Recoil Lug Question

[Muddyboots]

I have been pondering this and decided to ask the brain trust of LRH this question.

When a stock (Magpul 700SA drop in) has decided extra space for the recoil lug there are several options that I have used in past but now I am rethinking my process. My thoughts are due to a recoil lug space being over 0.410 in width and standard lug being 0.200 it can swim back strokes in there unless bedded or replaced.

1. Should the lug be replaced with one that is measured for the space then added bedding? If the lug is fairly snug, do I need to bed anyway?
2. Does a tapered lug provide any better seating than a parallel non-tapered lug?
3. PTG has a 0.400 version that is better but the added dimension on the barrel is a question that I have not had experience in. I am assuming the Remage barrel I have has enough thread to take up the extra 0.200 for headspace. I would contact barrel manufacturer to make sure but still a question for me.
4. I am assuming the larger lug provide more action stability during recoil thus more consistent accuracy. True/False?

I am not too old to learn so let it rip.
Thanks!
Muddy

 

[ShtrRdy]

The important part of the recoil lug sits against the stock/chassis. The other surfaces of the recoil lug shouldn't be touching anything. So you are good to go. Just make sure the recoil lug is sitting against the stck/chassis when you tighten the action screws.

 

[Buck Fever]

Tapered lugs are tapered so they release from a bedding job. Thicker might be a bit stiffer, I'm not sure if anyone has determined if that matters, it should just be flat ground. Your action screws shouldn't allow the receiver to move forward any large amount so trying to fill the recoil lug slot is unnecessary.

A typical recoil lug is dead simple, you are probably overthinking it.

 

[Muddyboots]

Me overthink something? Not a chance OMG so true!

 

[ShtrRdy]

Thicker might be a bit stiffer, I'm not sure if anyone has determined if that matters, it should just be flat ground.

I heard a person ask, "do you think you could bend the recoil lug with your shoulder?"

 

[tobnpr]

The important part of the recoil lug sits against the stock/chassis. The other surfaces of the recoil lug shouldn't be touching anything. So you are good to go. Just make sure the recoil lug is sitting against the stck/chassis when you tighten the action screws.

This.
When bedding a rifle, the lug is taped on the sides and front in order to create clearance. Nothing wrong with more than minimal, as long as you're making full contact on the rear surface of the lug.

You can confirm contact for non-bedded lugs with some prussian blue to see if you have full contact, if not it can be corrected with bedding.

 

[Clay Target Guy]

As long as the recoil lug is flat and parallel the rest doesn't matter. Bed the lug and rock on.
Standard 700 lug is. 1875 thick. Way back I ran the numbers and it was crazy how much force it would take to bend one. I can't remember the numbers but I think most would be in the hospital before you could bend one from recoil.
Like everything else in life, if .1875 is good, .25 is better and so on or so some people think.
If some is good, too much is just right

 

[birdiemc]

I chased my tail with a 308win rem 700 in a magpul stock a couple of years ago. Bedded the factory lug and carved away extra plastic all over that was making contact where it wasnt supposed to and finally got it to shoot.

 

[bigngreen]

A recoil lug stabilizes everything to the stock, it should have zero movement. I would not go larger but I would bed it correctly which means tight, the only clearance there can be is the bottom, if you tape the front and sides to create clearance you just defeated the purpose of bedding and wasted your time!!

 

[30BR]

I heard a person ask, "do you think you could bend the recoil lug with your shoulder?"

Bought a used 6.5-284 a while back and found the recoil lug was twisted slightly. Previous owner had passed so no way to know when how or why that happened.

 

[jarnold37]

I think there is a difference in bend and flex. Metal has some amont of spring without bending. When a rifle is fired there is a large amount of energy input to the action. If there is any movement of the action in the stock, even when epoxy bedded, the bedding is wallowed a slight amount. When realizing that the 1/4" action screws are actually the only support the barreled action actually has, it is obvious that there is movement and the recoil lug does in fact flex. Have experienced bedding "going bad" from the "wallowing recoil lug flex" in a heavy barreled single shot 22 rimfire. Some have even said that pillar bedding can increase this problem as the action is only supported on the small diameter of the two pillars, because the entire action is prevented from grabbing the entire bedding surface

 

[Muddyboots]

Thanks guys, I knew I would get good feedback and appreciate it. I plan on marking the lug for contact and will bed as needed. I was thinking of increasing size but now am satisfied AOK with what I have from OEM.

Birdiemc: I found a few spots as well in the Magpul stock and the trigger guard for the DM was actually hitting the Timney trigger where there was a small pin through the top of trigger so had to notch out the spot in the trigger guard. Just enough pressure that it was affecting the trigger poundage adjustment. Drove me nuts until I spotted the contact. Also had to increase the trigger space to accommodate the larger shoe of the Timney so it didn't drag. Jury is still out on this stock so far and thinking about swap out if I can't get it to settle down a bit more. The action screw channels are quite large and I didn't like that there wasn't a solid support of the screw in the assigned space so I sleeved it and now the screw doesn't move at all in their assigned spaces of the stock. Torqued to 60 inch pounds to max out stock to action. You always have to do a little work on drop ins so not surprised in this case.

 

[Mram10us]

I differ from some. I tape only the bottom but leave the sides. They shoot great. Don't want slop in there

 

[Buck Fever]

If you have a round bottom action, bedding that should take care of side to side so I masked everything except the front and back of my lug but I didn't make an effort to bed the front although some epoxy squeezed around the lug and does capture it back to front.

That works fine and sits the same way in the bedding every time, the back of the lug is really the only part of the lug to worry about as long as you don't do a permanent glue in or shoot it with loose action screws.