Action face truing.

[RP12]

Should I have my local machine shop guy clean up the action face, or won't it matter either way ? This is for a "very" low budget build.

[Cycler]

Done incorrectly that can change your headspace. Do you have the barrel wrench and headspace gauges to check and reset it if needed? Savages have a "floating" bolt head which assists in getting proper alignment automatically.

[RP12]

Yup, I know it "would" change the head space, but these are a bunch of parts I'm working with, so that's a moot point. I was just wondering if I should have the face checked/squared up before re barreling. Are the action faces traditionally out off square ? I just wondered if I should have it done while I had it apart. I know it's a big deal to have a perfectly flat recoil lug, so I figured the action should be as well, right ?

[Nor Cal Mikie]

If you've got "parts", go for it. Got nothing to loose. Think about truing the nut at the same time, add a machined lug while you're at it and face the front of the bolt head. And being "mass produced" it probably wouldn't hurt to touch up everything. End up being closer to custom specs.
Those are some of the things that are involved in the "T&T" process.

[Jamie]

You can never go wrong squaring an action up. It may not improve your accuracy but it won't hurt and its all the little things that add up to make big differences. As Mikie stated, square the nut and get a machined recoil lug.

[Apache]

Savage actions are not trued the same as a Remington action.......just make sure it is trued properly or it will cause more harm than good.

[RP12]

Savage actions are not trued the same as a Remington action.......just make sure it is trued properly or it will cause more harm than good.I was just wondering about chucking the action in a lathe and truing the face, "that' all". Or is that a bad idea ? I don't know, that's why I'm asking. My thought was if you use a precision ground lug, it should have a perfectly flat surface to mate to, right ?

[Nor Cal Mikie]

You've got a round tube, chucked and spinning in the jaws of a lathe. A very slight cut to true up the front mating surface where the machined lug is to fit. The back side of the nut is also machined flat to match the lug surface. Shouldn't take any more than that.
Forget thread recutting, etc. It's a Savage and always will be a Savage. Any more than that, go Cu$tom action!
May not add to the accuracy but it'll make you feel good by having it done. That's what counts.

[thomae]

My recollection (I could be mistaken) is that Sharpshooter, who knows a thing or two, has said that it really does not improve anything because of the floating head.

My question would be, "If you did this, would you index on the outside of the cylindrical action body, or would you index on the barrel threads themselves?"

Here's a trial balloon, I'll float...

Could you accomplish what you are trying to do by screwing in a barrel, putting the lug on, putting on a barrel nut, and then lapping the mating surfaces by the introduction of lapping compound to the joining surfaces and then rotating the lug by hand. I am sure it would neither take much effort nor take too much time.

Pull everything apart, clean it up well, and voila, Bob's your uncle.

What say you, you forum members who are smarter than I? (That pretty much includes ALL of you!)

[Hotolds442]

Here's a trial balloon, I'll float...

Could you accomplish what you are trying to do by screwing in a barrel, putting the lug on, putting on a barrel nut, and then lapping the mating surfaces by the introduction of lapping compound to the joining surfaces and then rotating the lug by hand. I am sure it would neither take much effort nor take too much time.

Pull everything apart, clean it up well, and voila, Bob's your uncle.

What say you, you forum members who are smarter than I? (That pretty much includes ALL of you!)

Since the "floating" bolt face "should" become flush with the face of the breech upon bolt closure, and trueness of that face "should" be relative to the screw threads, I would index in the screw threads of the action, since everything is relative to them.
Chuck it in a lathe, turn the face, screw in a barrel, install your precision lug and precision trued barrel nut, crack open a beer and admire your uber accurized stick. Don't forget to refinish that bare metal on the action.

and who's this Bob you speak of? And why does he have to be MY uncle?

unless he's rich............

[Nor Cal Mikie]

Why not? Just about anything would be worth a try? I would have a hard time using a machined lug for the process but as long as you didn't get "too aggressive" and used a "fine" compound? Don't see why it wouldn't work.
And, for a " very low budget built", it would be cost effective. More $$ to spend on ammo or components! Win, Win situation.
No guess work about action thread alignment to barrel that way either. I would think taping the nut to the barrel, once you got it into position so it wouldn't back off and give you excessive clearence?
This is getting better as we go along! Mikie Likes It!!

[Nor Cal Mikie]

Bob could be "anybody's" Uncle, as long as he names you in his Will!

[Hotolds442]

Bob could be "anybody's" Uncle, as long as he names you in his Will!
Exactly what I was thinking!

[thomae]

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/bobs-your-uncle.html
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-bob1.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob's_your_uncle

NOW: :focus:

[Apache]

The action needs to be trued and faced perpendicular to the threaded barrel bore. There is a special mandrel made for it. Truing to the outside of the action can cause it to be even more out of line than it already is. If you don't have the stuff to do it, it would be better to just leave it as is. As has been said, the floating bolt head compensates for a lot of the mis-alignment anyway.

There is one other thing that can been done, but I would only recommend doing it as long as there will never be another barrel mounted to that action. In other words, the barrel that is mounted stays there......no more swaps.

What Thomae was saying:

It can be done using lapping compound to mate all the surfaces in contact with one another. Once all the surfaces are mated.....MAKE SURE to get all the compound off of the parts. I would advise using a NEW, TRUED recoil lug for this. It is set up WITHOUT the recoil lug keeper pin installed. Put a small amount of compound between the face of the receiver and between the barrel nut and lug. Rotate the recoil lug between the barrel nut and the action face while applying slight pressure using the barrel nut until there is at least 90% contact between the action face, recoil lug and barrel nut. After this is done.....MAKE SURE to get all the grit out of the action. replace the pin and assemble the rifle.....it's ready to go.

While this does not actually true the components involved, it does provide even pressure between all of the components once they are tightened up. Which is one of the main reasons of truing an action anyway.

[thomae]

Apache, thank you. You explained precisely what I meant better than I originally did.
Your careful choice of words wins the prize. :first:

[Apache]

LOL!!!! Just send the cash prize!!! ;) You can keep the trophy!!! LOL! :p