Boyds Gunstocks: "How to Free Float Your Rifle Barrel Channel"

[@robertbrandywine]

I had a "gun maker" free-float my barrel using a dollar bill and I had to bring it back to him after a couple of months because it started making contact. Larry Potterfield recommends at least a business card clearance. I've measured some cards and they're about .040 inch. Also, very true what he says about placing the stock in the barrel. I used to just place the barreled action in the stock without checking but now I tighten the rear screw to about 10 inch-pounds, center the barrel and hold it while inserting and tightening the front screw to its full torque, and then finish tightening the rear screw to its final torque. This can make quite a difference in tightening groups.

[@aprilmicanek1029]

Very good video, I have done this many times, on different caliber rifles, and it always helps. And just as Randy said at the end, you may need to bed your action, I have really good results doing this also!

[@tomn5880]

Excellent video of barrel flex and explanation of the dynamics of firing a round. I have two Mossberg Predators I use for training. Both came from the factory with floated barrels. I increased the gap and I bedded the receiver at the recoil lug. The are in 5.56 and both have Nikon P223 3-9 x 40 VDC scopes. They both shoot dimes @ 100 yds.

[@carlosnavarrojr.6912]

You can cut playing cards to fit perfectly between the stock and the action. It will float the barrel and will mold itself between the action and stock

[@mikewest712]

What if I use a 20 dollar bill?

[@faridmk3707]

Where is the "how to" part of the free floating process? All I saw was an explanation and the final result...

[@boydsgunstocks]

We take care of the free-floated barrel process during milling now. This is one of our earlier videos before we offered free floating barrel channels.

[@slatsgrobneck7515]

Ya, the vid title says "How to ...." Nothing about the 'how to' part

[@thewobblywelder8362]

@@slatsgrobneck7515the man literally says to use a dowel with sand paper and scrapers if needed. If you’re too stupid to figure out what to do after that then maybe you shouldn’t be fucking around with guns in the first place…

[@AntiPattern328]

I have seen a lot of people who wrap electrical tape around the barrel up towards the end of the stock to create space before they bed the action and this causes the bedding to also free float the barrel. What is your opinion on this?

[@boydsgunstocks]

Typically, only the action is glass bedded and not the barrel channel. Some shooters bed their entire inlet including the barrel channel. We do not have a recommendation either way and glass bedding does void the warranty of our stocks.

[@AntiPattern328]

@@boydsgunstocks All they beaded was the action. The small amount of tape was used just to make sure the barrel was free floated.

[@towarzyszbeagle6866]

I was taught to work receiver forwards when stocking up a rifle and have always done so. The barrel channel is one of the easiest things to work on in terms of relieving and adjusting fit/float. So it makes sense to fit your receiver and then work forward from there. I could imagine taping up the barrel to make it float when bedding the receiver causing problems with the receiver fit. Like introducing an upward cant towards the muzzle, which could translate to issues with magazine seating in the receiver etc. Why would you risk it when you could just bed the receiver. Then once set hit the barrel channel with sandpaper to float the barrel and reseal it. Which is dead simple.

[@mikewest712]

Is it true boyds only pillar beds one action screw when this service is added to a custom stock?

[@boydsgunstocks]

It is model specific, some inlets are compatible with 2 pillars in both screw holes. Others do not have enough wood material in the screw hole to support a pillar, in those cases one is installed.

[@TheRealKpocalypse]

So should we bed first or free float???

[@boydsgunstocks]

Most of Boyds gunstocks are now free floating barrel channels, this video is from 2015. Since a majority of our stocks come with a free floated barrel channel, you would bed your firearm and then do a dollar bill test to ensure the barrel is still free floating after bedding.

[@lanceschul]

So should you glass/pillar bed first then free float or vice versa?

[@thewobblywelder8362]

It would make the most sense to follow the path of the bullet traveling down the barrel wouldn’t it?

[@spraynpray]

Is that a CZ 527? Cute gun.

[@raz636man]

Thickness of a dollar bill is 0.0043” , I need to use 5 bills to check clearance.

[@Auryx851]

Ok, so this video was great at explaining WHAT free floating is and describing tools to use to do such, but entirely useless in actually showing one how to do it.

[@catzepplin]

I have a 1913 6.5x55 Carl Gustav Swedish Mauser in an original sporterized military stock. The top wood is gone and the barrel is cut back to 18 1/2 inches. I did a bedding job from the rear tang to the chamber. Shooting at the range, it will do a 1 and a 1/2 inch group at 100 yrds. After that, I loosened the front screw and fit 2 cardboard business cards between the barrel and the very end of the forestock and retightened the screw...proceeded to shoot a 1 inch group. My barrel was a free floater and shot worse. Is there an explanation?

[@youmaus]

+Rick McLaren This is a long standing debate...British armourers had 24 points of concern to make SMLE rifles suitable for competition at Bisley....some sporterized versions had only four....Manlichter was adamant that the stock should extend to the muzzle with bands at the pressure points of the barrel harmonics...but the super accurate target rifles making those long range shots today have minimalist furniture made from plumbling pipe and no forend whatsoever around the barrel .

[@rodneykuenzer5789]

Your barrel needed a pressure point at the end of the stock, like many of the Ruger 10/22 for accuracy.

[@medhist2006]

I have an Interarms Mkx action with a very heavy barrel. No matter how much wood I removefrom the forend the barrel always comes down and contacts the tip when I tighten the action screws. Any suggestions? Thank you

[@boydsgunstocks]

We'd be happy to help you figure this out. Please email your order number, name, and barrel diameter to [e-mail] and we'll take a look into this.

[@wilmamcdermott3065]

Glass bed ur action open up barrel channel posibly pillar job too

[@wilmamcdermott3065]

Just glass bedded a 6.5 creedmore in a boyds stock.

[@wilmamcdermott3065]

Was shooting all over the place. Hoping now it is going to group bullets

[@markej4801]

Interesting facts of the need, but almost no information at all and zero showing of a how-to. 3 out of 5.