Rem 700 Recoil Lug - What to do?

[LoanHarvey]

I have a couple of new barrels to have chambered, one in a 243 and the other a 7RM. Should I use the factory recoil lug, or invest in an aftermarket? If upgrading would be appropriate, which ones should I consider and why? The 243 will be a 10 twist to shoot the 75gr V-Max for varmints, and the 7mm will be for LR & ELR shooting at steel and hunting and a 9 twist for the 168's and 180's. Thank you for your input.

 

[JBM_DC]

I am not an expert and will not act like I know anything on the subject. My gunsmith is very well known in my area for his work and as a competition shooter. When I asked the very same question he told me to stick with the factory lug unless there was something major wrong with it. He told me there is not much reason to change other than if I just want to. If I were you I would contact someone like John Beanland and talk to him.

 

[Captain Kirk]

I always replace the factory lugs when doing barrels and/or action work. Most aftermarket lugs are precision ground to ensure they are consistent thickness, one more step towards creating a accurate rifle. When you true a receiver, you are ensuring all the surfaces are true, best to use components you can trust. Another feature some aftermarket lugs offer is the ability to pin the recoil lug to the receiver. PTG makes a nice recoil lug, Badger, lots of options.

 

[ShtrRdy]

This is just my opinion so take it for what it's worth - if you are going to have the action trued up, (squared up), then it is a good idea to use a recoil lug that is flat with constant thickness. Then when the barrel is installed, everything is square.

 

[nashlaw]

Factory lugs can be surface ground to bring them up to spec. I have had this done when my stock was not inletted for the heavier lug. I could have done the inletting myself, but some stocks are thinner/shallower in the lug area and I don't want to be cutting material and see daylight 6 rough my stock. If i order a new stock, i spec it for the heavy lug.

 

[Armed Ferret]

for what you're spending on truing, chambering, install, etc., 25-30 bucks for a lug is kind of a no-brainer, especially knowing that the stamped stuff from remington isn't even close to true and flat.

 

[buffybuster]

For severe budget builds in light recoiling cartridges (.378" boltface) I have used a surface ground OEM lug. Otherwise an aftermarket lug is too cheap not to fit.

 

[hansgruber]

I recommend having someone install an aftermarket oversize extra thick lug. I have personally seen many factory lugs bend out of shape over time. It doesn't matter what the cartridge, always go with a new lug. Here's a link.

REMINGTON 700 RECOIL LUG | Brownells