floating

I have a 7000(bull barrel) and I floated it. Didn't do to much. I did it because I found the plastic stock was touching a few spots along the side of the barrel. So a member here on RFC had a idea to put a pad under the barrel about a inch back from where the stock ends. I used a few pieces of usbr target. works wonderfully. Groups were better. Better yet--Get a marlin laminate stock, and float your barrel and pad it. My 2 cents--Bill

 

Can you explain in more detail please? I'm new to the idea of working on a gun.
It appears the barrel is touching the stock on the left side along the top edge of the stock for most of the way between the receiver & end of the stock.

 

I've floated the barrel on my 980S, which has the same design of the 980V (different barrel) and it wasn't too bad. I wrapped 120-grit sandpaper around a 3/4" dowel and went to work. If you don't want to glassbed the stock (which is kind of a pain with the cheap synthetic stock), keep away from the barrel lug area and just sand away as long as you don't mess with there. I took the synthetic stock that came with my 980S (restocked it with a thumbhole from Richards) and floated the barrel, cut forearm vents ("buick holes"), glassbedded the barrel lug and tang area, used some left-over glassbed to permanently attach a cheap bipod (so now it's rock-solid) and then painted it with a simple green base/brown with black outline camo pattern.

 

If you really want to remove material fast, you could use something like 80 or even 40 grit to chew it up and spit it out and then move to 120 and 220 or so to make it finer and cleaner. It's not hard to sand and the barrel channel will keep the dowel aligned.

Good luck.

 

I don't think you will see great improvement on a bull barrel, but if that is what you want to do change the stock to a wood after market stock and then float it and bed it.

 

The problem with teh SQ stock os that it's not just plastic but flimsy plastic so any pressure on the forarm went directly onto the barrel. I floated the barrel on my 880SQ and bedded the actiion in epoxy at the same time. This treatment tightened groups noticably.

Yes, start with 80 grt wrapped around a dowl or deep socket and work in full strokes of the channel area ( stopping just an inch before the lug slot).
Finsih with 120/150.

 

Thanks for all the tips/info. Where can I find an aftermarket stock for the SQ, and what's a good one? Would like synthetic if possible. I like the way the gun looks all black(black stock, barrel, & scope)

 

Re: free float

I floated the 982vs with the aftermarket Marlin Grey/Laminate and also the 882ssv I used a dowell rod and 80 and then 120 sandpaper.

 

There arn't allot of aftermarket stocks available for teh marlin 880/25 series. teh best prices and specimins are from Marlin . Their laminates are around $70 ( don't forgt to order a trigger guard and longer mounting screws.) I'm not aware of any other aftermarket synthetics but havn't looked in a while either.
If you wnat synthetic, why not just stay with the factory stock and mod it?

 

If you're going to get an aftermarket stock I'd reccomend a Richard's Microfit... got one for the 980S. It takes some work to finish (the finish is a little rough in places and so is the inletting) but you can bed it well and they look and feel nice. Mine is a Dual-grip thumbhole in semi-fancy claro walnut. I keep meanign to get a photobucked account so I can show pictures.