Free floating the barrel on synthetic stock

[Mailman Bill]

I have free floated quite a few barrels on wood stocks. My friend asked me to free float the barrel on his daughters Remington 700 in the .243 with a synthetic stock. I proceeded to take off the stock and realized that it is already spaced ok except for an inch or so from the end of the stock. There is a raised piece of material that rests on the barrel. I started to file it down to free float the entire barrel but had second thoughts. Does this 1/4 inch wide piece of material actually have a function other that the obvious one. Has any of you free floated one of these? If I don't get a response soon I'll go ahead and file it off just like I do a wood stock.

 

[Bwana Turtle]

I think it's more of a structural cross brace than anything else. There was one in my Ruger. I used some sand paper and a deep socket. It didn't make a noticable difference, the plastic stocks are so flimsy.

 

[RELH]

I will normaly free float sny. stocks, unless I have a barrel that shoots better with a forward bearing point, which is rare. I have had the best results for accuracy by also glass bedding the action and recoil lug along with free floating the barrel. the nice thing about a sny. stock is that after free floating the barrel, you do not have to worry about the forearm warping and making contact with the barrel like a wood stock can do.
I have glass bedded and free floated about 15 sny. stocked rifles, and everyone of them was able to shoot under 1 inch for three shots at 100 yards. Several got under 1/2 inch with Federal factory ammo. The majority of these rifles had Shilen barrels installed, about 5 of them had the factory barrel.

RELH