Glass Bedding the Remington 700 Rifle

This rifle has a McMillan A-5 stock, a 40X scope, and a lot more . . . .

      This is an early Remington 700 that I bought back in 1966.   It was originally chambered for .22-250 Rem. and it was a great shooter back in the day.   However, it has fired countless thousands of rounds since then, and this is the second time I've rebarreled it.   This rifle now has a stainless steel, Douglas XX heavy barrel chambered for .308 Win.   l added a 30mm variable scope.   It's a 10-40x Osprey with a 50mm front lens.   This rifle also has a blueprinted action, aluminum pillar bedding and a tight neck chamber.   With a good glass bedding job, this will be a hard rifle to beat on targets out to 800 yards.

      "Glass bedding" is the most common term used to describe the procedure of accurately fitting a barrelled action to a particular stock.   This bedding is most effective if the stock also has aluminum pillars installed.   The bedding process usually involves some type of epoxy that fills even the smallest spaces between the stock and the action.   This provides an incredibly close fit that ensures a rigid platform.   When done correctly, the rifle will vibrate in a consistent manner during each shot.   The aluminum pillars allow the action to be bolted down tighter without compressing the stock.

      This is a project that goes well if you really pay attention to the details.   Preparation work must be done without compromise.   You need to use non-drying modeling clay, styrofoam blocks, and tape to prevent the bedding material from squishing out and going everywhere.

      This stock is held in a clamping fixture.   Bedding a rifle is much easier when you make sure that everything you need is within an arms reach - before you get started.   Most modern bedding compounds have plenty of working time before it starts to harden.   I prefer to use Devcon Aluminum, because it is user friendly and always leaves you with great results.

      Notice how the putty is positioned to limit the movement of the bedding compound.   The magazine cutout needs to be filled with some material (I use styrofoam blocks and putty).   The trigger needs to be removed, and all non-contact recessed areas (in the stock and the action) must be filled with modeling clay or tape.

      The action screws need to be coated with release agent.   Better yet, use a set of "extra" action screws.   If you forget to coat these screws with release agent . . . . your rifle may be permanently glued together.   Pay attention to the details.

I use painters tape to hold the barreled action in place.

      After scooping enough bedding compound into the stock, I tighten the action screws to force the bedding compound to every area that it can reach.   I Then wrap the action with a non-stretch tape to hold the barreled action in place.   The actions screws need to be kept in position only to maintain rotational alignment.   Then loosen the screws and let the tape hold the action in place.   There should be no "pressure" holding things in place while the bedding material is drying.   I wipe off the extra bedding compound with small pieces of paper towel that has absorbed a few drops of Kroil.   This will wipe the wet bedding compound cleanly without leaving any residue or affecting the stock finish.

      This rifle is a Rem 700 ADL Model.   It's a 5 shot repeater with a blind magazine.   During re-assembly, be sure to avoid pinching the magazine spring under the box magazine.   Make sure the magazine fits properly and doesn't obstruct your bedding.

      I bedded this action from the rear tang to about 2 inches ahead of the recoil lug.   I prefer to relieve the area on the sides, in front, and below the recoil lug.   This rifle will have 10 inches of contact with the bedding surface.   During re-assembly, be sure that your trigger mechanism doesn't make contact anywhere on the stock or trigger gaurd.

      Notice that the slight gap on each side of the forearm.   This job isn't complete until both sides are uniform.   There's no need to make this a huge ugly looking gap, but you should be able to hold the rifle upright and smack the stock with your hand without hearing it contact the barrel.

      The wide forearm on this stock is a great feature.   It allows you to shoot tight groups more easily when shooting from a sand bag rest, because it helps prevent the rifle from twisting during recoil.

      When replacing a rifle stock (or even when just bedding a rifle), be sure to examine the action screws to see if they are still the correct length.

      This rifle has a picatinney scope base that adds an "extra" 20 Minutes of angle (MOA) to your vertical scope adjustment.   When shooting long range, your scope will quickly run out of elevation adjustment if you don't use a base like this.