A while back I posted about getting a military stock for my sporterized '98 Krag.  This stock was cut off just forward of the rear barrel band leaving just enough wood for a steel pin to keep the barrel band from sliding out of position.

Here's my question, after I've tightened the two trigger guard screws the barrel lifts about 1/8" from the bottom of its trough at the place where the rear barrel band goes.  So when I install the rear band I have to squeeze the barrel down into the stock.  It only takes a couple pounds of force and I'm pretty sure it's the wood that's flexing.  Do I have a bedding problem or is a bit of tension a good thing?

gunboat:  I believe you are excessively tightening the rear action screw.  Try putting the barreled action in the stock and firmly tighten the front action screw.  The barrel should lay bottomed in its stock channel.  Then, put the barrel band on and tighten the sling swivel screw.  Lastly, install the rear action screw so it is just snug.  Do not tighten to the point that it causes the barrel to lift.  Test it out at the range.  This is the correct set-up IMHO.

Once the trigger guard screws are over tightened, especially if the wood is oily, the wood gets crushed where it meets the rear tip if the receiver. Depending on the severity, you may see a distinct imprint of the receiver at the faying surface. Barrel flexure created by this condition IMHO is the most significant factor to poor Krag accuracy. This condition came light as I was doing a stock swap between rifles some time back. Short of bedding the action (which ruins fine collectability), I use and heartily recommend using a thin washer shim below the receiver at the rear screw. I use the trimmed-off ring of an electrical ring connector – one particular size in my assortment is just right (one shim is usually sufficient). If the wood does not appear to be crushed or if the use of a shim does not suffice, another may be required or, in the case of a previous stock swap, the front ring of the receiver (or the very front of the receiver belly) may be contacting the stock before the barrel does – if so, some gentle wood scraping with a sharp blade can make the difference. I take a slim strip of newspaper and cradle the barrel with it, set it in the stock and if the newspaper strip feels stuck, the front of the receiver fit should be OK; if the strip moves easily, that flexing barrel is not as low as it should be. The paper strip method works for the front ring of the receiver too – if scraping is utilized, this can aid in the preventing of too much wood removal. Slow, gentle and calculated this work should be as there is no turning back the process. For these reasons, when reassembling a Krag, I always install the trigger guard and mind the fit before I install the bands. Last but not least, the trigger guard screws should just be snug (do not tighten) and check them periodically.

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Thanks for the helpful advice.  Before trying a shim at the rear trigger guard screw I rocked the receiver/barrel back and forth in the stock to see where the high point was.  It seemed to be about the middle of the magazine.  There was some caked-on crud that I scraped off and that improved the fit.  I still ended up with a thin shim at the rear of the trigger guard.