Author Topic: OK tell me how to do it! (Read 1305 times)

doninva · « **on:** September 08, 2003, 05:42:02 AM »

I have 2 wood forends for an encore, one for a muzzle loader and one for a 24" 7MM-08 barrel. I would like to free float them(well as much as possible). I could put washers under them and use longer screws but is there a more permant fix like glass beading a washer in the forend or something like that. Any suggestion would be very appricated

. Don

longwinters · « **Reply #1 on:** September 08, 2003, 10:42:49 AM »

I have a synthetic forend but I would not think that it matters. I took a wooden dowl, about the same size (diameter) as my 7M-08 barrel and wrapped sand paper around it. Then just started sanding out everywhere EXCEPT the pillars that the screws go thru. It worked great and only took about 15-20 minutes. Now I can slide a piece of paper between the barrel and forend, except where the screws are going thru.

Long

longwinters · « **Reply #2 on:** September 09, 2003, 12:14:55 PM »

I do not have any other barrels except my 209 x 50 which I did not do anything to the forend (didnt need it). It is hard to say about how it affected grouping because the barrel was bad. After 4-5 shots, would (no exaggeration here) it would shoot dime size groups at 100 yds. Best shooting I could ever do . . . but it had to have a very hot barrel to do it. Nevertheless, it would not group, even with the hot barrel until I sanded the forend out. No wonder . . . it had a lot of straightening out to do before it could shoot straight. Then Thompson sent me another barrel and I used the same forend. It will shoot 1" groups with the ocaisional back to back shots in the same hole. I would think that if I got a bigger caliber barrel there would have to be more room in the forend because the barrel is larger diameter. Smaller diameter barrels would be fine since the only contact point is where the screws contact. You have a good question with forend size though. Are all the forends generic in size? Does not seem like that would work especially with the wooden ones. :?

Possum · « **Reply #3 on:** September 11, 2003, 04:35:44 PM »

I used the metal washer idea with my Encore .250 Sav rifle, 30-06 pistol, 14" Contender .35Rem, and 10" 30-30. I was getting the shots grouping semi good on some and then when they warmed up they were tack drivers. With the metal washers superglued to the forendes all the barrels tightened up on the first 4-5 shots. The difference was remarkable. On two forends I actually used two washers per hole to get more barrel to forend clearance. Easiest improvement to the pistol and rifles since I put new trigger springs in them. I have no fear of the 100yd targets anymore and the two hundred yard targets are suffering dire consequences.

I had used electrical tape, but it started melting to the point it did not work.

doninva · « **Reply #4 on:** September 12, 2003, 03:29:01 AM »

Possum, Did you have to use longer screws when you used 2 washers? Don

longwinters · « **Reply #5 on:** September 12, 2003, 05:22:06 PM »

I originally tried the washer method. But I could not find long enough screws anywhere in my area. They are an extremely fine thread.

long

randycarter · « **Reply #6 on:** September 28, 2003, 01:10:39 PM »

personally i glass bed a washer into the forend of both my rifle and muzzloader and then use longer screws but the trick there is to get a 10-32 bottom tap and tap your forend holes out to that size then you can go to any hardware store and pick up box end allen screws giving you not only free floating, length, and most importantly strength. just my two cents.