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This might be a dumb question but if I was to have a barrel threaded, chambered and fitted so the headspace is indexed to the face of the barrel to the shoulder of the action rather than using the barrel nut (i.e. 700-style), how would the recoil lug be attached? The barrel nut fixes the recoil lug to the action so if no barrel nut, how would the recoil lug be held in place? Or am I thinking about this all wrong?
The recoil lug is against the face of the action. The nut then settles against the lug. If the barrel is turned so as to not use a nut, as you describe, the shoulder is turned so it indexes against the lug, not the action. Same for Remington and all bolt rifles, actually. (or so I believe).
Put another way: the order of assembly is: 1. action, 2. lug, 3. nut or shoulder on barrel
It is really quite simple if you think about it. Many competent gunsmiths believe the nut does not affect accuracy or precision if everything is trued. Some like the shouldered barrel.
I see, so the barrel itself has a 'shoulder' that presses the recoil lug against the action face. I'm used to seeing the barrel go through the recoil lug but I now realize it is that way with the prefit barrels because there is a barrel nut to fill the function of both indexing the headspace and pressing the recoil lug against the action face. Thanks foxx and robinhood.
Well, yeah, it's the same with both kinds of barrels... they both are threaded, both pass through the recoil lug. Savage barrels just extend the threaded portion further towards the muzzle, the nut covers those threads and performs the same role as the shoulder on a regular barrel. think of savage as having an adjustable shoulder. Actually, savage recoil lugs and Remington recoil lugs are almost identical.
I have a first generation 110L that is nutless. It was chambered in .25-06 when I bought it. It looks good with the smooth transition from barrel to lug and receiver. The first generation does not lend itself to barrel swapping, so I am happy to leave it as is.