an Allen wrench.  They'll come out hard, but for sure if
you put wax on 'em.  Hold the stocked barrel/action upside down across
your lap.  With one hand holding the forend just in front of the
reciever, gently tap the underside of the barrel with the mallet.
This should start working the reciever loose from its bedding epoxy.
As soon as you see the barrel pointing up a bit higher than it was,
gently pull it up the rest of the way by hand.  The reciever will
slide out of the epoxy easily as it's nice and round.  The recoil lug
prevents full tilt-out, so you'll have to work the barreled action
back and forth to get it out.  After it's out, note the perfect fit in
every minute detail of where the reciever meets the bedding epoxy.

13. After admiring your perfect work for a while, start cleaning up
the stock.  Use the Mototool to trim the epoxy over flow and down into
the magazine and trigger ports.  Just make the epoxy surfaces look
just like the original stock looked like before you routed it out.  A
flat file will trim and smooth up the top edges around where the
reciever goes.  Rout out the part behind the cofferdam, too, being
sure to remove the part that touched the barrel.  Be sure all the
modeling clay is removed.

14. Clean up the metal by removing all the modeling clay and bolt way
filler.  After the metal parts are cleaned up, spray-clean the
complete reciever with carbeurator spray cleaner, then rinse with WD40
or something to prevent it rusting.  Put back the trigger and other
parts you removed.

15. Fit the metal to the stock, noting places where someting might not
clear.  Use the Mototool to remove epoxy so everything fits.  When
it's just right, put in the stock screws and torque them to about
60 inch/pounds.

16. Take your newly bedded rifle, some of your favorite ammo and
someone you want to impress to your nearest rifle range.  Enjoy!!!!!!!

 
-----------------

Hope this helps.  If you have concerns, question, etc., let me know.

BB

From: bartb@hpfcla.fc.hp.com (Bart Bobbit)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: bedding
Date: 24 Oct 1994 10:27:50 -0400

: Both materials are inert and the amount of expanision they will
: experience under normal varying temperatures will be negligible.

I don't think the expansion due to heat is all that important.  Having
removed tight-fitting receivers from epoxy bedded rifles when the
stock was at below zero and well warmed into the 90-degree range, the
same receiver had the same mount of friction comming out; at least as
close as I could tell.

: McMillian (the synthetic stock manufacturer) uses a compoun called
: Marinetex (spelling?), which is manufactured to repair fiberglass
: boats.  

Excellent stuff indeed.  I've used MarineTex and is about equal to Devcon
Plastic steel as far as I'm concerned.  

: However, I'm concerned about curing shrinkage 
: (the less the bedding shrinks the better).  Does anyone out there know
: anything about the relative shrinkage rates of Devcon vs Accuglas (or
: any other bedding compound)?  

Years ago, I ran some tests with a dozen or so epoxies to measure how
much they shrunk during curing/hardening.  I put two flat pieces of 
steel on each side two precision spacers (gage blocks) 1/10th of an
inch apart.  Using this setup with the epoxies, Devcon and MarineTex
shrank the least, Duro Steel-Filled Expoxy and Bisonite came in second
and both Accuraglas and Microbed came in a distant third.  

In addition, to the shrinkage test, I took each piece of epoxy, cleaned 
it good, then put a drop of different bore cleaners on them and let 'em
set for a couple of days.  I drug a weighted stylus over each one; the
Devcon had the shallowest groove; it was hardly scratched at all.  Duro,
Bisonite and MarineTex had noticeably deeper grooves.  Microbed and
AccuraGlas had the deepest grooves.  I though this was a good test to
determine which epoxy has the highest resistance to bore cleaners.

I don't think it's all that important to have the receiver really tight
in the epoxy.  Reasonably snug seems good enough.  [Goodness; such
relative terms!!!]  You'll probably get greater differences in accuracy
with the stock screws torqued to different amounts than differences in
how tight the epoxy is against the receiver.  

BB

From: dmc@io.org (Daniel Chisholm)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Bedding_Epoxy__What_Kind?_Where?
Date: 22 Dec 1995 07:13:11 -0500
Lines: 40

In article <4b71oj$8gg@portal.gmu.edu>,
Stephen Y Oliver <solive1@osf1.gmu.edu> wrote:

#The FAQ suggests "Devcon Plastic Steel", but I've searched high and low to
#no avail.
#
#Can anyone tell me where to find this epoxy, or suggest another and where
#to find it?

Look for it at industrial supply houses, or industrial fastener
companies.  It's somewhat pricey (about $32 for a pound here in
the Toronto, Canada area), but this is good for several rifles.  I
think it's also available in little squeeze tubes, but the unit
price is probably higher that way.

There are four different flavours that all work well.
	Devcon Plastic Steel
	Devcon Plastic Steel Putty
	Devcon Plastic Aluminum
	Devcon Plastic Aluminum Putty

The "Steel" is denser than the "Aluminum".  If you're building a target
rifle that may be close to a weight limit, the Aluminum is often
used.  It's more than stiff enough to do a good, durable job.  On
the other hand, if your rifle is a bit underweight, the steel may have
an advantage there.

Another advantage of the aluminum is that these epoxies are sold
by the pound - so you get more volume (== more rifles worth) of
aluminum per dollar than steel.

The "Putty" flavours are a bit less goopy, and many prefer them (it's
easier to do a nice job with them).  They aren't too stiff to
prevent a nice perfect fit to the rifle's action.

Be sure to use a good release agent.  I could tell stories... ;-)


- Daniel

From: bartb@hpfcla.fc.hp.com (Bart Bobbitt)
Subject: Re: Bedding a 375H+H
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Fort Collins Site

John S. Williams (jswillms@austin.ibm.com) wrote:

: How about some advise:

: 1. steel-bed with/without cross-bolts? (a walnut stock is being used)

I suggest the cross bolts.  They'll prevent the stock from splitting from
heavy recoil.  I even use them on my .308 Win. rifles.  Put one between
the trigger assembly cutout and the back of the magazine.  The other
goes between the front of the magazine and the front stock screw.  Epoxy
both in place with the same stuff you bed the rifle in.

: 2. acra-glass (plain/gel) with/without cross-bolts?

I don't recommend Acraglas; it's too brittle and subject to having several
air pockets.

: 3. Dev-Con (what kind to use?) with/without cross-bolts?

Devcon Plastic Steel is about the best one can use.  Rout out the stock
to clear the receiver by about 1/8 to 3/16 inch.

BB

From: bartb@hpfcla.fc.hp.com (Bart Bobbitt)
Subject: Re: Stock Bedding Epoxy.
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Fort Collins Site

Micro-Bed and Acraglas (sp?) tend to be too brittle for a top-quality
bedding job.  And they tend to have more voids inside than other epoxies
used.  Plus, they soften on the surface when most bore cleaners get
on them.  Dimensionally, they shrink the most of just about any stuff
used for epoxy bedding.  These two are not liked by highpower match
rifle builders.  These also change more dimensionally in temperature
changes than other stuff.  Their machinability is not too good; they
tend to chip quite a bit when a Dremel Mototool is used on 'em.

Bisonite is somewhat better.  It's less suseptable to softening by
bore cleaners and doesn't shrink during curing as much as Micro-Bed or
Acuraglas.  Dimensional changes due to temperature variations are
not very much.  Highpower match rifles do pretty good with this stuff.
Smallbore match rifles have also been built with this and the results
are good.  Machineability is pretty good.  And it's quite bubble-free.

The two epoxy compounds that shrink the least, and have the best
resistance to softening by bore cleaners is Devcon Plastic Steel (or
Aluminum) and Duro plastic steel.  Both have the least dimensional
change during curing and in temperature changes; Devcon has a slight
edge over Duro.  Machinability is excellent for both, but Duro tends
to gum a bit more due to its lower temperature rating. Marine Tex is
somewhat more expensive, but fits in well with Devcon and Duro.  The
most accurate highpower rifles I know of are bedded in Devcon.  I've
used Devcon plastic steel and aluminum (sometimes Duro) for 20 years
and am totally satisfied with the results.

Some 'smiths feel than one needs to double-bed a reciever.  Their
reasoning is that the shrinkage after the first job is enough to warrant
removing about 1/32nd of an inch, then bed the reciever once again.  I've
not done this.  One of my rifles bedded in 1978 with Devcon steel has
gone through 4 barrels; about 12,000 shots, total.  It shoots half MOA
through 600 yards with its present barrel and the original bedding was
only done once; no double-bedding.

Some years ago, I got several epoly kits used for bedding, including
Micro-Bed, Acraglas, Devcon, Duro, Marine Tex, Bisonite and some other
stuff.  I borrowed a set of Johannsen gage blocks and used the .10000-in.
one between two others as a test fixture.  Each type of expoxy was mixed
and put between the outside blocks so the tenth-inch section would be the
test dimension.  I used Simonize car wax, lightly applied and double buffed
to be the thinnest release-agent film I could get, then mixed and filled
the gap with each; one at a time.  Each tenth-inch test piece was then
measured for thickness compared to the middle gage block.  The Devcon
pieces (aluminum and steel) shrunk the least of all.  Duro was a close second
and tied with Marine Tex.  Bisonite was third.  Acraglas and Micro-Bed
shrunk about equally; both more than the other stuff tested.  Then each
was place horozontally and a drop of various bore cleaners was put on
each half-by-one-inch test piece and left there for 24 hours.  A hardened
steel stylus with and 8-ounce weight on it was put in each part where
the bore cleaner had set, then pulled about a quarter-inch across that
part.  Each test section was wiped clean and inspected for the width of
the groove left by the stylus.  The Devcon pieces had the narrowest one,
Marine Tex's was a tad wider, Bisonite a little more.  The widest grooves
were in Acraglas and Micro-Bed.

I did the above tests because there were so many opinions (few facts) on
the various epoxies used for `glass' bedding rifles.  I'll continue to
use Devcon; it's cheaper than Micro-Bed or Acraglas, Marine Tex and
Bisonite, shrinks less, more resistant to bore cleaners and makes my
rifles shoot just fine.

BB

From: bartb@hpfcla.fc.hp.com (Bart Bobbitt)
Subject: Re: Stock Bedding Epoxy.
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Fort Collins Site

Clark Towle Gunsmith (towle%gunner.dnet.dec.com@nntpd.lkg.dec.com) wrote
about getting rid of bubbles in some bedding epoxies:

: To get rid of the annoying
: bubbles in it, strain it through a hunk of panty hose then add the flocking
: and stir it in gently to avoid getting more bubbles.

Excellent idea; thanks for mentioning it.

Now wait just a darn minute, here.  I don't relish going into the
`unmentionables' section of a department store and asking what brand
of panty hose the saleslady recommends for use in building a rifle.
I kind of think she'd do something rash.  And I can just imagine what
she'ld tell her family about this dude (me) who came in and asked some
weird, kinky questions about panty hose.  Perhaps I should sneak into
our trash and fish out a pair my wife recently got rid of.  After all,
there are some things I won't do in public..................I do have
my limitations.

On the brighter side, I've used kitchen flour to thicken epoxies so
they can be moulded into various shapes.  Sometimes, the bedding job
goes easier when the epoxy ain't so darn runny; mixing in some flour
works well.  One of my match rifles is so bedded.  When asked what I
bedded it in, I answered to this new shooter I used Gold Medal Flour;
right out of our kitchen cabinet.  He then asked how much water I
mixed with it to make the paste.  That got me; he knew that folks oft
times made cheap glue this way, but he wanted to know how a rifle
could be bedded with it.  I had to explain the real process, then he
laughed with me about the whole situation.

Perhaps this has gone too far..........

BB

From: Gale McMillan <gale@mcmfamily.com>
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Accuracy Problem? Opinions!
Date: 11 Jun 1998 19:38:37 -0400

The_Skeptic_USA@Yahoo.com wrote:
#
# re: the rifle that shoots tight groups with occasional flyers out 5+ inches.
#
# Before spending any $$$, it might be wise to check the ammo out in another
# rifle.  Hard to imagine any ammo factors which would cause such wide flyers in
# conjunction with otherwise fine groups, but it *is* one variable to eliminate.
#
# Crown does sound like the best first step for mechanical problems.
#
# It's disappointing when you have one toy that doesn't perform like the rest,
# huh?
#
# T.S.

My bet is it is bedding that is causing the occasional flier. It is
sticking on the up stroke occasionally and when it sticks up the nest
shot will be a flier. Re bed it leaving the sides and front of the
recoil lug with clearance. Its not the crown because it will effect
every shot.
 Gale McMillan

From: Gale McMillan <gale@mcmfamily.com>
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Glass bedding?...Help..
Date: 15 Aug 1999 16:52:07 -0400

W Scholtes wrote:
 > ...

McMillan Fiber glass stocks 602-582-9635

Bedding Rem 700s



Disassemble the rifle and remove the trigger. Use child's modeling clay
to fill all recesses and pin holes, trigger slot and anywhere that the
epoxy might key the action into the stock when it hardens. I use
electrical tape to tape off the recoil lug with two layers of tape on
the sides, bottom and front side of the recoil lug. Tape off the barrel
with several layers of tape so that when finished there will be an even
free floating clearance between the barrel and the stock.  On the action
I run a layer of tape the length of the action so that the bottom is ¼
inch below centerline. On the port side I let the bottom of the tape run
just below the edge of the port. This gives clearance at the vertical
side so that the action can settle back to the bottom after the recoil
event. Inspect the barreled action to see if you have missed anything
and set it aside.

Use a Dremil handy grinder to rough up the area of  the  stock being
bedded making sure you remove any oil that has accumulated .If you don't
have a grinder you can use a chisel and scrape and ruff it up. Grind or
cut out the recoil slot to give at least an 1/8 inch of clearance all
around it. You should be careful to not grind the wood to the edge of
the stock as the bedding would show and be unsightly . When finished
gently place the barreled action into the stock and see that it will fit
to the bottom of the stock without binding. If it needs more relief do
it at this time.

Inspect the barreled action to make sure your tape is in place and has
not been peeled off where it contacted the stock during checking
clearances. If it is ok then using a soft bristled brush paint a coat of
Johnson paste wax ( available in any grocery store). Over the complete
barreled action including the inside of the action including in front of
the locking lugs. Set it aside for the wax to dry and wax the guard
screws making sure that the threads are waxed well and trigger guard and
set it aside to dry. Inspect the barreled action to see that you
liberally coated it with wax. If it is well waxed and dry use a soft rag
like a T shirt and lightly buff off the excess wax. Do the same with the
guard screws and trigger guard.

We use Marine tech  metal filled epoxy ( we have it in kits if you can't
find it any where else.) This works up to a consistency of lard and does
not run or migrate out of the area to be bedded. Hang the barreled
action in a vice holding it ahead of the stock. Using a Popsicle stick
put a thin coat of Marine tech all over the action and barrel that will
contact the stock. Turn the action so that it is upright in the vice.
Now put a liberal layer of epoxy into the stock where you want the
bedding to be including the barrel channel. Be generous with the epoxy
so that you are assured of having enough. I like to rub it into the
stock it insure good adhesion.  Now place the guard screws into the stock
and hold the stock up to the barreled action and start the guard screws.
Tighten one then the other till the action is nearly in place. Let it
set for 5 minutes to let the excess epoxy  to ozz out .then tighten the
screws just snug with the stock hanging free with no binding.

Now comes the clean up. You have plenty of time so don't panic. I use a
Popsicle stick sharpened like a chisel. With it I remove any bedding
material that has flowed up around the barrel and action. After the bulk
of the epoxy has been removed I switch to cotton swabs and kerosene with
a little oil to wash off all traces of the epoxy that shows above and
below the stock. Be sure you inspect the stock to make sure that there
is no epoxy in the checkering or on the stock. Do not worry about the
kerosene migrating into the bedding area. Leave it hang for 8 hours.

Remove the guard screws and with a mallet give the barrel a sharp rap on
the bottom in front of the stock forend. Use the bolt started into the
action or a rod that is nearly the size of the bolt to use as a handle
to lift the barreled  the barreled action up and out of the stock. Hold
the barrel in one hand just in front of the forend and with your thumb
pushing on the stock and the other hand on the bolt with the thumb
pressing on the but stock work the action up and out of the stock. You
may have to give it another rap with the mallet if it doesn't want to
come free.

Remove all the bedding material that is where it shouldn't be and remove
all the tape and using a sharpened stick carefully remove any epoxy
sticking to the barrel or action. Drill out the guard screw holes at
least two drill sized to give clearance so that the screws do not touch
the stock.

I have tried to give the important points and by using common sense you
won't get in trouble. You want the b&a to fall out of the stock when the
guard screws are removed and the stock is turned up side down

Model 70s are bedded tight in the action. That means the sides of the
action are not taped off and the stock grips the action on all vertical
sides

Mausers are bedded tight like a Mod.  70 except about 2 inches of the
barrel at the chamber should be bedded.

The Method I used on the mod 700 is with free floated barrel. If it
doesn't shoot up to your expectations put the barreled action in the
vice like you did when you bedded it and put a 3 lb. Weight on the front
sling swivel . put a small amount of Marine tech in the barrel channel
and screw the guard screws in this will give you 3 lbs. of forend
pressure on the barrel.

If you have small voids I do not try to fill them as it will cause high
spots and a bad bedding job. Just leave them or redo the entire job.

From: Gale McMillan <gale@mcmfamily.com>
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: To float or not to float, the barrel
Date: 3 May 1998 15:16:28 -0400

dana j shinn wrote:
#
# A while ago I posted a query about barrel floating and got no responses,
# so I am going to try again.  The shortened version this time.  After some
# years of building rifles, a customer asked me "Why do you float a barrel
# in a synthetic stock?"  I thought about it, and got no good answers.  The
# original reason to float a barrel was to relieve any chance of the stock
# moving and pressing on the barrel and changing the point of impact.
# Sythetic stocks don't move.  Basic physics tells you that when you
# pressure point a barrel, you shorten the moment of oscillation when the
# round is fired.  That should reduce the possible number of positions the
# muzzle might be when the bullet exits.  That should increase the inherent
# accuracy of the rifle.  Someone please provide a logical answer that
# support floating barrels in synthetic stocks.  I would be most interested.
# Dan (The Other One)
#
# ------------------------------------------------------------
# Dan (The Other One)
# shnhs@doitnow.com

A good barrel will shoot better free floated whereas some barrels
require 3 to 5 lbs of forend pressure to shoot well.This pressure bends
the barrel in an upward bow so that when the bullet starts down the
barrel it wants to go in a straight line so it forces the muzzle down
and the bullet exits the barrel at the same point of vibration
regardless of the velocity variation form shot to shot.when I stock a
rifle I always free float it and shoot it. If it doesn't shoot I then
bed the forend with pressure and shoot it again. Some times nothing will
help but some times it will make a poor shooter acceptable. The fact
that it is a fiberglass stock makes no difference because it is a barrel
funtion.I can go on and on about the merits of fiberglass but this
particular point is not one of them.
Gale McMillan  McMillan Fiberglass Stocks