Free floating the forearm?

[BobinIL]

What type of washers to use for shimming up the forearm on an Encore??  I have gone back and found several posts on free floating the forearms but no info on what type of washers to use and where to get them.  Can I use plain old hardware store washers or do I need to get specialty machine washers?  What size do I need?  I am still very apprehensive about buying a rifle barrel for my Encore.  I just read horror story after horror story about the 3" to 5" groups.

[wJAKE19]

rubber washers work fine, brass washers,
but my encore 223 barrel will shoot sub moa without any floating of the forend.

[encore3006]

Bobin,

If you go back and read my response to your initial post asking “What kind of accuracy can I expect?” you will see that my recent experience with the Ruger 204 Encore factory new barrel was successful with no modifications such as free floating the forearm.

I am convinced that with patience during break-in and after subsequent consistent cleaning with attention focused on if and how many fouling shots are needed before the desired accuracy; you will be rewarded with success.

I have tried the various accuracy improvement suggestions. In hindsight, I can not honestly say which change resulted in the improvement or if I had not completed the break-in of the bore or properly identified if fouling shots were needed. Only after that can improvements be fairly assessed as contributing to or taking away from accuracy.

I own many Encore barrels and I do not have any horror stories concerning the accuracy of the barrels. Do I love the Encore? You bet I do!
 

[30-06man]

i haven't had the need to float the forearm. try holding the gun closer to the receiver when shooting on bags or off some sorta rest

[Ladobe]

I float my TC forearms, both in pistol and carbine/rifle configurations, and do believe it squeezes that last bit of precision out of the TC's.   I don't use washers, but rather the hanger bars offered by Bullberry and the long gone VVCG (now available from Stratton Custom and MGM).   With the original Contender frames they will work with most factory forends, Pachy's and custom wood from these shops.   Around $5-6 each, and every Contender barrel I own (factory or custom) wears them.   Don't know about the G2, and all my Encores wore custom wood (and bars) before I sold out of them.   So you'd have to ask on these models.   If you do go this route, be sure to specify the stand off spacing and ask to be sure it will work with your factory forearm if for a G2 or Encore frame.   FWIW - FWICY

[jamie]

Robin, my first Encore barrel shot 1" groups.  I floated the fore end and it shot 1/2".  My second barrel I used the hanger bar system to float the for end and it shot 1/2".  My current (3rd) barrel also has the hanger bar and it shoots in the .3's( it is a custom barrel).  The easiest way to tell if your gun will like being floated is to fold some electrical tape over itself about 4 times (make two of them) put a hole through it for the fore end screw.  This is the cheapest way to find out and if it doesn't your out a total of 3 inches of electrical tape.  I actually left mine on the first barrel it worked so well.

[furyface]

I have a stainless Pro hunter frame, a EAB precision Barrel in .280, and a Boyds thumb hole Walnut stock. I am not impressed by the fit of the Boyds heavy barrel for-end. I was considering pillar bedding it. What would be the difference between pillar bedding and using the Bullberry hangar bar system?
BTW I think I will cross post this question to the the main TC page