A-bolt factory bedding job

Discussion in 'Browning A-Bolt Rifle' started by Jeff Reynolds, Dec 5, 2017.

  1. Jeff Reynolds

    Jeff Reynolds Copper BB

    Hi guys, I recently sold a custom rifle and the buyer wanted to know how it was bedded so I pulled the stock off to check. That got me to wondering how some of my other rifles were bedded (I admit I hadn't paid much attn to that) so I pulled the stocks off of a couple of my browning a-bolts. I have a 1991 stainless stalker that has been my go to rifle since I bought it. The accuracy is acceptable on that rifle, occasionally minute of angle but usually more like 1.5-1.75". Though this rifle's barrel is free floated, the bedding job was poor. It looked like someone pressed a thin piece of bubble gum down onto the recoil lug recess. And it appears to be coming off around the edges.

    The second a-bolt is actually an a-bolt II, a Custom Trophy model that I purchased some time ago and just got around to scoping and shooting. The bedding job on this one is beautiful and of course it is free floated as well. I bought 4 different brands of cheap 130 grain ammo to try in this one and it shoots all of them into 1" groups or smaller and to close to the same poi. Some of the groups with remington core lokts and hornady american whitetail shot less that 1/2" groups.

    I think I need to a new bedding job on the stainless stalker. I wonder if Browning would re-do it? Anyone else notice the bedding jobs on their a-bolts? How well done are they? Anyone do their own bedding job and how did it turn out? Just curious. Thanks, Jeff
  2. MZ5

    MZ5 .270 WIN

    The compound Browning used on the A-bolt II rifles, at least those I've ever seen (including my own) is indeed a somewhat rubbery/squishy material. It is not a hard-set bedding compound like Acra-Glas or Marine Tex or Devcon.

    Do as you see fit, of course, but if it was mine and the bedding compound was coming off the stock wood, I'd send it to a 'smith to have it bedded with Acra-Glas or similar.
    SHOOTER13 likes this.
  3. I like marine tex. I've heard of people getting great results with JB Weld. Bedding a rifle is not a hard job, but does take time to do properly. And time is like several days for the epoxy to cure.
  4. Jeff Reynolds

    Jeff Reynolds Copper BB

    Thanks for the replys guys. I spoke with a customer service rep at Browning today and he stated that he was also under the impression that the bedding compound Browning uses is a softer material designed to take up room in the stock for a better fit, that's how he put it. He described it as a machine that just puts a dab of bedding compound in the stock and that's it. My Stainless Stalker certainly resembles that description but my Custom Trophy doesn't, it looks like a professional bedding job with a hard set compound. I think I'm going to take MZ5's advice and have a smith do the job. Thanks again, Jeff

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