Savage recoil lug??

[kennyg]

Hi,

I am pretty new here and new to gunsmithing. I am putting together my first savage, and have enjoyed the wealth of information I have found on this site. I was wondering why it is that everyone replaces the recoil lugs on their rifles. I realize that the factory ones may not be perfectly flat, but if the rear of the lug is bedded anyway, why would that matter? I have no problem buying a new lug, but am just wondering if there is any improvement in accuracy over the factory lug? I am sorry if this is a dumb question and thanks for the help!

 

[Taildrag15X]

No true worth just replacing the lug unless the action has been faced, a thicker, custom ground flat lug between a factory action and factory barrel nut can't do to much.....best to leave it until you rebarrel and have the action trued in my book.

I have run Savages in both the factory style with a nut and against most Savage owners advice "nutless" which is still switchable when built like this:

http://lprgunsmith.com/lpr_switch_rifle.htm

 

[kennyg]

That looks like a good way to go for a switch barrel gun. I am curious to know if you have seen any accuracy improvement from truing the face of the action on a savage? I am somewhat limited in funds so I want to make my dollars count...

 

[memilanuk]

Kenny,

The old Savage recoil lugs were stamped. Specifically, the little key that sticks out to engage the cutout in the receiver to orient the lug relative to the action was a 'tab' that was punched out a little further than the rest of the lug. These lugs tended to be less than flat, sometimes even visibly so. People got in the habit of replacing these lugs w/ ones that were machined flat on a surface grinder (i.e. *very* flat) with a small screw head sticking out to engage the receiver, made by SSS.

When Savage started making the Target Action rifles, guess what the recoil lugs look like... exactly like the SSS lugs. I don't know if they are the *exact* same dimensions, don't know if they are surface ground or not... but having shot several rifles with the 'factory' recoil lug for a number of years now as well as a couple that have been trued and timed w/ the SSS lug... I haven't noticed any meaningful difference.

The non-Target Action rifles may still have the stamped recoil lug - if you have one of those, then yes, I'd replace it on general principle if you are rebarreling anyway. Otherwise, if you are starting out with a Target Action... I wouldn't bother.

 

[Taildrag15X]

Well as Monte says, if you have a new 12 Target action you shouldn't have any issues, but if it's an everyday 10, 12, 110 or 112 you'll want to do something with it. Even the 112BT Competition was build on the everyday action and I know that they need help, not that they shoot bad out of the box, but after Larry worked his magic my groups got smaller.

 

[kennyg]

So it sounds like I need to have the face of my action trued if I am to get full use out of a competition recoil lug? It is a 111 by the way.

 

[memilanuk]

In theory... yes.

Generally I'd say put the gun together with a new lug if you want, and get on someone's waiting list to have the action trued/timed when available. Unless things are very askew, you may not even notice the difference.

 

[Steve Blair]

When Savage started making the Target Action rifles, guess what the recoil lugs look like... exactly like the SSS lugs. I don't know if they are the *exact* same dimensions, don't know if they are surface ground or not... but having shot several rifles with the 'factory' recoil lug for a number of years now as well as a couple that have been trued and timed w/ the SSS lug... I haven't noticed any meaningful difference.

I had Fred at SSS true, time and install Evolution triggers on two 12F actions. The first one, he replaced the recoil lug and said the factory lug was not flat. The second one he did not and when I asked why, said that the factory lug was fine.

YMMV