Then when you have the lugs lapped, figure out a way to stop the trigger,sear and firing pin release mechanism putting upward pressure on the bolt and making only the bottom lug contact when the gun is cocked before firing.
I once had a bet with a gunsmith I deal with.He bet me that nearly every gun in the store will have more wear on the bottom lug than the top. I thought that mostly they would be even. I bought him the carton of beer after checking 80 odd of the 250+ firearms that he had on display in his second hand section. He was right!

OK guys, now maybe I'm getting too deep. I understand about flitz not taking much metal away, the rifle is a SAKO 75 in stainless. My other 5 seem to have pretty even lug wear, and they are smoother to cycle,--the closing of the bolt-- not fully shut but the part right up to closed. I haven't done anything else to this rifle yet-- I am not up to speed enough to take a barrel off yet. I am interested in possibly using some lapping compound to see what results I get. Any other guidance?

You'll wear the action out before Flitz does any good.

Lapping is berst done with barrel off. However if you are careful and clean up well no problem.

Mark the back of bolt lugs with Dykem or a black felt marker. Cycle the bolt 25 times to get a clear idea of how much lapping is needed.

Get some medium grit valve lapping compoud at local auto parts. About 500 grit. Apply small amount to back of bolt lugs and cycle bolt 25 times. Check progress and repeat.

When you cycle the bolt handle up and down DO NOT let it cam. Don't want to lap anything but the lug contact.

If you were to lap the lugs by lifting the bolt handle and then pushing the bolt handle down......then the bolt would be crooked in the receiver.

Or to put it another way...if the back of the lugs had been machined perfectly square to the action and the locking recesses were perfectly square to the action....then marking the back of the lugs with a felt pen etc would result in minimum contact????.....especially with a sloppy bolt/receiver fit.

Mike

I am thinking one of my new rifles could stand to have the lugs lapped, but I don't really know. How does one determine this and more importantly how does you do it. Is it a smith only operation, or can a regular mechanically competent reloader/gun nut do it?

Spotting the need is fairly easy. The lugs on the bolt and the place inside the receiver in which they lock will show a shiny spot at the point of contact. That shiny spot should cover at least 85% of the rear lug surface of the bolt and the front surface inside the action. As for doing it...a little flitz metal polish on the lugs and start cycling the bolt. Will take a lil time...but be patient and try to be consistant with each cycling of the action.

Appreciate the feedback Ackley, what you mentioned is exactly what I am not seeing, only a small bright spot on the bolt lugs and I can't really see to much inside the receiver. I'll have to find my Flitz, it was with my knife stuff, but I'm married and that whole segment of my gear was relocated without prior authorization--can you imagine! At any rate, any estimate on how many bolt cycles?
Thanks again--Don.

Fish30114

Unless you are going to rebarrel the action or set the barrel back you are potentially making a mistake to lap the lugs. Depending on how far out they are. I have seen lugs with 4 and 5 thousandths discrepency between the two. Smiths with more experience could give examples of more than that, I'll wager.

By lapping the lug with an existing barrel could possibly create a headspace problem. Measure the headspace then decide if you can lap the lugs without setting the barrel back.

I drilled and tapped into the bottom of one receiver and put in spring ball detents.
http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNPDFF?PMPAGE=1090&PARTPG=NNLMK32
The last group I shot with that rifle was 5 shots at 100 meters .45" =.4 moa, and it has averaged since it's first shot: .87" at 100 m. It has averaged .5" when my brother shoots it.
I don't know why that rifle is my best rifle.
VZ24, 257 Roberts Ackley improved, Lothar Walther light varmint taper barrel, original military stock with recoil lug removed and filled with glass bedding, Silver Solder trigger job, large ring was trued to the bolt bore, inner C ring trued to the large ring, and the lugs were lapped with a spring loaded cartridge and the trigger and two detents were in place. All three things pushed up on the bolt body while the lugs were lapped. The detents are still in the rifle.
Maybe lapping the lugs helped.
Maybe the detents help.
I don't know.

I would need to make more rifles and do more experiments, and right now I am doing someone else's engineering 7 days a week.

--
A society that teaches evolution as fact will breed a generation of atheists that will destroy the society. It is Darwinian.