stiffening a synthetic stock

[on_one_wheel]

Here's how I've gone about stiffening my Remington 700 synthetic stock.

As you may have noticed most factory synthetics are quite flexible, it's especially noticeable when using a bipod.

I would've used a solid piece of aluminum and screwed & glued it in place but that would mean going on a lengthy drive and spending money that would be better spent on buying a decent stock.

Instead I've used a piece of hard wood decking and glued it with maxi strength apoxy.
The wood was easily shaped using basic tools.

I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

2016-04-28 13.57.56.jpg (240.78 KiB) Viewed 4270 times

All shaped up

2016-04-28 13.58.42.jpg (256.96 KiB) Viewed 4270 times

Trial fit, snug but not tight. ( room for glue )

2016-04-28 13.59.26.jpg (239.26 KiB) Viewed 4270 times

A whole tube of glue mixed in place, just enough

2016-04-28 14.00.19.jpg (380.01 KiB) Viewed 4270 times

Squeezed into place, just pushed home and hekd there with clamps.

2016-04-28 14.00.50.jpg (365.21 KiB) Viewed 4270 times

A quick clean up

2016-04-28 14.01.17.jpg (359.48 KiB) Viewed 4270 times

This stuff will take at least a day to harden, and full strength will take a couple of days.

Once it's hardened up I'll trial fitthe action and barrel, I may need to do some further shaping to ensure proper clearances.
I'll let you all know how well it worked in a few days once it's cured.

[Mr.Seacucumber]

Thats awesome I was way to lazy and just bought a boyd, but I guess I could always do this to the old stock. Let us know how it goes!

[Homer]

G'Day Fella's,

OOW, I did something similar but with 12mm Dia (OD), Aluminium tube!
Worked a treat also!!!

Doh!
Homer

[on_one_wheel]

I've given the glue plenty of time to cure now, trial fttted the action / barrel, shaped the wood to clear the barrel properly and now it's time for the verdict.

With the action properly torqued down there is some improved rigidity in the forestock. There is zero flex in the section with the timber insert but where the recoil lug locates in the stock seems to be the problem area. I suspect if I put the stock over my knee and snapped it this is exactly where it would snap ... the good old destructive test.

I now think that this area was most likely the main cause of the flex prior to the modification, given the little amount of material through this part of the stock it will be virtually impossible to strengthen it internally.I recon the only way to do it would be to make up some aluminum plates that run from the action area right down each side of the fore end, glued & screwed to stop the fkex around the weak recoil lug area ... something that would take some time to make it look right.

Overall I'm convinced there is some improvement but it's still not quite up to my standards.

In the next few weeks I'll have it all finished, I just need to add an adjustable cheek rest which will require some filling of the stocks butt , I'll develop a load and see how it shoots.

[Gwion]

I There is zero flex in the section with the timber insert but where the recoil lug locates in the stock seems to be the problem area.

This is always going to be a problem area. I attempted to address this on my Howa Hogue stock by doing the stock stabilisation and action bedding at the same time. I ordered some carbon fiber tape to create the stabilising matrix.
Prior to bedding and stabilising, i removed all the plastic baffles and quite a bit of material from the action inletting.
After keying the surfaces thoroughly, a bit of acetone removed any residues before applying a thin layer of carbon fiber tape, all the way along the action rails and along to the fore-end.
The tape is wetted down with more resin and another layer added. Add as many layers as you think will not affect fit for the metal work. You can go nuts in the fore-end channel.
Once you have enough of a matix layed in, go about your bedding as per usual, obviously taping and applying release agent to any areas you don't want stuck down. In fact, a few good layers of tape on the barrel and plenty of release agent and you should end up with a well floated barrel in a fully stabilised barrel channel.

I found this greatly reduced the amount of flex in the problem area mentioned. You could do the bedding and stabilising as two seperate operations but the mechanical bond between the two jobs will never be as effective and stiff as a chemical bond of an integrated unit. It's a bit fiddly but works pretty well. Carbon fiber tape can be ordered online very cheaply and posted for next to nothing. The whole job cost me about $50-70 including buying proprietary epoxy bedding compounds.

[CantThinkOfAName]

I There is zero flex in the section with the timber insert but where the recoil lug locates in the stock seems to be the problem area.

The whole job cost me about $50-70 including buying proprietary epoxy bedding compounds.

Did you order the compounds from http://www.ballisticstudies.com/ by any chance? I'm thinking about buying from them, they're based in New Zealand so the shipping isn't so bad.

http://www.ballisticstudies.com/shop/Ma ... +Kit.html#

http://www.ballisticstudies.com/shop/Ma ... ound.html#

[Gwion]

I There is zero flex in the section with the timber insert but where the recoil lug locates in the stock seems to be the problem area.

The whole job cost me about $50-70 including buying proprietary epoxy bedding compounds.

Did you order the compounds from http://www.ballisticstudies.com/ by any chance? I'm thinking about buying from them, they're based in New Zealand so the shipping isn't so bad.

http://www.ballisticstudies.com/shop/Ma ... +Kit.html#

http://www.ballisticstudies.com/shop/Ma ... ound.html#

Yep. Used those products a few times now to good effect.

[huccl]

Good stuff