Opinions on locking lugs, a few big ones, or lots of small ones?

C

Correia

New member
Of all the different rifle designs out there, what is the consensus on lockup?

For accuracy: front locking, rear locking, several small lugs, a few big ones? I'm guessing a few (2 or 3) large ones, judging by some of the more accurate bolt guns.

For reliability (in a semi, not a manually operated gun): I would also guess that a few big front lugs would be simpler to maintain, than say the eight tiny ones on an AR.

What method do you prefer and why?

Opinions?
 
There's another aspect you didn't mention: rigidity. Front lockup is the hands-down winner in this area. That probably helps accuracy, and it definitely increases case life.
 
Front lugs are stronger/stiffer, so more accurate, for sure.

Maintenance of lugs? In what way? If you're talking about cleaning, it wouldn't make any difference.

What counts between many small lugs vs. few large lugs is only the total cross-sectional area of the lugs which resists the rearward force of the cartridge. (Well, quality of steel, but...)

A system of nine lugs, as Weatherby's *can* be stronger. It is possible to have a larger area than for just two lugs, but it's a more expensive process. Pragmatically, it's not all that much better, "as made"; just more expensive. The Weatherby advantage is the 60-degree bolt action.

Given the quality of machining which *can* be done, and the history of the AR-15/M-16 during the last 25 years, small lugs are no problem for reliability.

FWIW, Art
 
Sorry Art I should have specified what I meant by maintenence. I was thinking in terms of cleaning and how it can sometimes take forever to toothbrush all of the carbon out all the little nooks and crannies on my Bushmaster.
 
Few big ones because I'm growing lazy and don't want to spend much time cleaning the matching lugs of the barrel (the bolt is easy to clean with a toothbrush).
 
Hmmm. Trying to remember the last time I ever thought about cleaning inside the barrel-lug area on my Weatherby. ? Really, I never noticed any significant amount of grunge on the bolt, itself, in the lugs. I guess after 30 years and 4,000 +/- rounds I oughta do sumpn.

:), Art
 
Art, if it still works then I ain't gonna knock it! :D My Dad has a 40 year old Winchester lever action .22 that has never been cleaned other than having the barrel brushed, and it still works fine. We are afraid to clean it because then it might stop working. :)

However if I don't clean the heck out of my Bushmaster it tends to get tempermental.
 
Sometimes multiple lugs are a delusion, with many small lugs actually having less bearing surface than two large lugs, but multiple lugs are useful when compactness is desired. In addition, multiple lug rifles often present a major cleaning problem. An example is the M16, which requires a special brush to clean the inside locking surfaces, as opposed to the M1/M14, whose lug seats can be cleaned with the finger.

Multiple lugs are often used in bolt action rifles with the idea of reducing bolt lift distance (60 degrees instead of 90 degrees). Unfortunately, since the firing pin spring must retain nearly full power, the short bolt lift involves a shorter cocking cam and is actually harder than the 90 degree lift of the two lug bolt.

Jim
 
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