Benefit of floating recoil lug?
- Thread starter GMC403
- Start date
- Location
- calgary alberta
It IS hokey but allows the manufacturer to cut yet another corner to help lower the cost of the rifle. It is all about the cheap now.
Cheaper, same with the multi-piece bolt assembly vs 1-piece. When you look at Howa's that have an integral recoil lug on the receiver, and a 1 piece forged bolt, and they retail in the US for $300-$400, I don't know why anyone would buy those other cheaply made bags of ####.
The Hunter barreled action is identical to its siblings.
The floating lug is part of a return to battery system. The 'floating' part is only 1 or 2 thou, barely perceptible. This allows the action to move under recoil and return to its original position. Otherwise the action can bind up and be in a different place, however small, at each shot, this is not conducive to fine accuracy.
It is a well engineered system, the bonus is that the manufacturer can stream line the processes to produce.......it's not cheap or hokey, its smart engineering!!!
It is a well engineered system, the bonus is that the manufacturer can stream line the processes to produce.......it's not cheap or hokey, its smart engineering!!!
- Location
- calgary alberta
I'm sorry but this just not make sense to me.
A recoil lug is supposed to stop the action from moving in the stock in both directions. I can't see a recoil lug having anything to do with "return to battery".
Can you enlighten me please?
OK, the T3 has the recoil lug snugly fitted to the stock, the lug is under sized to the slot in the receiver, ideally about 0.001". This differs from ,say a R700 action, where the lug is sandwiched between the receiver and the barrel. When the stock is fitted to the barreled action the recoil lug will be hard up against the forward face of the lug in relation to the stock with some space left on the rearward side.
The T3 achieves the same thing, albeit upside down, in concept. The 0.001" 'slop' in the recoil lug receiver slot accurately facilitates this premise.
The idea is for the action/barrel to vibrate freely and consistently.
If the recoil lug is size for size fitted to the action and to the stock the vibration pattern will not be consistent shot to shot. A machine must be free to vibrate, a vibrating machine that is constrained will fail much sooner.
The aluminum lugs did get beat out over time on heavy recoiling rifles, but one must be careful not to jam an oversize steel replacement in the slot as it will negate the 'return to battery' feature.
I have no issues with this design once understood.
T3's do benefit from a good bedding job, the ones I have had bedded improved accuracy.
Splitting hairs here but that's how I understand it.
The T3 achieves the same thing, albeit upside down, in concept. The 0.001" 'slop' in the recoil lug receiver slot accurately facilitates this premise.
The idea is for the action/barrel to vibrate freely and consistently.
If the recoil lug is size for size fitted to the action and to the stock the vibration pattern will not be consistent shot to shot. A machine must be free to vibrate, a vibrating machine that is constrained will fail much sooner.
The aluminum lugs did get beat out over time on heavy recoiling rifles, but one must be careful not to jam an oversize steel replacement in the slot as it will negate the 'return to battery' feature.
I have no issues with this design once understood.
T3's do benefit from a good bedding job, the ones I have had bedded improved accuracy.
Splitting hairs here but that's how I understand it.
- Location
- calgary alberta
Ok , if you say so.
We typically change the slot to a dovetail and install a proper steel recoil lug into the action. Once bedded the action does not move at all and we seem to be getting really good accuracy and the actions function just fine.
Having a recoil lug that can move in any degree either in the stock or in the slot in the action then is depending on a friction fit between the stock and action or the 2 action screws to keep everything in place was what I was taught, but that was 40 years ago.
We typically change the slot to a dovetail and install a proper steel recoil lug into the action. Once bedded the action does not move at all and we seem to be getting really good accuracy and the actions function just fine.
Having a recoil lug that can move in any degree either in the stock or in the slot in the action then is depending on a friction fit between the stock and action or the 2 action screws to keep everything in place was what I was taught, but that was 40 years ago.
Damn... I guess I've been installing my scope rings all wrong for the last 25 years, with the recoil lug butted tight (forward) against the rail lug. I thought having the scope move under recoil would be a bad thing but you claim it's better to have some play...
Lol.
From what I understand, the tikka style lug does the same thing that a rem700 style lug does, just a little differently. The front of the recoil lug gets full contact with the front of the slot in the action. There should be clearance between the recoil lug and the action at the top, back and sides of the recoil lug. During firing (high pressures and temp changes) when everything is flexing and stretching, there will be sliding but still full contact at the contact point of the recoil lug and action. With clearance at the top, sides and back of the recoil lug, there will be no binding when the properly torqued action screws (acting like springs) return everything to its original position( return to battery).
A rem 700 styl recoil lug does the same thing, the only difference is there is no sliding between the action and recoil lug. The sliding will happen between the back of the recoil lug and the bedding. A rem700 style recoil lug should also have clearance at the bottom, sides and front of the recoil lug for a proper return to battery recoil system.
The tikka style recoil lug may very well be easier or cheaper to manufacture, but not hokey. Just a different engineering design. This is the way I understand it.
A rem 700 styl recoil lug does the same thing, the only difference is there is no sliding between the action and recoil lug. The sliding will happen between the back of the recoil lug and the bedding. A rem700 style recoil lug should also have clearance at the bottom, sides and front of the recoil lug for a proper return to battery recoil system.
The tikka style recoil lug may very well be easier or cheaper to manufacture, but not hokey. Just a different engineering design. This is the way I understand it.
Last edited:
I'm going to have to go with ATRS on this one. The weak spot I see in this is the slot in the stock. Whether wood, plastic, or laminate, over time that slot will get beat up/loose. Bedding might help, but only for a time. If there is any space for the lug to move in the slot, recoil will eventually enlarge it, making it sloppy. Might be okay on a "hunting" rifle that only sees a few rounds a year, but both the guys I know that use Tika's for PRS have had the barrel replaced, and a "proper" lug installed.
I don’t think one is a “proper” compared to the other, just a different design to achieve the same thing. I’ve heard of people doing what your two friends did and changed the tikka lug to a rem700 style. Doesn’t mean it’s better but might be the style they understand and are more comfortable with.
prairie lover
CGN Regular
- Location
- southern MB
Really really hard to argue how those tikka shoot out of the box if you ask me.........
