Recoil lug recommendations

[tonyben]

I'm building my personal 1960's era M40 with a wood stock and a Bartlein barrel. I'd like to upgrade the recoil lug. I don't need one that's wider, just thicker and parallel. What's your recommendation? I'd like a 1/4" thick and original form factor since I already have the recoil alignment jig that bolts into the front action screw hole.

This is for the CMP vintage sniper matches and there's no restrictions for upgraded recoil lugs or pillars. There are restrictions on barrel length, muzzle thickness, trigger pull weight, scope mount style and scopes

Thanks.

Tony.

 

[WSnyder]

PTG Recoil Lug Remington 700, Savage 110 Parallel Sides 1/4 Thick SS

The Taylor Recoil Lug is surface ground for uniformity to provide improved accuracy by spreading recoil force over a larger area. Lugs come with either...

www.midwayusa.com

They also come in chromoly. Both CM and SS in .200" & .250" thick.

 

[butchlambert]

I'm building my personal 1960's era M40 with a wood stock and a Bartlein barrel. I'd like to upgrade the recoil lug. I don't need one that's wider, just thicker and parallel. What's your recommendation? I'd like a 1/4" thick and original form factor since I already have the recoil alignment jig that bolts into the front action screw hole.

This is for the CMP vintage sniper matches and there's no restrictions for upgraded recoil lugs or pillars. There are restrictions on barrel length, muzzle thickness, trigger pull weight, scope mount style and scopes

Thanks.

Tony.

What is wrong with a factory lug?

 

[ELR LVR]

What is wrong with a factory lug?

i have seen the .187" thick lugs bend (for whatever reason)
thicker lugs help support extra barrel weight
---
I did one full contour build with a Ground .312" thick lug - I really like it
---

USMC Spec 4140 .312

www.pacifictoolandgauge.com

Holland also offers recoil lugs

 

[butchlambert]

i have seen the .187" thick lugs bend (for whatever reason)
thicker lugs help support extra barrel weight
---
I did one full contour build with a Ground .312" thick lug - I really like it

Wow, somebody hit it with a hammer. I've surfaced ground over a hundred over the years and never seen a bent one.

 

[ELR LVR]

Wow, somebody hit it with a hammer. I've surfaced ground over a hundred over the years and never seen a bent one.

I'll see if I can find it and send it to ya
I'll let you straighten it

 

[ELR LVR]

I'm building my personal 1960's era M40 with a wood stock and a Bartlein barrel. I'd like to upgrade the recoil lug. I don't need one that's wider, just thicker and parallel. What's your recommendation? I'd like a 1/4" thick and original form factor since I already have the recoil alignment jig that bolts into the front action screw hole.

This is for the CMP vintage sniper matches and there's no restrictions for upgraded recoil lugs or pillars. There are restrictions on barrel length, muzzle thickness, trigger pull weight, scope mount style and scopes

Thanks.

Tony.

Forgot,
There's the Tubb profile also.
I'll sell ya this one
or give you a factory one for price of shipping

 

[butchlambert]

I should have been more clear. You may have a bent one, but it was not from recoil.

 

[ELR LVR]

I should have been more clear. You may have a bent one, but it was not from recoil.

Gotcha,
---
I would not have believed a bent one myself, but it may have been from being dropped
fell off the back of the truck or whatever other reason
---
I have read or heard of them bending, or lets say even "flexing" at the junction where it thins down
Deformation under recoil coupled with barrel weight.
Think of it as sprung vs unsprung weight
since the barrel applies downward pressure on the lug, some of us use a thicker one as a feel good move
the thick ones do look nicer though.
it's not much money for an aesthetic quality even if it does or doesnt do what it
supposedly does in theory.
---
Supposedly even the action alone flexes simply from barrel weight
one reason guys prefer a 40x vs a 700
so any place we can stiffen things up, especially for $40, ya know....

 

[tonyben]

I don't have a surface grinder and I wanted a thicker one anyway that was parallel. I ordered the PTG one from Midway.

 

[ELR LVR]

I don't have a surface grinder and I wanted a thicker one anyway that was parallel. I ordered the PTG one from Midway.

parallel is the most important aspect
be sure to mic it when you get it.

 

[DShortt]

I should have been more clear. You may have a bent one, but it was not from recoil.

Probably bent during manufacturing. I'd have to see one that was parallel and perfectly flat that I found bent later before I'd ever change my mind.
Everything you can mention has been found to be wrong with mass production firearms, yet somehow recoil lugs are exempted?

 

[ELR LVR]

Probably bent during manufacturing.

Ahhhh,never thought of that, if action face wasnt true and square, and barrel wasnt true and square it could have bent when they torqued it down.
i forget who but i just seen recently where one outfit even uses 1/2" recoil lugs, since it helps support the tenon and help relieve the action from doing all the work of that aspect.
(if we extrapolate that out...).
...Lets say you had a 1 foot long recoil lug...1 foot of the barrel would be supported by the lug.

 

[DShortt]

Ahhhh,never thought of that, if action face wasnt true and square, and barrel wasnt true and square it could have bent when they torqued it down.

Most are stamped out. Stamping isn't a precision process.

 

[ELR LVR]

Most are stamped out. Stamping isn't a precision process.

or that, yep totally possible.
I went and looked for it today but I may have scrapped it just to make sure I never used it by accident
---
it was noticeable with the naked eye, but just barely, I kept looking at it funny thinking
that looks bent
when I placed it on a flat, you could see it.
That one recoil lug is what made me wanna use thicker ones.

 

[DShortt]

or that, yep totally possible.
I went and looked for it today but I may have scrapped it just to make sure I never used it by accident
---
it was noticeable with the naked eye, but just barely, I kept looking at it funny thinking
that looks bent
when I placed it on a flat, you could see it.

If you could see it, that was a minimum of .010" based on my experience. Perhaps someone else will chime in, but most machinist's can see .010" with a naked eye. Some less than that. Not me.