Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Mauser pillar bedding

I need to install some pillars in an old bishop stocked 8mm I have. I know I can order them from Brownells or whomever, but they charge more for shipping than the product. What else do you guys use instead of the pre-made ferrules?

My gunsmith uses the threaded brass tube that is used as a replacement in table lamps.

I will leave a few at Mossy's for you if you like, or you can come by here and we can slap them in. That way we can cut them to exactly the right length on the lathe.

I like the aluminum cable crimp sleeves for 1/4" cable. Dirt cheap, very good aluminum, easy to work with, and strong.

Thanks Art but after both of you gave me ideas I remembered all the brass, steel, and aluminum parts I had from my electrician days that are hiding under my workbench. After hours we used to rebuild lots of old fixtures and appliances for the rich folks and I kept alot of the spare parts over the years. I'll root the stuff out tonight when I get home and sort through it. If I blank I'll definitely let you know. BTW, who wins on a pair of Queens anyways?!?! (Mike posted a pic on FB last night)

Someone so fussy he gave his winnings away before leaving! I could not beat a pair of deuces!

Look at Fire and Fastener for the cable stops... I guess I called them clamps... Just simple cylinders of aluminum...

Considering that I have always heard that when dissimilar metals are in contact they start corroding, is this ever an issue with pillars since most I hear about are made out of aluminum?

That is a really great question and I hope someone actually versed in the beast will answer...

The way I have looked at it is that the aluminum is only barely touching the steel and for the most part there is a layer of oxides which precludes corrosion, especially in the absence of a full-time solution.

???Calling 458Lott???

Also, I have been using these for many years in very salty, wet conditions and have never seen anything resembling a dielectric response in the bedding, but have seen it many other places?

I use heavy wall stainless tubing. I am not sure what diameter they call it. I pick up scraps of it from jobs at work. I would think it is 3/8 tubing.

I use it as the rear stock ferrule on Mauser and Springfield stocks, but I also use it on other loose actions that don't have a home (front, rear, and middle). It keeps the floorplates closed and also keeps the tangs from being compressed together. Some actions require a wide flat or slot for trigger / sear clearance on the mid screw , i.e. Win 70's.

I either drill the stock and call it good or sometimes I wrap the rear guard screw with Brownells vinyl bedding tape to center the screw in the ferrule and then wrap on layer of tape around the ferrule and then bed in place. When dry and all finished the ferrule has a bit of resistance and stays in place while the screw makes no contact with the ferrule.

I have seem aluminum bottom metal turn into grey powder in unusually wet, salty conditions. However, the truth is, under the same conditions, anything but stainless would nearly have dissolved. This was a Browning rifle where the owner had chosen urination as the proper technique to thaw snow and ice packed around the action. Bottom metal and screws were half gone as was the recoil lug. The rifle was brought in because the trigger wasn't working. GD

Art,

I don't think there are any problems with aluminum and firearms steel:

Non-Ferrous Metals do not contain Iron, are not magnetic and are usually more resistant to corrosion than ferrous metals.

Some examples of Non-Ferrous Metals we deal with are:

Aluminium & Aluminium Alloys
Copper
Brass
Lead
Zinc
Stainless Steel
Electrical Cable

I use NAPA brake line chunks, leftovers from making bore guides. Also, aluminum rod stock drilled out, AND lamp all-thread. They all work fine as long as you cut them the proper length.

Umm, stainless steel is most definitely a ferrous metal. All stainless steel (the hint is in the second word!) contains iron, whether it's magnetic (most 400 series) or not (most 300 series).

Galvanic corrosion between aluminum and any steel can happen, regardless if it's stainless steel or not.

Please don't make up bad information to spread around. Stick to the facts.

I wouldn't use brass, copper, or similar alloy for pillars. Bore solvent is not gentle on those material and you know it will make it's way to them.

I've never seen a study that proved one way or the other that aluminum pillars with a steel action causes problems due to different coefficients of expansion.

Aluminum is easier to machine and lighter but if it puts your mind at ease 303 or 304 SS works pretty easy and have better corrosion resistance than the 4xx alloy used for barrels. Mild steel is appropriate but more susceptible to rust, which nobody likes.

My XTC match and varmint rifles have both aluminum and steel pillars. They are shot till too hot to touch in some cases. I've never seen any accuracy or POI shift out of the Krieger barrels from cold to hot. Lesser quality barrels are likely to move, but not from thermal stress in the bedding.

Brass is -0.45 Volts
Steel in -0.60 Volts
Aluminum is -0.90 Volts

So combining the dissimilar metals of steel and brass will sacrifice the steel.
So combining the dissimilar metals of steel and Aluminum will sacrifice the Aluminum.

I have not used a brass pillar in a gun since 2002, but I put in lots of steel and Aluminum ones.

When I make a custom pillar / recoil lug system for a Mauser, the idea is any Mauser can drop in and action screws will bolt it in tight. The problem is cast commercial Mausers with recoil lugs that look like the surface of the moon.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_corrosion