What does it mean to glass bead a stock?

Question

I've heard people talk about glass beading there stocks, what does that mean.
I enjoy everything about guns but don't no enough about them.

Answer 1

As the others have so well pointed out, it is method of accurizing your rifle. If the wood touches the barrel, after a few rounds and the barrel heats up, your point of aim gets off, because the barrel bends where it is touching the wood. If the imperfections are eliminated, no more barrel bending. I prefer the remove the wood between the fore end and lug , making an air gap. This can be tested on some designs by inserting a dollar bill between the stock and barrel and drawing it towards the lug. If the bill doesn't hang, you need to do nothing.
The removal of a small amount of wood is a tedious process, so bedding is the lazy man's way of achieving the same thing.
I'm using the term lazy loosely there, because it is every man's preference as which to do to achieve the same effect.

Answer 2

There are two schools of thought and the argument rages to this day and will continue to do so. One is that barrels should be free floated, no contact between the barrel and the stock so the harmonic vibration does not change. The other is that the space betweent the barrel and the stock be filled with fiberglass bedding so there is contact between the stock and barrel all the way. I have rifles in both setups and for about fifty years have been trying to decide which is better. I am leaning towards bedding lighter barrels and floating heavy ones but don't hold me to it.

Answer 3

No matter how well it's done, there's some imperfection in the fit between the action and the stock. It can shift slightly and thereby affect accuracy. Glass bedding puts an epoxy resin and fiberglass filler in the interface between the action and the stock. The barrel can still be free-floated or left with a contact point at the forend. I've had rifles that didn't need it, rifles that wouldn't shoot without it, and one stock that I broke when I didn't use enough releasing agent when I bedded it.

Answer 4

It is glass bedding and it means to fill the stock with say fiberglass so that the stock "holds" the barrel. This is usually better for sporter barrels as opposed to heavy barrels which are usually better if they are free-floated.

When the gun goes off the barrel vibrates glass bedding decreases the vibration.

Answer 5

im greek and my family hangs one outside our door. Its meant to ward of evil,