Removing Fiberglass bedding...Possible?

[Fort Myers]

I picked up a very nice Remingtom 700 BDL. An older one (early 70's vintage) factory tapped for a receiver sight. I think though that the wood stock that is on it is a newer one. It is one of the current straight comb stocks found on their rifles.

It is a very nice piece of wood but someone has glass bedded it and I don't think they did a very good job.
It might have been for another rifle.

 Is it possible to remove this material (Hardened fiberglass?---it is like a rock) from the inside of this wood stock without ruining it?

Thanks.

[John Traveler1]

I have not found any solvent that will dissolve fibreglas resin.  

You have to use mechanical abrasion to remove old resin bedding material, as new bedding resin will not adhere to it.  I use freshly sharpened old wood chisels and gouges on the parts that won't show on the assembled rifle, and then use rotary file type cutters with a Dremel tool to work up to the stock/barrel/receiver line.  The gouging and cutting only needs to allow the new bedding to be a minimum of 1/16" to 1/8" thickness.

HTH
John

[gunnut69]

First try the simplest thing. If the guy who applied the bedding did a really poor job perhaps they didn't remove the finish on the inletting before aoolying the compound.  Try using a 1/4 inch chisel and getting the edge under the lipt of the compound.  Prying up to see if there is movement.  I did this once on a stock I'd traded for and the entire bedding popped out. I cleaned ahe inletting and rebedded the rifle(note-I cut into the wood to remove the old finish and give the epoxy a bit better bite.Otherwise a moto tool and a burr will remove the stuff.  Heat will soften the compound and acetone will desolve it but only over quite a period of time. I'd grind and/or chisel out enough to allow the required 1/8 inch of material or a bit more..  The reason bedding doesn't stick to the existing bedding is residue from the release agent from the first pore.. Just grind away the existing bedding, enough to allow 1/8 inch a a little more on all surfaces(I prefer 1/4 inch or so behind the recoil lug) and rebed. As always clean the existing bedding with a good clean rag and solvent before starting any process..