Recoil lug question

hadjii

I read in another thread about installing an aftermarket recoil lug? This may be a stupid question, but what would be the advantage of an aftermarket recoil lug, and how do you determine exactly what kind of and how thick of a lug you should have? Thanks

JK

Hadjii,
About the only time you need an additional recoil lug is the fact that you are concerned about the stock failing under recoil. If the stock has survived so far it doesn't seem like it's worth the problem. If you still want it then attach one by a bbl band and inlet the lug into the stock and tie it down with a recoil screw. This in essence will make the bbl full contact. This system was used extensively on the older and much thinner Mannlicher Schoenaurs and worked quite well. Usually .500 thickness is the most desired thickness. The lug can also be made in 2 pcs. The bbl ring and the lug itself. This will enable you to attach it without any heating like welding or silver soldering involved. It's held in place by the taper of the bbl that is machined to conform with the od at that point.

nononsense

hadjii,

In a lot of the average situations, the factory recoil lugs like the ones used by Remington are perfectly suitable. Not perfect, but suitable. The trend towards the aftermarket lugs stems from the desire of the hyper-accuracy crowd to control every variable possible and if the factory lug is a tiny bit out of square or flatness it's a variable that needs to be changed. Remember these lugs are between the barrel and action so you end up with a slightly 'crooked' barrel if the lug isn't flat. The bore line of the barrel isn't in a perfect line with the bolt.

Aftermarket lugs are usually ground to achieve flatness whereas factory lugs aren't. Thicker lugs resist flexing better than the thinner factory lugs. Once the accuracy crowd starts down one of these paths, the rest of the shooting world usually follows.

I make my own so I don't have to bother with deciding who makes a good one. Look in Brownells catalog, they list the specifications and they are all about the same price. On rifles with moderate recoil I will use either a 0.250" to 0.300" recoil lug. I've used them as thick as 0.500" when I was experimenting with some oddball maximum recoil cartridges.

The point blank benchrest folks avoid anything like the recoil lugs simply by gluing the action into the the stock.

Best.

MIKE WISKEY

it depends on which rifle you are talking about. the rem. 700's have the recoil lug sandwitced between the receiver and barrel, and are 'upgradeable' (thicker, more contact area).

JustC

an aftermarket recoil lug,..(CNC'd) will be much tighter in tolerance and much stronger due to it's thickness. That thickness will absorb and disperce recoil better than a thin, factory lug will. The thinner lug will flex under recoil and cause a change in harmonic frequency under recoil where the thicker lug won't. This adds to accuracy.

hadjii

Thanks everybody for answering my question. I guess I didn't realize how complex of a part the lug played in accuracy. Next question is do you suppose if I took a Remington 673 in 350 Rem Mag to a gunsmith and had him put on an aftermarket lug that I would notice the difference or not? Thanks

mrbruce

The 350 Rem mag is not noted for it's accuracy but a aftermarket lug sure wouldn't hurt any
possibilitys of improving what it will do.....