Bedding Recommendations

[DHouse]

Good Day Gentlemen,

There is a mountain of information online about this topic. But I'd like to hear from longrifle builders specifically, what do you like to use for bedding? My need is to fill the breech plug area with bedding to ensure perfect contact with the stock, as the 12ga fowler I'm building will be a kicker. The stock is black walnut. I am concerned with the epoxy shrinking over time(as I've read some can), and would like to maintain strong, solid contact over the long haul. Unfortunately acra-glass does not seem available online at this time. My environment is humid and the rifle will experience extreme heat and extreme cold throughout different seasons.

Thank You for Your Time,
-DHouse

[Daryl]

I would use JB Weld. I've used it on a bunch of 'rifle' stocks with complete success
however we do not have humidity extremes. I still do not see what it wouldn't work.
Is this a guarantee - no - no one can do that. I have never seen this "shrinkage" of bedding
that you speak of.  I know, back in the 70's, some guys who used acra-glass had to rebed their
match rifles every few years. Perhaps that is what you are speaking of. In those days, I used
50:50 Devcon Plastic Steel and never had to re-bed a rifle. I see the newer Devcon Plastic Steel
is a different mix ratio.
 I like 50:50 mixes and that's why I switched to JB Weld. it works for me.
I use a red synthetic axle grease as a release agent. It's very thin and works with most epoxies.

[CooleyS]

I have used Marine Tex with good luck...easy to use, hardens fairly slowly and sands easily. I tint it with brown Fibre-glass Evercoat that is made for epoxy tinting. It releases easily for me using Kiwi shoe wax and a thin coat of bear oil. I don't bed every rifle, but have used it when things don't go quite as planned, and as a filler when needed.

[jm190]

Hello DHouse,
   I use Pro-Bed 2000 for black powder firearms and unmentionables as well. It's sold on eBay, at his website and Midway. It comes in black and brown.

https://www.probed2000.com/

John

[Mike Brooks]

Do a good job of inletting and leave the goo out of it.

[BillF/TRF]

I agree with Daryl.  Use the higher strength J-B Weld (5000 psi).  I filled in the gaps on a bad inletting job around the breach and tang on my .58 cal English Pistol (walnut). I used RIG grease for a release agent and filled any openings with plummers putty.  It formed nice and snug around the  breach and tang.

[Not English]

As usual, Mikes got it right.

[Kevin Houlihan]

DHouse,
 I just received an order of Acraglas w/ the non-flammable release agent today from Brownells. 
Kevin

[TommyG]

What Mike said 

[Bill Raby]

I'm with Mike Brooks. A 12 gauge is not going to have enough recoil that you would really need it.

[Fly Navy]

I think using a bedding compound on a modern gun is fine on something old no.

[Mauser06]

Mike is right on. Inlet it and build it properly and there is no need for bedding. Inlet it and buikd it poorly, and I'm not sure bedding will help. If its going to break, its going to break. Bedding compound isn't likely going to save it. 

[elk killer]

What Mike said

[FALout]

I’ve used bedding compound for mistakes here and there, inlays that proved to be challenging so they have full support.  I’ve even used it for bedding a barrel, only it was for the forward end that had twisted on me as I had the barrel out of the stock for awhile due to accident I had that kept me out of my shop for an extended period of time.  But, I’ve never planned on using it from the beginning to bed a barrel to a stock due to poor inletting (skills).  These styles of rifles will not gain more accuracy by bedding the barrels to the stocks like a modern bolt action.  Just make sure to have good wood to metal fit at the breach and everything will be fine.
Bob

[alacran]

 I use epoxy in barrel channels not to hide mistakes or for strength or other such. I use it because it is the only thing that provides an impermeable shield on wood. You would be hard pressed to see any bedding on my rifles or pistols, without disassembling them.
Target shooters have been bedding rifles since the middle of the 19th century. They used hide glue and horse hair, or saw dust.

[Steeltrap]

But you see......if we were all as good as Mike, Acraglas would be out of business......and who would post to this forum??   

[rich pierce]

Probably 95% of longrifle barrels are machine inlet into stocks, super precise. Original makers didn’t seem very concerned about precise barrel channel to barrel fit.

[577SXS]

I've used JB Kwik for a long time and prefer it to the old AcraGlass and gel. JB Kwik is dark brown and blends good on darker woods. It's very strong too. There are really good high strength eypoxies out there but most are really thin viscosity and run into places you don't want it to. They have their uses though. JB Kwik is quick so you have to have everything ready when you start. I have bedded a lot of stuff and the best release agent I've used is Trewax. It's a furniture wax and I have never stuck a part. The nice thing about TreWax is it dries and isn't messy. It's also good to put on stock finish and any metal parts to protect them. The release agent with AcraGlass is HORRIBLE and I would never use it. Greases and oils stain and damage wood.

[fjohnson]

mike brooks--great answer!!

[Stoner creek]

Do a good job of inletting and leave the goo out of it.

Grumpy old codger 

[john bohan]

Two coats of neutral shoe polish is a much better release agent than all the others Iv'e used, but I agree with Mike.

[alacran]

But you see......if we were all as good as Mike, Acraglas would be out of business......and who would post to this forum??   

You mean David Rase

[bama]

I have mixed feelings about bedding a PC rifle. I agree with Mike, if you do a good job fitting the breech bedding is not necessary. With that said, many of the original rifles made by the old master’s are are broken through the lock area and have chipped out wood along the tang. I believe bedding if done correctly would help in preventing these failures down the road in the later years of a rifles life. So to mix old and new technology or not, you make the choice, it’s your rifle.

[BJH]

Goo has its place, I’ve said before I’d rather see beginner level breech inletting with epoxy than a split or chipped out tang. That and with soft and scrunchy wood. Or as some do as endgrain sealer that will be undetectable with out disassembly. I admit to it’s use on occasion but prefer not to. I’ve had soft customer supplied wood that made it necessary no matter how good the inletting was. The breech mortises would have set back from loading cleaning and recoil, eventually something would need to give. I personally think that the forces used in loading and cleaning are more abusive than recoil, in calibers less than .62  BJH

[DHouse]

Thank you all for bringing up such great points. I'm teaching myself so am learning a lot. If it's not necessary with a 12ga fowler's recoil then I may just skip the bedding altogether. I was under the impression it would need flawless, astronaut style precision contact with all surfaces to be safe. The breech area is beginning to snap into place the more I carve so am optimistic.
DHouse