Author Topic: Problem with pillars, HELP! (Read 495 times)

Selmer · « **on:** January 03, 2004, 08:49:55 AM »

I have my Encore pillar-bedded and I have a little problem with it. The front pillar is pulling out from the recoil! I'm shooting a .454 Casull, and yes, there are some heavy loads coming out. My question is, what can I do about it? It pulls out a little with each shot, but I push it back in on the gun. What epoxy should I use to seat it in the forend again? How can I get the pillar out without damaging the forend? The only way I could get it to budge was by shooting it, I'm sure I need to drive it out, but I don't want to damage the forend. I didn't pillar bed it, I had it done. Is this something I should call the gunsmith on to have redone for free? Please let me know if you have any info for me.
Sincerely,
Selmer

bigdaddytacp · « **Reply #1 on:** January 03, 2004, 10:20:24 AM »

Quote from: Selmer

I have my Encore pillar-bedded and I have a little problem with it. The front pillar is pulling out from the recoil! I'm shooting a .454 Casull, and yes, there are some heavy loads coming out. My question is, what can I do about it? It pulls out a little with each shot, but I push it back in on the gun. What epoxy should I use to seat it in the forend again? How can I get the pillar out without damaging the forend? The only way I could get it to budge was by shooting it, I'm sure I need to drive it out, but I don't want to damage the forend. I didn't pillar bed it, I had it done. Is this something I should call the gunsmith on to have redone for free? Please let me know if you have any info for me.
Sincerely,
Selmer

........The gunsmith should repair it as a follow up to the work they did....UNLESS they advised aganist the work or made other suggestions that you didn't follow...to repair,the pillar can be pulled with a slide hammer on the pillar and then the stock needs to be cleaned and opened up in the middle of the thru hole and the pillar needs more slots/grooves cut into the sides to hold the bedding agent...then some steel bed or accuaglas needs to be used to hold the pillar in the stock and allowed to set up and harden before being used .........done this way a pillar should hold or pull the material of the forearm out of the forearm with the bedding compound.........after that you will have to have a custom large head pillar made to inlet into the surface of the forearm and give the recoil a larger surface to spread the force aganist and try to pull the inlet larger surface of the pillar thru the forearm.......let the board know what you and your smith decide....good luck and good shooting!!!!

gunnut69 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 03, 2004, 08:39:06 PM »

I'm a bit curious. What was the reasoning behind pillar bedding the Encore? Not trying to flame or anything, just curious.. And bigdaddytacp sounds like he's on the right track as to a repair.. sounds as if the bond between pillar and forearm failed. I'd take it back to the smith...

Selmer · « **Reply #3 on:** January 04, 2004, 04:28:00 AM »

I consulted a gunsmith friend last night and here's what I ended up doing, it's a way of doing it that should work, but if it doesn't, nothing was majorly modified.
I laid the forend upside down on a towel, used a piece of steel to drive the pillars out, no problem at all. After doing this, I discovered that there was absolutely zero epoxy on the pillars themselves, it had merely been set over the top of the pillars, they were roughed up or stippled, however you want to say it, so that they would have a little grip, and there was actually room to hold epoxy, but it wasn't put on the pillars. I got out hte JB Weld (I've been told this is very similar to steel bed mix), mixed a little up, smeared it on the inside of the holes in the forend, drove the pillars into the desired depth, free-floating the barrel, and put the gun back together. I got up this morning, took it apart with no problems, and smeared just a little JB on the sides of the pillars, they're protruding about the width of a couple matchbook covers, and it's now setting up. I'll take it out with some heavy loads and try a few shots tomorrow and see if it holds. Wish me luck!
Selmer

Selmer · « **Reply #4 on:** January 06, 2004, 10:18:25 AM »

My JB weld solution has worked! I went out and put 20 heavy loads through and took the pistol apart, no signs of the JB giving or the stock giving, hopefully this has solved my problem... Thanks for all of your suggestions.
Selmer