Good day, I would like to know if I should tape the front and sides of the recoil lug on a howa action? I know the bottom and rear should be left alone of the lug but not sure about the sides and front.

Thanks

Pieter

I tape just the bottom of the lug.

You do not want it bottoming out if it gets hot. With the angled front it will come out quite easily so there is no need to make it sloppy.

Will it not put stress on the action when you tape the bottom of the lug, as the front screw attaches to the lug itself? I tend to tape rem type lugs but thought the bottom of these should not be taped to avoid stress.

Pieter

I have never taped those actions when bedding, i do bed the first inch of the barrel though. Make sure you have the rear of the tang with at least .015 clearance if bedding it.

I view it as insurance against stress... the tapered lug bottoming out could change action screw tension suddenly whereas leaving the bottom floated would not.

I doubt it makes a whole lot of difference.

Absolutely not.

Solid bedding eliminates stress and provides uniform support of the entire action. It's a little more work but I favor full action bedding with the barrel floated, rather than just the lug. Action screw torque is non critical.

The Howa is a beefier action than Remy but with either I want to slightly draw the lug with solid contact on the sides but float the bottom.

If you don't tape it during the initial bedding you can relieve it later.

I didn't put any tape on the lug of my Howa actioned Weatherby Vanguard.

It's the most boring rifle to sight in. I generally don't even shoot 3 rounds when I do. 2 touch at the same point of aim year after year. The 3rd round usually goes into a deer.


Dan

Total nobody here, but I want the action part with the screw in it to be bedded solid. If the lug is floating, and screwed down, then it would seem very torque sensitive. The higher torque the more the action would flex. This seems obvious, what am I missing? With a Rem. the lug is floated because it would become a fulcrum if it bottomed out before the action seated solidly. My observations, educate me.

There is full contact everywhere EXCEPT the 1"x.25" strip on the very bottom of the recoil lug. You're never going to budge it either way. I have tried it both ways and now choose to just make an identical cast of the action. The expansion/contraction of the action is not going to exceed that of the stock.....IMO.

I taped every side except the rear of the lug and mine is one of the best shooting rifles I have. I don't think it will effect accuracy if you tape or not but it makes removal easier if it is taped.

I also bed to the front of the chamber.

God Bless, Louis

I do not tape anything, with the barreled action simply sitting in the stock as the compounds harden. If needed I will put two wraps of masking tape around the barrel at the fore end to assure that it's floated. Bed the tang; front, sides, bottom and back of the recoil lug area, and barrel for the length of chamber. Recently gone to Johnson's Paste Wax as a release agent.

No.



Travis

PS-You misspelled your name.

Dutch version

Thanks for the info everybody.It seems like there are a few ways to skin a cat.

Seems like one of the most common ways is bedding the lug tight with no clearance. Nosler apparently also found that this is the best way accuracy wise. They also do not bed in front of the lug which is a plus if you switch barrels.

I spoke to a well known local gunsmith who did a lot of research and builds on the Musgrave RSA action that also has the front screw in the lug itself. He tapes the bottom of the lug but then beds about 1/2" under the barrel shank. He found that if he did not bed under the barrel shank, while taping the bottom of the lug that there was some flexing when tightening the front screw. This is what I thought would happen but guess if it works for some then it works.

Guess there will always be various ways.

Pieter

I usually bed about 2 inches of the barrel shank to support the chamber. I free float the rest of the barrel. Howa barrels are on the stiffer side so I don't think you'll need a pressure point at the tip of the forend.

Dan

On a proper bedding job, you'll stretch the screws before you bind the action.....bedded in front of the lug or not.