Center bedding

[GFR]

This may be a trivial question for you guys however:

I just bought an LE No 4 Mk 1. The furniture wiggles around the barrel/receiver A LOT - i.e. down at the barrel end of the front handguard the barrel can move up and down at least a quarter of an inch.

Is this normal?

I have handled other LEs that don't move at all. If it's not normal how do I fix it? Do I have to replace that shim thing that you showed pictures of on this thread?

Thanks

[Peter Laidler]

No, it's not normal. Before you do anything else, make sure that a) you have a screw through the rear of the trigger guard and b) that the screw at the front of the trigger guard is tight. Now see what happens............

[RJW NZ]

Very interesting. Therically speacking, at the center bedding plate, the barrel exerts a downwards pressure or the plate is only a contact point? At the muzzle is there any pressure?

My centered bedded no4 mk1/2, very accurate, ball burnished/parker etc, requires 12lbs up pressure at the muzzle to free the barrel off the center bedding. From the bedding forward the barrel is 100% floated. All of the non stock bedding No4's I've looked at, about a dozen, require up pressure to lift the barrel off its bedding, and its almost always higher than the upper recommended No4 lbs.

[bow]

My centered bedded no4 mk1/2, very accurate, ball burnished/parker etc, requires 12lbs up pressure at the muzzle to free the barrel off the center bedding. From the bedding forward the barrel is 100% floated. All of the non stock bedding No4's I've looked at, about a dozen, require up pressure to lift the barrel off its bedding, and its almost always higher than the upper recommended No4 lbs.

How long is center bedding plate from the end of reinforce/beginning of the barrel, and what are bedding plate sizes? I would try with a resin compound that warp around the barrel from 4.00 to 8.oo o'clock in order to reduce moisture and wheather effect on wood. Hanguards are bedded, also? I believe handguard bedding is a trouble...Work isn't so accurate in Handguards..

[vintage hunter]

The shim that was in mine measures 1.5'' long by 3/4'' wide and .020'' thick. It was roughly 5 inches from the center of the reinforce to the center of the shim, between the first and second lightening cuts in the forearm. Not sure what you mean about the handgards being bedded but they should never touch the barrel anywhere.

[bow]

The shim that was in mine measures 1.5'' long by 3/4'' wide and .020'' thick. It was roughly 5 inches from the center of the reinforce to the center of the shim, between the first and second lightening cuts in the forearm. Not sure what you mean about the handgards being bedded but they should never touch the barrel anywhere.

Late 303 had a sort of bedding on the handguard in the same placev where the bedding plate sits on fore end. I think it was used in Parker Hale regulated rifle. But i saw only photos of that.

[Thunderbox]

Late 303 had a sort of bedding on the handguard in the same placev where the bedding plate sits on fore end. I think it was used in Parker Hale regulated rifle. But i saw only photos of that.

No1 rifles were often "packed" above and below the barrel, but centre-bedded No4 rifles generally just have the barrel resting on a single block, and the handguards and forend relieved to allow the barrel free movement upwards. Occasionally you do find grease or wax on the barrel over the support block location, but this appears to achieve little as it clearly displaces very quickly.

The only No4 bedding variations are the very rare types of experimental (and apparently unsuccessful) bedding. One type has the barrel in a neutral position within the forend, but held in tension by two opposing No1-style spring studs:

[Peter Laidler]

Bow and others............ can I make a suggestion in the nicest possible way and at the risk of upsetting some. Centre bedding and all of these other magic methods of bedding are a bit like the proverbial 96 year old auntie who smokes 60 full strength cigarettes a day plus half a bottle of scotch and is still going strong. Yep, some do.........., most fail.
Just like some of these bedding methods that depend on nothing mnore than 'my mate says........', a bit of hope and a good dollop of white mans magic. Some might well be superb and put every bullet into the black. But the only trusted, tried and tested method is the CORRECT method.

Just ask yourself this single and simple question. If these other methods of counting nodes, vibrations and frequencies were better than the standard laid down, why weren't they used and authorised for use on the sniper rifle. And to be honest and fair, that is a rifle that depends on being accurate ALL THE TIME

[RJW NZ]

This may be a trivial question for you guys however:

I just bought an LE No 4 Mk 1. The furniture wiggles around the barrel/receiver A LOT - i.e. down at the barrel end of the front handguard the barrel can move up and down at least a quarter of an inch.

Is this normal?

I have handled other LEs that don't move at all. If it's not normal how do I fix it? Do I have to replace that shim thing that you showed pictures of on this thread?

Thanks

Just a thought, and bear with me if I'm repeating old advice; the barrel on a no4 is easily moved with the fingertips at the muzzle, its made that way, on the other hand if you're sure that the wood is moving around the next check is the main screw in front of the magazine. If that is tightening up and the wood still moving its not unknown for the screw to bottom out in its hole, try adding a lock washer so that the screw has a few more turns it can pull up. The screw can bottom out if the wood has become too thin for the screw to clamp on, either through someone's wood work, or the wood oils drying out. Keep us posted if you've solved the problem or not, theres a few things to look at.

[bow]

Just ask yourself this single and simple question. If these other methods of counting nodes, vibrations and frequencies were better than the standard laid down, why weren't they used and authorised for use on the sniper rifle. And to be honest and fair, that is a rifle that depends on being accurate ALL THE TIME

Peter, it's very difficult to rebut your statement, Sir.