Ruger RSM Bedding Job... Looks Bad... Opinions Please.

[Buckums]

I had my Ruger RSM 375 H&H re-stocked into another new factory stock by my gunsmith, who also glass bedded the stock in the process. This gunsmith has bedded a few other rifles for me, and other various work, that have all turned out good. I didn't see this until i got the rifle home as i was in a hurry picking it up, but it clearly has some places where air pockets formed in the glass bedding compound and this is just what i can see with the barreled action in the stock. Looks bad to me, but I am not a gunsmith, nor have i ever personally bedded an action before. Looking for thoughts and opinions on what i should do here. thank you.

 

[Doug3006]

It’s not a very professional looking job! In addition to the bubbles, there are gaps along barrel in letting. i’d make him grind it out and do it again.

 

[roklok]

Definitely not a great looking job, maybe fine functionally but definitely cosmetically challenged. I would also question the color choice, it appears that the stock was inletted for a different barrel profile and the gap was filled with bedding, in my opinion brown glass bedding would look much better.

 

[RR 314]

Holy smokes. He obviously doesn’t subscribe to the NSLTS business practice. Have you taken the BA out of the stock yet to look at the rest of the job?

 

[Buckums]

I haven't taken it apart yet. I will before I take it back to him tomorrow. He said it is only cosmetic but if it bothers me he will drill out the pockets and try to fill with more compound but he was worried it would cause a different problem. He said to bring it back and he will make it right "as best he can" i don't know what that is supposed to mean. It seems like a competent gunsmith should be able to do a good bedding job? I suspect his junior apprentice was doing the job, but either way it looks terrible.

 

[Buckums]

Should I ask him to redo the whole thing or is this drilling out procedure adequate? Sorry for my gunsmithing ignorance, I just want it done right and I don't know if drilling out the air pockets qualifies, while at the same time i don't want to be a prick and insist on a redo if that isn't necessary. Thanks gents. I will be taking it to him first thing tomorrow morning.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Not acceptable, I would not have let that leave our shop. Air pockets happen and should have been corrected. Color we add dye to match.

 

[deewayne2003]

Should I ask him to redo the whole thing or is this drilling out procedure adequate? Sorry for my gunsmithing ignorance, I just want it done right and I don't know if drilling out the air pockets qualifies, while at the same time i don't want to be a prick and insist on a redo if that isn't necessary. Thanks gents. I will be taking it to him first thing tomorrow morning.

I would just give him a chance to fix it and see how it turns out; but definitely take the stock off and look under it…… take pictures.

It may be functionally perfect, but it look like hammered dog shit and I would never buy a rifle with such a glaring issue visible.

 

[RR 314]

Should I ask him to redo the whole thing or is this drilling out procedure adequate? Sorry for my gunsmithing ignorance, I just want it done right and I don't know if drilling out the air pockets qualifies, while at the same time i don't want to be a prick and insist on a redo if that isn't necessary. Thanks gents. I will be taking it to him first thing tomorrow morning.

Honestly, I don't know if a "repair" would be uniform or not. As stated above, I think that stock was originally for a .416 or .458. I think I would look for a replacement (sorry) with .375 inlet job and start over.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Typically the barrel is free floating down to where the end of the chamber is located. He appears to have free floated this barrel all the way to receiver. Was it a new factory stock or a used one? A used stock that was made for heavier caliber/profile barrel might account for some of the glass bedding being spread further up the channel. Not very aesthetic workmanship but it might still shoot okay.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Typically the barrel is free floating down to where the end of the chamber is located. He appears to have free floated this barrel all the way to receiver. Was it a new factory stock or a used one? A used stock that was made for heavier caliber/profile barrel might account for some of the glass bedding being spread further up the channel. Not very aesthetic workmanship but it might still shoot okay.

Correction: The gap I'm seeing is a reflection on the barrel. Oops Appears he did bed it just to end of chamber. He was trying to fill the gap from the stock's previous heavier barrel. Guess he could have colored the bedding material with pigment to make it less obtrusive. I'm sure it will shoot fine but if he's offered to fill the holes, I say go for it.

 

[45-70guy]

If the air pockets are just there because he tried to fill the air gap around the barrel he can easily remove that and either refill or just leave it floating, from what it sounded like he was bedding Just the chamber area?
I would check underneath other way, air pockets happen and it can be a pain to remove bedding when this happens but it’s definitely not impossible.

 

[fourfive8]

What in the world is that and from a paid shop. Sloppy work and obvious. The visible bubbles are easily filled then re-filed. If there are gaps/bubbles under the barreled action, not so easy because the slightest over fill has to have somewhere to go.

 

[Ridge Runner]

It would have been nice to see the before barrel and action fit to this stock, rather than just the after work.

The amount of gap between the stock and barrel; I'm inline with the other members here, this stock was made for a bigger barrel.

As for the air bubbles. Those should have been taken care of while the bedding was setting. But still not a problem to fix. Just need to match the color...that can be a problem.

+1 on the bedding should have been colored to better match the wood.

 

[BnC 04]

Ouch

 

[Ontario Hunter]

It would have been nice to see the before barrel and action fit to this stock, rather than just the after work.

The amount of gap between the stock and barrel; I'm inline with the other members here, this stock was made for a bigger barrel.

As for the air bubbles. Those should have been taken care of while the bedding was setting. But still not a problem to fix. Just need to match the color...that can be a problem.

+1 on the bedding should have been colored to better match the wood.

Looks like JB Weld was used for bedding. Shouldn't be that hard to match color.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

What in the world is that and from a paid shop. Sloppy work and obvious. The visible bubbles are easily filled then re-filed. If there are gaps/bubbles under the barreled action, not so easy because the slightest over fill has to have somewhere to go.

Unless the bedding underneath the action has massive gaps I wouldn't worry about it. A few bubbles here and there won't affect overall rigidity. Might not look first class but should shoot fine. Who sees what's underneath the action anyway?

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

I’d say the compound is devcon , it should not have bubbles and should have had a colour added to darken it to a brown
Gumpy

 

[fourfive8]

So Doctor OH, aka Ontario Hunter, thinks all is well with that job? Maybe fine structurally or ok as a DIY learning project. But cosmetically it looks like crap for something a “gunsmith” charged $ for. I would definitely take a look under the barreled action because Ruger bolt guns have such a funky doodle system to begin with. Or whatever… makes no difference to me.

 

[Mekaniks]

I had my Ruger RSM 375 H&H re-stocked into another new factory stock by my gunsmith, who also glass bedded the stock in the process. This gunsmith has bedded a few other rifles for me, and other various work, that have all turned out good. I didn't see this until i got the rifle home as i was in a hurry picking it up, but it clearly has some places where air pockets formed in the glass bedding compound and this is just what i can see with the barreled action in the stock. Looks bad to me, but I am not a gunsmith, nor have i ever personally bedded an action before. Looking for thoughts and opinions on what i should do here. thank you. View attachment 755460View attachment 755461

Have him fix it. It looks like shit