The Home Machinist!

Purchased a Bell and Carlson tactical stock with the aluminum block from Stockys recently. At first inspection the workmanship looked poor with residual composite material at the bottom of the recoil lug recess and the necessity of enlarging the barrel channel to make the heavy varmint barrel fit. Neither one of these were enough to discourage me from using the stock which I'd purchased with the intention of using in a 260 Remington that I was building. Upon completion of the rifle which I had trued the receiver, chambered using a range rod to dial in the barrel with the 4 jaw through the headstock method. I installed the barreled action in the stock. The action seemed to settle poorly with a tightening of the action screws torquing the action. It seemed to have a high spot. I removed the composite at the bottom of the recoil lug recess but that did not change the torquing issue. On cycling the bolt right side of the right lug on the bolt contacted the receiver before entering the front part of the receiver. This was verified by applying Diekem (sp) to the bolt and working it back and forth several times. To get to the point here, I hoped for the best and took the rifle out to do the barrel break in. What a disappointment, 2 to 3 inch three groups at 100 yards. At this point I'm thinking I might have screwed up something on the build but decided to take another barreled action out of a McMillan A5 and put the new barreled action in the McMillian stock. My bolt contact problem disappeared completely with the barreled action installed in the McMillan. The next group was a four shot group of .7 with three rounds touching. I pulled the flyer to the left.

The response so far from Stockys was "the screws are too long". When I convinced him they were not, he then stated, "now it's a manufactures issue. You need to call Bell Carlson and speak with Wade. He's the guy to go to there. He's the one that knows what is going on". The lady on the phone tried to get Wade to break away form what ever it was he was doing but he would not and he said for her to tell me the screws were too long. Bell and Carlson offered to take a look at it and issued a return authorization number. I double checked the screws even though I thought they would have nothing to do with the lug contact where the contact was being made. They were where they should have been.

I guess you get what you pay for but $220 isn't chump change for me, then again with the responses so far they must think I'm a chump. So, send it back, glass bed, or sell it and get a better grade stock?

Hi Jim, disapointing experience! I would have to take a cooling off period before making a decision. I'd probably just bed it and save the aggrevation of dealing with shipping and waiting.
oscer

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Jim,

Don't know if this will cheer you up or not but I own a Bell and Carlson "Medalist" stock and it supports the best shooting gun I own!

I suspect they will make it right for you as they are not know for bad stocks that I am aware of.

Don't give up just yet.

Dave C.

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I learn something new every day! Problems is I forget two.

Update on the stock is I fitted the stock Remington action removed from the Mc Millian stock and it seems to fit with no problem. At this point I believe the BC stock is OK and the problem was I did not enlarge the barrel channel enough to accommodate the custom barrel which differs from the stock Remington varmint barrel. However, time will tell and I am certainly not pleased the the "screws are too long" comments and the unwillingness to address a customer complaint.

Whether it's a B&C or a HS Precision or any other, I believe they all need to be bedded. I worked on one like you have for a friend, and yes, I removed some of the stock material that squeezed past the bedding block, relieved the forearm area for barrel clearance. Once that is all done, I do a skim bed right on the bedding block. Use an action bolt on the back end and center the barrel in the channel and let it set up, make sure it's stress free.

I've always used tape on the barrel to center it in the channel. Is there and advantage to your method vs the tape and is the bolt the rear action screw?

Actually, I use shims of paper stacked to the proper height/thickness to get the barrel centered AND to get the action setting level in the stock. The rear screw keeps that end where it needs to be, then stack shims so the action doesn't tip forward and does not have a gap at the front. I hope I'm explaining this well enough. If you get the "stack" right, the action will not have any stress and will be supported evenly front to back. Very important to have it stress free, so when you do install the screws and bolt the gun in, there is no bending or twisting. When your screws tighten up quick like a snap, no sponginess, you know you have a good bed.

I like using drywall tape for the shims. Comes in a big roll, cheap and has a crease down the middle. Just tear off what you need.

I like the idea of the paper shims. Seems like they would be easier to deal with than the tape. I use a couple of 2.5 inch 1/4 28 bolts/screws with the heads removed to locate the action when setting the barreled action into the glass.

Works fine with the SPS Rem action and barrel. Problem solved. It was the barrel channel not opened enough.