Don't lap your lugs

[Dennis Sorensen]

I trued a magnum 700 action today that was so screwed up from someone lapping the lugs...

A tremendous amount of taper to the lug recesses and to the bolt lugs.

I guess that was why it was for sale...

Lapping lugs is highly over rated in my opinion.

[Roger T]

I presume your saying that a HOME lap is not a good idea, not a good Smith.

[Pete Wass]

it's waste of time withthe Rem type actions. The angled sear jacks the back of the bolt up taking one of the lugs off the face of the lug abuttments so what ids the point? Why hot jack the bolt up while trueing so that when the bolt is closed both lugs will contact the face of th action?

[Dennis Sorensen]

I presume your saying that a HOME lap is not a good idea, not a good Smith.

Not me... I much prefer to true the action lug recesses and true the locking lugs... no lapping required... or leave it as is from the factory unless a lug is galled... then lapping is useless anyway...

I think it was created as a money maker...

[Hal D.]

I'm with Dennis. Lapping was created by gunsmiths that didn't have the knowledge or tooling to properly true an action.

[crb]

I also think that lapping the abutments with the bolt is bs. I made a full circle arbor to lap the abutments. I turn it with a cordless drill motor. I wanted a polished abutment surface so there was less friction when opening the bolt on a fired case.

[ultramagmed]

I'm with Dennis. Lapping was created by gunsmiths that didn't have the knowledge or tooling to properly true an action.

Nail on the head!!!

IMO (whatever that is worth)

Med.

[akshooter]

maybe not on 700 rem, i think it started on mausers with miss matched bolts.

[NesikaChad]

I lap as a form of quality control. That's it. Its a quick way to tell if things are touching. That and the bulk of customers will drag you into the street and stone you if you don't do it or even try to tell them its not needed.

That all being said I consider myself a patient fellow when it comes to this stuff. I think I'd rather suck start a Glock pistol that invest the time it would take to lap a taper on a set of lug surfaces. I think even with the most aggressive compound out there it'd still be a daunting task to really destroy/hurt something that way.

JMO.

Chad

[Dennis Sorensen]

I lap as a form of quality control. That's it. Its a quick way to tell if things are touching.

Chad

700's are the only action I true and that is all that is required after truing a 700. I use 600 grit just to confirm the fit after truing... about 10 swipes of the bolt handle with my finger pushing back on the bolt face... you can see a light pattern wipe on the leg recesses. That lapping changes nothing.

[Peter]

it's waste of time with the Rem type actions. The angled sear jacks the back of the bolt up taking one of the lugs off the face of the lug abuttments so what ids the point? Why hot jack the bolt up while trueing so that when the bolt is closed both lugs will contact the face of th action?

an intelligent observation.

[Dennis Sorensen]

it's waste of time with the Rem type actions. The angled sear jacks the back of the bolt up taking one of the lugs off the face of the lug abutments so what ids the point? Why not jack the bolt up while truing so that when the bolt is closed both lugs will contact the face of the action?

I prefer to true the bolt lugs and bolt lug recesses square with the bolt race... The ever so slight angle that the trigger causes the bolt to 'sit at' when cocked is neutralized when the firing pin is released and hits the primer... and when 60,000 pounds of pressure hits the case the bolt lugs are held against the lug recesses fairly firmly...

[Pete Wass]

I prefer to true the bolt lugs and bolt lug recesses square with the bolt race... The ever so slight angle that the trigger causes the bolt to 'sit at' when cocked is neutralized when the firing pin is released and hits the primer... and when 60,000 pounds of pressure hits the case the bolt lugs are held against the lug recesses fairly firmly...

Is there a noticable difference in wear on the abutments after using the rifle for a time? The wear marks look exactly like the results of the bolt being jacked up.I guess for this reason I don't buy the free fall theory. This shows up in the best of custom actions that I have owned.

I don't have the equipment to measure whatever the difference is but it sure is visually different.

[bob3700]

Dennis,

Do you, have you bushed a Rem bolt body? That will certainly take the "Tilt" out of the locking lugs that the striker/trigger sear induce.

Once you true the lug abutments and the lugs themselves, no lapping is required cause they are in contact due to the lack of slop in the bolt to receiver area.

It's something that I do on my own Rem actions and it is a valuable mod in my opinion.

Bob

[Dennis Sorensen]

Dennis,

Do you, have you bushed a Rem bolt body? That will certainly take the "Tilt" out of the locking lugs that the striker/trigger sear induce.

Once you true the lug abutments and the lugs themselves, no lapping is required cause they are in contact due to the lack of slop in the bolt to receiver area.

It's something that I do on my own Rem actions and it is a valuable mod in my opinion.

Bob

I bump the odd one (top and bottom) with dovetails and steel inserts... These should be called "Leeper Lumps" as Bill Leeper was the first to use this method that I know of...