Hello the fire. I have a question about bedding a muzzleloader barrel. I have a lancaster pattern flint rifle with a 44" colrain barrel. The gun looks and shoots good, but the barrel does not fit tight in the stock the entire length. I can feel it move if I press on it. It's a minor flaw but I know its there, and like anything else it will drive my OCD personality crazy over time. Will I get peace of mind and better accuracy if I have it bedded, or is it something to be left alone?

If you look on Colerain's web page, they say one thing that screws up muzzleloader accuracy is to have the barrel too tight in the stock. Apparently needs to have room to move...like the Sundance kid, I guess.

Sparks

Wat Sparks said is my understaning also. But, if you are determined to glass bed, it is considered 'authentic' as long as it can't be seen and you don't tell anyone.

If you have copies of Muzzleblasts July & Augusst 2008, you will find a how to artivle on epoxy bedding by Fred Stutzenberger. As far as the forend being loose I read somewhere about making the holes in the barrel tennons slightly elongated so that when the wood expands and contracts it win't put pressure on the barrel.

First, you won't get better accuracy. Glass bedding is done to nullify the effects of barrel whip in long range barrels firing very high velocity projectiles to 600-1000 yards. Your rifle does neither.

Second, the lack of tightness may allow the stock to expand and contract due to seasonal changes. If you glass bed it, you may actually cause the stock to crack if it cannot properly expand or contract. There is not enough pressure exerted on the barrel by the stock to interfere with accuracy as with a modern rifle. The only glass bedding that I have seen that helps a muzzle loader is when the breech to stock area was hamfisted by a manufacturer, and the tang bolt and tang take the recoil, not the back of the stock at the breech area. In large caliber rifles, it is sometimes good to glass bed this small area to distribute recoil over a larger portion of the wood.

LD

Well fellers, I glass bedded the fowler located elsewhere in this section. It was done to add strength to off set the thinness of it's diminuative stock. I realize that it is not period correct, but it's what I wanted to do. Cheers, Bookie

Thanks for the replies. I guess the predominant opinion is to leave it alone. Like I said it looks and shoots fine. I'll find something else to focus my OCD on..... come to think of it the fringe on the hunting frock I just finished needs some tweeking.

If its a little loose just take the barrel out and tap on the bottom of the tennons to tighten them up a bit. If the inlet for the tennons is all the way into the rod groove use a punch and just give them a little adjustment. I usually use a dollop of bedding behind/under the breech plug to both seal the end grain of the wood and bed the recoil face of the barrel. I have seen quite a few old guns that were cracked from the rear lock screww backward. I am convinced it is becaue the barrel sets back after many shots until the screww whacks the wood and cracks it.

Lay a bit of warm wax in the stock it will probably snug it up a bit but still remain flexable

quote:

Originally posted by trg:
Lay a bit of warm wax in the stock it will probably snug it up a bit but still remain flexable

If trying to strengthen the wood or keep metal parts stable beeswax is not a suitable product.
I will bed guns at the breech that I know will make a lot of recoil or are purpose built for match shooting.
Or if I screw something up and glueing in a matching piece of wood is too much of a pain/impossible.
The only ML I have used glass in extensively was an unfinished kit that had been through 2 other makers and I fixed for a friend. It was so hogged out in places there was no choice.
Dan