Riflemen please weigh in

[squawberryman]

I have a Model 70 Featherweight Supergrade 270 from about 80's manufacture I guess. I've never given it the attention it deserves. I just got a Timney to put in it and did a LOT of examining as I installed the trigger. I lubed the lugs as I reassembled and found this. Ugh. I just got my 270 projectiles in so I cannot say that these lugs are a detriment to accuracy and seem to recall it shot fair at 100 yards with Hornady factory loads. There isn't a whole lot of contact from what I can tell of a good grease once removed. Before I start filling it up with some abrasive and start jacking the bolt (though that may be the proper method)I'd appreciate any experience here. Thank you gentlemen.

[Kurt]

Shoot it first. I have people wanting to "fix" something all the time because they heard or read it would cause problems. In actuality less than 10% of the "problems" are real.

[bradshaw]

squawberryman.... bolt lugs look rode hard and put away wet. Your photos are good, although there is nothing like looking at the real thing.
My Scientific Wild Ass Guess:
* full lug/abuttment contact on both lugs.
* evidence of galling (not as bad as would be seen on stainless steel).

... and conjecture:
* bolt action used as a reloading press, with chamber used as a sizing die.
* evidence of peening (photos #2 and #3), similar to swaging of railroad track by passage of steel wheels.

Close action and shuck bolt handle forward-rearward. Excess play may suggest headspace issue. If in doubt, try headspace gauges. If action checks out, lubricate locking lugs before firing.

To judge by evident lug contact, lapping may be redundant, with risk of increasing headspace.
David Bradshaw

[nolongcolt]

Looks pretty typical to me, agree with DB and his recommendation. I would not start trying to lap lugs as this could lead to excess headspace and then will require setting the barrel back and rechambering. If it does not shoot real well the cause is likely something other than the bolt lugs. Action and barrel bedding is the biggest offender in factory rifles.

[curmudgeon]

David and nolong colt seemed to have covered the spectrum....I'd do a pillar bed with full metal bedding. Be sure and wax screws good. When mating bbl and action lugs I'd start with the bolt in the lathe and remover major portion with bit. Its rare to need more than a couple thou. But that is a lot of up and down lapping by hand.
But if you have a shop with all the necessary equipment you already know that.

[boxhead]

Well your first mistake was swapping the fine factory trigger for a Timney, but that's another story... I would do absolutely nothing to the rifle short of applying a bit of Shooters Choice grease to the rear of the lugs and properly tighten the action screws. Then buy some 140 gr Nosler AB's and RL-22 powder, load to the length of the magazine box or just shy of the throat, if possible, and run up a load starting at 54 grs until you see around 2900ish fps. I would be very surprised if the rifle does not consistently shoot inside an inch at 100 yards along the way.