Glass Vs Float Mauser.

[GuyWithGun]

This isn't another "glass vs free float in general", more one of a specific situation with Mausers. Have heard that the heavy barrel design of the old Mausers tend to not do as well with free floating as they do with full length bedding because the weight of the barrel torques the action. Will be putting it in either a Houge over-molded or a Bell and Carson Medalist, haven't decided yet. My thought is to bed the full length of the barrel when I bed the action and can always Dremel it out to float if I don't like the way it shoots.

Anything to what I heard or should I plan a free float to begin with?

 

[rcmodel]

I would go the opposite way, and glass bed the action and free float the barrel first.

Then you can try it floated.

And then shim the forend to see if it does better or worse with forend pressure.

If it does better with pressure or forend contact?
It's a lot simpler to go back and glass bed the barrel channel later then it is to grind it out and then find out free-floated shoots worse and have to bed it again to get back where you started.

I have a free-floated 98 Mauser in 25-06 with a medium heavy barrel.
It shoots sub MOA all day, so I suspect the story about the barrel weight springing the action is more Internet BS.

rc

 

[Maj Dad]

I started out my bedding career on an 8x57 VZ-24 with a fence post for a stock. After sanding the crap out of it & oiling it down with tung oil, I glass bedded the action and first 2 inches of the barrel/chamber, thinking I would extend it if it didn't do well. After finishing up, it shot one load into 1" (witnessed) at 100 yds on sand bags & with the military sights (but a tall front sight blade from Brownell's). If I had bedded the whole length, it may or may not have done as well, but I doubt it, and like rc said, I would have had to blast out all that rock-hard bedding or buy another stock (and you're talking about starting with a modestly expensive one). So: start with the action and first 2-3" of barrel, & see how it goes.

 

[GuyWithGun]

Heard the bit about glassing the "fat" part of the barrel and floating the rest to avoid said torque somewhere along the way too, sounds like a reasonable compromise.

Thanks for the help... now just have to learn how to glass!

 

[Jim K]

One problem with full bedding a military Mauser barrel is that it can interfere with the barrel lengthwise expansion. The "stepped" Mauser barrel is designed to expand lengthwise as it heats up and the stock must let it free to do that or the point of impact will change.

Jim

 

[NCsmitty]

I would go the opposite way, and glass bed the action and free float the barrel first.

rcmodel's description is essentially the procedure that I use when initially setting up a rifle. I only bed the tang area and the front lug and receiver flat on a Mauser because that's all it needs when making accurate sporters, and I combine that with a free floated barrel. They have all shot well with handloads.


NCsmitty

 

[Slamfire]

The action is bedded but the barrel is free floating on this Mauser. And it shoots fine.



Twenty shots prone with a sling, and irons, in 100 yard Highpower competition.

 

[rcmodel]

You call that fine??

I see at least one flyer that surely was caused by the heavy barrel and heavier front sight springing that weak 98 Mauser receiver!!



Very fine shooting SlamFire1!!

rc

 

[natman]

Heard the bit about glassing the "fat" part of the barrel and floating the rest to avoid said torque somewhere along the way too, sounds like a reasonable compromise.

Thanks for the help... now just have to learn how to glass!

^^This.

With guns that don't have a lot of barrel receiver engagement, like Mausers and 10/22s, it's a good idea to bed the first inch or so of barrel, then leave the rest floating. This supports the barrel and takes some of the load of off the receiver without loosing the benefits of a floating barrel.