McMillan F-class stock issues and others compared?

[bruce moulds]

there are 2 of those stocks at lower light.
I have been lucky enough to shoot one of them, and they track beautifully, and are otherwise user friendly.
the only worrying thing,as I understand it, and I could be wrong, the action recoil lug is not totally free floating, which defeats the purpose of barrel block bedding.
you either have one or the other, and where it floats it should float freely.
the 2 guys that own these stocks are not getting the results one would expect from such well behaved rifles, and I wonder if this could be the reason.
keep safe,
bruce.

[johnk]

When I swapped a Maddco TR profile .308 barrel for a 30" heavy benchrest profile 6BR barrel in my H & H Robertson stock, barrel movement chipped the channel at the front of the stock. Prior to shooting, I'd checked that I couldn't squeeze the barrel against the channel. I needed to take it out a couple of mm at the bottom of the channel to be safe - far more than I've needed in any other circumstance.

I surmise that a significant issue (the significant issue) might be the mass of the barrel, considering the reduced recoil of the 6BR. However, the stock was carrying a 1½ kg lead spacer in the butt to balance the heavier barrel & that consequent inertia may have contributed.

[Brad Y]

Bruce- correct, barrel blocks are there to float the action. Running a pierce I got the recoil lug with the action, and a pin to pin it in place. But I sold the lug off which helped offset the build and the barrels are turned by the gunsmith to butt up against the action face. The mcmillan stocks I would have thought wouldnt be big enough to hold a barrel block, but would be ok for a v block, pillars or glue in type bedding on the action itself.

[DenisA]

there are 2 of those stocks at lower light.
I have been lucky enough to shoot one of them, and they track beautifully, and are otherwise user friendly.
the only worrying thing,as I understand it, and I could be wrong, the action recoil lug is not totally free floating, which defeats the purpose of barrel block bedding.
you either have one or the other, and where it floats it should float freely.
the 2 guys that own these stocks are not getting the results one would expect from such well behaved rifles, and I wonder if this could be the reason.
keep safe,
bruce.

Is a recoil lug necessary with a barrel blocked rifle. I thought it would be removed?

[bruce moulds]

they are for barnard actions,
you could avoid all recoiling surfaces if you wanted to, and let the barrel block do the work.
bruce.

[Brad Y]

Thats all I do. The barrel block itself is bedded with devcon for a tight fit and is surrounded by timber. Basically one big recoil lug.

[BATattack]

I would like a slighly longer wheelbase in that trueflite stock.

Hard to talk about flex and stiffness as I dont own a mcmillan f class. But I think flex and bounce in it would all be relative to the action and barrel you put in it. Brett B and Shaun both have rem actions and HV profile barrels so in essence not really heavy. Seddo sounds in a simlar situation. Where if you put a barnard with a 1.25 straight for 32 inch barrel with a heavy nightforce scope then your going to get more flex I would think.

My barrel block stock is made from hardwood laminate (structural stuff) and sealed and painted. I made it slightly longer than it was originally designed as I wanted as much support as possible. Most of the weight is at the front but I still dont think I get bad flex. We did think about drilling some steel or carbon rod up it, but it just hasnt needed it.

With a barrel block set up you effectively end up with a forend that is shorter.

The forend flex issues normally start at the front of the action. Using a barrel block the forend has 4-6 inches less leverage and resultant flex.

[ecomeat]

[b]G'day Tony,
At NZ $0.93 exchange rate, that's $1669 AUD.
What are your thoughts on the price?[/b]

Denis,
They would need to be absolutely dominating the placings in Queens events before I considered parting with that sort of money.
I can't stop thinking about how Chop cleaned us all up at Canberra with a stringy ark stock that he made himself, with 105 gr pills !
I would be way better off spending that sort of money on diesel and entry fees and shooting on more ranges to get more experience.
Tony

[AlanF]

This stock has significantly less flex in the fore-end than my Mastin F-Class. This is partly due to the stiffness of steel fore-end forks, but also because the barrel clamp reduces the length of the overhanging barrel by about 150mm. Cost of this was about $30 welding, $100 machining, $60 materials and a few hours with hand tools. And no, the colours are there solely as a code for the materials. What parts are painted are strictly battleship grey .

[bruce moulds]

well goddam alan,
the picture looks like a south Australian stock.
no, on second thought, it lacks the surface area for painting and sticking pictures on.
keep safe,
bruce.

[IanP]

Hey Alan, thats ingenious! I like the design, what does the stock weigh in at without the action and barrel?

To hell with battleship grey, why not really out do Bruce and co by getting it galvanised

Ian

[AlanF]

...what does the stock weigh in at without the action and barrel?...

About 2.6Kg Ian. I made weight okay at Raton with a 32" 1.25" parallel profile barrel and Sightron 10-50x60. There is potential in several places to lose some weight - could probably get it down to 2Kg.

[IanP]

...what does the stock weigh in at without the action and barrel?...

About 2.6Kg Ian. I made weight okay at Raton with a 32" 1.25" parallel profile barrel and Sightron 10-50x60. There is potential in several places to lose some weight - could probably get it down to 2Kg.

Well done Alan! No need to spend $1000s on a stock when a steel Fraser stock could be put together by most shooters with just a little help from a welder.

The diagram shows a complete (lengthwise) bottom clamp for the barrel block and what appears to be parallel metal strips/clamps on the top of the barrel. Did you use strips on top of the barrel as per your diagram?

How about adding a photo of your stock to this thread. I would love to see how it looks setup ready to shoot! There is a lot to be said for minimalist design in rifle stocks. Its always function over form for me in this sport of ours.

Ian

[AlanF]

Ian,

Top clamps are basically slices of the bottom clamp, done that way to save weight.

Better not show a photo - it would detract from magnificent appearance.

Alan

[bruce moulds]

ian,
alan is doing you a favour not posting a picture.
it is amazing the psychological damage that can be done by casting one's gaze upon battleship grey, particularly when one is more used to seeing the artistically pimped stocks so prominent in sth oz.
I have seen it in the flesh, and required councilling due to post traumatic stress.
I am putting a large part of the Australian victory in raton down to opposing teams having viewed that stock.
keep safe,
bruce.