Inletting an action sans the barrel?

Z

zeke mccune

Member
Hello:

Is there any reason why I should not inlet a stock without the barrel attached to the action? It appears that it would be much easier not to have the weight of the barrell to handle when inletting the action.

Any thoughts about this idea?


TIA,

Zeke
 
Zeke

It depends.

If you are working with a semi-inletted stock and are simply hogging out a space for glass bedding - probably OK.

But if you are doing a close fitting inlet - what happens when you're done, you screw the barrel on, and then find that the barrel isn't centered in the barrel channel? You cry, that's what.:rolleyes:

Ray
 
inletting

Absolutely best to do it with barrel on. Use the barrel to get to half depth when inletting as well as keeping everything as close to centerline as possible

Chris
 
Inletting questions

Are you planning on inletting by hand or using a milling machine? I don't have a clue how to go about inletting by hand. I've never tried and not likely ever will.

I've only inletted two stocks. (just a hobby). I made drawings of the complete inlet by measuring the barreled action then used my mill's digital readouts to make the cuts. I checked for fit using the barreled action. Both worked fine with minor sanding and then bedding.

I measured the first two actions using digital calipers which took a lot of time. Since then I've equipped my mill with a digital video camera and telecentric lens mounted on the spindle housing whch turns the mill into an optical comparitor with the size capacity of the mill's scales. It reads without touching the object clamped to the table to better than .001" in x and y and to about .001 in the vertical axis, limited by estimating the point of sharpest focus. All axes resolve .0002". I've found that to be a very useful addition to my mill although it's mostly used for things other than gunsmithing.

I expect it will still take more time to measure all the the action dimensions and radiuses than actually milling the stock. . Are there any books for sale or other sources available of detailed inletting dimensions including triggers, trigger guards, magazines, and floorplates for various action brands and models? My next inlet will be for a Sako M995.
 
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Jim Charmichael

had a book on gunsmithing that detailed the process of inletting a blank from scratch. he detailed how the wood should run to make a strong stock and how to set it up for the top and bottom metal. how to drill it true. really a good read. i recall he said he payed his way thru college by stocking rifles!

oh yes he inleted the action first then the bottom metal and the barrell last. oops guess i wasnt supposed to say that!!!

today most people set the blank up in a mill and mill out the parts today then fit the parts that flow but one should play around with cheap wood first. like everything there is deffinitely a learning curve to it and learning on a $1000 blank of english walnut is a good way to get extreme remorse. Fred
 
with me it depends on the stock. if its a semi-inlet with a narrow forearm i'll inlett the action with the barrel attatched to keep the barrel centered. if it is a blank or a wide forearm i'll do it with just the action.
 
BIG HINT.

Get yourself a junk barrel, piece of bar stock, whatever.

Thread it so it'll screw onto the action. Turn it down so it's smaller than any barrel that'll ever go in that stock. (to a nominal size)

Now get a ball endmill the same size as this "mandrel" and run it down the length of the barrel channel dead center and on the radius of the tool.

You do this and now you have a verifiable reference for your action. everything is on "waterline" and has no choice but to be perfect. Just keep plugging away with your inlet until the mandrel lays up perfectly flat in the "barrel channel".

You can even bed this way if you wish, then go back afterwards and cut the barrel channel for the actual barrel.
 
We install bedding blocks for Barnards all the time without the actual action and barrel. The catch is that you must make an assumption, ie that the barrel guy will index it up or down if it is not straight as is. We use a real action with an appropriate barrel installed and we check and make sure it is straight within a couple of thou. using a surface plate. So far so good! Customer does up the screws and goes shoot!
 
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