Free Floating Barrel

sh4d0ww4rri0r · 04-29-2008, 12:16 AM

After refinishing my No4 Mk1 I put it together and noticed that the barrel moved slightly inside the stock.

I remembered that as I was disassembling the rifle I saw some wood scraps underneath the barrel in the stock that looked as if they were used as spacers or shims. Since they looked like wood scraps I believe they were thrown away. Instead I used a little cork and put a few thin discs of it along the stock to tighten the fit of the barrel.

I just read about floating barrels. Do my actions defeat all purposes of this function? Is the rattling of the barrel in the stock normal and what they call "free floating"? I just thought it was odd to have the barrel move so much in the wood.

timberlord · 04-29-2008, 03:00 AM

Yes , what your seeing is normal for the No4 which has a freefloating barrel .

There is some that will put in a simple bedding ( cork or similar) that "is said" to work quite well and usually found at the receiver , middle band and front band areas.

SwedeSteve · 05-03-2008, 06:10 AM

So, which is preferred? I would think letting it float?

M14man · 05-03-2008, 08:46 AM

Sometimes you have to compare the two. Shoot it floating. If it shoots well; leave it. If it shoots poorly, try the spacers. Some guns shoot better with some pressure.

SwedeSteve · 05-03-2008, 02:20 PM

Thanks. Mine shoots really well! So I am going to leave it alone!

samuel · 05-06-2008, 04:48 AM

I have often found a barrel that didnt shoot good freefloated and cut a piece of credit card off and fitted it in at the front end of the forearm and improved accuracy.With these,when I got back to the gunroom I would put a more perminent support in at the first 1" or so in the forearm.This is true on hunting rifles as well as military.In fact more so as mil.usually have all of the bands and wood I wish I could get rid of.But usually freefloating will be the most accurate.With a piece of credit card you can loosen the screws and insert it and remove it if it doesnt work.It used to be and still is in some cases,the first 1" or so of the forearm had a support and if a rifle didnt shoot good,removing that and freefloating the barrel improved accuracy. sam.

Wingwiper · 05-06-2008, 06:49 AM

Glass Bedding is the proper way to allow the barrel to FREE FLOAT. If you all are only shooting a few rounds, you will probably NEVER notice the difference one way or the other. If you plan on shooting High Power Matches where you will be shooting 20 rd Rapid Fire strings and causing the barrel to heat up, then the Glass bedding and Free Floating barrel will allow for continue accuracy. Any obstructions will cause the barrel to have irregular expansion and cause it t bend or warp (while hot) in the supported areas, if not done correctly.
That is why there are Heavy Match Barrels to keep the barrel from flexing when hot. Lighter barrels the flexing is more pronounced. Free Floating will allow the barrel to expand uniformily.
Most Match rifles, are Accuraized and Glass Bedded. or I should say in MY day they were, I don't know if they have other remedies today, don't compete much any more.

samuel · 05-06-2008, 06:00 PM

You can pillar bed but if you glass bed properly there isn't any need.The only problem,I need all the advantage I can get so I do both.Wingwiper,get out there and shoot,dont let those smartalic younguns scare you.You can do it. sam.

04-29-2008, 12:16 AM	#1
sh4d0ww4rri0r Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: San Diego Posts: 186	Free Floating Barrel After refinishing my No4 Mk1 I put it together and noticed that the barrel moved slightly inside the stock. I remembered that as I was disassembling the rifle I saw some wood scraps underneath the barrel in the stock that looked as if they were used as spacers or shims. Since they looked like wood scraps I believe they were thrown away. Instead I used a little cork and put a few thin discs of it along the stock to tighten the fit of the barrel. I just read about floating barrels. Do my actions defeat all purposes of this function? Is the rattling of the barrel in the stock normal and what they call "free floating"? I just thought it was odd to have the barrel move so much in the wood.

04-29-2008, 03:00 AM	#2
timberlord Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 299	Yes , what your seeing is normal for the No4 which has a freefloating barrel . There is some that will put in a simple bedding ( cork or similar) that "is said" to work quite well and usually found at the receiver , middle band and front band areas. __________________ http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...LongStamp1.jpg

05-03-2008, 06:10 AM	#3
SwedeSteve Bullet Maintenance !! Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: The anchor point, Alaska Posts: 10,301 Images: 1	So, which is preferred? I would think letting it float? __________________ Thank God we don't get as much Government as we pay for! -Will Rogers

05-03-2008, 02:20 PM	#5
SwedeSteve Bullet Maintenance !! Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: The anchor point, Alaska Posts: 10,301 Images: 1	Thanks. Mine shoots really well! So I am going to leave it alone! __________________ Thank God we don't get as much Government as we pay for! -Will Rogers

05-03-2008, 08:46 AM	#4
M14man Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: FLA Posts: 430 Images: 10	Sometimes you have to compare the two. Shoot it floating. If it shoots well; leave it. If it shoots poorly, try the spacers. Some guns shoot better with some pressure.

05-06-2008, 04:48 AM	#6
samuel Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 5,087	I have often found a barrel that didnt shoot good freefloated and cut a piece of credit card off and fitted it in at the front end of the forearm and improved accuracy.With these,when I got back to the gunroom I would put a more perminent support in at the first 1" or so in the forearm.This is true on hunting rifles as well as military.In fact more so as mil.usually have all of the bands and wood I wish I could get rid of.But usually freefloating will be the most accurate.With a piece of credit card you can loosen the screws and insert it and remove it if it doesnt work.It used to be and still is in some cases,the first 1" or so of the forearm had a support and if a rifle didnt shoot good,removing that and freefloating the barrel improved accuracy. sam.

05-06-2008, 06:49 AM	#7
Wingwiper Banned Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 789	Glass Bedding is the proper way to allow the barrel to FREE FLOAT. If you all are only shooting a few rounds, you will probably NEVER notice the difference one way or the other. If you plan on shooting High Power Matches where you will be shooting 20 rd Rapid Fire strings and causing the barrel to heat up, then the Glass bedding and Free Floating barrel will allow for continue accuracy. Any obstructions will cause the barrel to have irregular expansion and cause it t bend or warp (while hot) in the supported areas, if not done correctly. That is why there are Heavy Match Barrels to keep the barrel from flexing when hot. Lighter barrels the flexing is more pronounced. Free Floating will allow the barrel to expand uniformily. Most Match rifles, are Accuraized and Glass Bedded. or I should say in MY day they were, I don't know if they have other remedies today, don't compete much any more.

05-06-2008, 06:00 PM	#8
samuel Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 5,087	You can pillar bed but if you glass bed properly there isn't any need.The only problem,I need all the advantage I can get so I do both.Wingwiper,get out there and shoot,dont let those smartalic younguns scare you.You can do it. sam.