Bedding the recoil lug

Barrel is at the smith getting threaded and braked this week, so I figured it would be a good time to bed the recoil lug while the stock is off. I've read a bunch of conflicting info on the net and just thought I would ask some people with firsthand experience as to what might be some "best practices" of doing this. I have bedded a few actions before, but I'm no gunsmith by any means.

- What kind of material do you recommend? Midway has some kits for like $20, would this be a good route to take?
- Tape off the bottom of the lug... what about the front? Sides? I know not to tape of the back side (towards the action)
- Put bedding compound in front of the recoil lug? This is where I'm most conflicted - I know the barrel should be free floated but I've heard that some bedding under/around the chamber isn't a bad idea.

Just looking for some clarification from people with experience doing this.

Thanks.

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Originally Posted by WinnieTheBoom

Barrel is at the smith getting threaded and braked this week, so I figured it would be a good time to bed the recoil lug while the stock is off. I've read a bunch of conflicting info on the net and just thought I would ask some people with firsthand experience as to what might be some "best practices" of doing this. I have bedded a few actions before, but I'm no gunsmith by any means.

- What kind of material do you recommend? Midway has some kits for like $20, would this be a good route to take?
- Tape off the bottom of the lug... what about the front? Sides? I know not to tape of the back side (towards the action)
- Put bedding compound in front of the recoil lug? This is where I'm most conflicted - I know the barrel should be free floated but I've heard that some bedding under/around the chamber isn't a bad idea.

Just looking for some clarification from people with experience doing this.

Thanks.

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This is what my long time gunsmith, Dick Williams here in Saginaw Mi told me to do. Tape sides and front of lug. No tape on back of lug. Bed first 1.5 to 2" of barrel. I don't think there's any absolute way to do it, but this is what I did to my FP and it shoots like a dream. Use compound of your choosing. Just remember to use something oil and solvent proof.

I like Devcon 10110 for bedding. If you are only doing the recoil lug, there's nothing wrong with $7 pack of JB Weld.

Tape the sides and bottom and front of the recoil lug as already said. I have never bothered bedding anything past the recoil lug. In fact, I use 2 layers of electrical tpe. It should be completely free floated. After it sets, I completely remove all bedding material forward of the rear face of the lug. (sides and everything forward. The way I figure it, if it is supposed to be free floated, why leave any material around it at all?

+1 for the JB Weld. I am no gunsmith but this is what I did on my rifle. I only bedded the recoil lug and it helped accuracy a lot. I taped the sides and bottom of the lug and that was it for tape. I took some Obenaufs boot grease and covered the front and back of the lug so the compound wouldn't stick to it and put it any where else I didn't want it to stick to. I put clay in any little hole that had a chance of getting compound into it and I also had to build a dam out of clay in the stock to give the JB Weld a place to puddle. once I had it mixed I put the compound in the lug area and tightened the action down, let it sit over night and when I pulled it apart the next morning it was set up and fit perfectly. Been working good every since.

Thanks for the replies, gents. You've confirmed what I though previously. I may decide to bed an inch or two under the action but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Obviously I know that the barrel should be free floated, but I can't imagine a little compound around the chamber would have much effect on anything. Interesting thought on the JB Weld, definitely seems like it should do the job given that I'm only doing the recoil lug.

What are you guys torquing the action screws to? I wanna say 67 inch lbs.?

Nothing wrong with JB weld, been using it for 25 plus years
works great, just mix it then let it set 30 mins. till it thickens

I've been thinking about doing this and the plan is to use the JB Weld if I ever get around to it. But here is my hang up: in every YouTube video I see of someone doing this they just slop the bedding material into the recoil lug area until it is all the way the full. I'm no physicist but I do know that the lug itself will displace some of the bedding material, which will then cause it to ooze out of the lug recess and into the barrel channel, etc. So if I want to keep the barrel free-floated is there a way that I can measure how much JB Weld to use so that it will fill the recess but not overflow? If it matters I have two rifles, both with a B&C stock with the aluminum bedding block.

I make a dam with plumbers putty about an inch or so past the lug. Make it pretty thick " 2 inches maybe), and set the action in place, tighten down the action screws so as to force it into shape and remove... see what you get. If the putty gets squished towards the lug, push it back or remove with a putty knife or something and build-up a little again and replace the action, etc. It might take 2-3 quick tries to get it how you want it then maybe add more putty down the channel way so as to reinforce it even more. It's no big deal, really, you can't make too big of a dam. Then be sure to add plenty of release agent wherever needed and pour in the bedding material. You want it to overflow when pressing the action into place so you are sure it fills properly and does not get any air pockets in it. Just be sure to have plenty of paper towels and q-tips handy to clean up any spillage before it sets.

If, when done, you see it seeped into the barrel channel, just remove it with a dremel or something.

But, why bother bedding the lug if you have an aluminum bedded stock?

Foxx, I'm not sure if it is worth bedding the lug or not. I'd never planned to bed the lug until I saw a Gunwerks video about bedding the lug on a stock with an aluminum bedding block. Honestly it's something to do and there's a "what can it hurt" aspect to the whole thing.

The JB weld seems to have done the job. There was the slightest bit of front-back play when the receiver was placed in the stock without tightening the action screws, and the bedding seems to have negated that. Super easy to do, and foxx your technique worked perfectly.