Pillar Bedding The Savage Model 112 Long Action

The rear pillar on both the Model 12 and the Model 112 is positioned on the receiver close to the forward aspect of the trigger and involves working in close quarters. On the Model 12 a portion of the rear pillar is milled away to make room for the trigger sear/bolt release body. However, there is space for a 7/16-inch diameter rear pillar just forward of this part of the trigger, Accu Trigger or otherwise, involving a minor pillar alteration.

An additional pillar was made and installed at the outermost tang hole, immediately rearward of the safety. The forward pillar, which is positioned directly upward of the front trigger guard screw hole, will be covered first. I made these pillars from apiece of 7/16-inch brass rod stock with a 1.375-inch finished length. This spans between the receiver downward through the stock to the bottom forward aspect of the trigger guard.

A 1/4-28 guard screw passes through the pillar into the receiver at the forward end of the trigger guard. Making the brass pillar begins by cutting a radius to fit the receiver at one end of the rod. I accomplished this with an end mill. The brass rod is then placed in the lathe where a 17/64-inch throughhole is drilled. The part is then cut off at about 1/4-inch over length and placed in the lathe chuck with the radius end inward.

A 9/32-inch This pillar is in close proximity of the forward aspect of the trigger with a small radius of the pillar removed to make room for trigger movement. hole is then drilled into the brass pillar to within a half-inch of the radiused end leaving a shoulder at this juncture. The brass pillar is then attached to the action using a 1/4-28 socket head retaining screw which is easily made up with a screw slot at the outer end.

A 1/4-28 fully threaded bolt of sufficient length can also be used with a small snap ring that abuts the stepped hole in the pillar. This is the type of bolt used in the Score High Gunsmithing pillar bedding system 9812-A Cochiti S. E., Albuquerque, NM 87123, This 1/4- 28 bolt with snap ring must not exceed the 9/32-inch hole diameter in the pillar. The attached over-length pillar must pass freely through the stock hole that will be made by enlarging the forward trigger guard screw hole.

At 7/16-inch hole is then cut squarely through the stock for the new pillar. Here I place the stock in the padded mill vise where the existing trigger guard screw hole is enlarged to make room for the new

pillar. I used a 7/16-inch end mill, which cuts a perfectly clean hole. Be very careful to center the end mill precisely at hole center and cut the hole very slowly. A spade bit will not do an adequate job here. The action is then placed in the stock to test stock hole size, alignment and pillar length. There should be no bind at any place on the pillar. Carefully mark the pillar at the stock/trigger guard surface.

With the pillar attached to the action, lift it from the stock and cut to length, which is 1.375-inch for this particular rifle. I leave it a few thousandths too long so I can cut to final length as I test for exact fit. I also roughen the entire outer surface of the pillar at this step using a rough file as it turns in the lathe working one end at a time. This will enhance bonding and reduce pillar diameter to better fit the newly drilled hole and allow for bonding material.

Bonding the Pillar in Place With the pillar squarely attached to the receiver apply release agent on the receiver surrounding the new pillar taking care not to get any on the pillar. Although glass bedding material will bond the pillar in place, the tolerance is quite close here and J-B Cold Weld runs nicely into tight spots better and serves as a perfect bonding agent. It sets up like steel.

The bonding material will set hard in several hours and the 1/4-28 socket head retaining screw and front guard screw can be removed. The front action screw is firmly tightened as the bonding material is setting. If the rear tang is not drawn down by the front action screw, place a thin nut on the 1/4- 28 screw that extends through the pillar. Score High Gunsmithing has a perfect threaded T-Handle just for this purpose.

Inspection of the new pillar should show a perfect fit where its radius fits the receiver inside the stock. There should also be a flush fit outside where the forward aspect of the trigger guard fits through The pillar will later be bonded to the stock in this position. the stock at the front trigger guard screw hole. You will also see how the upper part of the pillar fits into a groove inside the stock as it bonds tightly here.

Adding a Rear Tang Pillar The addition of a tang pillar positioned upward through the rear trigger guard hole adds another major stock support for the Savage Model 112 long action. Making and attaching the rear tang pillar is performed essentially the same as I have outlined in this treatise on rear pillar bedding. The screw hole is positioned 2 7/8-inches rearward of the forward trigger guard hole. The rear

As described in text, both of these pillars were added to the stock positioned at the forward and rear guard screw holes. tang hole is positioned immediately to the rear of the sliding safety where the red plastic safety indicator was positioned. The hole is beveled for an 82-degree, flat-head, socket-head screw. The screw head must be below the sliding safety as it moves rearward.

As a means drawing the rear tang down against the pillar I passed a pair of adjoining 10-32 socket head screws through each hole joined by a threaded central coupler. A small, red-colored, circular marker can be placed atop the flat-head screw to indicate safety position as before. Conclusions There is an important need for a solid, rear action pillar on the Model 112 Savage single-shot rifle, despite the crowded space for one at this juncture.

Making and installing this pillar requires very intricate gunsmithing that pays off in vastly improved action bedding on this already rigid receiver. The addition of the rear tang pillar, as described herein, further strengthens the action bedding system. AG Below left and This most rearward pillar is positioned at the rear guard screw hole upward through anew hole in the receiver tang. The rear hole in the trigger guard where the new pillar bedding screw passes.