I wanted to pass along an observation made yesterday while inletting the new stock for my Mark X .416 Ruger action….
Initially this Mark X wore a Boyd’s Classic laminate stock which had been glass and pillar bedded very nicely, but had no checkering and was too slick for my taste. Failing to locate a practical checkering solution for it I ordered a new Boyd’s Platinum laminate stock with ample checking for about $400. The new stock did need some inletting for the heavier barrel, bolt handle, side safety, and extra wood removal in recoil lug area for bedding.
I had installed Leupold 2 pcs QR bases on the receiver while the action was installed in the original stock. The Vari-X 3iii scope and rings were installed and everything torqued to factory specs. The scope mounted/dismounted easily in this stock. So, after spending a couple hours sanding & grinding on the new stock, fitting and removing the action, and measuring critical areas on the old stock I thought we were done…NOPE! When I tried to remount the scope in the bases while the action was tightened in the new stock the scope would not fit. At all. The ring bosses were out of alignment with the QR holes by enough to prevent them even “starting”.
Long story short…the front action screw was tightened to the point the receiver actually flexed due to some undiscovered pressure point inside the stock. I had no idea such a thing was even possible. The screw was tightened with a standard screwdriver & hex bit by hand force alone. It was tight, yes, but I wasn’t making any grunt faces when it was tightened. So, after loosening that front screw the scope mounted & released normally again. I inspected the action’s side rails for a crack that would explain this flexing but everything looked ok. Pretty good case for the benefit of 1 pc bases vs 2 pc bases, at least.
Initially this Mark X wore a Boyd’s Classic laminate stock which had been glass and pillar bedded very nicely, but had no checkering and was too slick for my taste. Failing to locate a practical checkering solution for it I ordered a new Boyd’s Platinum laminate stock with ample checking for about $400. The new stock did need some inletting for the heavier barrel, bolt handle, side safety, and extra wood removal in recoil lug area for bedding.
I had installed Leupold 2 pcs QR bases on the receiver while the action was installed in the original stock. The Vari-X 3iii scope and rings were installed and everything torqued to factory specs. The scope mounted/dismounted easily in this stock. So, after spending a couple hours sanding & grinding on the new stock, fitting and removing the action, and measuring critical areas on the old stock I thought we were done…NOPE! When I tried to remount the scope in the bases while the action was tightened in the new stock the scope would not fit. At all. The ring bosses were out of alignment with the QR holes by enough to prevent them even “starting”.
Long story short…the front action screw was tightened to the point the receiver actually flexed due to some undiscovered pressure point inside the stock. I had no idea such a thing was even possible. The screw was tightened with a standard screwdriver & hex bit by hand force alone. It was tight, yes, but I wasn’t making any grunt faces when it was tightened. So, after loosening that front screw the scope mounted & released normally again. I inspected the action’s side rails for a crack that would explain this flexing but everything looked ok. Pretty good case for the benefit of 1 pc bases vs 2 pc bases, at least.
