Gunsmithing sps stock alterations.....

armymedic.2

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Minuteman
Jan 23, 2008
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upstate ny
So I got my sps a few months ago, and so far (besides bipod sling paint scope....)i have added a monopod in the back of my own design. I welded up a carraige bolt with round steel stock, welded beads on it for grip and it came out pretty darn good (after much effort to reinforce the inside of the hollow stock to keep the threaded section in the stock which allows for the adjustments in place during recoil)

I told you that story to tell you this one....I was thinking about pillar bedding it in the original stock because of all the effort i went through for the monopod, and i am wondering if anyone has done it, and was it stiff enough to free float the barrel after? Was it worth it in gains?

Thanks in advance.
 
Re: sps stock alterations.....

I bedded steel barstock in the forearm of mine to stiffen it up a little until I could afford a Bell and Carlson. I never made it to the action portion though for bedding. I used the Miles Gilbert kit from Midway and scuffed the stock really good before bedding. It seemed to adhere well. My barrel was floated when I was done, but it was a lot of work to get it to shoot the way it was supposed to from the factory. The B&C was 2 bolts and $215 and was floated, and had a stiff forearm and vertical grip.
 
Re: sps stock alterations.....

Appreciate yoiu let me know it was possible. Believe me if the stock money was available i would probably just do it. Thanks for the reply- and yes, why in the sam hell doesn't it just shoot......my savage sure did..........
 
Re: sps stock alterations.....

Armymedic... Yes it does work, but the pillar bedding is not your main problem for making the barrel free float. The main problem with the stock is that the forend of the stock is bending from the pressure put on it because of the bipod. The best way and cheapest, is to fill the forend of the stock with something. I have used fiberglass resin, and filled the barrel channel to the top of the ribs. The resin dries smooth as glass and looks pretty good in the end. On your question about the pillar bedding, this can be done but you need a drill press. The pillars will help prevent stock crush, and stabilize the action better, but your forend will still bend and touch the barrel. If you have any questions let me know... I'd be happy to help with any info I have.
 
Re: sps stock alterations.....

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BlueFalcon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Armymedic... Yes it does work, but the pillar bedding is not your main problem for making the barrel free float. The main problem with the stock is that the forend of the stock is bending from the pressure put on it because of the bipod. The best way and cheapest, is to fill the forend of the stock with something. I have used fiberglass resin, and filled the barrel channel to the top of the ribs. The resin dries smooth as glass and looks pretty good in the end. On your question about the pillar bedding, this can be done but you need a drill press. The pillars will help prevent stock crush, and stabilize the action better, but your forend will still bend and touch the barrel. If you have any questions let me know... I'd be happy to help with any info I have. </div></div>

They mention about the forend touching on http://www.snipercentral.com/spstactical.htm (Dont know if hyperlinking this site is a no-no on here) but they never mentioned anything about a fix. I figured on eventually getting a B&C anywways but in the meantime this might be a quick fix. How much did it cost and do you have any pics?
 
Re: sps stock alterations.....

Ok so this thread got me thinking, it might be a while till I could get a B&C stock so to upgrade the regular stock which of these would be possible:

- Beding the forend: As mentioned, can be done and works

- Adding weight to the hollow buttstock: Would this help any? Would you add lead shot and seat it with the same epoxy?

- Pillar/Glass beding: Would it make a difference with this stock?

- An adjustable buttplate: ... kinda just curious if something like this would work and be doable http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=30788/sku/Adjustable_Butt_Plate

- Adjustable Karsten cheek piece: Why not?

- Rear monopod: I'm a newb here and to the bolt action scene so I kinda need to be schooled on how well one of these would fit onto the SPS stock

- Textured grip: How well would it stick to the stock and would it be an improvment (I like the way it looks in all black with a two tone paint job)

Again, I'm kinda new and just trying to get some ideas for when I get back from this deployment.
 
Re: sps stock alterations.....

Just one question for you.... Why the hell would you put a $150 LOP kit, $60 Karsten's cheek piece, $25 pillars, and probably $20 worth of Devcon into a plastic stock? It seems to me that if you can afford to spend $255+ on stuff for a plastic stock, you can afford the $207 Bell and Carlson.
 
Re: sps stock alterations.....

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Brad from ND</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Just one question for you.... Why the hell would you put a $150 LOP kit, $60 Karsten's cheek piece, $25 pillars, and probably $20 worth of Devcon into a plastic stock? It seems to me that if you can afford to spend $255+ on stuff for a plastic stock, you can afford the $207 Bell and Carlson.</div></div>

Just kinda curious what COULD be done to the stock. And the B&C stock I want to put on mine is the tactical medalist A5. http://www.stockysstocks.com/servlet/the-108/mcmillan-a5-stock-tactical/Detail so it's about 400
smirk.gif

Altho I honestly wouldnt mind doing half of those just for the experience. The grip and beding the forend I'll probably do the week I get back. And the weight in the back I figure I'll mess around with to see if I like how it feels.

The LOP kit was kind of a stretch but I am curious to know if anyone has done it tho.
 
Re: sps stock alterations.....

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Switchblade</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Eat raman and save the excess chow money for a McMillan HTG, an eagle stock pack and be done with it. If the rifle doesn't shoot well, check the trigger nut. It may well need some adjustment to fire correctly and make 1/2MOA groups </div></div>

Looked at the Mcmillan stocks and I like them but as thinking of something with adjustable LOP and cheek weld to teach the wife how to shoot on it as well (she has her own AR so a 308 won't be her first time behind a trigger.) I was wondering if there was a way to get a stock pack onto the adjustable stocks tho.

Again, I'm a newb, and only going off of online research for now but to me the adjustable stocks seem much more versatile.

First couple of months pay will be going to ammo (trigger time) and a couple of tax stamps that I have waiting on me back home. It's been hard enough convincing the wife that a perfectly good rifle NEEDS a $400 stock.
 
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I will say this much. My father has the sps in the original hoage stock still. Mine is in a B&C stock. He still shoots as good as mine and yesterday for the thierd time sence he's had the rifle went under .2" at 100 for five shots. Yesterday was his best at .161". We got very lucky and got a great batch of rifles from remmy.
 
Re: sps stock alterations.....

I understand you wanting to do these things for experience for the future. I would think pillar bedding would definitely help. You could bed arrow shafts in the forearm to help stiffen that up. If I remember correctly, those sps stocks have "strengthening" fins ahead of the action. Cut slots through them so the arrow shafts fit into them and bed it all. When you relieve the stock to float it, just make sure you relieve plenty so even if the stock does flex from your bipod, it still doesn't touch.
 
Re: sps stock alterations.....

when I bought my SPS, a buddie and I took the buttpad off and filled the majority of the space with spray foam. after it dried i put 3 1/2 lbs of lead fish weights in the very rear and spray foamed them in. It reduced recoil quite a bit and helped balance out the rifle. then i just took a dowel and sandpaper and removed alot of the material from the forstock to free float it. seems to work for me. i do plan on getting a nicer stock, but i like to tinker and didnt have the cash. maybe this will help you. just thought i would share