Truing an action.

[25WSM]

After building rifles for 30 yrs I believe the barrel is definitely the biggest part of accuracy. I've put good barrels on remington 700s that only have one lug touching. Some guys just don't want a tried action. They still shot 1/2 moa easily. Bedding is the other most important thing. Then the load that is used. These 3 things will make a rifle shoot good.
Shep

 

[TheDeicide]

I'm too new to this to have an opinion on what is or is not best. I've spent an average of 6 hours a day reading and watching videos for the past week and have learned a lot. It's amazing how much you can learn when not working 12 hour days. The most important thing I have learned about action truing and dealing with a gunsmith is to ask detailed questions. What things are part of their truing. How do they square the action? As some guys here have mentioned the bushing and mandrels to find the center line of the action. Not all smiths do this. Do they remove the "guts" when they true the face of the bolt, if they cut that. Do they cut both the action and bolt lugs to perpendicular? Do they do any lapping after cutting? Do they true up the runout on the barrel threads in the receiver? This will change the fit of the barrel.

I recently found out there is a gunsmith 10 miles from me. I emailed asking how much to true an action on a 110 and what that entailed. His reply was $175 which is on the low end you would think. He only trues the action face and laps the bolt lugs. Thats expensive for all the more work.

Again I am very new and these are the things I've read and picked up on.

 

[25WSM]

Just the face and a lapping is not even close to a blue printed receiver. That's about 25 percent done for 75 percent of the price.
Shep

 

[25WSM]

He probably just sticks it on a one size fits all mandrel between centers and faces it. This will usually get you about as close as the factory already did.

 

[Mram10us]

I'm too new to this to have an opinion on what is or is not best. I've spent an average of 6 hours a day reading and watching videos for the past week and have learned a lot. It's amazing how much you can learn when not working 12 hour days. The most important thing I have learned about action truing and dealing with a gunsmith is to ask detailed questions. What things are part of their truing. How do they square the action? As some guys here have mentioned the bushing and mandrels to find the center line of the action. Not all smiths do this. Do they remove the "guts" when they true the face of the bolt, if they cut that. Do they cut both the action and bolt lugs to perpendicular? Do they do any lapping after cutting? Do they true up the runout on the barrel threads in the receiver? This will change the fit of the barrel.

I recently found out there is a gunsmith 10 miles from me. I emailed asking how much to true an action on a 110 and what that entailed. His reply was $175 which is on the low end you would think. He only trues the action face and laps the bolt lugs. Thats expensive for all the more work.

Again I am very new and these are the things I've read and picked up on.

The more you read and ask, the more you will understand the need for your own testing since there is not a set way of doing it. Example: I built a beautiful action truing jig so the other kids would like me, and after using it twice last week, I am back to my mandrel set between the 4 jaw and a live center on the tailstock. Have fun learning

 

[25WSM]

Mram please go back to the jig. How are you recutting the action threads with a mandrel in there?
Shep

 

[JMW67]

After building rifles for 30 yrs I believe the barrel is definitely the biggest part of accuracy. I've put good barrels on remington 700s that only have one lug touching. Some guys just don't want a tried action. They still shot 1/2 moa easily. Bedding is the other most important thing. Then the load that is used. These 3 things will make a rifle shoot good.
Shep

that's the way it was explained to me years ago barrel bedding and bullets this was by an old german gunsmith

 

[Mram10us]

Mram please go back to the jig. How are you recutting the action threads with a mandrel in there?
Shep

I don't do the threads. With the 4 jaw and live center I can dial it in just as well.Takes much longer with the jig for me

 

[25WSM]

We live in good times for barrels and bullets right now. Pretty easy to get guns to shoot nowadays.
Shep

 

[25WSM]

Why don't you cut the threads? And with the mandrel in there you can't cut the lug seats either.
Shep

 

[25WSM]

So if you cut the face perfectly perpendicular to the race way but the threads and lug seats are crooked did it really help?
Shep

 

[Mram10us]

Why don't you cut the threads? And with the mandrel in there you can't cut the lug seats either.
Shep

Good point. I'm sick of spending 20 minutes going back and forth, to and fro getting the thing perfect in the jig. I'll stick with it for a while longer

 

[Mram10us]

So if you cut the face perfectly perpendicular to the race way but the threads and lug seats are crooked did it really help?
Shep

Lug seats, I agree. Threads, I still haven't bought in based on the slop between action and barrel threads

 

[25WSM]

I personally think trueing an action is a waste of time unless there is some glaring problems. I've built too many rifles that were on box stock remington 700 actions that shot in the 1s and 2s to worry about it. I haven't really seen the trued up or custom actions shoot all that much better. Big barrels do better on custom actions with longer barrel tennons and solid bottoms. But other than that on a hunting weight rifle I don't think you will see that much difference.
Shep