Winter Rifle Maintenance: stock and bedding
With the day length building up quickly, it won't be long before the urge to hunt overwhelms us and it will be all on. However, there's still time if you don't want to blame your tools for any problems this summer.
So, a plastic stock doesn't need any maintenance does it ? Well, you should at least take it off and clean out the bedding every now and then. I like to sight in again each time I put it back on, so I procrastinate a bit. Taking it off also enables you to start from scratch tightening up the bedding screws and puts an end to checking they haven't come loose by little retightening tweaks which could gradually rack up the tension. On the other hand, after reassembly I like to fire a few shots then go round and tighten all screws a little before settling on the final new zero.
http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/z...cat/BedGrs.jpg
There was a bit of a seed bank under the chamber area. (Is this only called the knox form on Lee Enfields ?) Oil can accumulate in the bedding but this was pretty minimal as I only use a slightly oily rag to wipe down the metal work and its not a penetrating oil. The rod guide probably reduces drippings from cleaning the barrel too.
On removing the floating press fit aluminium bedding block, there was quite a bit of wet slushy compost:
http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/z...t/BedCmpst.jpg
This could have been the cause of small zero shifts I'd seen. I guess the manufacturers knew what they were doing, but a friction fit bedding block seems asking for trouble to me. I hear they've got rid of it in the carbonlight.
I gave the plastic a good rub out clean and dry with rags and replaced the bedding block.
I filed down my home made cheekpiece a couple of millimeters to make it more horizontal and easier to get the cleaning rod in. A metal file turned out to be the best tool to shape the plastic stock.
http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/z...cat/ChkPc.jpeg
This improved matters a bit for the cleaning rod access.
http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/z...cat/RdBnd.jpeg
The cheek weld feels a bit different so it will be interesting to see how it goes in use.
I also took off the cheekpiece and replaced the roof sealant silicone round it. This was mostly still in good nick after a year, with only a few yellow areas on the outside. but now it will be good for another year. I don't like taking it off because its held in place by tension from the butt screws, which are just into plastic and must fail in the end.
So, having found the wetness and vegetation under the bedding block, I think I'll do this bit of maintenance more frequently.
