Modern bedding for a Sportco Model 44?

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JasonJ
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Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2017 12:24 pm

Modern bedding for a Sportco Model 44?

#1 Postby JasonJ » Wed Aug 30, 2017 1:38 pm

Hello from Canada!

I recently picked up a Sportco Model 44 (SDP8XX) converted to .223 with a stainless, 1:9" twist barrel and I'm weighing the pros and cons of fluffing and buffing the old girl, including a new stock. Without stirring up a hornet's nest, is there any kind of general consensus on what bedding technique works best for this action?

My rifle already has a third bedding bolt just ahead of the trigger but the recoil lug is still being used for the forward bedding bolt. Do the Model 44s like to have the tang free-floated? What about moving the front bedding bolt to the barrel adapter? How do they shoot when bedded to a V-block?

I'm an experienced 3-P smallbore shooter and I'd like to use it with factory ammo out to 300 metres to get a feel for long(er) range shooting. I know it won't be as smooth as my Anschutz 1913 but I'm a bit of a romantic when it comes to older target rifles.

Jason Jarvis
Fort Frances, Ontario
Last edited by JasonJ on Fri Sep 08, 2017 5:10 am, edited 1 time in total.

johnk
Posts: 2211
Joined: Sun Sep 07, 2008 7:55 pm
Location: Brisbane

Re: Modern bedding for a Sportco Model 44?

#2 Postby johnk » Wed Aug 30, 2017 2:08 pm

Jason,

Back when I bedded those regularly, I bedded equal distance for & aft of the two front screws & a useful pad under the tang. Distance wasn't tremendously important; just something that looked workmanlike, 15-20 mm maybe.

With masking tape, masked off the bits that weren't being bedded so the finish would have a sharp edge. I ran a strip of tape along the centreline of the action 6-8 mm wide so the bottom wasn't bedded & wouldn't take all the strain of the bed. Likewise, I masked off both sides somewhat below the plimsoll line, so in the end the bedding ended up something like a V(ish) block. I also masked all necessary bits of the stock, which let me scrape off any epoxy squeezed out without spreading it everywhere.

Some use modelling clay to blank out areas like trigger area in action & stock. I preferred hard styrafoam because I could clean it out with the gentle wipe of a Dremel on the wood & push it out of the action. I did use clay to relieve the trigger pin area.

I located the action with blocks I used to run into the barrel channel with builder's bog before digging out the area to be bedded. That, with headless screws (I linished off cup screws) made for a neat finish.

I used Ceara wax as a release agent, as I was given a tin, but about any good carnauba wax based shoe of floor polish would do. Put it on liberally & polish it off until you have grey haze on the metal.

I liked to snug all three screws up to 20 inch pound then nip the front two up to 30-45.

John

JasonJ
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2017 12:24 pm

Re: Modern bedding for a Sportco Model 44?

#3 Postby JasonJ » Sat Sep 02, 2017 9:13 am

Thank you, John. Do you have any experience bedding a Model 44 like a Barnard, especially free-floating the tang?

Jason

6.5x55ai
Posts: 266
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 4:21 pm
Location: Waikato NZ (Ex Tyabb)

Re: Modern bedding for a Sportco Model 44?

#4 Postby 6.5x55ai » Sat Sep 02, 2017 10:33 am

With my old Omark I installed the screw just fwd of the trigger as in your posting and floated the rear tang. Have never liked pulling an action down on 3 screws but shouldn't be an issue if bedding is sound. With 2 screws (one just fwd of the trigger and the king screw) the distance between them is not great/optimum. My setup was on a full very strong alloy stock so I was reasonably happy that the arrangement was strong enough and no fwd aft rocking could develop as you might experience in a wooden stock without screw pillars. Screws (lubed) were pulled down to 7.5 Nm. My 44 shot stunningly well with a std weight Tobler TR class barrel. Not sure I would want to test the setup with a truck axle though.

IIRC my bedding extended fwd to include the reinforce.

johnk
Posts: 2211
Joined: Sun Sep 07, 2008 7:55 pm
Location: Brisbane

Re: Modern bedding for a Sportco Model 44?

#5 Postby johnk » Sat Sep 02, 2017 2:15 pm

Had a friend who shot his Omarks off machined, stress relieved & ground steel inserts before Barnard blocks were thought of. It worked for him, but cost him a bucketload.

There were cast ally blocks made for Omarks which didn't provide for the tang ir the barrel butt, but I didn't get around to trying them. I only ever bedded wood stocks the way I described earlier.


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