I had a bought a rifle off SH for the AICS on another 40x/22lr project and decided to give the leftover barreled action a home. It is a 20" tube and with that and everything else; the project really only shares M40 traits by color. The inspiration and help came from members of this website so I thought I would share the results. It was fun and I learned a ton in the process. This was my first time pillar bedding a rifle so I had a allot of nervousness and photoed as many steps as I could in the process. Maybe it will shoot like ass, who knows. It took a few weeks in progress and I am very excited to get it together. A few hiccups along the way but nuttin major (if it shoots).
Another SH member <span style="font-weight: bold">Angry Pirate</span> posted a similar project and I thank him for posting the detailed process and ideas.
MANY Thanks also goes out to <span style="font-weight: bold">William Roscoe (wnroscoe)</span> for his bedding thread and personal help with questions when I had got stuck and nervous on the project. One question quickly turned to several. Thank you William for your patience and time.
I have also kept on on <span style="font-weight: bold">HATECA's</span> input on stock bedding along with his website DIY. And Randy has helped me out allot in the past.
Feel free (any of you) to point out fuck ups or if you want your name not associated with this.
I left the pics linked and for better or worse included quite a few.
Stock Prep:
The stock is from Numrich, just like the Angry Pirate's (thanks for the PN) and ran about $160.
I rounded the front forend to match, milled out the recoil lug area (i went alittle TOO wide), and drilled out for the pillars. I used a drill press and floated the stock to let the original hole pilot while gritting teeth.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1563.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1566.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1569.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1574.jpg
Pillar Pre-fit:
The bit did'nt wander to bad in the above step but a seeming ill practice on my part. I hacked the pillars close with a end-mill squaring off the end of the mill bit. Note the chuck.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1571.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1573.jpg
After the pillars were set I had to do some minor relieving in the inlet around the tang area to get it all level/square. I had to round file the rear pillar hole towards the muzzle to gain adequate final fit/clearance. Not sure how to do that with a fiberglass stock. The tape on the barrel was key to setting fit along with the indicators pointed out here.
. I spent a few slow hours on that.
Stock Finish:
Stripped and refinished the stock in Boiled Linseed Oil. I researched that vs. Tung and the BLO was way cheaper by the gallon. I didn't read of any clear winner between the two.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1575.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1576.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1577.jpg
Final Bedding Prep:
One of the few things that old metal lathe can still do. Measure-cut, and measure-cut, as I am not real keen on operation. My father (machinist) helped me out on the best tool approach and some slick manual operation. I found it easier in the end to measure needed depth (in stock) while increasing close and in the future steps only removed about 10-20 thousands max and a time to keep from fucking-up. I went as slow as I could not this and waited a week to resume.
I also opted to fill allot of the trigger inlet with clay. I think it worked out OK in the end but was a PITA to remove.
The blue painters table seems to flex and adhere better then decent 3M masking tape. I tried to roll it around the top of the stock, about 50mil into the interior to keep the flashing easier to remove.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1579.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1581.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1584.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1585.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1586.jpg
BM prep:
I sanded the BM on metal sand paper off a marble stone to flatten it out. My main concern from research was that I could not get it back out. I wasn't sure on bedding the BM in one-step but that Rem BM is soft. I thought it should help to keep everything square.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1637.jpg
Bedding:
I used Marine Tex, is there anything faster in cure?
The WD-40 for cleanup worked great.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1587.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1588.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1590.jpg
Bedding Cure:
I hand snugged the action screws (coated with release agent) to squash the epoxy on the bottom. I removed the excess first and just wanted enough around the pillars. I tried not to have to many beers waiting....and kept busy prepping the oven.
The Brownell's release agent worked great and everything came apart real easy. A few knocks with a shop rag tapped over a rubber mallet. About that time a friend stopped over and asked what I was doing. He didn't think that a large mallet was going to make any rifle more accurate.
Results of bedding:
Top: I had a good fuck-up while knife trimming the tape off the top. I took a sliver in wood grain out of the top of the stock with the X-acto. I was able to fix/hide it by sanding the line down with a block and later re-finishing the stock when I was done bedding and inletting. You can see it in pic #1600. Arg...time to sand.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1600.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1621.jpg
Bottom:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1636.jpg
Hand inletting:
The rest wasn't bad for a frikken Dremel and a drill bit. I was going to use the manual end-mill but opted to try the Dremel first and it seemed to co-operate well. Better then my X-Y mill manipulation. The softer clay under the safety region seemed to help me from getting too out-of-control.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_2262.jpg
Scope:
I didn't get any pics of the scope in progress. It's a cheap Redfield Revolution 3-9x40 "accu-range" I got from SWFA. I coated it in Duracoat OD Green with a additive to add flatness. I had given it a 2 week room-temp cure. I am more keen on the coating vs. the bedding and started with what I am more comfortable in.
Metal Coating:
I coated the barreled action in Norrell's Greyish-Black to try to simulate a parkerized finish.
The BM, optic mount and bolt is coated in Norrell's Flat Black. I forgot what a PITA those Loopy mounts are. I had ordered the wrong ones only to discover when ready to coat the barreled action. After correcting...They came out of the package rusty (matte) and I hate both the dovetail and the windage mount. I had thought I was done ever using those mounts. I almost opted to use a set of Mk4s I had extra but wanted to keep with the "image". So the mounts got coated separate and last.
The oven is also a work in progress.... Right now it is still just a cheap gunsafe with 4kW's worth of electric burner. It easily kept 300-350F with three thermometers monitoring it. I had to separate the 120V feeds to separate circuits. I think I want to go back to the vertical style. A vertical (hung) barreled action is so much easier to handle in and out of the oven. Norrell's is more forgiving in handling vs. other coatings... I'll hate it more later.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1640.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1641.jpg
End product:
I am happy with the visual results, and excited to see it together. I'll shoot it soon.
Thanks again to SH members and all the help the info!
Another SH member <span style="font-weight: bold">Angry Pirate</span> posted a similar project and I thank him for posting the detailed process and ideas.
MANY Thanks also goes out to <span style="font-weight: bold">William Roscoe (wnroscoe)</span> for his bedding thread and personal help with questions when I had got stuck and nervous on the project. One question quickly turned to several. Thank you William for your patience and time.
I have also kept on on <span style="font-weight: bold">HATECA's</span> input on stock bedding along with his website DIY. And Randy has helped me out allot in the past.
Feel free (any of you) to point out fuck ups or if you want your name not associated with this.
I left the pics linked and for better or worse included quite a few.
Stock Prep:
The stock is from Numrich, just like the Angry Pirate's (thanks for the PN) and ran about $160.
I rounded the front forend to match, milled out the recoil lug area (i went alittle TOO wide), and drilled out for the pillars. I used a drill press and floated the stock to let the original hole pilot while gritting teeth.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1563.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1566.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1569.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1574.jpg
Pillar Pre-fit:
The bit did'nt wander to bad in the above step but a seeming ill practice on my part. I hacked the pillars close with a end-mill squaring off the end of the mill bit. Note the chuck.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1571.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1573.jpg
After the pillars were set I had to do some minor relieving in the inlet around the tang area to get it all level/square. I had to round file the rear pillar hole towards the muzzle to gain adequate final fit/clearance. Not sure how to do that with a fiberglass stock. The tape on the barrel was key to setting fit along with the indicators pointed out here.
Stock Finish:
Stripped and refinished the stock in Boiled Linseed Oil. I researched that vs. Tung and the BLO was way cheaper by the gallon. I didn't read of any clear winner between the two.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1575.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1576.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1577.jpg
Final Bedding Prep:
One of the few things that old metal lathe can still do. Measure-cut, and measure-cut, as I am not real keen on operation. My father (machinist) helped me out on the best tool approach and some slick manual operation. I found it easier in the end to measure needed depth (in stock) while increasing close and in the future steps only removed about 10-20 thousands max and a time to keep from fucking-up. I went as slow as I could not this and waited a week to resume.
I also opted to fill allot of the trigger inlet with clay. I think it worked out OK in the end but was a PITA to remove.
The blue painters table seems to flex and adhere better then decent 3M masking tape. I tried to roll it around the top of the stock, about 50mil into the interior to keep the flashing easier to remove.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1579.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1581.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1584.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1585.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1586.jpg
BM prep:
I sanded the BM on metal sand paper off a marble stone to flatten it out. My main concern from research was that I could not get it back out. I wasn't sure on bedding the BM in one-step but that Rem BM is soft. I thought it should help to keep everything square.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1637.jpg
Bedding:
I used Marine Tex, is there anything faster in cure?
The WD-40 for cleanup worked great.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1587.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1588.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1590.jpg
Bedding Cure:
I hand snugged the action screws (coated with release agent) to squash the epoxy on the bottom. I removed the excess first and just wanted enough around the pillars. I tried not to have to many beers waiting....and kept busy prepping the oven.
The Brownell's release agent worked great and everything came apart real easy. A few knocks with a shop rag tapped over a rubber mallet. About that time a friend stopped over and asked what I was doing. He didn't think that a large mallet was going to make any rifle more accurate.
Results of bedding:
Top: I had a good fuck-up while knife trimming the tape off the top. I took a sliver in wood grain out of the top of the stock with the X-acto. I was able to fix/hide it by sanding the line down with a block and later re-finishing the stock when I was done bedding and inletting. You can see it in pic #1600. Arg...time to sand.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1600.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1621.jpg
Bottom:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1636.jpg
Hand inletting:
The rest wasn't bad for a frikken Dremel and a drill bit. I was going to use the manual end-mill but opted to try the Dremel first and it seemed to co-operate well. Better then my X-Y mill manipulation. The softer clay under the safety region seemed to help me from getting too out-of-control.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_2262.jpg
Scope:
I didn't get any pics of the scope in progress. It's a cheap Redfield Revolution 3-9x40 "accu-range" I got from SWFA. I coated it in Duracoat OD Green with a additive to add flatness. I had given it a 2 week room-temp cure. I am more keen on the coating vs. the bedding and started with what I am more comfortable in.
Metal Coating:
I coated the barreled action in Norrell's Greyish-Black to try to simulate a parkerized finish.
The BM, optic mount and bolt is coated in Norrell's Flat Black. I forgot what a PITA those Loopy mounts are. I had ordered the wrong ones only to discover when ready to coat the barreled action. After correcting...They came out of the package rusty (matte) and I hate both the dovetail and the windage mount. I had thought I was done ever using those mounts. I almost opted to use a set of Mk4s I had extra but wanted to keep with the "image". So the mounts got coated separate and last.
The oven is also a work in progress.... Right now it is still just a cheap gunsafe with 4kW's worth of electric burner. It easily kept 300-350F with three thermometers monitoring it. I had to separate the 120V feeds to separate circuits. I think I want to go back to the vertical style. A vertical (hung) barreled action is so much easier to handle in and out of the oven. Norrell's is more forgiving in handling vs. other coatings... I'll hate it more later.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1640.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/USMC%20M700/IMG_1641.jpg
End product:
I am happy with the visual results, and excited to see it together. I'll shoot it soon.
Thanks again to SH members and all the help the info!
)
