Floating Barrels

[dats82]

I have an older post-64 model 70 Winchester. It is from back when they really made them in the US by Winchester. Anyway, my question is, can I remove a little material off the stock to really float the barrel? It seems like it is trying to float now, but it won't pass the dollar test. There is not attachment from the stock to barrel, and I can see the contact points when I remove the stock. It is only out toward the foregrip where it is touching. I was planning on just using some sand paper to give it a little room under there. Of course I would re-seal the stock after sanding it. I am just looking for a little advise on this. Thank you for your help.

[fastbs]

i'm not familiar with the rifle in question but don't see why not. as long as the action has a couple screws holding it in the stock to avoid any kind of rocking that would occur with a single screw holding the action in the stock.

[dats82]

it has three screws into the action, none into the barrel

[my82cam]

don't refinish the whole stock! that would kill the value of that rifle, pre-64 winchesters are very expensive! i think it would be just fine to float the barrel the way you described

[Hgunner]

A word of caution, 1st I'm no expert on Winchester Model 70's.

How does the rifle shoot now, does it shoot good groups off a bench?

Your more common hunting rifles are just screwed into a wood stock and have specific factory designed pressure points in the forend area, thus not all barrel are free floated. As a general rule free floating a barrel requires bedding of the action to the stock and then relieving the barrel channel (removing wood from around barrel). It is possible that if you remove a designed stock pressure point you will ruin the stock and ruin the degree of accuracy you now have. To do a floating barrel properly

you need to pilliar bed the action and relieve the barrel channel. I would not

recommend just removing forend pressure points by themselves.

[Guest billwilly73]

I'd use a dowel rod thats close to the same size as your barrel. Sand a liitle at time and check for fit.

[dats82]

It is a post-64. If it were pre, I would not do anything to it. It shoots halfway respectable groups, but who does not want their rifle to be more interesting?

The stock does not appear to have obvious pressure pads, and it is not tight where it is contacting. In other words, I do not think this is an engineered pad.

[mk19]

You can sand down the stock a bit, I don't believe it would hurt any. you can also look at glass or aluminum bedding.

Edited February 19, 2010 by mk19

[Hgunner]

I would not guess at it, I think I would remove the barreled action from the stock and try and determine if this is a designed pressure point or a high spot in the wood.

The pressure point may not look like a pad it just may be a raised area in the stock

1/4 of a inch or more in width and runing the width of the barrel channel. The barrel

may even have left an impression in this area. If it is indeed a factory designed

pressure point, do not be surprised if you remove it and find the stock is now contacting more area of the barrel, for it may be holding the the barrel

from contacting the stock. And strange as it sounds sometimes accurracy can

be improved with these type of stocks by adding a shim to the raised area thus increasing pressure. A high spot will be non-uniform and generally only contacting

a small area of the barrel on one side or the other. You can use some chalk powder

on the barrel and wood, reassemble and then take it apart again and see if the contact area looks designed (uniform) or not.

[glockster157]

I use a dollar bill. I start at the top and slide it down the barrel to see where the contact points are. The sandpaper wrapped dowel should be fine to take out the high spots. No need to over do it. Make sure before you start that there is equal spacing down each side of the barrel channel looking down from the top. If it is to one side or the other it is more difficult because you have to get up to the very top of the channel into the finished area. Once you have it down and you can slide a piece of paper all the way to the receiver, use something like true oil or polyurethane to reseal the wood. If not it can absorb moisture and swell. I would recommend Brownells Accuglass kit to glass the action if you want to really tighten it up. Also, drag a cotton ball across the barrel crown to check for burrs and look close to make sure that the crown is clean and even. Good Luck.

[dats82]

Thank you all for the advice. I will post what happens.

[ttocswob]

FYI - American Rifleman featured the Model 70 in January (pg 50.) Discussed free floating barrel and other issues.

[DWARREN123]

You can try but it may have a pressure point at/near the front of the stock to enhance accuracy.

If accuracy gets worst you can always add material to build it back up.

[Guest nj.piney]

i take a 30 cal rifle patch fold it in half , lube it with gun oil and place it just forward of the stock bolt . if it doesnt work all you have to do is remove it . if it improves accuracy just leave it there or start removing wood . quick and easy method .