Missing part.........?

[bigblues]

My son bought an Axis in .308 about a month ago. We went to the range a few days later & went through about 80 rounds. Today I took the rifle apart to install a Timney trigger. No recoil lug anywhere to be found !!
Called Savage & spoke with a very nice young woman. She said the soonest they can get it to me will be 2-3 weeks. Disappointed.....
My question is: Is it safe to fire without the recoil lug ? The rounds we already put through it didn't seem to cause any damage, but the manual says never to use the rifle without the recoil lug being in place.

[prdatr]

Could damage it.

[charlie b]

Without the lug all the recoil forces are on the two action screws.

Does your rifle have a stock with pillars in it (steel sleeves in the action screw holes). If so you might not do much damage shooting it. Make sure the screws are torqued down before a shooting session. I would keep shooting to a minimum, but, it would probably be ok for a zero session and hunting trip.

If no pillars then the recoil forces are going to try to bend the action screws. Not a good situation.

Me? I'd probably get out some 3/16" steel (don't remember how thick they are) and cut one out, shape with files. Shouldn't take more than an hour or two.

[GaCop]

You can buy a good recoil lug on line but to install it you would need a barrel nut wrench and head space gauges.

[bigblues]

Does your rifle have a stock with pillars in it (steel sleeves in the action screw holes).
It doesn't look like they're steel, all I see is plastic. Guess I'll wait for the part.

[celltech]

You can use a magnet to see if there are steel pillars at least. And being an Axis, you do realize there is no lug on the action/barrel assembly? The lug stays in the stock and interfaces with the notch in the receiver.

[Robinhood]

You can use a magnet to see if there are steel pillars at least. And being an Axis, you do realize there is no lug on the action/barrel assembly? The lug stays in the stock and interfaces with the notch in the receiver.

:cool::cool::noidea:

[bigblues]

The only thing in the stock is an empty slot. :confusion:

[wbm]

_.

[Stumpkiller]

Is it safe? Yes. Will you elongate the action bolt holes and crack the stock? Yes and possibly.

All the strain of firing is being picked up on the action bolts.

[bigblues]

Well, I finally received a package from Savage today. I thought they would just send me the recoil lug, but they sent a whole new stock. Didn't know that the lug was factory installed & couldn't just fall out. So the lug in my original stock was never installed.
Yes, it has steel pillars. Thanks to Savage for making it right. But the fact remains........if I hadn't taken it apart to install the new trigger.......?????

[charlie b]

That's a change. My Axis the recoil lug was a loose piece of metal. Hopefully the one they install in the stocks is a little more substantial.

[bigblues]

I actually tried to pull on the lug(very lightly)with channel locks. No Go. So I guess the lug is supposed to be permanently attached in the stock.