Alernate material for fitting M48 Yugo action in to Kar98 stock

sandy765X53 · Jun 16, 2012

I have Kar98 stock and the M48 action almost fit in accept the rear action bolt area. I know that the proper way to do this is to inlett/install a piece of wood there and then redrill a correct hole for the rear action bolt .The problem is that I do not have skill , tool and proper wood for such project. However, I discovered a Gizmo from late night informerical called Mighty putty, it rate at 300 pounds (the commercial claims that it will hold up to 300 pounds weight before give out ) .So I am thinking that I can use this to fill up the space at the rear action bolt area and then drill it to size. I will glass bed the action to reinforce the recoil lug area to prevent the recoil from spliting the stock . My question is would the Mightty putty hold up to the constant pounding of 8 mm Turkish ammo ( between my shooting buddies and I we spilted 2M48,2M48A and 1 Kar98K -that how I learn how to repair the cracked stock ) ? Would adding the screw action pillar will help ?

deadshot2 · Jun 24, 2012

If you don't want to put in a wood inlay, then just bed the action in Devcon 10110. At close to 10,000 PSI compressive strength it will do the job. Use not only to fill, but to bed. To prevent the stock from splitting, consider adding a cross bolt with escutcheons on each side. This will keep the stock from expanding to the side when pressure is applied under recoil at the lug. Check out Brownells or Midway for these parts.

Devcon will hold up to the pounding of ANY ammo that you'd shoot in a shoulder fired firearm. You just have to get used to the cast iron gray color if any of it's exposed or just paint it to match the surrounding material.

sandy765X53 · Jun 24, 2012

Thank you kindly for the information . I assume that Devcon is apply like normal glass beddign material but it much stronger ? Do I need any precaution like extra coat of release agent etc? or just treat it like Accugel or Accuglass?

deadshot2 · Jun 26, 2012

sandy765X53 said:
Thank you kindly for the information . I assume that Devcon is apply like normal glass beddign material but it much stronger ? Do I need any precaution like extra coat of release agent etc? or just treat it like Accugel or Accuglass?

Devcon 10110 is more of a putty like material than Acraglass which tends to flow a lot. Just follow the instructions for mixing. I buy the bulk 1# kit so I have to measure out the epoxy and hardner. I use one of my electronic scales and measure them to a 1 part hardner (the light cream colored stuff) to 9 parts of the gray epoxy. Mix well so all the light streaks are gone. You've got about 30-45 minutes of working time at normal temps.

As for extra precautions, not really. I use Kiwi Neutral Shoe Polish for coating all metal parts. I fill any areas I don't want the epoxy entering with plumbers putty. Easier to find and cheaper than modeling clay. For clearance on the recoil lug or barrel I use Pipe Tape which is a wide and thick vinyl tape similar to electrical tape. It's about .010" thick so just add layers up to the thickness you want. I put two or three layers on the muzzle side of the recoil lug and the same on the bottom. I bed the sides of the lug unless the lug is tapered. This keeps the action from "rotating" under recoil. Use lots of wax on the action screws and make sure to loosen and tighten ever so slightly while the epoxy is curing. This assures that you'll be able to remove them when it fully sets.

Do not torque down the action screws while bedding, you just want them there as "place-markers" for when you separate stock and action for cleanup prior to final assembly. Just secure the action in the stock while the putty is curing with some surgical tubing or bungee cord wrapped and tied around the two.

There are numerous videos available online, some at Brownells and others at Midway that show the process.

Just remember to be real careful that you don't create a mechanical lock because Devcon is a lot stronger. Make sure that it doesn't get in any holes or that wider parts are buried in the bedding material that will hold like a rivet when you try to part the pieces.

Good luck and remember "Shoe polish is your friend".

MountainBear · Jun 26, 2012

You could also use MarineTex for this job. It will hold up as well as devcon (at least for firearms purposes), and comes in a white that can then be dyed with brownells acraglass dye. It is also a putty consistancy, so you can get it to stick where you want it when bedding...

sandy765X53 · Jun 26, 2012

Sirs , thank you all for the great tips . Now I will have to gather all the materials and start working on this project. One quick question about the shoe polish , I just use it as release agent right ? or I still need release agent and apply the shoe polish on top ?

deadshot2 · Jun 27, 2012

sandy765X53 said:
Sirs , thank you all for the great tips . Now I will have to gather all the materials and start working on this project. One quick question about the shoe polish , I just use it as release agent right ? or I still need release agent and apply the shoe polish on top ?

The Shoe Polish is adequate as a release agent. For that matter, any paste carnuba wax will work well too. The point is to apply a layer of material that the epoxy won't bond to. Waxes and oils fit that category to a "T". Some even claim that one can use PAM cooking spray but for myself, I use the KIWI because it's inexpensive, available everywhere, and doesn't run all over the place like PAM could.

When you apply it, first clean the area first with something that will remove all loose dirt and other contaminants. Use a Q-Tip and smear the wax everywhere that will potentially come in contact with the epoxy (yes, I like Marine Tex too, but just keep the Devcon around because of some other uses it excels in). After you've completely covered the action, etc, let the wax dry for just a few minutes and then polish it. The process is just like shining your shoes. All you're going to do is essentially level off the wax so your bedding job gets the bedding material in as close proximity to all the metal of the action as possible. You want a good tight joint, just not a total bond. Any areas that don't have a good wax shine should be re done.

There is no need to use both, the wax and a parting agent, as the wax IS the parting agent. Some of the sprays or paint on parting agents are a water soluble material that will leave a greater void between the metal of the firearm and the finished "bed" in the stock, depending on how many coats are applied. I like my bedding jobs to be as tight as possible, almost to the point that the surface attraction wants to hold the action in the stock even with action screws removed.