Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing mannlicher bedding

Just got a laminated mannlicher stock for a model 70 featherweight. Would full length bedding be the way to start for accuracy? It is a 30-06 with .575 muzzle 20.5"

The inaccuracy of mannlicher style barrels is exagerated quite a bit, but even those of us who love the style realise they "can" be a bit finicky. The shorter barrels most mannlicher style rifles have help a lot to "stiffen" the barrel (shorter barrels are almost always stiffer), but you still may have to work a bit to get best accuracy.

The idea of full-length glass bedding can often help prevent warping (and accuracy issues) but even then the full length stock will want to shift. If the bedding is contacting the barrel....the glass wiil NOT stop all shifting.

A better solution, to me, is to free float the entire barrel and then place a soft "shim" under the muzzle end of the barrel. This can be as simple as a rubber "O" ring, but a better looking solution is to glue a soft rubber piece inside the forend tip for the barrel to rest on. It's sort of like a "pressure point" used on a conventional stock, but made of a softer material that will "flex" a bit if the stock should warp....without transfering that movement to the barrel (the "shim" should compress and absorb the movement). The shim should be sort of a half circle that contacts the barrel on the sides as well as on the bottom.

The main problem with the mannlicher style is that the forearm is so long. Thus even a very small amout of warping near the action will result in a very significant amount of movement (and pressure) at the end of the barrel. What might go un-noticed with a 12" forearm may shift point of impact significantly with a 20" forearm (and be even MORE significant with a 24" or 26" barreled mannlicher rifle). The "solution" that has been applied (particularly in Europe) is to cut that long forearm into two shorter pieces. This means each piece can shift a bit independantly, but apply less "total" shift and pressure at the muzzle.

The cut can be verticle, or more often seen is a 45 degree cut, about halfway down the forearm. Then the two pieces are reattached with a "shim" placed between them. This shim can be something decorative (such as brass or ivory) or what I prefer soft plastic or better yet rubber. The idea is to allow the twp pieces to twist without transfering that movement to the barrel end (which is why I prefer rubber as it "gives" and isolates movement better. While this sounds extreem, it can be very attractive as well.

As I stated earlier this tendancy to warp is often very much exagerated. I'd try the floated barrel with a soft shim at the tip first. It is the simplest solution and most times solves your problem. If that doesn't satisfy you, then full glass bedding can be easily done.

As a last resort you can cut and shim the forearm. I have been shooting and working on these rifles for more than 30 years. In only one case (this is out of some 12-14 rifles I've done) was the cut and shim needed. I've done it more often, but for cosmetic reasons....not because the rifle wouldn't otherwise shoot well. 90% of the time the float and shim does the trick...and some rifles shoot well without even that treatment.....particularly the laminated stocks which tend to be stiffer to begin with.

Thanks. Others have experience as well?

My gunsmith took my Ruger .243 International and turned it into a rifle capable of putting three shots under a dime on the 100-yard bench. He said that with that particular rifle, the forend cap must be relieved so that it doesn't apply pressure to the stock. The factory bedding was left as is.

Thanks. How is the factory stock bedded...free floated or is there contact out toward the tip?
Those are good looking guns.

I posted this in the "ask the gun writers" section, but will post it here also:

This doesn't answer your question, but the original MS Carbines were free floated with a slight pressure point at the tip with the fore end band fitting tight on the bbl & stock. There was a stud attached to the bbl halfway for the screw that attached the sling swivel to go thru that stabilized the stock at this point. Mannlicher stocked rifles can be very accurate as evidenced by this target shot with my 6.5x54 MS Carbine: