Bedding a Handi Rifle Forend

[AJ]

One thing that can make a Handi Rifle more repeatable and consistant, read accurate, is to float the forend and make a pillar for the hanger stud and screw. This will make a very strong anchor for the forend but have minimal contact between the forend and the barrel. This will keep the vibrations from being transferred from the barrel to the forend, allowing the gun to bounce as it’s fired.

The first step is to start with the gun fully assembled. As with anytime you are working on guns, make sure the chamber is unloaded. Don’t assume, verify. It only takes a second.

Pull the forend off and use a 7/16”-20 NF tap to thread the hole in the forend for the hanger stud. This will keep the epoxy pillar from spinning and give it extra biting area for a more secure bond.

Now I drill or rout out the inside area around the hole about ¼” deep. This will make the epoxy pillar pad substantial enough to be strong. Since we will be adding an O-ring later, it is easier to rout a place for it now.

Cut a piece of ¼” hardwood dowel about 2” long and thread it ¼”-20 NC. This will serve as a guide for the forend but keep the excess epoxy out of the hanger stud female threads.

Coat the barrel, barrel hanger, ¼” dowel, and the forend attachment screw with release agent. If you buy a bedding kit, it usually comes with a release agent. Do not coat the forend as we want the epoxy to stick to the forend.

Mix a tablespoon of epoxy per the directions. If the directions say mix for 1 full minute, do so. It helps the curing of the epoxy. I highly recommend adding atomized or powdered steel to the mix for added strength. I would add ½ tablespoon of atomized steel to 1 table spoon of epoxy. You can skip that step if you use Brownell’s Steel Bed or Devcon’s Plastic Steel.

Clamp the barreled action in a vise with the hanger stud pointing up. This will allow you to use both hands for forend alignment. Insert the release agent coated wooden dowel into the hanger stud. It should go in straight. Do not install the O-ring yet.

Add the mixed epoxy to the recessed area of the forend with a wooden Popsicle stick. Make sure it is in the threaded portion of the forend hole we tapped in the second step. Carefully place the forend over the wooden dowel and align it between the electricians tape we installed in step one.

Carefully unscrew the wooden dowel and remove it. Insert the release agent coated screw and only tighten enough to ensure there are enough threads holding the screw in. Two revolutions should be enough. You do not want the screw to be pulled in too far, but you want it to be secure enough to hold the forend on.

Allow the epoxy to sit undisturbed until the epoxy reaches a plastic state. This will take several hours with the above mentioned products. At that point remove the forend screw and carefully remove the forend. Clean up the epoxy that oozed out of the recess with a knife. Clean the epoxy from the attachment screw and the female threads of the hanger stud. Inspect the recessed area and be sure there is enough epoxy making a pad and pillar. If there are holes or gaps, you will need to degrease the whole mess and start over. Add release agent to the screw and hanger stud threads again.

While the epoxy is still pliable, take a ½” drill and chamfer the hanger side of the epoxy pillar. This is to give a little room (but not all) for the O-ring. Just a light touch cleaning up the epoxy is sufficient.

Add 3 layers of electricians tape to the bottom of the barrel parallel with the bore, fore and aft of the pillar. This will allow the barrel to pretty much free float with the O-ring installed. Install a rubber O-ring on the hanger stud and install the forend on the barrel. Tighten the screw just enough to allow the forend to bottom on the layers of tape.

Leave the gun sit undisturbed for a full week. After a full week of letting the epoxy cure, you can disassemble and clean the release agent off the parts. Take the gun to the range and see how it shoots for you.