Recoil lugs and accuracy

Monterey21

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Joined
Apr 11, 2018
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47
Location
Thomasville Ga
is there a measurable difference in accuracy between rifle actions with integral recoil lug and those that are pinned or get installed with the barrel? Buying custom actions is not easy for left handed people. Have Bighorn SR3 and Mausingfield. And a Deviant Hunter on order. Those with loose lug can be had from the volume builders. They are less money but is there a compromise in accuracy? I do understand the integral is better just from being stronger as a one piece unit.
Thoughts please and thank you.
 
I don't think there's going to be a quantifiable difference in accuracy between the two styles, as long as the pinned/sandwiched recoil lug is nice and flat. I've seen some pretty horrific stamped recoil lugs (I'm looking at you Savage....) but I've always had excellent luck with the pinned/sandwiched lug designs when they were machined lugs instead of the cheap stamped style.
 
Owning both types in the form of a Cooper with its sandwiched lug and Schultz and Larsen plus a Carl Gustaf 8000 with integral lugs I haven't seen one having an advantage accuracy wise over the other. What yorke-1 wrote makes a lot of sense to me.
 
Being a manufacturer of both style of actions, I agree with the above replies.
Neither style is better, it just boils down to your personal preference.
It's important to note that a pinned on lug is only as good as the quality/straightness of it.
We surface grind our lugs and guarantee them to be .0005 within tolerance.
 
In my opinion you will not see a difference in accuracy.

Joel makes a good point. Anytime you increase the number of parts you increase the number of stacked tolerances. I've owned both and can justify the, to me, slight differences in cost between a custom action with pinned lug vs a custom Action with integral lugs

Joe
 
In my opinion you will not see a difference in accuracy.

Joel makes a good point. Anytime you increase the number of parts you increase the number of stacked tolerances. I've owned both and can justify the, to me, slight differences in cost between a custom action with pinned lug vs a custom Action with integral lugs

Joe
Thanks everyone, the point behind my question is Availability. I Am Left handed. Some of the custom actions with separate lugs are available and in stock with the higher volume distributors. 3-6 months is a long time to wait at this point in life, I'm 70 and still active. The lefty situation is a big part of it all. Rifle stocks are about the same situation.
I'm just looking for ways to hedge the time line other that buy donor rifles and go that route.
Thanks again.
 
Forgive my ignorance. How does it make a difference if you bed the recoil lug and action? Wouldn't that negate any movement ? My thinking is, once it is torqued between the barrel and action, it wouldn't be able to move. What am I missing?
 
is there a measurable difference in accuracy between rifle actions with integral recoil lug and those that are pinned or get installed with the barrel? Buying custom actions is not easy for left handed people. Have Bighorn SR3 and Mausingfield. And a Deviant Hunter on order. Those with loose lug can be had from the volume builders. They are less money but is there a compromise in accuracy? I do understand the integral is better just from being stronger as a one piece unit.
Thoughts please and thank you.

With a Integral lug You eliminate the possibility of misalignment of the installed lug if not done correctly. If both actions are square and true to the bolt center line there is no difference in precision or strength if the correct lug is chosen.

In reality, the precision ground lug can be more precise if the Integral
lug is not machined square to the bolt center line and the receiver face.

If everything is done to get square and true with the bolt center line and the bore, there is no advantage of one over the other.

J E CUSTOM
 
Thompson and Leh, Makers of The Classic Hunter in Lancaster Specs. on recoil lugs are .0002, We grind both side If the lug,if receiver, barrel ,are not true and adds up to,.001 equates to the barrel not being pointing on the axis of the centerline of the receiver, At 1000yd this is a big number,
 
Thompson and Leh, Makers of The Classic Hunter in Lancaster Specs. on recoil lugs are .0002, We grind both side If the lug,if receiver, barrel ,are not true and adds up to,.001 equates to the barrel not being pointing on the axis of the centerline of the receiver, At 1000yd this is a big number,

What is that number?
 
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