Bad Bedding job

Are you asking for a friend ?
Did your friend use a re lease agent ?

Deep freezer...if you have one big enough. put rifle in for 30 min to 45....take out and have rubber mallet close and handy and be ready to USE IT

Next time...use Johnsons paste wax. Better than any release agent I've seen yet

Axis II said:

Yes. My buddy gave his Savage storm to a guy who he used to work with at a LGS to bed a Boyds thumbhole. 3-4 months later after calling the guy repeatedly and finally just saying he was coming to get it done or not he text me saying he cant get the stock off and the guy didnt use enough release agent.

Click to expand...

oh boy...longer you wait...harder it gets. Worse case...dremel stock apart and start over...take the loss...but try deep freezer for longer time before going to extreme

There are only a few things which can glue an action into a stock:

1) Adhesion: deep freeze, then with the stock stopped against a floor, rubber mallet to the muzzle, rearward and side to side. Flip it around and hang the forend on the edge of a bench and whack the rear of the receiver to drive it forward. Doesn’t take much movement to break adhesion free.

2) Physical lock: there are only a few places bedding compound can find itself which can physically lock the action into the stock. Pin holes, mag cut, trigger hangers, etc. Some of these can be easily broken with the same mallet whacks as above. Some can’t. If you know the action shape and “what lies beneath,” then you should be able to identify what could be locked or not, and how strongly it might be locked it. Might have to cut the stock away, might be able to whack it, might be able to make a few discreet cuts or drill holes from the bottom metal inlet to cut the physical lock...

Try hitting the barrel on a thick book on a soft stool or chair , just hold it in your hands like you were aiming it . It will usually take a good whack or two . You can also loosen the action screws and hit them with a a brass punch/dowel and rubber mallet , vibration is your friend . Mineral oil drizzled down the receiver can work also . All these tips come from a friend . Good luck.

Ive completely forgot to use release agent and still have it managed to glue an action into the stock permanently, as usually epoxy doesn't stick to smooth metal well enough to actually keep it in there unless there's a noticeable mechanical lock......
On a savage there's not a lot of places to cause a mechanical lock The only one that I would find extremely concerning would be if the trigger was installed when the gun was bedded and it and/or the bolt release don't function.
Beyond that not putting tape on the front and sides of the recoil lug can cause that to hold the action in the stock fairly firmly.


Freezing the thing is one of the well-known ways to do it and works most of the time, tapping around the sides with a mallet can help break the action free as well, and push comes to shove I've run long stainless bolts through the action screw holes and banged the action out of the stock that way.

I was unable to get one apart one time, and the deep freeze didn't work. I had hand built the stock and had over 100 hours in it. I didn't want to lose it. I finally drilled out the screw heads of the action screws, was able to pop the action out, and then heated the scew shafts up with a torch, witch melted the acraglass, and allowed me to twist the shafts out using vice grips. action screws are comparatively cheap

The method I've been using to break contact with a new bedding job is to hold the rifle by the barrel at the front of the stock and repeatedly drop the rear half rifle from a height of about 8-10 inches onto a firm padded surface (those spongy floor mats work) so that it lands on the stock comb near the butt. Put some pillows around to prevent stock dents if things get away from you.

It's hard to put this into words, but the idea is to use inertia and leverage to pop the action free of the stock without torqueing the barrel upwards. The freeze-thaw recommended by others could bring things to a point where this technique will work.

Freeze it or lay a clothes iron on the top of the receiver to warm it up. The heat can soften the glue.

Axis II said:

Say someone had someone glass bed a boyds stock and somewhat expensive rifle for them and they cant get the stock off the action what can be done?

Click to expand...

Then the someone of the first part (rifle owner) would be taking the rifle to the someone of the second part (who did the work) and having that someone get the riffle apart. Over 50 years of bedding God knows how many rifles, mostly M1 Garand and M1A rifles I always used release agent and modeling clay. Before any rifle was returned I made sure they would come apart and advised owners not to make a habit of taking them apart.

Freezer method works especially if the stock warms up before the metal action. A big rubber or leather mallet helps. Those tricks failing I would be back at the person who did the work..They screwed it up so it's on them to unscrew it.

Ron