getting a parker hale to shoot

[northdude]

So I picked up a parker hale cheap as owner said he couldn't get it to shoot. How bad could it be I thought. Took it out to a farm I use with some 85gn handloads and tried sighting it in and see how it grouped. I was shooting with a cool barrel at 50m as there were cows where we shoot at 100m. The groups started at 2" and slowly got bigger and bigger. so back home with it and through the week had it apart and checked the usual things bases, rings, had a look at the stock and noticed a crushed fiber washer under the tang, also noticed that it has a pressure point at the end of the stock.so while I had it out of the stock I replaced fiber washer with a steel one and put some shim steel under the front of the action to float the barrel to see if it made any difference. Back the next weekend for another try with 2 different had loads and at 100m this time. the 85gn load shot 2" this time. I also had some 80gn loads first group went 3/4" and the next one went 1", then groups started getting bigger again So back home for another look at it I think I've found the problem the thread in the recoil lug is a bit f@#ked and although the screw is tightening up it doesn't tighten up enough. At the moment I'm trying to find a tap to tidy it up, Which brings me to a question. There's plenty about bedding on the internet and I've never done it before but thinking of bedding this as well. There's so many different ideas, any tips on bedding a mauser action?

[Wm.Traynor]

Firstly, your comments about the thread in the recoil lug lead me to anticipate vertical dispersion in the groups, if the front take-down bolts loosens during firing.

However, my process is as follows...........
1) Bed under the chamber for 11/2" Float the rest.
2) The recoil lug should be bedded at its rear/butt end. Float the rest.
3) Bed the flat behind the recoil lug. The action should float for all but a half moon of compound at the rear of the tang.
4) Bed the floor plate in the same fashion as the action tang. That is half moons of compound at the front and rear of the the entire floorplate and float the rest.
Good Luck

[northdude]

Thanks for that. How about the spacer tube in the stock that the rear screw goes through do you glue that into the stock?

[Wm.Traynor]

Thanks for that. How about the spacer tube in the stock that the rear screw goes through do you glue that into the stock?

I used to omit it altogether and to tell the truth, had completely forgotten that detail

[JohnV]

Just to clarify what Traynor said , you bed underneath the recoil lug because the front action screw goes into the base of the lug and pulls it down on a 98 style lug. It's totally opposite to how you treat a Rem 700. Put two layers of tape on the front and sides of the recoil lug only , cut neatly at the edges of the metal .
I would tend to pillar bed it with alloy pillars into acraglass or similar bedding bog . Before you do anything put two collars of tape wrapping on the barrel so that it will locate the barrel and action at the original height in the stock . Prepare the stock inside as normal but leave a small flat of stock material at the back of the tang so it also locates at the original height in the stock . This is important because you don't want the action sagging down into the bedding bog because you have removed stock material to make room for the bedding bog . Don't overdo it inside 1/8 th of an inch or less is plenty and only remove a very thin amount at the upper visible edge of the stock along the sides of the action , this is where it has to be precisely straight and thin so it does not look ugly or rough . If you can't do that then don't cut any away , keep the original inlet and keep the bedding material below the stock edges . Make the pillars a few mm too long and after the job is all hard you can mill the end of the pillars down to a neat flush fit against the stock in the bottom metal channel . Set the gun up flat and square in a drill press and use a high speed steel end mill in the chuck .
You fit the pillars to the action with the action screws and tape over the screw heads . Cover the action metals parts with release agent but nothing on the pillars . Carefully put release agent along the edges and sides of the stock where any material could ooze out .
Apply enough bog into and around the inside of the stock so some will have to ooze out . Fully tape the trigger so no bog gets inside it . Bed to just in front of the front ring about 1 1/2 inch . You can make a plasticine barrier so that when the barrel goes in it pushes down on the plasticine and makes a seal to stop the bedding material going too far forward . Once the action and barrel is pressed gently down to it's full depth and sitting at the original factory inletted position , you can then wrap masking tape around the front and rear of the action to keep it in place but just firm don't go crazy . Don't use any kind of clamps as that will introduce stress on the action . The barrel is already sitting on two tape collars and the tang sitting on a small spot of original stock . So you don't want to sag the action between those support points with too much pressure , it's quite easy to bend either the metalwork or the stock . Clean up any excessive bedding bog that has come out making sure you do not wipe it onto any area that does not have release agent . If all is well set it aside to cure. have a small amount of bog on a plastic lid so you can monitor the hardening . When it gets hard enough to not deform easily with the point of a screw driver but it's not fully rock hard then you can remove the action screws and remove the barreled action from the stock . With the muzzle pointing up grasp the barrel near the forend in one hand and the stock forend in the other and pull GENTLY apart . It should just pop out , if not try a few more pulls . If not get a rubber wedge or a piece of rubber that you can jamb between the forend and the barrel . This usually takes two people . One to pull the sock and barrel apart and the other to jam in the rubber . Once the rubber is putting outward pressure on the stock let it sit like that for an hour. If it has not parted company already give it some more pulls apart but be careful as you can split a stock . If it still won't budge jam the rubber in deeper and get a rubber hammer and tap gently all around the sides of the stock near the action . I have never had to go that far on my own guns but did it for a mate and eventually it came out . That is why it's vitally important to get the right clearances around the recoil lug and to do a thorough job of apply the release agent and pull it out before it goes rock hard .
Ok once the barreled action is out you then clean up all the excess bedding bog that oozed out on the stock and any on the metalwork . Then remove the tape collars off the barrel , tape off the recoil lug and trigger tape , bolt the action back into the stock and leave the gun standing on it's muzzle for a few days to fully cure . Once fully hard you can take it out again easily and then mill down the pillars flat to the stock . Some people read up on how to bed a Rem 700 and then apply it to a Mauser 98 style , it don't work . I am not sure if later model Parker Hales like the Midland changed the recoil lug design . If so then these instructions may need to be modified . You will need to show an image of the underside of your action to be sure of what kind of recoil lug it has . Early Parker Hales with a Santa Barbara action were the basic Mauser 98 lug but without the small thread extension tit on the bottom if I remember correctly . The problem with using the original Mauser steel loose pillar is it may not be long enough to get down to being flat with the stock at the bottom metal inletting . This can happen if the front of the action beds a tad high which is common and no problem if the new pillars are a bit long and then milled back . Also it's steel and it will rust inside the bedding material and one day come loose .
That's the short instructions from memory . If the thread is stripped inside the recoil lug then you will need to either tap it out to a larger size screw or install a thread repair coil .
When making pillars make sure there is a good clearance between the action bolt and the pillar hole . Say 1.5 mm all around . Also the outer surface should have a few grooved to hold in the bog .
The reason for this is that when the gun recoils the only place it should find it's battery position is on the rear face of the recoil lug . No other place should arrest any slight reward thrust . Not even behind the tang which should also have a slight clearance at it's rear circular sector vertical face .

[northdude]

This tap is proving hard to come buy but Ive found a place in aussie that sells them..