Whats up with the bedding in my model 70 super express? First bedding project.

[Choupique]

I have a new to me model 70 classic super express .375 h&h. Fine looking barely used rifle. Not sure how it shoots yet, ive only shot some trail boss pop gun loads at cans.

The stock fit feels poor with some side to side play, very perceptible in the forearm as in you can feel/hear it when handling the rifle. The stock has some kind of steel piece in front of the recoil lug, which I assume is meant to act as a spring to hold the action tight? It has some kind of goop in it that is solid but I can dig a fingernail into it. Some is also on the back of the recoil lug.

I was planning to rebed it but not sure what to do about this spring thingy? Is this a factory bed job or some kind of fancy custom stuff? I figure removing it and all the goop and filling all that with epoxy or glass would be best?

Thanks in advance. This will be my first bedding job, so any advice is appreciated.

 

[DB29]

That looks like the factory “bedding”. Mine was impossible not to destroy when I removed the action. I pulled all that stuff off the lug and out of the recess and put the stock back on. Shot just as good after as it did before.

 

[The Guide]

I had something like that (not the spring but the hot glue gun desposit) on my 270 with the wood stock and my 300WM in a synthetic stock. I'm going to suggest that it is from the factory. I bet the spring metal is to reduce secondary recoil and prevents the stock from cracking under recoil.

Jay

 

[Choupique]

So you just pulled all that crap out put it back together and went with it? Steel spring thing included? Does it fit alright?

I had a hard time getting it apart, I suspect it has never been taken apart. I had to hit the barrel on the arm of the sofa to get it to pop loose. That made me think it couldn't be a factory job?

 

[TaperPin]

What a cool classic rifle - feels like you’re on safari just handling it.

The spring thingy is to reinforce the recoil lug because of the extra recoil in the 375. It’s probably held in with hot melt glue. You can take it out, epoxy it back in place and then bed over the top of it. Some would remove it and probably not have any problems.

In years past there was a second recoil lug soldered onto the barrel for 375 and 458 winchesters - that’s what the empty recess in the barrel channel is for. They must only use the second recoil lug for 458’s.

 

[DB29]

So you just pulled all that crap out put it back together and went with it? Steel spring thing included? Does it fit alright?

I had a hard time getting it apart, I suspect it has never been taken apart. I had to hit the barrel on the arm of the sofa to get it to pop loose. That made me think it couldn't be a factory job?

Not the spring. I missed that part of the picture. Mine is a .270 it was just the plastic bedding material that I removed.

 

[Choupique]

Yall think that spring thingy is better for the stock than a tight bedding fit? I don't know how I would bed it properly and keep the spring in there without making it not be a spring anymore. I think I'd just have to rebed the sides to take the side to side play out and leave the recoil lug as is?

 

[TaperPin]

Yall think that spring thingy is better for the stock than a tight bedding fit? I don't know how I would bed it properly and keep the spring in there without making it not be a spring anymore. I think I'd just have to rebed the sides to take the side to side play out and leave the recoil lug as is?

I’d take it out and reinstall it a tiny bit deeper with a little extra room between it and the recoil lug. Let that harden, then bed the action over the top of the steel thing - the bedding will cover it up and you’ll never know it was there, but it will reinforce the lug. It’s also ok to just leave it as is - it was tight.

 

[Choupique]

Negative. Can't stay like it is. The barrel moving around in the forend is driving me insane. Must fix it. It even has a nice perceptible "pop" when it does it.

 

[The Guide]

Negative. Can't stay like it is. The barrel moving around in the forend is driving me insane. Must fix it. It even has a nice perceptible "pop" when it does it.

I used 5 minute epoxy to rebed my recoil lug but I didn't have any lateral movement to deal with. Just to verify, with the action in the stock and action screws screwed down (I think it was at 30 inch pounds for my stock) you have lateral movement of the barrel and action?

Jay

 

[Choupique]

Yes, the action is moving side to side in the stock. It isn't much, maybe a few thou at the front of the action, but it definitely pops back and forth, and you can see it at the very end of the barrel channel. It goes from the left edge of the channel to the right edge and stays there till you flip the gun over or shake it or something to get it to move again.