Savage Stock Improvement

T

Tony C

Guest
I've got a black fp 10 stock, and was thinking some epoxy of some sort could be put in places to add some stiffness. Maybe even try bedding the action. What's a good material for this that won't add too much weight but will make the stock a little more rigid?

Also, do you just block the bottom of the internal magazine and bed around it, too?

I've got modeling clay, black tape, masking tape, wax, and polish.

Tony
 
Although I've never owned a Savage with the molded black plastic stock they seem to be pretty close to the Ramline stocks structurally. Their problems are that they're almost as flexible as cooked spaghetti. I have a Ramline stock for a Rem 700 SA that I modified to stiffen it and improve the balance since it's got a Hart #7 barrel on it. It worked, but the stock now weighs a bunch. I cut the bottom of the forend flat and level with the top edge of the barrel channel, removing about 5/8 - 3/4 inch of material from the bottom of the forearm in front of the front guard screw. Then a piece of hardwood 1x3 (~3/4" x 2 1/2") was epoxied to this surface. Some aerosol insulation foam was then squirted along the forearm on the top surface of the 1x3 next to the remains of the original forearm which was cut at an angle to give a bevel from the top of the barrel channel to the edge of the 1x3. The 1x3 and foam were covered with fiberglass cloth then epoxied in place to give a more "pleasing shape" to the whole mess. After several coats of epoxy (and maybe some autobody filler too) and sanding it was painted (spray can!). I bedded everything from about the rear 2" of the barrel back to the end of the tang, including the magazine cut. To make the rifle balance I removed the buttplate and filled the butt of the stock with sand. Did I mention that it ended up heavy? :D

This is not a solution for a field rifle unless you don't mind a 15 or 16 lb rifle, but for shooting off the bench at the range it works pretty well.

Better than stiffening the factory black plastic stock I think that a replacement would work better and be a whole lot less work. A factory laminated stock would be simpler, stiffer, and all around better. Bell and Carlson makes a replacement stock for Savage's too, but I haven't seen one to know how stiff it is.
 
I have not tried this myself but I have heard of guys getting push rods from auto engines. These are fairly light weight and very strong. Clean well. Route out enough of the ribs in the forend to make enough room for the push rods to set in and clear the barrel. Then epoxy them in place. Use enough to cover the push rods.

I have also built a couple of stocks using balsa covered with several layers of carbon fiber. The last one was for a bench rest rifle and the forend was 3" wide and flat. To make sure the forend was stiff I layed up about 6 layers of 5 oz carbon fiber cloth with epoxy. I did this between two sheets of heavy glass. Make sure you have good mold release on both pieces of glass. Put lots of weight on the top after you get the c fiber saturated with epoxy resin. I ended up with a a very smooth flat piece of carbon fiber about 1/16" thick that I trimed and then epoxied it to the bottom of the forend from the end back to the grip. Covered the grip and area around the action with about 6-7 layers, the rest with two layers. Lots of work but I ended up with a stock that weighs 19 oz. It is strong enough to be supported at each end and I can then set on it and it only flexes about 1/8 to 1/4 inch. I weigh about 230 lbs. I buy my resin from West Systems and the carbon fiber both on ebay. Some places sell scraps of carbon fiber as it is very expensive. About $45/yard. But one yard will do a whole stock. I get the resin in the two equal part kit that comes as two 16 oz bottles. Be sure to get the cloth in the 5-6 oz per yard weight. Lots of ways to skin a cat. That's why the carbon fiber stocks are so high priced and worth evey penny. JMO and your milage may vary.............Donald
 
I love my B&C on my 110 tactical. 120 bucks, minor inletting and a bed job and your done.
 
What do you use for release agent on the glass? I am wanting to do the same thing on my rifle with a carbon fiber bottom. I don't need the stiffening just cosmetics and a smoot flat surface. Tim
 
A couple of coats of a good paste floor wax or neutral shoe polish (wax) applied to the metal works about as well as anything for a release agent. It's thin and gives the closest match between the metal and bedding. You just have to be careful to get it on all the metal you don't want stuck to the bedding. :D
 
Stockade Gun Stocks

Kevin and Janet Rayhill at Stockade Gunstocks specialize in after market synthetic stocks for Savages.

There are a number of Laminated stocks available for Savages.

McMillian makes stocks inlet to fit Savages.

Rustystud
 
Stiffness

Could you cut a grove in the stock under the barrel and epoxy a square magnesium rod into the stock ?

OT
 
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