[Jim Engen]

I have a S & W 1500 that i made a new stock for. The original stock has a fore end pressure point (barrel supported at very front of stock). I wanted to free float the barrel on the new stock. Should i do this? Or should I put a pressure point on the fore end like the original stock?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[bsn]

I would free float it myself, you can add a pressure point later if accuracy suffers.

 

[Saskshooter]

I find free floating does not always mean more accuracy, but it almost always means less "wandering" of the POI. I free floated all my rifles for that reason. The difference between one and a quarter inches or one and a half inches is not important.

 

[RaySendero]

I would free float it myself, you can add a pressure point later if accuracy suffers.

I'd second that advice!

You can always experiment with a pressure point for a free floated barrel by adding aluminum duk tape here or there!

 

[bubbinator]

Try free float 1st! Most of my personal rifles I've worked on benefited from a free-float barrel. I have a Rem 788 .222 in particluar that when acquired shot good 1" groups (almost perfctly round for some reason). I got a new scope for it, it needed cleaning and the trigger was "gunky" for some reason(it was a bait-shop acquisition). What the ****. while it is apart, re-do the stock, glass bed it (using Dev-Con) and see what happens. The bore got JB'd, the stock got refinished and Dev-Con'ed, the action got cleaned well and when I re-zero-ed it with the new T/C 3/9 Hunter scope-.5" 5 shot group w/ 50gr Moly Nosler Ballistic Tip BT and Win 748 in whats his names Pet Loads favorite for .222Rem. BTW-My Bishop-stocked Mauser98, Rem 700 .25.06 ADL, Rem 700 HB Varmint .223, and Savage M10 .220 Swift are all free floated. Note to self-handloading works wonders!