Free floating barrel...shooting...update

[CoffeeInMe]

Im the proud owner of a brand new .22 Magnum Marlin 925M.  When I put a paper between the wood and the barrel and snug the bolt you cant remove the paper. Am I wrong in thinking that the wood of the stock is not suppose to be touching the barrel (free floating) ? If it is not suppose to be touching and I sand out the stock then do I just sand out from the anchor bolt toward the muzzle ? Or do I sand out other parts ?

[CoffeeInMe]

I couldnt help but wonder if I would have been better off with a synthetic stock to begin with. Any thoughts about a synthetic stock vs wood ?

[Glanceblamm]

Im the proud owner of a brand new .22 Magnum Marlin 925M.  When I put a paper between the wood and the barrel and snug the bolt you cant remove the paper. Am I wrong in thinking that the wood of the stock is not suppose to be touching the barrel (free floating) ? If it is not suppose to be touching and I sand out the stock then do I just sand out from the anchor bolt toward the muzzle ? Or do I sand out other parts ?

Ya got to see how it shoots first as there may not be anything the matter with it. Some free floating and glass bedding may be necessary with a centerfire that you are trying to get dialed in past 200yds but that WMR may be just fine as is considering the point blank range.

[CoffeeInMe]

Thanks glanceblamm. I guess you are right that there might not be nothing wrong with it to begin with. I have not sighted it in yet to see. I still wonder if the wood needs to be free from touching the barrel  for any other reasons I ask this because as I tighten the bolt the wood hits the barrel even before you start to snug the bolt. After you snug the bolt there is no way the paper is coming out thus the wood is binding against the barrel pretty tight or so it seems to me. This might not be a problem as glanceblamm mentioned but I wanted to make sure I described the condition of this properly.

[Brithunter]

Thanks glanceblamm. I guess you are right that there might not be nothing wrong with it to begin with. I have not sighted it in yet to see. I still wonder if the wood needs to be free from touching the barrel  for any other reasons I ask this because as I tighten the bolt the wood hits the barrel even before you start to snug the bolt. After you snug the bolt there is no way the paper is coming out thus the wood is binding against the barrel pretty tight or so it seems to me. This might not be a problem as glanceblamm mentioned but I wanted to make sure I described the condition of this properly.

Well this is my take on the free floated barrel thing. When makers used quality cured timber the problems with warpage was small to almost non existant. However now the makers normally use cheap kiln dried rubbish timber which warps at the slightest provocation so they use the free floating barrel method as a cheap way to get around the problem. Free floating is quicker and cheaper to produce than a properly bedded stock with presure point of a fulley bedded barrel as the old world craftsmen used to do.

My most accurate rifle has a fully bedded barrel which uses no synthetic fillers just careful and neat stock inletting by a skilled craftswomen. Yep a lady did the stock work! as for plastic or synthetic stocks if you wish to call them that ................................................. those that I have handled feel cheap and a lot are very flexible. All are vastly over priced in my opinion and as you might guess I don't like plastic stocks so i don't have any rifles with them.

Now another point is that not all rifles like a free floated barrel, I have a P-H 1200 super on which the bedding was not well done in the original stock. As the rifle was NIB when I got it it was made like it which surprised me but it seems it was produced during a take over and quality slipped badly!!!, the rifle could nto be returned because I brought it several years after P-H closed down so I decided to look at the bedding and using some filler re-bedded it but doing so I used a bit too much and free floated the barrel. I say it hated it because with the barrel floated it shot patterns of about 8" at 100 yards so I added card shims at the fore tip of the stock until the groups tightened up then had a gunsmith properly bed it with that pressure it now shoots around MOA with factory ammunition.

I once also swallowed the "Free Floating" myth and hype until I discovered the truth and I once even floated the barrel of a rifle just brought believing it to be "the way to go" it was when I started acquiring old classic rifles that I began to question this hype as they all had carefully bedded barrel channels and shot well even with iron sights. I also found out that their stocks were still true and not warped even on one rifle made in about 1897 which it took 20 hours to carefully remove the rust from the metal from poor storage. this is a Mauser Model 93 in 7mm and I had to drive out the stock spacer/piller under the tang as it was badly rusted as was starting to split the wood. After making and installing a new spacer it shoot well but high, it was then I discovered that the bead to the foresight had rusted off the thin blade yet despite the obvious damp it was kept in and the drying of my centrally heated apartment the stock is still true and the quality of the inletting for the hexagon barrel has to be seen to be believed.

The whole thing is that one rifle may prefer a bedded barrel the next may prefer a floated barrel. I have some rifles with floated barrels all except the one that I did were obtained that way. On the whole I prefer and will start with a bedded barrel and if it will not shoot well like that I can always float it however it's hard to un-float a barrel and make a neat unobstrusive job of it.

[bscman]

+1

It seems as though each rifle will take to bedding, floating, or a pressure pad differently. Some like one way, while others don't. The real key is consistency. You want the barrel to react the SAME way from shot to shot.

I have some rifles that, after free floating, shot TERRIBLY. Otherse improved drastically.

As for your 925M.

Do realize the front action screw is actually attaching to the barrel an inch or so in front of the the action...

Marlin USED to claim their magnum rimfires were "factory free-floated" but they no longer do. I'm not sure why, but my thoughts are very similar to those of BritHunters....cheap wood WARPS.

I say this because I had to return the stock from my 917 purchased over a year ago (when they were advertised as free floating) because the barrel was pushing against the tip of the forend and actually causing the wood to crack--it seems as time went on, the stock was warping for no real reason. I would imagine they got a lot of complaints about their stock channeling, and quit advertising them as free floating.

I have an older 25m (1988) that is NOT floated. The wood fits tights on the sides of the barrel, but not very well under the barrel. This rifle also only has one action screw. All things considered, I don't dare change a thing because it will shoot 1" (occasionally better) 5-shot groups with the new Vmax rounds. I'm afraid of messing it up.

*Most* factory synthetics, especially those on lower end rifles (and rimfires) are VERY poor quality. The twist and bend when you snug the action screws, and will flex quite a bit depending on your grip. I dislike them a great deal.

If I were you, I would seal the ENTIRE stock with a good wood finish to seal in hopes of minimizing warpage.

[backstrap]

I also have a marlin 925 and i free floated the barrel on mine i didnt see any difference after i floated the barrel didnt shot any better or any worse, mine shoots 40gr cci maxi mag 1 inch groups at a 100yards so thats good enough for me, i would shoot the rifle with different ammo and see which ammo the gun likes and go from there,i dont like the looks of synthetic stock i prefer wood and synthetic flex and bend as mentioned so good look with your rifle

[CoffeeInMe]

Thanks for all the help. I really screwed up this one. The wood is certainly cheap and must have been very warped. When I loosed the takedown bolt I couldnt believe the amount of pressure that was against the barrel. I had a friend witness this and the wood was really warped. Keep in mind Im not saying that doesnt mean it would not have shot well or accurate. I decided to sand it down and get it to float. Every time I set the barrel back in the wood stock to check my progress I would only reinstall the front takedown bolt and every time the wood and barrel would hit. So I would continue to sand some more and by not also installing the rear taketown bolt each time I couldnt see my true progress and made a very large gap between the two. Not to mention I scratched the stock a few times and then commenced to sand the complete stock and was going to re-stain and then I decided I was in over my head and decided to call Marlin and tell them of my really bright ideas and they seem to understand and they told me to send the stock to them with a letter explaining the same thing as I did just here.
The stock is packaged and should be mailed out tomorrow. I told them if they can replace it with a synthetic then that would be fine but then again anything would be fine at this point.
I will keep all updated as to the results. It is not easy admitting to this stupid mistake but I hope it all works out.
Thanks again.

[bscman]

Marlin has great customer service...
I'd bet you'll have a new stock in the mail in the next few days.

I called them up with a problem I was having--
My 917v didn't come with two magazines as advertised, and the stock had a crack near the forend when I opened the box (NIB RIFLE).

They offered to send me a shipping label (free UPS ground) to send in the entire rifle for a free replacement--yup, they offered a whole new rifle, free of cost.
I explained how I didn't think it was necessary, but rather just replace the stock. The offered me a new stock, shipped, free of charge. They also let me keep the old one (cracked, so it's not much use...but it does mean I have a spare trigger guard, butt plate, and sling studs)....most likely because it wasn't worth as much to them as it would have cost for shipping!

They've also helped me out a great deal with parts for used rifles I've purchased--even on rifles that were over 20 years old, and no longer produced.

Marlin is a GREAT company to deal with and I am very pleased with all four Marlin rimfires I own.
I hope that Remington (having recently acquired marlin) doesn't screw things up!

[CoffeeInMe]

Well got it all together this past week. I just didnt get time to get on this computer. It took a little longer than I thought but I cant complain since I was the one who made the screw up. There was a problem with the correct screws when going from wood to synthetic when they mailed everything the first time but it was corrected after I talk to another person the following week.
Now when the stock is mounted I can slide a thin paper all the way under the barrel. It fits perfectly. I admit that the synthetic lacks the character that wood has but I really like the feel and looks of it. Also the checkered part of the stock has excellent grip. I believe it is solid too and not hollowed out. Thanks again for all the help. I might get time to get her out and sighted in this weekend. I also might post picture if I can figure out how.

[CoffeeInMe]

I placed a Nikon 4 X 32 with Burris signature rings on it.
Here is one picture with it sitting on my homemade shooters rest / work bench.

and this picture is not real clear but I like the stainless screws, swivels, and plate.

[mangulator]

CoffeeInMe, get us a range report. I like wood stocks on rifles but after putting synthetic, on several of my rifles I found synthetics do have character. 

[CoffeeInMe]

I had a chance to get sighted in some this evening. Not the amount of time I wanted to spend shooting but cant complain. I believe Im going to be very happy with the out of box accuracy. I only had time to make it to 50 yards today. Here is a picture of all my expensive high technical bench shooting equipment

A view of my custom made target (its hard to see in the shade)

This is (two) four shot groups at 50 yards with two different ammunition. (Rem 40 gn JHP and Rem 33 gn Accutip-v)
Just ignore the stray shots (6 stray holes plus 2 paper nail holes) on the paper as they are from other testing and also from letting our oldest son (12 years old) shoot a few times. The actual 4 shot groups are kinda hard to find all four holes but they are there and well within the size of that penny. I think if I get a better way to secure my rifle steady and get a little more use to the trigger etc...then when I find the ammo I like I believe I will have a very accurate rifle out to at least a 100+ yards. I believe Im going to be a happy camper. I would like to also mention that the Nikon scope was turned more times that should have been at 25 yards sighting it in but it kept moving like it should and performed flawlessly and I love the clarity of the optics.

[Glanceblamm]

CoffeeInMe

I really did enjoy your pictures along with your narrative and it looks like you are in the ball park with your new rig.
Sometimes when I am in a hurry (which can be often) I will place my mechanic's creeper seat on the ground long-ways to the folded down tailgate of my little Ranger XLT pickup.
With a couple of sandbags under the forearm and one more under the butt stock, the overall height is just about perfect and 1" groups are very doable even at the 100yd range.

[CoffeeInMe]

Thanks glanceblamm. I would like to have a professional set up some day but the cost doesnt justify the amount of time I spend bench shooting. I just check a rifle from time to time to make sure they still hit the mark. It sounds like you have a good idea when your in a hurry. I hope to get more time this spring and summer to shoot some different ammo and see the results.