Rem 700: pinning recoil lugs...

S

spencer313

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When pinning recoil lugs on the Rem 700, what are the advantages of two pins rather than one? Also, when using two pins, I see them at 4-o'clock and 8-o'clock frequently. In my mind (!) this seems like the highest stress points during recoil... why weaken the lug there?

Your thoughtful insight is appreciated.
 
I am no gunsmith so take what I say with a grain of salt.But if you think about it at 4 and 8 o clock would be the strongest places to put it.Almost like toe nailing it.If you tried to pull the recoil lug off in the way that recoil pulls it.It would be fighting it the 2 angles of the pins at the strongest points.
 
I have often wondered why shooters pin a recoil lug. There are wrenches, and attachments, that allow a shooter to clock the recoil lug in relation to the action screws. Isn't that better than drilling a hole in the face of the action.??.........jackie
 
I am with Jackie! Unless of course you are doing a switch barrel rig at the range on your tailgate. Even then not sure thats necessary with the right tools.
 
I think the tool is the best way to go rather than drilling the hole off and hitting the barrel thread.They do makle jigs to do this and like everything else,they aint cheap.
 
I have pinning and without pins using a jig... I much prefer the jig. Pins are easily sheared when torquing the barrel onto the action. I now always put a little heavy grease on the action face and a little 120 grit abrasive powder... that locks the recoil lug to the action. It will affect the headspace by about a thou.
 
I've pinned lugs using nothing more than my Black & Decker drill and a small brad. I haven't drilled into the threads (yet) or sheared a pin (yet). Pinned lugs sure come in handy when you want to change a barrel without taking the stock off.

A lot to do about nothing, IMHO.

Ray
 
I haven't had a pin shear off since I started using grade 8 USA made pins to pin the recoil lug. I did have some shear off when using the pins that came with some of the recoil lugs, but the grade 8 dowell pins took care of that problem.
 
So here is a question that's been bugging me. If you use real good grade 8 pins and you are not shearing pins anymore, what is giving? Are we elongating the hole in the receiver face, or the recoil lug? I only have a couple actions with Pinned Lugs, Both are heavy strong, and thick, and precision ground. The pins look top notch, the ends are rather black, does that mean they are harder than the average pin? I'll post a few pics if I can find them.

Paul

pinnedrecoillug2.jpg


pinnedrecoillug1.jpg


Recoillugpinningjig1.jpg
 
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I don't think anything is giving when the grade 8 pin doesn't shear. The lug stays in place and the barrel spins off which is the purpose of pinning the lug in the first place. When the pin shears, it's a poor quality soft pin. The advantage of a pinned lug over using a lug location fixture tool, is that you can change target barrels the same as a glued in gun without removing the action from the stock. Any time you remove an action from your bedding job and put it back in, you are risking that the rifle won't shoot as well as it did before removing it. All it takes to create stress in the bedding is getting a piece of trash between the action and bedding job when you replace the action. You can tell if that happens with a dial indicator to check and make sure your bedding job is still good, but how many are going to do that.
 
Mike,

Thanks to you, I check ALL of my bedding jobs with an indicator. It will definitely point out a stress problem that otherwise would be pretty undetectable without.
 
I always figured the double pin was to fix the pin shearing problem. I've sheared them too (the ones that come with the lug) I now leave the action and back of the lug dry and anti seize the barrel and front of the lug to help the barrel slip instead of trying to spin the lug obviously you get some on all surfaces but it seems to help.
 
I don't think anybody answered my Question.

With the various means available to locate the lug exactly, why do shooters still insist on drilling a hole in the action face.??........jackie
 
I think that because of glued in actions, scopes that are mounted, time constraints when changing a barrel at a match, and I guess just the ease of the pinned lug, that would be why pinned lugs are being used Jackie. a Hunter class gun can not be a glue in... but if you pin the lug you can still leave it in the stock and leave the scope on it if you need to change a barrel at a match.

Paul
 
If you have a proper piller bedded action, if you change barreles or remove the one thats on it and want to put it back, pinning is the the only way I can see to get the recoil lug back to it's place and I think even then it's iffy...
 
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