Almost free guns....

Jim has posted about some really cheap or almost free rigs that pass through his place. Most of the time they need TLC, that’s why they are so economical. Something is wrong and others gave up. I too have a soft spot for three legged dogs and one eye’d old cats. I can appreciate a challenge.

This “Raptor” (now Mossberg) bolt gun in .270 was given to me. The front action stock bolt hole was totally blown. So the bedding was trash in the horrific cheap stock. It needed a “bushing” glassed in place for the bolt to once again pinch and hold the action in the stock. But even then you can’t have it wallow around. That’s what broke it, with over tightening to try and compensate.

The way over size lug area needed a double helping of glass to perfect bed the action.

I trimmed and tweaked, cold tacked the bushing in place with slow JB weld aligning perfectly with the off centered hole in the action. Another day to cure.

Projects like these you have to get them in your head start to finish before you do the glass, because it’s basically forever. Almost. The two points of concern next are the front lug bedding and that front of stock bedding point. I like a floating barrel initially and hold that bed point in reserve just in case. Tape can give you just enough clearance.

Never spare the “release agent”! You’ll never be sorry over too much, just the other way...

Prep and mental planning is everything. I want the action to perfectly bed with zero pressure or stresses with the action bolts tight, just holding it in the perfect bed, lug mirror fitted into its place to absorb recoil and held a bit up to let that barrel vibrate. I don’t want anything touching it. Not unless it does better with a little pressure, to be determined later.

It’s not pretty at first. I went ahead and added a bit of black dye. No one will ever see it but it just made me feel better. Now I very carefully bedded the back into place, tightened the back action screw, and set the front lug to bed just like I want it. Later I’ll pull it out and re-drill the front action screw hole through the glass so I can insert the front screw. More waiting, we’ll forget about it till Monday.

Remember, this is fun!