Axis recoil lug protocol?

[red caddy 51]

I want to up grade my Edge / Axis rebuild to a full recoil lug. What do I do about the notch in the receiver?

Face the receiver flat and square, as if I was "blueprinting" any other action.
Put on the full lug, nut, headspace and tighten the barrel nut as on any other Savage, ignore the slot/gap.?

Some other way I haven't thought about?

I'm going to pillar and skim bed, with the full size recoil lug, in a Boyd's thumbhole laminate stock.

OK smart pigs, tell me what I don't know...

Paul in da swamp

[sharpshooter]

Face the slot completely off. It takes about .190" to get full cleanup. Then recut the notch with a 3/16" cutter, aprox. .090" deep.

[red caddy 51]

Thank you. What recoil lug would you recommend? Straight, tapered 3/16" or 1/4"or? ( I usually prefer the tapered 1/4 inch) This I a full on, long range varmint effort.

[Robinhood]

I've never seen a 3/16" recoil lug bend where the action screws were properly torqued. Most aftermarket lugs Iv'e seen used where .200" and .250".


Clean the face of the action and the barrel nut with fine abrasive and an extremely flat surface, bed the recoil lug property to realize the best accuracy and precision. Truing being the preferred method.

[sharpshooter]

Use the tapered 1/4" lug. The parallel sided lugs are weaker. I have seen lots of 3/16" lugs bent.

[red caddy 51]

Thank you gentlemen. The 6 week wait on the Shaw barrel will give me time to get the machine work and lug ordering done. Oh, what fun it is. Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'