Replacing recoil lug and barrel nut

[Fuj']

I also want to have the tools I need in order.

Yeah I was going to mention getting a barrel wrench from James.
I have both a long and a short. I use the short more often with
my torque wrench, and the longer one if a nut gets stubborn.

[shaffe48]

First I will see if I can actually get my round barrel nut off with a pipe wrench. Otherwise, I'll see what I can rent and what i can't rent will be bought at the lowest price + shipping.

[Orezona]

PM sent to shaffe48.

[PhilC]

PM sent to shaffe48.
Ditto.

[Robinhood]

Make sure you don't grab the recoil lug with the pipe wrench. I have seen pictures and it was ugly.

[shaffe48]

The barrel was really on there and it really didn't have much to do with the smooth nut. Had I known I would have just bought a barrel vice. In the end I used a very large vice at my brother's work.

The factory barrel with 2.5k rounds on it will just have to go in the trash along with the trashed nut and lug...which I will definitely be buying new.

[Robinhood]

The barrel was really on there and it really didn't have much to do with the smooth nut. Had I known I would have just bought a barrel vice. In the end I used a very large vice at my brother's work.

The factory barrel with 2.5k rounds on it will just have to go in the trash along with the trashed nut and lug...which I will definitely be buying new.

I am concerned with you savage smithing skills.

[shaffe48]

I am concerned with you savage smithing skills.

And yet it's off. Youve gotta learn somehow.
The nut was on there tighter than many of the videos I watched. And I'm only out a marred up barrel that I was taking off anyways.

It would have gone easier if I had dropped 50 dollars on the vise. I have killed two bears with the barrel so it did have some sentimental value. But practically speaking it's no big deal.

[shaffe48]

I'm not planning on lapping the lugs either. Assuming it was a good idea, the 'shelves' the lugs go on are already shiny except for the portion the lugs don't touch. I'm sure that action has been worked at least 10k times so that makes sense. They got smoothed out whether it was a good idea or not.

[Robinhood]

And yet it's off. Youve gotta learn somehow.
The nut was on there tighter than many of the videos I watched. And I'm only out a marred up barrel that I was taking off anyways.

It would have gone easier if I had dropped 50 dollars on the vise. I have killed two bears with the barrel so it did have some sentimental value. But practically speaking it's no big deal.

LOL, You are correct. I think back sometimes and some of the things I did scare me. Keep your eyes and ears open and ask questions and you will do fine.

[celltech]

So what barrel are you going to replace it with? And once you get it, we can start a 10 page gripe fest on the "proper" method of headspacing...

[shaffe48]

So what barrel are you going to replace it with? And once you get it, we can start a 10 page gripe fest on the "proper" method of headspacing...

Probably a criterion .308 24 inch light varmint stainless. But who knows I could change my mind maybe 15% chance.

Purchase is on hold now for a good month because the hunting trip we were planning had a sale so we just dropped a down paymentfor 2022. After I get it shooting I'll say how it went. Im guessing well.

[Robinhood]

So what barrel are you going to replace it with? And once you get it, we can start a 10 page gripe fest on the "proper" method of headspacing...


This is what savage smiths do.

[Texas10]

Several things to consider when "truing" up a Savage action. If you simply chuck the action in a lathe, you are indexing off the outer circumference of the action. The actual tenon thread may or may not be co-axial with the outer surface. So if you true up the action face to the outside, it may not be perpendicular to the threads. IOW, a wasted effort unless you develop the tooling to index off the threads, not hard to do just required time and effort. Then there's the variation in thread pitch/dia to contend with. So how close is close enough?

All the Savage model 12 actions I have were knurled around the action face, which produced a slight burr on the outer diameter of the face. This is easily seen once you've removed the barrel and lug. I assume this was a work hardening effort. But I've had a model 12FV where the recoil lug was offset from the face due to that burr, and subsequent removal of the barrel showed a irregular wear on the barrel nut and forward face of the recoil lug.

So I'm in the same camp as Robinhood and hone the burr off the face. I don't have a precision flat plate, so I use a very flat sheet of glass and 800 grit wet/dry (I bought from Scary sharp supplies https://taytools.com/collections/supplies-sharpening-scary-sharp-system) and lapping in figure 8's.

Subsequent torque up shows a perfectly flat mating surface, and I always buy a new precision ground nut and recoil lug from NSS.

[Orezona]

Several things to consider when "truing" up a Savage action. If you simply chuck the action in a lathe, you are indexing off the outer circumference of the action. The actual tenon thread may or may not be co-axial with the outer surface. So if you true up the action face to the outside, it may not be perpendicular to the threads. IOW, a wasted effort unless you develop the tooling to index off the threads, not hard to do just required time and effort. Then there's the variation in thread pitch/dia to contend with. So how close is close enough?

All the Savage model 12 actions I have were knurled around the action face, which produced a slight burr on the outer diameter of the face. This is easily seen once you've removed the barrel and lug. I assume this was a work hardening effort. But I've had a model 12FV where the recoil lug was offset from the face due to that burr, and subsequent removal of the barrel showed a irregular wear on the barrel nut and forward face of the recoil lug.

So I'm in the same camp as Robinhood and hone the burr off the face. I don't have a precision flat plate, so I use a very flat sheet of glass and 800 grit wet/dry (I bought from Scary sharp supplies https://taytools.com/collections/supplies-sharpening-scary-sharp-system) and lapping in figure 8's.

Subsequent torque up shows a perfectly flat mating surface, and I always buy a new precision ground nut and recoil lug from NSS.

Thank you for posting this information. I have a new model 10 action from NSS I will do this to when the time comes. Is this a good size? https://taytools.com/collections/supplies-sharpening-scary-sharp-system/products/one-sheet-5-16-x-5-x-12-float-glass-for-scary-sharp-system

[Texas10]

Thank you for posting this information. I have a new model 10 action from NSS I will do this to when the time comes. Is this a good size? https://taytools.com/collections/supplies-sharpening-scary-sharp-system/products/one-sheet-5-16-x-5-x-12-float-glass-for-scary-sharp-system

Yes, that's what I bought and it works fine.

There's one more thing to do to your new action, especially if planning on shooting 223 Rem. One of the corners of the bolt head abutments is very sharp and will dent/gouge your 223 cases upon ejection. I alway take a small grinding stone in a dremel tool and round that corner. Its located on the left side (of a right eject action) when looking into the threaded end. This damage occurs when the spent cartridge clears the breech as the bolt is drawn back. The ejector spring causes the case to slam hard right into that sharp corner. You can actually count number of cycles on your brass by counting the number of gouges in the case just under the shoulder.

[Orezona]

Yes, that's what I bought and it works fine.

There's one more thing to do to your new action, especially if planning on shooting 223 Rem. One of the corners of the bolt head abutments is very sharp and will dent/gouge your 223 cases upon ejection. I alway take a small grinding stone in a dremel tool and round that corner. Its located on the left side (of a right eject action) when looking into the threaded end. This damage occurs when the spent cartridge clears the breech as the bolt is drawn back. The ejector spring causes the case to slam hard right into that sharp corner. You can actually count number of cycles on your brass by counting the number of gouges in the case just under the shoulder.

Well dang, more great information. I will look at my .223 brass from the PC Carbine. It is a shooter for sure. Now I need to shoot it with the new can.

[shaffe48]

Does anyone know where you would get a 'quality' recoil lug for the accufit stock? I understand they are different. And especially now that ive decided to true the action and get a better nut along with my new barrel, I don't want to undo my efforts with another factory lug.

[Orezona]

I suggest you call a site sponsor, Jim at Northland Shooters Supply. I don't see a specific description for the item you are looking for but he is a great guy to do business with.

[shaffe48]

I ordered my barrel and barrel nut today. They had the one I wanted in stock.

The nss lug does not fit the accustock.

I found some threads on here about machining a lug to fit the accustock. I'm going to try ordering a pcg parrallel lug of the right thickness. I think these are also made to be of uniform width unlike the factory version.

Anything you advise to tell the machinist other than give him the old and new lug and ask that the new one has the same height and width on the 'lug part.' I have searched older threads here as well.