Glass Bedding.
 

What kind of material is best to wrap the barrel with when you set it into the bedding? I read tape but what kind of tape? I dont want to screw up the barrel. Masking tape? Will the sticky come off on the barrel?

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Thanks for the reply. I know my questions are elementary. I have read that I should put release agent all over the gun and action. I also read that I may want to practice with silly putty as my epoxy untill I get it down right and then use JB Weld or the epoxy that is included with the bedding kit when im ready. Is one better than the other? I guess I need to bed the trigger gaurd as well. Also, I know to ruff up the area where the bedding will go but do I need to remove any wood from the stock? How thick should the layer of bedding be? I am assuming that the barrel will be a tad higher and this will also lift the trigger since its attached to the barrel......so will this effect the trigger pull or finger placement? Sorry for all the questions, I figure that what I can learn by asking, the less I have to learn the hard way.

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I am going to practice on an old JC Higgins .22 then, my buddy has an old Savage in 30.06 that he said I could practice on untill I get good enough to bed both my Rem. 700s. One is 30.06 BDL and the other 22-250 SPS. The 30.06 has a wood stock. The stock is nice and pretty so I wanted to get a composite stock for it and bed it. The 22-250 already has a composite stock. What about the silly putty to practice with?

I would think that painter's tape with release agent would work fine, and should leave little to no residue when removes. If you do get residue, try either WD-40 or Goo Gone. Just be generous with the release agent so you don't glue your action into the stock.

Mike

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Actally, it will work on a Ruger. I've done lots of them that way. As far as tape on the barrel, I have used black plastic electrical tape for years. I usually put 3-4 layers of tape on the barrel. And don't forget to cut clearance in the stock at the sides, bottom and the front of the recoil lug as well. You need the extra clearance because you need to tape off the sides, bottom and front of the recoil lug. When you remove the barreled action from the bedded stock, the back of the recoil lug is the only part of it you want in contact with the stock. Personally, I perfer to use stockmaker's screws available from Brownell's and probably Midway as well. It saves a lot of wear and tear on the actual action screws and they are one heck of a lot easier to remove after the bedding has hardened. They also help pull the barreled action firmly in place, and push the excess bedding compound up and out of the way. Don't forget to tape off the entire stock to back past the pistol grip with masking tape, and coat it with paste wax. It's amazing where the compound can run to. Tape everything you don't want the compound in and on, because once it sets, it's gonna be hard to get it off or out of. Remember to coat your trigger guard/floorplate assy. with release agent well also. It's also much easier to do this job with the trigger assy. removed, which isn't that big of a deal.

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You have to remove the screw before you set the barreled action down in the bedding compound, just the same as you would remove the action screws from any other gun. Rugers are indeed a little more difficult to work with than Rems, Win. and standard Mauser actions, but once you have done one or two, you will get the hang of it. The front screw length (the one that screws into the recoil lug) is 1.180" in overall length on the long tang 77's I've done. The action beds solidly on the flat behind the recoil lug and the rear tang area. Clearance is best achieved, I've found, by using a Dremel tool on the hardened bedding at the sides, in front of, and beneath the lug after the barreled action is removed.
I place the glassing material in the prepared stock and gently set the barreled action into postion. I then install the front and rear action screws with trigger guard and floorplate assy boss with the floorplate removed and tighten until I feel light resistance. This is when the front screw goes into position in the lug. Yeah, it's a little messy, and you sure best have plenty of release agent on the guard screws and in their receiving holes in the action, but it works and works well.

IT just occurred that you and I are talking about using two different methods here.....you are talking about using straight pin screws when bedding, and I have been talking about using stockmaker screws or the factory guard screws. You are correct in the fact that using your method will not work on the Rugers, but my method works well on them. Hope this clarifies it better, at least for me.....

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.......Yeah....Sometimes I read too quickly and miss a point. It's just that easy to do. As we've both agreed on, Rugers are a bit of a bear to do right. As for the floorplate, if you remove the hingepin connecting the plate to the anchoring boss the front guard screw goes thru and get that swinging plate out of the road, it does make things a bit easier...Good luck with the African. I don't envy you the job, but I'm sure it will get done just fine. One other thing I do is after removing whatever you used to align the front and rear guard screws with the action, be it the long headless method you like, or the stockmaker screw method I normally use, I drill out the screw holes in the stock that had the bedding compound around them so the action screws have clearance around them and don't bind...

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http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthr...vy#Post3003214

Best description of a ruger bedding job I have seen. hope it helps.