doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Glass bedding a Beretta u/o

I have to do something about my stock, it's a custom one, and the top tang is digging into the stock. I can relieve that, but the recoil areas inside the stock should be glassed.
Any tips on the best way to do this? I am familiar with bedding rifle stocks but have not attempted a shotgun stock yet.

Mike,

If you have to bed the stock, do so just like you would a rifle. Fill any holes in the action that you dont want bedding compound to get into with clay and then be sure to apply a proper amount of release agent or lubrication to the action so it does not permanently become one with the stock. With that in mind Id take all of the action components out to prevent bedding compound from finding its way into areas it shouldn't.

Is the head of the stock in good shape? If it is oil soaked the bedding compound will likely not stick even if you rough the surfaces up. Why exactly is the tang digging into the stock? Was the stock not properly inlet from the factory? I would look a little further into that so you dont end up with a bedded stock that has the same problems.

CM, it is a custom stock and the problem is that there was no tang relief gap left when it was stocked, so the tang acts like a wedge. I made a gap by removing some wood with a abrasive drum of the correct diameter in my Dremel. The bearing surfaces each side of the stock bolt hole need glassing as they have been somewhat hammered by the action. I wonder if it was shot while loose at one time. One cheek is bearing, the other is not.
It's a lovely piece of wood,but the stocker did not do the greatest job
Not quite the same deal as bedding a rifle. Thank God for Acraglass Gel!

I'd smoke in the cheeks to get even bearing without glass, then use a rotary file to clear out wood in the aft recoil lug between the tangs to allow for glass bedding it.

That sounds like a plan, Chuck. I was going to glass the cheeks, but I'll follow your advice. Thanks

Mike,

I'd vote for bedding the cheeks at this point since the only way to achieve full contact now would be the removal of more wood. That may not be a viable option. Even a near-perfectly inletted stock can move over time as wood subjected to recoil compresses. Glass will help prevent that compression. In any case, yes,I'd first try to achieve bearing on any vertical edges, such as the cheeks. Then, in a separate session I'd relieve and bed the ends of the tang(s). But, provided there's near 100% contact on the correct recoil absorbing surfaces, "relief" of only a few thou is all that's necessary. A single thickness of electrical tape on the end of the tang can serve as a .010-.015" spacer and not leave a very visible gap when removed.

Well, it's sitting in the vise while the Acraglass sets. I had to remove a very small amount of wood from one cheek with an abrasive strip my wife uses for her nails. So now the cheeks are bearing evenly. That took ages.
I'll take it apart this evening. I always leave the Acraglas on the cardboard square to check the progress of the hardening.
I tried using Devcon once on the advice of a friend who is an excellent stocker, on a rifle and the fumes made me feel ill.
Should have used a well-ventilated area, I suppose.