I tried this post in the African hunting Fourm, but thoes guys arn't verey talkative.

What about the Searcy bolt rifle, how do they fair as a DGR. Is the quality equal to the price.
Thanks
Dr B

Searcy doesn't make bolt rifles anymore. I asked him about them when I put down my deposit and he said that the shop is set up for DR's and it isn't worth the money for him to build a bolt. I think he said that in all the time he has been building DR's he has built one or two bolts.

Next time you see Searcy tell him to up date his Web page
DrB

quote:

Originally posted by bulldog563:
Searcy doesn't make bolt rifles anymore. I asked him about them when I put down my deposit and he said that the shop is set up for DR's and it isn't worth the money for him to build a bolt. I think he said that in all the time he has been building DR's he has built one or two bolts.

When I asked Butch about this he told me he didn't think his price was very competitive on bolt rifles these days. But if you where to ask real nice I'm sure he'd quote you a price

agreed. Call Butch. He will give it to you straight.

Honestly though, if I were going to spend 15K on a bolt rifle I would go to someone who mainly builds bolt rifles like Ryan Breeding, Harttmann Weiss, etc. You could get an amazingly beautiful bolt for less then 10K from Hein (rifleactions.com).

Or contact Satterlee Arms. He posted pics of his action that was breathtaking. I think he said he could do a completed rifle for 9K or just an action for 4K.

This is one of the things Butch and I talked about at DSC... There's a couple reasons, but we'll just boil it down to he can't be cost effective and his opprotunity cost is basically a double... and he's what, 12-18 months lead time to deliver on a double...

Empire makes a fine rifle, for about the same money Butch was charging a couple years ago.. and they have the 500 Jeffe feeding mastered

jeffe

I think this is a pretty good deal. Came up a few days ago on GA and when I saw Searcy I thought it was a mistake because I only associate his name with DR.

http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976702943.htm

Dr. B inquired about my bolt rifles on several different forums. I fail to understand why one would ask questions on a forum about a product or person and not go to the source. But be that as it may, I'll reply. It's early and a little bit lazy about going to work this morning.
I started in this busines building bench rest and high power silouette rifles(1975). By 1979 I was taking Mausers and pre 64 Mod. 70's and shortening them, adding square bridges,custom bolt handles, etc. By 1981 I was getting $2,000.00 for a custom mauser work over.
I also took Rem. 700's and converted them to claw extractor and manual ejector systems, I did this also to the post Mod. 70's. I also took the old Ruger 77's and welded on side clips to install original Mauser bolt stops and ejectors. I also built barrelled actions for Paul Roberts when he had Rigby in England (Mid 80's). To sum it up, I started this business as a custom metal smith.
Now the reason for the price increase of the bolt rifles is because for me to do a one off bolt rifle and make a decent profit, it must be a best quality rifle. By that I mean it not only must look best, but it must feed and eject as smooth as babies butt, and be very accurate.
I'm almost always available by phone or email to answere any question one might have about my products.

quote:

Dr. B inquired about my bolt rifles on several different forums. I fail to understand why one would ask questions on a forum about a product or person and not go to the source. But be that as it may, I'll reply

Butch....two things

1. If one is looking for references the forums is a good place to do it.....But I agree.....if one merely wants product data then go to the source.

2. I wish sincerely that every mfr. of rifles would come here and post occasionally.....this lends an enormous amount of credibility to their name and product. It tells me that they care enough to come visit the customer......My hat is off to you for this.

Butch, i am glad you are here also i don't own one of your rifles YET. hope you stick around and don't let any of these cranks chase you off.jj

quote:

Originally posted by bwanajcj:
don't let any of these cranks chase you off.jj

ARE YOU SERIOUS? People are "cranks" for posting honest inquiriries or giving honest responses that were often based upon personal conversations with Butch? COME ON! The day a manufacturer of ANYTHING gets pissed off at me for asking the honest opinion of his customers is the day I shop elsewhere.

JMHO,

John

John,

I didn't see anyone pissed off in these threads.

500,

It was suggested that Dr.B simply "call Butch and ask him" and then Butch (with an obvious tone of annoyance) posts, "I fail to understand why one would ask questions on a forum about a product or person and not go to the source." Sorry Dan, this is ridiculous. As if someone is supposed to call Butch and ask "hey, are your rifles any good" and expect an unbiased opinion? I don't think so. Dr. B was asking about these rifles for the same reason people inquire about outfitters. Neither you nor I would call an outfitter and say "hey, is your area any good?" and not look for other references! Quite often we would solicit the opinions of others before even contacting the outfitter, no? Are we "cranks"? If that outfitter then came on this site and said "Hell, if you wanted to know if my concession is any good for buffalo, you should have just asked me!", he would be laughed right off the forum. Similarly, if someone asks me if I'm an asshole, I'm gonna say "no" but after this post I don't doubt that more than a few people would give a different (and possibly more objective) answer.

JMHO,

John

Welcome to the forum Butch. Hope you stick around.

If anyone wants to know how a rifle is made, or even more fundamentally, whether it is being made at all any more, why wouldn't he go to the source?

Why waste time asking those who may have no idea?

Going to the source with such questions is only logical, especially when the source is an accessible, real human being, with a sterling reputation, like Butch Searcy.

What is so "ridiculous" about that? Obviously, nothing. It is common sense.

Afterwards, check references. Preferably credible references, meaning people with actual, first hand experience with the rifle in question.

Butch, thanks for the post. Turning push feed bolt rifles into CRFs strikes me as being a hugely time and labor intensive effort. After that, anything but making double rifles must have been too easy for you!

John,

My point was that I did not see anyone mad in this thread.

quote:

Originally posted by Dr B:
Next time you see Searcy tell him to up date his Web page
DrB

Nothing wrong in asking if anyone has experience with Searcy bolts....but this post could have been answered by a phone call directly to the manufacturer to sort out the true status.

Might as well throw my two cents in, looks like someone posted asking questions to get some feed back. If everyone went to the sourse and not ask for user feedback/info, we would have a lot fewer posts. I do agree some questions are best ask at specific levels, but that can be very subjective depending how one looks at things. Quality process questions are best answered by the builder, delivered quality may be best to ask at the user level. In this case my not be very many if any.

I kinda like to ask questions at both levels and make my own deductions.

I don't think anybody put there cranky pants on or jumped on there huffy bike, but in the end looks like the info came through.

Dan,

Look closer.

Best,

John

John, I was in no way mad or upset, simply trying to let people that made comments to the effect that because I make doubles that I was possibly lacking the ability to make quality bolt rifles.
I also think that this is the perfect place to inquire as to quality or to get referances. When asked about my products as a manufacturer I can give the details of the product to the inquirer, and let him know of the quality he can expect from me, that's all. References is what sells any product. I was no way trying to answere Dr. B's question. I used his name as simply as a reference.
John, if anyone here got upset here it was you, and one only needs to read your first post.

Butch,

Yes, I was pissed and am glad you weren't. Call me crazy, but I don't think it's fair to refer to people as "cranks" when they are simply inquiring as to the perceived quality of a product. I think this is something to be expected when considering a rifle valued in the realm of compact cars.

Best Regards,

John

Actually, it was 510Wells who suggested to bulldog563 that he call Butch to get a price quote; bulldog563 concurred, adding that Butch would 'give it to you straight.'

I don't think either of those posts were addressed to Dr. B, who was asking for opionions on the utility of Butch's bolt-action rifles (as a DGR) and whether they represent a good value. He was not asking a question that Butch could objectively answer.

Why everyone got a wild hair up their ass over this is beyond me!

George

It might be this damn Egyptian wine....my apologies if I have encouraged any silly conflict here.

John

John,

It doesn't even require wine; coffee, water, beer, hell, even breathing seems to trigger imbroglios around here.

So how bad is Egyptian wine? As bad as tsikoudia?

George

BLASPHEMY! You "mainlanders" don't know good paint thinner when you drink it! Egyptian wine is historically bad (waddaya expect for $4?) but lately the companies here have been importing the grapes or even more refined "fixins" and just doing the fermentation here. I think a lot of it comes from Jordan and this stuff ain't too bad (For $8 wine).

Best,

John

Sounds like yall the first people I know to work your way up to RIPPLE

hhhmmmmmmmand I thought this was about Searcy bolt rifles.....

Dr B, I cannot speak to the complete Searcy rifle, but I did have a Paul Roberts Rigby built in 1986 on a BRNO action in 416 Rigby, and if indeed Butch did the barrelled action, island rear sight etc for Paul, I must say it was the finest bolt action DGR I have ever experienced in terms of feed, function, accuracy etc. That rifle had the Holland QD claw mounts which returned to zero every time, removing or replacing scope was a three second deal. Great rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by Butch Searcy:
John, I was in no way mad or upset, simply trying to let people that made comments to the effect that because I make doubles that I was possibly lacking the ability to make quality bolt rifles.

Butch, I think this statement is directed at me and I just wanted to clear it up. I was in no way was implying that you were lacking in ability to make a bolt rifle. Dr B also posted this same question in the African forum and the answer I gave him is below.

quote:

Originally posted by bulldog563:
Personally if I were to spend 15K on a bolt gun I would go to someone who specializes in bolt guns. I am not saying Butch isn't an excellent craftsman and is comepletely capable of turning out a bolt as fine as most if not all of the top makers, which I think he definitely is. I would just rather have someone who currently specializes on bolt rifles make my bolt rifle. I spoke with Butch about his bolt rifles and I think he said that he has only made one or two and that because his shop was set up for making DR's it would be a pain to turn out one bolt gun in the middle of a DR shop. I don't blame him.

The bolt on his site sure does look beautiful though. I am sure that if someone did get him to build a bolt rifle it would be exqusite and totally reliable. Also how can you go wrong with someone like Butch, he is honest all the way.

I think the quote above speaks for itself as to my perception of your skill building a rifle. I have a lot of respect for what you and other top rifle makers do and wouldn't want you to think otherwise.

probably just a mis-printed name, might be John the Geek. Any american that would choose to emigrate to Egypt...salaam, salaam, salaam.

Rich
not an ex-patriate, still living and holding citizenship in America.

quote:

Originally posted by JohnTheGreek:
It might be this damn Egyptian wine....my apologies if I have encouraged any silly conflict here.

John

My God! Do you really drink that stuff?? Their beer is drinkable, but their wine is likely brewed on camel-dingle-berrys!

About Searcy, there is also the possibility that it was easier to ask here than to disturb a busy man?

Besides, if everyone went stright to the source, were would this forum be?

For $4 I can tolerate Omar Khayyam as a second bottle. The Lebanese or Jordanian stuff is better at the beginning of the night. I am a BIG fan of "Stella" as a beer. Nothing like buying a case of 24 500ml bottles for $17 USD. I've been drinking "Luxor" lately though...$1.25 per 500ml can that is packing 10% alcohol! WHEW...it's a far cry from Utah's 3.2% bullshit.



Best,

John

I wonder how many inquires about the Searcy bolt rifle Butch has received due to this post. I know I have started to get interested in it. And I have already one of his Doubles on order due to AR.
ozhunter

There was a good Searcy .416 bolt gun on Gunbroker just the other day. I don't think it was up to the reserve, but was at $4-$5000.