Hi everyone,

I'm planning on free-floating the barrel on my New Frontier Cascade Mag. .45 cal this weekend and I'm looking for some advice from those of you who have done this before. I'm planning on using rubber washers or cut aluminum shims to do it as opposed to filing down the stock. Here is a pic of how the barrel beds into the stock. My finger is pointing at where the lug/bolt comes into the stock. There's only one bolt on this rifle.

I don't know how to insert multiple pictures into one post, so I'm doing it in several. In this pic, my 2 finger are pointing to where the barrel rests into 2 pockets that are on either side of where the bolt is.

Here is how the action inserts into the stock:







As you can see - there is a square base attached to the bottom of the barrel that the bolt screws into. I could put a rubber washer on that square base to raise the barrel, but I'm afraid that the only point of contact will only be that base and it will be too unstable.

My plan as of now is to cut some aluminum shims to put in the pocket forward of where the base is to raise the barrel so it doesn't touch the stock from that point forward.

Do you think this is a good idea? Any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Just get a pop can, cut out an assortment of shims and put those in the hollow areas where the barrel lug"s" sit.

If theres material touching your barrel on the sides, that material needs to be removed.

http://www.gbofreeforums.info/ThePow...topic.php?t=17

Thanks gander!

IMO since you only have one stock screw you are going to create more problems than you will ever solve. It obviously takes two points or more for the action to rest upon, and with one screw you can not pick those points with screw pressure, the stock will pick those points.

Again IMO the only way to do want you want to do is to build up the stock with bedding compound, and fully bed the action. that is the only way you can control the pressure points on your action, as well as the pressure points on your barrel.

This is just my opinion(as I stated), but I have done this before, and bedding the action has always given me good results. Your other option is Pillar bedding, but I do not know how you would do that with just one screw??? Tom.

oldsmellhoundThere are 6 different way [commen ones] that a rifle can be bedded, while free floating the barrel is a very popular one it is not always the best answer. I suggest you pick up a good book on the subject and read up one how to determine what is best for your particular rifle BEFORE you do anything permanent. Lee

Agree with both the 2 previous posts. You can never really free float that barrel anyway.

oldsmellhound

I guess i would like to echo in a bit here also, "free floating" is not always the best option - it is closer to the last thing.

My next question would be why do you want to float the barrel?

Floating became somewhat an industry standard because it is cheaper to float than it is seat a barreled action properly.

The only time I would consider "floating" is if the stock is really flexible and will not stand it own weight on the forearm. The usual reason to think float is because the POI of impact is moving as the barrel warms up and/or the barrels seats itself in a different position when the gun is fired.

It would be my suggestion, that you look at both the stock and the barreld action - are there any shiny spots on either the barrel or the stock?

Just thinking out loud...

Thanks for all the replies.

To answer a few questions - I'm not interested in spending money on bedding the action. It's a $100 rifle, and I don't really want to spend much money on it. I'm free floating the barrel to (hopefully) increase the accuracy by relieving any points where the stock is putting pressure on the barrel forward of the lugs.

I decided to just file away the points on the stock that were forward of the action and touching the barrel. Since I'm not messing with how the action is bedded, I don't see how this could screw anything up. Worst-case scenario is that I mar a cheap-o synthetic stock, which I'm not worried about.

Maybe it will help, maybe it won't. I won't make it to the range to try it out for a few weeks, but I'll make sure to post a range report when I do. The way I see it- I've only been able to consistently shoot 4" groups at 100 yards, which I'm not happy with. Even if it doesn't make much of a difference, at least it's a try. I finished the filing job - I can slide a piece of paper up to the first lug now - the barrel isn't touching the stock up until that point.

Thanks again for all the advice!