Crooked Recoil lug. Headspace question?

[entoptics]

I'm in the process of bedding a Marlin X7, and noticed that the dang recoil lug is not timed right. It's visibly canted a couple three degrees relative to the other flat surfaces on the bottom of the receiver! It's enough that I'm actually concerned it could have induced mechanical lock with the epoxy during the bedding job!

I have a Savage nut wrench, so I can correct the issue, but I'm worried about messing up the headspace, as I don't have gauges for 270.

Will setting headspace with a fired piece of brass be good to go? I have tons of brass that has been fired multiple times from this rifle, and I monitor shoulder position in order to properly bump size. Seems like it would be just fine, and put the headspace right back where it was, if not even a tiny bit shorter.

I also have some factory ammo, which I can disassemble, and use that brass as a go-gauge to ensure I don't set it too short.

Edit: Actually, I have factory brass, fired brass, and re-sized brass with 0.002" shoulder bump, so I could use any or all of the above to set headspace.

 

[rifle 57]

If I were you you I would just get on Ebay and buy a 30-06 head space gauge and do it correctly.I see them on there all the time at good prices.

 

[J E Custom]

If you don't alter the recoil lug and just rotate it into the proper location, head space should not change. Just loosen the barrel enough to move the lug and re tighten. The head space should not change as long as you don't remove the lug and take a chance of turning it around.

The correct action wrench holds the lug in place (Square) using the action screw for alignment. If it is not pined (Some actions use a pined lug and others use the wrench with the action screw for alignment)

If you really want to know what head space you will end up with, A go gauge only cost $35.00 to $40.00 dollars and you can add shims to the back of the gauge to see exactly how much head space you have.

J E CUSTOM

 

[entoptics]

If you don't alter the recoil lug and just rotate it into the proper location, head space should not change. Just loosen the barrel enough to move the lug and re tighten. The head space should not change as long as you don't remove the lug and take a chance of turning it around.

The correct action wrench holds the lug in place (Square) using the action screw for alignment. If it is not pined (Some actions use a pined lug and others use the wrench with the action screw for alignment)

If you really want to know what head space you will end up with, A go gauge only cost $35.00 to $40.00 dollars and you can add shims to the back of the gauge to see exactly how much head space you have.

J E CUSTOM

I know you're a guru, but I just wanna make sure it's clear, this is a Marlin X7, with a Savage style barrel/nut. The recoil lug is sandwiched between the barrel nut and action, but otherwise rotates freely.

Seems if I loosen the barrel nut enough to free the recoil lug, without taking great care to prevent the barrel being rotated in or out, the head space could change when I re-tighten.

Am I confused?

Also, I do not have an action wrench. I usually just fashion a wood block holder to fit my work piece. Has worked well for a number of similar situations.

The goal was to spend only $elbow+$grease dollars on an already satisfactory beater rifle, and see if I could nudge the groups a little tighter. Spending 1/5 the value of the rifle on a gauge I'll never use again, means I'll probably just reinstall the action without the bedding job.

 

[sedancowboy]

I would use a straightedge to make a witness mark on the barrel and action with a sharpie then loosen the barrel nut and index the recoil lug, tighten the barrel nut with the witness marks aligned and you are good to go. Since the recoil lug will rotate you might need to use a straightedge to align the marks.

 

[entoptics]

I would use a straightedge to make a witness mark on the barrel and action with a sharpie...

Normally that's my exact approach to getting stuff "back where it was".

In this case though, there's 2" of distance between where I can mark on the receiver and barrel.

The barrel disappears under the nut and lug, both of which I need to move, while keeping the barrel in place. So as far as I can tell, there's no good way to make an "across both pieces" sharpie/scratch index.

 

[entoptics]

Back to the OP.

Is it OK to set the headspace using a careful reloader's extensive brass collection (factory raw, fired then re-sized, and just fired last week). Brass which has been continually measured and monitored relative to the rifle in question?

 

[sedancowboy]

I understand. So if you clamp the barrel in a vise with the bottom of the action level
then when you loosen the barrel nut and index the recoil lug and retighten with the action still level you are GTG. The only way for the headspace to change is for the barrel to slip in the vise or the action to make a full turn. One trick I have learned on Savages with the same set up is to make a witness mark at the front of the barrel nut on the barrel that keeps you from being one turn off. A headspace gauge is a good investment should you want to change barrels or for some reason disassemble the rifle at a latter date. Sometimes I borrow them but most times I just purchase them they get used more than you think.

 

[entoptics]

I understand. So if you clamp the barrel in a vise with the bottom of the action level
then when you loosen the barrel nut and index the recoil lug and retighten with the action still level you are GTG. The only way for the headspace to change is for the barrel to slip in the vise or the action to make a full turn. One trick I have learned on Savages with the same set up is to make a witness mark at the front of the barrel nut on the barrel that keeps you from being one turn off. A headspace gauge is a good investment should you want to change barrels or for some reason disassemble the rifle at a latter date. Sometimes I borrow them but most times I just purchase them they get used more than you think.

How many fractions of a turn is safe headspace slop? I kinda feel like it's too small for me to eyeball back in place, even with some bubble levels on the various pieces. Wouldn't a fired piece of brass get me way closer than sighting across several surfaces?

 

[sedancowboy]

Actually I would do both. Remember that a fired piece of brass will be a tight fit. Especially if it has a spring loaded ejector. While the headspace is critical the width of a line won't ruin your headspace.

 

[Savagehunter1968]

You can rent a headspace guage

 

[J E Custom]

I know you're a guru, but I just wanna make sure it's clear, this is a Marlin X7, with a Savage style barrel/nut. The recoil lug is sandwiched between the barrel nut and action, but otherwise rotates freely.

Seems if I loosen the barrel nut enough to free the recoil lug, without taking great care to prevent the barrel being rotated in or out, the head space could change when I re-tighten.

Am I confused?

Also, I do not have an action wrench. I usually just fashion a wood block holder to fit my work piece. Has worked well for a number of similar situations.

The goal was to spend only $elbow+$grease dollars on an already satisfactory beater rifle, and see if I could nudge the groups a little tighter. Spending 1/5 the value of the rifle on a gauge I'll never use again, means I'll probably just reinstall the action without the bedding job.

Normally a rifle that uses a barrel nut has a pin to hold the lug in place. If it doesn't, you should buy a few tools to do a good job. Some jobs require special tools and they can save lots of time and money. if the pin has/is sheared of it can be replaced and the make up will not change.

With this type of action that uses a barrel nut. proper head space is only achieved using a head space gauge. brass cases have spring and can give you a false reading. the ejector will/can also give you a false reading so it should be removed. If you are going to keep this rifle a head space gauge could be very handy and could be used to occasionally check the head space.

What I was trying to tell you about the head space not changing was for a shouldered barrel, once it is machined to the correct head space, it should not change except over time and many shots. With a barrel nut you have to use a hard method of head spacing and a gauge is it. Lining up the lug can be accomplished many different ways but head space should be done properly. Short cuts can only cause problems.

The best thing that I can recommend is to take it to a smith that has the tools and have it done right. He shouldn't charge you very much because he should have the tools and the only thing he has to spend is time. this job should take him less than 1 hour and everything will be properly torqued.

Just my advice at this point.

J E CUSTOM

 

[bigngreen]

I'd just carefully select a piece of brass that has been set back a couple thou and put a piece of scotch tape on the back and make it a go gauge since your really just want to keep it set to all your fired brass.

 

[adam32]

I would just use two vices, one holding the barrel and the other holding the action. Then slightly loosen the barrel nut and tap the recoil lug into the correct location. By using two vices the barrel will not turn on the action so headspace will not be affected.