1st bedding job

[hillman23]

Considering taking on my first ever bedding job. It’s on a JC Higgins model 50 which is a commercial Mauser action sitting in the original walnut stock. I’m wondering a couple things.
1. Good video on the process? (YouTube)
2. Best bedding compound ( JB Weld seems most readily available )
3. Maybe Mauser’s are trickier with working around the action screw that fits into the recoil lug and needing to ensure proper spacing between magazine box and the receiver? Not sure if I’m making it harder than it is.

 

[TEKoken813]

I’ve done one bedding job on an H&S Precision stock. I liked Larry Potterfield’s bedding video but watched them all & used a little of everyone’s technique. I used Brownells’ Acraglas. It turned out awesome for my first time. My only suggestion is take your time prepping all the parts.

 

[Kp321]

I would recommend Acraglas gel over JB weld. Don’t always need grey color. Acraglas can be dyed to closely match the stock.
On Mauser actions, don’t put any glass behind the rear tang, only a pad for the rear tang to rest on. There needs to be a little clearance between the rear tang and the wood to prevent the stock from cracking in that area. Also glue in a spacer or pillar so the rear screw doesn’t bend the rear tang when tightened.
Lastly, use plenty of release agent. Paste wax works best for me.

 

[Steve in Allentown]

Best bedding compound I've used: https://scorehi.com/our-products/

Devcon 10110 is my second choice.

 

[shootstraight57]

I've done a few and the last one was on a Remington 700. I always use the Brownells Acraglas. The kit comes with the releasing agent.

 

[Steve in Allentown]

FWIW, I use paste wax as a releasing agent.

 

[Slamfire]

I have used and like both Devcon stainless steel putty and Devcon aluminum putty. I prefer an epoxy that starts out with the consistency of peanut butter and sticks to the surface. I have used white and gray Tex Marine two part, and it works well. Dried hard.

I believe in casting pillars, first,











routing out all the wood around the pillar







and filling the void with epoxy. The pillars prevent wood crush, which is happening on my Higgins M50.




Before casting the pillars I made sure the barrel was free of contact within the forend. The tic marks are for reference. I passed card stock under the barrel and where there was interference, I noted the location and removed material. I also checked the clearance after the action was bedded.



Johnson paste wax is a great, and cheap release agent. Coat everything that you do not want epoxy sticking to with the paste wax.



Plan, plan, plan. Have everything ready to go, paper towels, tape, tools, when you are ready to mix the epoxy. You will have 20 minutes before the epoxy gets too hard to move.

Save a epoxy chunk to test for hardness. I believe on average, four to 6 hours after mixing, the epoxy was hard enough to remove the action from the stock, and to trim excess with a knife to trim. Removing the action earlier will lift the epoxy out of the stock Opps! Particle filled epoxies cure hard, and I a mean hard. Once cured, you ain't cutting nothing. It takes a Dremel grinder bit.

Bedding factory rifles has made a huge difference in group size

 

[hillman23]

Thanks for the responses. Slamfire, you mentioned collapsed bedding in your Higgins. As I’m inspecting my stock, I believe I have the same issue. I believe that that may be cause of the barrel to forend contact I recently alleviated by sanding out the barrel channel and perhaps contributing to the rough feeding by allowing the magazine box to press up against the bottom of the receiver. Perhaps those with more Mauser expertise can confirm or debunk matters I’m ignorant in.
Not sure how to recapture space lost to stock compression. Some type of shims or spacers before epoxy or am I looking at needing a new stock?

 

[earplug]

Wrapping masking tape around the barrel in two places is helpful in keeping it level and centered. Easy to add or remove more layers to level the barreled action in the stock.

 

[hillman23]

Just bedded it this morning. We’ll see how it looks tomorrow. Thank you all for the feedback

 

[hillman23]

Well, it’s done. I ended up using two main sources of information to guide the process:
A. Downloaded instructions from M.G. Bedrock bedding product
B. YouTube video by GunBlue490
I used JB Weld ( because I could get it), Kiwi neutral shoe polish as a release agent and plumbers putty as a filler.
I decided on a conservative approach and bedded only the front recoil lug/action screw and what I expected to be the 1st couple inches of the barrel. Since the rear action screw is supported by a steel pillar, I left it as an “as needed” future project. As you can see from the pic, I didn’t put enough epoxy in to gain contact with the barrel just ahead of the receiver. If I need to l will put some more in there as a later project.
My biggest concern was steel pillar system integral to the recoil lug and trying to figure out how to get enough epoxy to adequately bed the lug without gluing the bottom metal and/or receiver into a whole mess. After more than too much release agent, tape, and a temporary plumbers putty plug in the stock I think I may have a functional bedding of the lug area. Time to mount optics and shoot! It popped right out of the stock and cleaned up just fine. Thanks again for the responses and tips.