Adjustable Bedding Kit

These bedding kits were designed based on extensive testing of the 22lr and HM2 cartridges, and provide a staged system of bedding that is simple to install, is cost effective, and brings the desired results.

  Stage I

The Stage I kits are a simple set of pads that are to be installed under the front of the barrel, right in front of the receiver, with the remaining portion of the barrel free-floated.

  The pads are installed using RTV silicone, by carefully spreading a thin, even layer onto each pad. Install the shorter of the two pads first, then stack the longer pad on top of the first pad. Try to center the pads as best possible, and fit the barreled action back into the stock immediately to ensure the barrel is completely floated. You can use a dollar bill wrapped tightly around the barrel, and slide the bill up and down the length of the barrel to ensure a free float.

  Once you have made any adjustments to the pads to ensure that the barrel is not making contact anywhere else, simply leave the action screw tightened, and allow the silicone to set-up. You can use whichever silicone you prefer, i.e.- blue, orange, black, high heat, clear, etc.

  If you should run into a problem, simply remove the pads and start over.

  Once installed, adjust the action screw torque to dial the bedding to suit the ammo being used. This method cannot cure cheap or bulk ammo from its lack of ability to be consistent, but this method can and will enable the rifle to get the best performance that the particular ammo is able to provide. A really bad shooting ammo can be made to group better by adjusting the torque setting on the action screw, and a good ammo can be dialed in to get the best that it has to offer.

  Stage II

The Stage II portion of the kit is “The meat and potatoes” of the system, and will provide even better results, by working as a tuned bedding system with the Stage I kit.

  Stage II involves using the flat plate centered on the action screw hole as a pattern to trace around, and then dremel out that area until the entire aluminum pad is nestled nicely into the front lug area. If you look carefully at the pad, you will notice one end is slightly longer from hole center than the other. The shorter of the two pad surfaces goes towards the receiver end, and leaves enough clearance for the action to clear in its arc-ed path as it enters and leaves the stock for cleaning and modification.

  You want to end up with the pad JUST BARELY above the existing wood flat front lug bedding surface, so that the barrel will be slightly raised in it’s channel, eliminating the need to enlarge the channel, but maintaining the tight clearance of the barrel to the stock, and a very nice, factory looking fit while being completely floated.

  Once the pad depth and orientation have been established, you can then fir the pillar into place.

  To do this, you simply drill down to the brass escutcheon using a 7/16” self centering drill bit in the existing action screw hole.

  With the hole oversized, you can now measure the depth required, and cut/file the pillar to desired length. A little too short will be okay, but a little too long will not fit.

  You will notice one end has slots for a screwdriver blade. This slotted end goes facing up. Pre-fit the pillar to ensure it goes into the oversize hole, and finishes to the desired depth to mate flush with the bedding pad at the top. If the escutcheon now sits slightly low, and slightly outside of being flush with the bottom of the stock, it can be filed easily to fit flush, and these methods used together can be used to provide the expert type “Gunsmith fit and finish”.

  Once the pillar has been trial fit, you can then use J-B Weld or Acraglas, or similar epoxy to permanently secure the pillar and pad into place. Use the slots in the top to screw the post into place with epoxy having been applied to its outer, threaded surface only. Then use one of the barrel attachment bolts (12-24), and use either a 12/24 nut, or even a ¼-20 nut can work in a pinch. Simply install the bolt in place, and tighten the nut down onto the bolt after applying epoxy to the pad and pillar, and installing them into place. The tightened bolt and nut will pass through the entire action screw/bedding assembly and holds pressure onto the pad and pillar to ensure the epoxy will set up with everything in its proper place.

  Once the epoxy has dried, simply remove the nut and bolt, and trim off any excess “goopy” spots where there might be epoxy that shouldn’t be where it ended up.

  The next portion of this kit, is to fit the specialized V-block to the barrel.

  To do this, simply install as normal, until both attachment bolts are just beginning to barely snug up. STOP. Now turn the adjustment screw until the adjustment screw in the v-block JUST touches the top surface of the barrel cut-out. STOP.

  Once you have this established, turn the barrel adjustment set screw EXACTLY ¼ turn. STOP.

  Now tighten the V-block bolts down the rest of the way, in a progressive 3 step manner, one side, then the other, a little tighter each time until you have adequate torque on the barrel attachment bolts.

  If everything went as planned, you now have the bottom of the v-block nice and even with the bottom of the front lug. You should be able to take a flat file, and carefully file the bottom of the lug surface to be in good alignment with the bottom of the v-block to form a nice, even flat surface to mate to the flat aluminum pressure pad, and, the set screw has eliminated any barrel droop, and also pre-tensioned the barrel to work in harmony with the Stage I pressure pads.

  Now when you make a small change on the action screw’s torque setting, it makes a big difference!

I recommend that you get an inch pound torque wrench to monitor closely the torque settings that you are using. A window of 36-44 inch pounds of torque on the action screw has brought about the best results in HM2 testing, while 25-28 inch pounds is where the 22lr prefers to work. Usually, a setting very close to the middle of those two numbers you will find “The sweet spot”, where all ammo shoots really well, and only very tiny changes in action screw torque will dial the action the specific brand and lot that you are using, and you can also use this feature to your advantage in changing weather conditions, such as a very cold day.

  Stage III

The Stage III portion of the kit was developed in an effort to stabilize the rear of the action in a triangulated manner, providing a wide rear base of stability that also allows a pivoting movement to occur freely as the front action screw settings are altered. This Final bedding stage has been extensively tested to provide the best overall consistency with both HM2 and 22lr ammo. The HM2 ammo is quite sensitive to any change, and shows great variances with even the smallest differences in bedding, and also helps “Pave the way” for a solid base for 22lr as well.

  Although the third stage of the system requires some careful planning, it is by no means past the abilities of the weekend enthusiast, but if you don’t feel confident doing the work yourself, as always, take the project to a competent gunsmith.

  With the Trigger group and bolt removed from the receiver, install the barreled receiver into the stock, tightening the action screw down until it “JUST” begins to tension the action. STOP.

  Now press the receiver firmly down into the stock, and wrap it with several wrappings of masking or duct tape, about as tight as you can go without the tape ripping. The idea is to have that receiver firmly bedded against the bottom of the inletting. Now take a 90 degree pick tool, and carefully make a centered hole in each of the rear receiver pin holes, going lightly at first, and then make a deeper hole once you feel confident that the hole you made is centered pretty good (does not have to be exact, just as good as you can get it).

  Take a propane or MAPP gas torch, and heat the pick tool’s pointed head until red, and push the head into the centered hole of your choice, until it stops, and the head has cooled. Repeat this process about 4 or 5 times, and the red head of the pick tool will simply burn its way through to the other side. Use even pressure, and keep the tool as centered as possible with the holes as you do this. Repeat this process for the other hole.

  Once the pick tool holes have been established, and there are now indexed holes on the outside of the stock, simply drill those holes out to ¼” size. Then drill both of the receiver holes out to ¼”, and drill out the rear trigger group holes out to ¼”.

  Now comes fitting. No matter how careful you were, the hole probably are not in perfect alignment, and some “Reaming” of the stock holes will be in order.

   I like to use a 7/32 round chainsaw file to do this, it works great.

   Fit the cross-bolt pin from the best fitting side initial, and use one of the screws provided for the cross-bolt to turn and rotate the cross-bolt through the action to the other side of the stock. Now you will be able to plainly see whatever mis-alignment the stock holes may have, and you can work specifically on those areas of the holes to get the alignment you need for the cross-bolt to fit all of the way across, from one side to the other.

  Next, you will decide which method you like the best, either utilizing the supplied countersunk washers, or, countersinking the holes in the stock itself, allowing the elimination of the countersunk washers.

  In both cases, the cross-bolt has been trimmed to allow the screws to fully tighten, but be long enough so that some of the cross-bolt is extending out into the wood of the stock, not merely flush with the receiver. Too short of cross-bolt will allow the elongation of the holes in the stock over time, and is not recommended.

  Once you have everything installed, you now have a solid rear platform that provides a wide base of stability for the rear of the action, much preferred over a single rear bedding screw that only provides a rear support of the action, and can adversely effect consistency if not installed in relative perfect alignment with the bore of the barrel.

  Once completed with either method of countersink, you find the cross-bolt provides adequate support and stability for true match grade accuracy and consistency, while eliminating the need to use an epoxy type bedding in most important areas of the action.

  Many hours of testing and development went into this pressure point adjustable bedding system, and we sincerely hope that you can use this effective modification to accomplish all of your 10/22 Ruger  action based shooting goals! ENJOY!