Recoil lug...?

[Darryl Cassel]

MC

You "WILL" need a recoil lug if your going to conventional bedding, and a thicker one is advisable.

If your going to have a barrel block (either split or glue in) you then would not need a recoil lug. The block acts as the lug.

Later
DC

[Jake in NC]

MC.. I may be wrong but as I understand it the large flat rear of many custom actions serves the same purpose as a recoil lug.. I don't know which configuration you're getting but that may be why the question came up. Some folks insist on a traditional lug.. I've had several rifles that did not use recoil lugs but they were of the lighter recoiling variety and I don't know if a 6.5-.284 would qualify as that.. Good luck with your project.. d:^) JiNC

[LDO]

i have a custom rem. in 6.5-284 #17 26" in a a4 what a shooter and had great succes with the 142 smk this year on deer and elk,as far as the lug goes-as was said a tubb,holland,badger will do just fine.i cant say i would build a rifle without one no matter what the configuration of the action was-my 2 -dave

[MC]

As I understood it he would both pillar bed it as well as use something like Devcon in certain areas...I don't think I'd want to glue the action in as I've heard some negative comments with regards to that.
I'll probably go with the Badger.

[Brent]

Jake,
I had never heard that before. I'd be interested in what Bruce's thoughts on this really are. What kind of surface area did those actions have at the rear, Jake? Seems like an action might only offer 25% of the recoil surface that a lug does? Interesting tho.

[chris matthews]

I suppose the back of an action could be used as a recoil surface but I foresee a few problems with this:
1. Surface area typically would be too small.
2. The tang would act like a wedge and could split the stock.
3. You would have to go to extremes to make sure it recoiled off that surface and not something else- like the action screws.

The biggest problem with a rear- recoil lug sufrace is the action would literally act like an accordian with every shot. Not good.
Take for example the old Remington actions with rear lugs on the bolt- after awhile the bolt was pretty much bent like a bananna.

A recoil surface in front takes all the pressure off the action, only a small amount is transfered through the action via the bolt lugs/ lug seat.

As far as integral recoil lugs (ie Winchesters) in larger calibers with heavy recoil an additional block was attached to the barrel about 4-5" in front of the action and inletted into the stock to act as an additional recoil surface.

The only time I have seen a lug added to an action that had an integral lug was on Sako actions with their "reversed" style lug (a part of the stock stick up into a groove in the bottom of the action) which is typically way to small and we add a Badger, Tubb etc.. type lug. A few recent posts discussed this problem.

Just of few of my observations on the subject.

[Jake in NC]

Hey Brent.. It may be pure BS.. I dunno for sure but a bud who regularly builds rifles says that's the story.. Take for what it's worth.. I got a Python action from Jerry Stiller one time to build a cannon and his attitude was something to the effect of "I'll put a recoil lug on it if it'll make ya feel better".. These actions are engineered a little different from the Remchester's.. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
.. As far as the real area available for support during recoil, I don't know but if you look at most recoil lugs after installation there ain't a heckova lotta metal left hangin' under there either(the shorter it is, the less leverage there is to work on it?).. If the action screws touch then somebody botched the setup from the git-go..
MC.. Referring to glueing in the action.. Ask the benchresters and I think you'll find that the overwhelming majority are glue-ins.. But that may not be the best option for your needs or the particular action shape you are using..
.. As far as the tang serving as a wedge.. I dunno 'bout that with these action designs.. And I'm extremely skeptical of any "accordian" like motion with this action.. Hehehe..

Boy, playing devil's advocate is a hoot.. d:^) JiNC