Method To Shorten a Hardened Stainless Steel Recoil Lug

[BoydAllen]

I forgot to mention one alternative. I have a floor model 6" belt sander, that has an adjustable table. It can be set up with the belt vertical, and the table at a right angle to it. With the right belt, and a cup of water, I think that it would make easy work of your problem. In the past, I have done some pretty close fitting this way, carefully measuring as I went, and doing the last few thousandths by hand, with wet and dry on a flat surface. I would not butcher the stock.

 

[savagedasher]

Most stocks have to be modified for clearance when bedding. Larry

 

[sawacs]

Boyd, that sounds like a good idea also. I feel pretty confident that whatever method I use will be successful. I have not tried to file it yet.

Dale, good advice

What a great forum! Information overload!

Thanks,

Shawn

 

[sawacs]

Most stocks have to be modified for clearance when bedding. Larry

True true.. However, this stock has the chassis system that fits the Savage action. I think the only place I am going to bed is the recoil lug area just in case. If I were to bed the chassis, I would have to remove some of the chassis material which HS Precision did not recommend.

Cheers!

 

[BoydAllen]

If you want to see how your bedding block fits, put a thin coat of some discarded lipstick on the bottom of the action and set it in the stock, press down on the action, and then remove. Fit is a relative term, and the recommendations of manufacturers tend to be generic in nature. There is a fellow that has a web site erniethegunsmith.com He has some technical articles that get into your situation, and an inexpensive product that should be of some use when bedding a stock such as yours. Why don't you do some looking around and reading on his site?

Boyd

 

[sawacs]

If you want to see how your bedding block fits, put a thin coat of some discarded lipstick on the bottom of the action and set it in the stock, press down on the action, and then remove. Fit is a relative term, and the recommendations of manufacturers tend to be generic in nature. There is a fellow that has a web site erniethegunsmith.com He has some technical articles that get into your situation, and an inexpensive product that should be of some use when bedding a stock such as yours. Why don't you do some looking around and reading on his site?

Boyd

Thank you.. heading over to ernie's site now. I guess it would not hurt to bed the action onto the chassis. It would at least get rid of any low spots and make for a surface with full contact with the action.

Shawn

 

[savagedasher]

It's a recoil lug why would you want to modify it. When to bed it you need clearance to do the bedding right. Larry

 

[sparky123321]

If you have a small belt sander combo with a round disk and table, just grind it. The table will help keep it pretty square and cool. Regardless, grinding it by hand won't mess with the heat treat. You have to get pretty darn hot to anneal it. HSS tooling is ground by hand all the time without softening it. If you can't hold it, let it cool, lol.

+1

I also used the disk on the side on my belt sander a couple times for this purpose with no ill effects and I don't own a rifle that won't shoot better than 1/2 MOA.

 

[Syncrowave]

I'd just file it. At 40 RC it ain't much harder than wood. ;-)
Any file should bite into it just fine.

 

[boltfluter]

Shawn,

If you cover the shipping I will mill it down for nothing. My CNC mill has flood coolant so the part will stay cool. Simple job, just let me know.

Regards, Paul

www.boltfluting.com

 

[sawacs]

Shawn,

If you cover the shipping I will mill it down for nothing. My CNC mill has flood coolant so the part will stay cool. Simple job, just let me know.

Regards, Paul

www.boltfluting.com

Boltfluter, thank you very much for the offer and I really do appreciate it!

I have a friend of my fathers who builds casting platforms for boats and he has his own machine shop. I described what needed to be done and he said bring the part on over. He has belt sanders and grinders etc. I have marked the lug and taped everything off. I am taking the boat over there tomorrow so I will be able to get the lug taken care of. The plan is to remove 1/16" from the lug and see if it fits. If not, I'll take another 1/32" off. I would like to have enough clearance so the lug sits on the bedding compound rather than the aluminum.

Btw, I did try filing the lug a little bit and the file cuts right through it

I'll post some picks when its complete..

Cheers,

Shawn

 

[sawacs]

The recoil lug has been taken care of. I used a circular bench sander and went slow while dipping the lug into water often. No issues and the lug drops right in now.

Thanks again everyone!

Shawn