Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Floppy fore-end on the Ruger American

I did. I thought since I was going to fill the bottom of the forearm with bedding material and the arrow shafts, it wouldn't matter.

I'm thinking of using thin-walled aluminum tube, as big as I can fit in the forend with the ribs removed (maybe 5/8-3/4" diameter?), and fill adhesive around it. That should be not only lighter, but also stiffer, than solid epoxy or arrow shafts.

Still waiting for my RAR Predator to ship though, so I don't know if it will even be necessary yet.

I've used epoxy for various boat projects mainly over a couple decades either to 'glass with it where you use the two part epoxy in liquid form just as you'd use polyester resin for conventional fiber glassing. Or to glue or build up with it in thickened form. You are correct polyester resin will shrink. It also doesn't stick to some substances well. Epoxy shines for glassing over wood it drives right in there and isn't prone to failure like conventional fiber glassing.

Epoxy will stick to basically anything as long as there's no oils or dust. In fact epoxy will stick to cured fiber glass but not visa versa. Figure that one out?? It tends to drive right in to any microscopic pours of a given substance especially when you rough it up by sanding before hand. No I haven't used it on a gun stock before but I've used it on various plastics with different projects with good results.

For sure, if I do this I'll get back with results as requested but it might take a bit I just posted an add up here looking to trade my compact stock for a standard stock for the longer length of pull. If that doesn't come through I'll probably go for it on the compact stock and just deal with it being a lil short The plot does thicken tho... long long drive today got me noodlin an idea of epoxy bedding an aluminum plate countersunk in to the criss crossed struts. We'll see...

The cookie dough is uber-stiff. Think "dang-near rock solid"... you can sand, drill, and tap it. A fella could fill-n-drill if the weight were a concern.

But...

Any of these fixes will make the fore-end become a lever-arm that overpowers the area closer to the action.

Good info Salty.

If you split the tube length wise, it may have a rotational flex to it that you don't get with round shafts. I also was wondering about aluminum 90 degree angle in a size that the barrel would lay in. Lots of options to play with. Maybe I need to get a couple more of these things to fix. I am very satisfied with the accuracy I get out of my 223 compact.

I am.....

The stock I handled today was much stiffer than the Americans I have in the safe.

They're listening.......

Call Ruger first if you have an older one. For $50 I'm sure they would rather send you a free new stock than have complaints going around. Just like on the magazine issue. They seem to just send one out no questions if someone calls on it.

I tried to buy a replacement stock from Ruger and they could not sell me one because all stocks are going to production rifles.

I just wanted to make it clear that I have not been complaining. I realize your statement should be taken in a positive and general sort of way and I agree with it. I am a firm believer of giving the manufacturer the opportunity to make it right first. One of my favorite sayings, before retirement was " I can't fix it if I don't know it's broken".
I think the Ruger American is some of the best money I have spent on a rifle and I have a wide variety of rifles, most don't have plastic stocks. When you can purchase a centerfire for this kind of price that consistently shoots as well as these do it has to be a little embarrassing for the maker when compared to his normal line of rifles. I hope this is a trend in the industry.

Shipping is 27 bucks but I might combine this item and their epoxy for a tikka project and m70 project this spring.

Even with the steel putty, old floppy still rubs. I shot with the front rest towards the action and away from the forearm tip. It was hard to get a good pic, but you should be able to see the crescent shaped mark that goes across the barrel, made by the tip of the plastic stock. And the long rub marks along the side of the barrel.

The stock is weak near the action and allows the whole forearm to flex.

When this topic came up last year I made a comment on that thread that it's important to reinforce the area immediately in front of the recoil lug.

The reason is that is actually the fulcrum point, and the area where the flexing stress is concentrated.

Of course the RAR doesn't have a traditional lug, but that same area in front of the front action screw is vulnerable.

Anyway, at this point you can just Dremel out the area under the action and back close to the mag, (or on either side), and bed about 6" of square tubing in the middle, or a 5/16" hardwood dowel on either side.

Aluminum tubing, square tubing is the same deal. Aluminum tubing is great. It's stiffer and lighter...anything stiff and light will work.

You can back fill that area with a mix of epoxy, carbon fiber strands and glass beads.

Use real epoxy or Marine-Tex.

That would solve it. SAS has reported that the new RAR has a stiffer fore-end.

Viagra mixed in the bedding...maybe?

Are there any visual differences between the old stock and the new one?

Here's what I had to do to my Tikka fore end...........











































































Nothing. Just sayin....

And the cost of your Tikka compared to a RAR? Just sayin.....

+1 ... Was at the local gunstore last weekend and handled one. Only wish I had waited a year to buy.

How can a guy tell if he is getting the new stock or the old one if he is buying a new-ish rifle these days?