Especially in the firearms market, customization is crucial. No shotgun stocks fit the average shooter, but firearms must be built according to individual preferences and characteristics. Just in this way you can reach the goal of accuracy.
Bedding the rifle stock can also help the shooter be successful.
Let’s discuss that in the following article.
How to make shotgun stocks more accurate
Many people use firearms for hunting or target shooting, so they want their rifles to be functional, durable, and accurate.
Accuracy is essential for shooters and especially for hunters. Many factors can influence and eventually reduce accuracy, for example:
- If the action moves and vibrates within the stock and can’t move the same way with every shot, the bullet will always have a different trajectory.
- Each shot causes a recoil, so the action goes backward and forward violently; accuracy is reduced if the action doesn’t come back to the same position after each shot.
It means that besides the ability of the shooter the stability of the mechanism is necessary to hit the target consistently and repeatedly.
Bedding is a useful way to achieve correct stability and, therefore, be as much accurate as possible when shooting.
Bedding rifle stocks means introducing a metal insert during manufacture of the shotgun stocks that creates a solid and stable bedding on which the barrelled action is mounted to provide a stable support for a proper fit.
This process increases accuracy, as it relieves stress on the action. Without bedding, the action won’t sit flush in the stock. As a consequence, the action will flex when tightening the bolts holding it to the stock, which causes inconsistency and a loss of accuracy of the shotgun stocks over time.
Moreover, without a proper bed, the action may be more likely to shift after a shot. If the action shifts and does not return to the same spot in the stock, accuracy will be affected.
Glass bedding is most common in wooden shotgun stocks. It means molding an epoxy-based material onto the gunstock to fill any possible gaps between the stock and the action and prevent any unnecessary movements inside the stock.
Bedding can also help prolong the life of the stock. As the action moves in the stock, repeated friction can create wear in the stock surface that can damage it.
Customization of shotgun stocks is also crucial to increase accuracy
Proper fit of the gunstock is essential to hit the target. People must feel comfortable when shooting. Custom shotgun stocks are created for individual needs of shooters both physical and aesthetic.
A competent manufacturer does not offer standard stocks that fit average shooters, but custom gunstocks are created according to individual preferences.
Consider that in the U.S. enthusiasts and collectors are willing to pay a lot to have the custom-made firearm they desire and, as expert shooters, they are able to recognize a top-quality firearm.
You need to offer shotgun stocks of maximum quality that can be customized with a wide range finishing options.
Many shooters are fascinated by the mechanisms and development of gunstock technology, so they look for innovative designs, new styles, and unusual finishes.
They love wooden firearms, as they consider them more prestigious and linked to tradition and history. Plastic, stainless steel, and composites are modern materials with some advantages, but from an aesthetic and performance point of view over time, they are not comparable to wood.
Wood can also be customized and enhanced with many types of finishes by an expert manufacturer. Among the possibilities:
- oil, oil + wax, and oil + wax + polymer finishes
- classic paints
- water-based finishes
- embossing & engraving
- soft-touch finishes
- polymer coatings
You must find a wood maker that can create top-quality and custom shotgun stocks, thumbhole rifle stocks, outdoor accessories, and also suggest innovations and new product developments.
Considering tolerances is especially important. Each type of wood has its own tolerances, and even half a millimetre can make a significant difference in accuracy!
Respecting wood tolerances is necessary for a perfect floating barrel that moves freely but in the right way.
A manufacturer that uses sophisticated metrology software and makes specific field tests to ensure the quality of the arm and the stock can guarantee perfectly made products.
Therefore, your wood manufacturer must have a deep knowledge of wood, the right machinery, state-of-the-art tools to process it, and a team of experts able to solve each possible issue.
Minelli is the only wood manufacturer that can provide full-bed products where the aluminium component is processed together with wood at the same time. It means that the problem of tolerances can be avoided, as the gunstock is a unique block of material (wood + aluminum) completely integrated.
This makes shotgun stocks much more solid and resistant. If bedding is not possible, the company has also developed a cylindric marquetry made of metal that supports and reinforces the gunstock during the shot, which avoids breakage or damage.
If you have an idea or a project in mind or need some information, contact us right now!
