Recoil lug centering tool

[memilanuk]

Anyone here (besides me) had their 110BA / 110FCP / 111LRH .338LM apart and played with the recoil lug?

Seems it is a non-standard design (though I think someone - Fred? - mentioned they used the same design on the 10BAS) with no 'tit' for locating the recoil lug while you tighten the barrel nut. The receiver is notched for the locator tit, the stock (on a 110FCP anyways) is notched for it, but its not as simple as swapping out for a regular Target Action recoil lug or a SSS recoil lug - the recess for the lug that comes with a 110BA/FCP is too shallow and the lug bottoms out before the action does... which I presume to be Not Good.

So... I'm looking at one of these widgets from Brownells:

Rem 700 barrel lug tool (http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=7653/psize=24/Product/REMINGTON-700-BARREL-TOOL)

There are three models, one for factory/Shilen lugs, one for Tubb lugs, and one for Holland lugs. Not being overly familiar with the differences between those, I'm guessing the one for the factory lug would be the one to get? The 110 BA/FCP lug has kind of dished in sides, i.e. the sides are straight (parallel) not tapered like a Target Action lug. It's been so long since I fooled with a factory Remington lug I don't have the foggiest idea what it is shaped like...

Looking for ideas or suggestions...

Monte

[dcloco]

Monte - use your dremel or a fine/medium file and deepen the recess in your receiver. I do this on every Savage/Stevens receiver.

As far as holding the lug to prevent cant, that is tough. The tool you provided a link to would work though. Believe the differences in the lugs vary - some, as you described, is the angle of the sides of the lug. So, different tool for different brand of lug.

The lugs Northlander sells work rather well.

[memilanuk]

Originally I had this thing apart when I took it to a gunsmith to have it fitted with a 30" Krieger .300WM barrel - he had a lug centering tool in his shop, so we used that.

Later when trying to remove the brake, the barrel spun loose (my fault, I didn't wrench it down *that* tight). Decided I was going to 'fix' this once and for all, and grabbed a spare factory Target Action lug and put the barrel back on and re-headspaced things.

Then the blasted thing wouldn't fit in the original stock (110BA) because of the way they make the internals of that stock with the 'fingers' and whatnot. Took it to a friend with a mill and opened things up for the 'new' lug, which seemed to work okay. After that... I finally decided that the 110FCP stock/bottom metal was what I'd really wanted (and had asked the factory about over two years ago) so I ordered those in and went to drop my 110BA barreled action (with TA lug) into it... and something didn't seem right about how the bits fit together. Started taking things apart again, and measuring depths with the tail of my caliper and sure enough, the lug recess in the stock is shallower than the TA lug - plus I can see shiny spots where it bottomed out.

I know people who can do all sorts of neat things with a dremel... my hand doesn't seem steady enough with 'em. At least, it seems like I always end up boogering something up, usually when the cutter digs in and then starts bouncing around. If it were completely open on one side, I might consider it. Going down into a recess to cut on the bottom... seems like a good way to screw up the flat surface the lug is supposed to seat against...

I'm just getting tired of dicking with this thing. Why they (Savage) went and used a goofy non-pinned lug, but cut a notch in the receiver anyway is beyond me.

Monte

[sharpshooter]

When I tear one apart that uses one of these lugs, I drill the lug and install a locator pin if a standard heavy lug won't work.

[memilanuk]

That might be the best idea yet... I can't imagine it would be too hard for the local gunsmith types to put something together. I may have to disassemble one of my other guns to give them something to work with for dimensions.

Thanks,

Monte

[jonbearman]

That locater tool works real nice. I know guys who have milled a recess in their reciever wrench's. That still wont work unless you can level the gun and tool at the same time.

[earl39]

why not just grind a standard lug to fit? The biggest thing would be don't mess up the face of it.

[ellobo]

A flat bastard file will take metal off the bottom of the lug so it doesnt hit the bottom of the lug recess in the stock. I doubt it would take much metal removal to make the lug fit. Take off just enough to leave a small gap between the stock and lug.

El Lobo

[stangfish]

When I tear one apart that uses one of these lugs, I drill the lug and install a locator pin if a standard heavy lug won't work.


Is there any other way?

[sha-ul]

A flat ******* file will take metal off the bottom of the lug so it doesnt hit the bottom of the lug recess in the stock. I doubt it would take much metal removal to make the lug fit. Take off just enough to leave a small gap between the stock and lug.

El Lobo

Am I the only one slightly amused that the forum software seems to take umbrage with the parentage of your hand tools? :P

[stangfish]

The Bastages!

[dksac2]

A good clean file, kept that way, one tht is sharp and the lug held in a good vice, the metel will come off good and even if you use proper nfiling methods. Take a wide mouth case, smash the mouth flat, it makes a great tool for getting all the metal out of the teeth of the file.
I normally use a brush, but for the stuborn metal caught in the file, the smashed case works wonders.
Try holding the file level and steady and using your body to move the file forward, you should have very good success. Use a single cut, not a double cut file.

My Best, John