Back again eh Larry Root ("4barexpert" / "artshaw" / "45-70shooter")?

quote:

Originally posted by MTJ:
RIP, Did you just order one or had one on order? I show 2 PRE-PAID actions left to go on the entire list. Those are SS Rigby's and the rest or either shipped or in the assembly area. I did see a bin of 9 DSRG's going into Proof testing this am and will probably ship by Thursday or Friday but I dont' see any other back orders. We now have inventory fo the DCRX, DCRG and will have inventory fo the DSRG by the end of the week. Next we are working the DSRX and will have inventory of all the PH actions.

Hi MTJ,

I ordered one of the stainless Gibbs PH actions just last Friday.
Will took the order. Very nice young man and efficient order taker by telephone.
Please tell me he got an order from a Ron Berry in Kentucky.

Montana Jeff,

I called Will again today. He has the FFL fax. He translated the code of the lettering system for action nomenclature of models, for my edification:

D = PH action
S = Stainless
R = right hand
G = Gibbs bolt face

A DSRG is what I ordered. Ready this week?

quote:

Originally posted by FOsteology:
Back again eh Larry Root ("4barexpert" / "artshaw" / "45-70shooter")?

He should just call himself "Herpes" and I'd leave him alone. For the life of me, I just can't figure out people like him. I mean fuckoff!

RIP,
Yes that's Will. Your action looks liek it should be outta here tomorrow.
Jeff

Interesting news today regarding Montana and Remington - Remington Acquires Montana Rifleman

quote:

Originally posted by MTJ:
RIP,
Yes that's Will. Your action looks liek it should be outta here tomorrow.
Jeff

Thanks, Jeff.
That is excellent service! No wonder business is booming.

Posted: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 10:00 pm
By JIM MANNThe Daily Inter Lake | 17 comments
Remington Arms Co. has acquired the Montana Rifleman, a Flathead Valley company with humble beginnings that went into rapid growth over the last few years manufacturing firearm barrels and actions.
The former owner, local gunsmith Brian Sipe, could not comment on the transaction, but the purchase was confirmed Wednesday by Ted Novin, a spokesman for Freedom Group, Remington’s holding company located in Madison, N.C.
Novin would not comment on the purchase price or future plans for the company’s new venture located off Montana 35 east of Kalispell.
The Montana Rifleman produced 143,000 rifle and pistol barrels in 2011, but last year, production exceeded 312,000 barrels with a work force of 160 to 170 people.
“We’ve more than doubled, and it shows no signs of slowing down,” Sipe said in an interview with the Inter Lake last November.
Sipe started making custom guns more than 20 years ago in an old dairy barn off Whitefish Stage Road, but he ventured into action manufacturing in 1999 and by 2008 the company’s focus shifted from custom guns to barrel production.
Remington, founded in 1816 in upstate New York, is one of the nation’s oldest continuously operating manufacturers, according to its website.
The company calls itself one of the largest domestic producers of shotguns and rifles; its most recent website update lists annual revenues of nearly $400 million.
Sipe continues to own the rapidly growing Montana Firearms Group, a business adjacent to the Montana Rifleman that focuses on making a line of production hunting rifles.
Last year, the company manufactured about 1,200 rifles and the goal this year is 3,000 rifles, said Jeff Sipe, director of sales and marketing.
Jeff Sipe largely attributes the growth to accolades the company has received.
Field and Stream magazine previously recognized the company’s American Standard Rifle as the country’s “Best of the Best” new rifle on the market, outdoing firearms giants such as Remington, Ruger and Winchester.
Earlier this year, Field and Stream selected the company’s American Vantage Rifle as one of the five best to debut at the annual SHOT Show firearms convention.
“It’s just been nice to see the acknowledgment of our work,” Sipe said. “I think people in the industry are starting to see the quality.”
Anticipating continued growth, the Montana Firearms Group is building a new manufacturing facility at the Montana 35 location that will be about 10,000 square feet, or about double the size of the current building, Sipe said.
The building will house about $1 million in new equipment and enable the company to meet consumer demand.
“We had to gear up to be able to feed those sales,” said Sipe, adding that the company will occupy the new building at the end of April.
The company’s work force has grown from about 10 people last year to a current roster of 22, and Sipe anticipates there will be at least 30 workers by the middle of this year.
Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by email at jmann@dailyinterlake.com.

quote:

Originally posted by ninersfan:
Interesting news today regarding Montana and Remington - Remington Acquires Montana Rifleman

+1

The AP report was a little inaccurate. They did purchase Rifleman which was our barrel manufacturing facilty but not Montana Firearms Grou ( dba Montana Rifle Company). And Rifleman does not make actions, only barrels.

OK, glad we got that sorted out.
Remington bought the barrelwerkes of Montana Rifleman.
The rifle building and action making operation has not changed hands.
The latter is "Montana Firearms Group" dba "Montana Rifle Company."
So it is still MRC to me:

www.montanarifleco.com

Please, Let us keep things as they are right now.

quote:

Originally posted by D R Hunter:
Please, Let us keep things as they are right now.

Yes, it seems to be working well.
I already have a tracking number on the PH action I ordered 1 week ago.

Yes they have overcome huge problems
including me pestering them to start the PH and make changes,
with 1200 guns done last year is super feat.. the place that made the
brand A, we all love or hate, that is now gone, made only a
fraction of that in all the years it was in business.
Of the original PH buy in order I got 1st Gibbs one and it appears the
last Gibbs one in that buy in order, which shipped today to my ffl.
And the barrel company expanding to over 1000 a day,
not being in huge big city factory setting, is amazing. Ed.

Here's my Montana PH, all done.
Couldn't fault Jeff and Will at Montana, I bought a CM action and stock from them for a 585 Nyati build.

quote:

Originally posted by D R Hunter:

What's that big "holey" thing on the front?[/QUOTE]

Vais Brake.

That is a good sensible looking gun to me. Jim Kent wasn't it?

Can you divulge the completed cost of the gun?

quote:

Originally posted by MTJ:
The AP report was a little inaccurate. They did purchase Rifleman which was our barrel manufacturing facilty but not Montana Firearms Grou ( dba Montana Rifle Company). And Rifleman does not make actions, only barrels.

I loved your Dad's barrels. I have owned every brand out there. My 375 barrel action I got from you was a 1/2 moa set up to 400 yards and cleaned with 2 patches.It was the best of the best. My 505 is as accurate as any Hunting rig I have. (I only had the balls to benchrest it once with max loads. (Clay targets at 200 yards were easy) Did your dad retire? One of the things I liked about both companys is that yall were always avaible by phone, or would get back shortly if not avaible at the time of the call. Good luck to both of you.

JD

H&H_Mad,
I was jesting with you.

So who is building rifles on the MRC PH action?

I have a SS and want eventually to have a 600OK with SS barrel and grey laminate stock built on it.

Thanks and stay well

Here's one built by Lon Paul on a MRC PH action in .505 Gibbs:

That's a real beauty!

Here is the DSRG M1999 PH, arrived within 2 weeks of order from MRC.



The walnut stock available from MRC, the action is too big to fit the CZ Kevlar stock.
Maybe stainless and walnut will look sharp:



The front receiver diameter is about 1.505" and the threads look like about 1.250"x16tpi,
correction per Ed Hubel: 1.2"x16tpi
Barrel shank diameter is going to have to be bigger than 1.250": 1.4-1.5"?



The bolt diameter is about 0.805" and the extractor does fit the .408 Chey-Tac case nicely:





Inside box length is about 4.070", and it it easily fits and feeds cartridges up to 3.980" COL,
feeds the flatnose solid too:







Action screw spacing is about 8.250".
Trigger is excellent, a crisp, no-creep 48-ounce pull weight, 3.0 pounds.
Action weight on my scales was 3 pounds and 14 ounces.

This action looks great.

Hi MTJ,
13 days from order by telephone to delivery by UPS is outstanding.
What is the specification for the barrel threads on the PH action?

Thread is 1.2" x 16.

Nice pictures. They do look great,
feeds my 585 like aGibbs case. Ed

Thanks Ed.
So 1.2"x16tpi.
Minor diameter of the barrel threads is 1.125" by my caliper in the action.
Will look it up to confirm, unless sumbuddy already know?

The efficient Will at MRC took my order for a walnut PH stock and emailed a pdf of action and barrel specs.

PH barrel diameter at chamber end is 1.326"
and the cylindrical knoxform may be 3.0" to 4.0" long depending on the PH contour chosen, various sporter and target contours.

Some current official specs:

Receiver Thread: 1.1875-16 TPI UNF-2B
Bolt Diameter: .805"
Internal Magazine Length: 4.043"
Action Weight: 64oz (1.81kg)

From MRC:



From netgages.com:

"A class 2A external thread and a class 2B internal thread gives a normal fit."

So PH has a "fractional thread size" of 1 3/16-16 TPI UN-2B or "decimal thread size" 1.1875-16 TPI UN-2B internal thread,
and needs a 1.1875-16 TPI UN 2A external thread on the barrel,
but I ain't no gunsmith.
"UN" versus "UNF" for thread specification is a distinction that escapes me.

The "Go Pitch Diameter" on that 2A thread is 1.1454" and the "No Go Pitch Diameter" 1.1403",
but heck if I know what that means ...

Wikipedia, "ISO and UTS Thread Dimensions":



The "peaks" on the external (barrel) thread are pointier than on the internal (action) thread.

Is a "UNF" thread a "Finer" or a "Funner" Fitter than a "UN" thread?

I mis-spoke on the threads- We asked for 1.2"
and they set up 1 3/16" which worked out great.
I make barrel diameter at the breach on my 585HE
about 1.40" to 1.43". The diameter on the 700HE is 1.5"

My FFl got in the last one I bought from them, yesterday.
And another in few days from private party. ED

Ed,
Really snagging up the PH actions are you?
They are impressive.
Finally I have a stainless magnum action.
Tried ordering one from a custom maker once and it would have been at least 3 times the expense in money, and infinitely greater in heartburn.

MRC has indeed done a great job here.
Everybody needs at least one of these. A chicken in every pot, an MRC PH in every home.

Most impressive is how slickly the dummy cartridges feed through the no-barrel action.
Feed ramp is already slick, polished (and so is the trigger).

Getting flat nose solids to feed:
The case diameter being bigger than the bullet diameter, the more the better, gets even a 70% meplat to work.
The .408 Chey-Tac is bound to be a slick feeder in an MRC PH, for the short-bullet loads three down in the box,
though the long VLD bullets will have to be CRF-ed off the top of the box, single-shot-style.
This brass is 3.040" long and makes for an inch of bullet nose projection room to fit into a 4.043" internal box length:


I have yet to see if the modified CZ rings will stay on the rifle under "fierce" recoil.

RIP

I am calling tomorrow for two CM RUM actions, a left and right hand action for a couple of 500 MDMs..... I may have to check out one of these big ones too!!!!!

Michael

quote:

Originally posted by michael458:
RIP

I am calling tomorrow for two CM RUM actions, a left and right hand action for a couple of 500 MDMs..... I may have to check out one of these big ones too!!!!!

Michael

Hi Doc M,
One for each hand! Or are you finally building your own double rifle?

I am sure you will be pleased!
It's like a Winchester on steroids with a German accent. The MRC PH is the "Arnold Schwartzenwinchester of Actions."

Can't wait to see the bolt action double rifle made with these.

RIP

Nahhh, no double bolt guns for me I think, "two" much trouble... HEH... Pun intended...

Got a PH in Zim that is left handed, wants a 500 MDM... So looking at the Montanas for that, and read all the great things you guys have to say, Jeff seems a good sort, been in comms with him this past week, and above all... Still looks like a Winchester to me, so that is good enough, and I am tired of looking for the Win M70s in RUM too! LOL...... Good Excuse anyway..

So looks pretty good to me all the way around, so you might start seeing some B&Ms with Montana on them very soon......... And I think I will get one of these big ones too!

Michael

I have one of these stocks on order, I have been waiting a whole week now.

Will Accurate Innovations make a stock for the PH? If not is the Montana wood stock the only option?

Damm! I have been gone for only a few weeks and this thread is out of control already.

Ron: Congratulations! Glad you are as pleased as I am on this big stainless action. My project on this action is on a standstill. I ordered a stainless barrel from Lilja late last year to build another 500 AS and now we are in April and I still do not have it. The custom gun building industry is definitely booming in every aspect . Nonetheless, I will need to make a budget available to grab a couple more of these nice big actions before they are forever gone. By the way, MRC has some "budget" big bore rifles in the catalog in case no one notice.

Appreciate all others for posting pictures of your PH rifles to keep this thread going strong.

Cheers!

Mingbogo,
Thanks for keeping the pot stirred!
What barrel diameter are you using?
Dan said he uses a 1.5" blank to turn down to 1.350" shank.
Last Dan Lilja I got took about 5-1/2 months.
I did call and talk to Dan myself about 5 mos in,
and he said he was finishing it up then, 2 weeks later it arrived.

I will wait 5 months and call again on this:

Barrel: Dan Lilja stainless, fluted, No. 7 sporter contour, 1:13" twist, 6-groove, .408-groove/.400-bore,
1.350" diameter shank/knoxform is 3.5" long,
0.833" at 26" and 0.825" at 28".

MRC does not make .408-caliber barrels.
Maybe they should start, except that the barrel werkes was sold to Remington,
and the bean counters there might be averse to adding such an odd-ball caliber.

I agree, if I just wanted a .505 Gibbs, I would order one ready made from MRC and have a better rifle for less cost than the CZ by the time it was "tricked out and tuned up."

McGowen makes a stainless .408/.400, 1:13":



I have 5 of those McGowen stainless .510/.500 , 1:10" twist barrels and have not wanted for anything better.
Mine vary from No.6 sporter to a straight taper target contour that is 1" diameter at the muzzle.
They make 10", 12", 15", 20", 24" twists of this:



I will call and ask if they make them with bigger diameter than 1.200" at breech.
Since they make these to be used on 50 BMG also, surely they will make bigger diameters.

I suppose that even 1.200" is big enough for the MRC PH to use on a 500 A2, since the PH thread major diameter is 1.1825".

I am considering that for a featherweight PH: No. 4 sporter .408 Chey-Tac/400 Underkill.

quote:

Originally posted by Sid-:
Will Accurate Innovations make a stock for the PH? If not is the Montana wood stock the only option?

Sid,
I hear MPI is making a fiberglass stock for the PH.
I have sworn off those.
I would rather reinforce a walnut stock everywhich way possible than endure another MPI reconstruction.

Will at MRC said I could order any kind of stock I wanted for the PH, and MRC would supply it, as long as it was walnut.

$450 with crossbolts, $404 without crossbolts.
I am hoping for some plain walnut with good grain flow through the grip, nothing fancy is desired by me.
I "wood" prefer walnut to laminate anyway,
unless the laminate had one of those AI bedding blocks in it.
Accurate Innovations "wood" be outstanding if it ever happens.
Lessee if Doc M can make it happen when he gets those MRC actions.
I expect we might get some details on AI eventually.

I use the 1 3/16 shank size ok for my 700HE in PHs
which is bmg size case, and use breech size of
1.43 to 1.47" ..A lot of actions use 1 inch
to 1 1/1/16 shank sizez for case that are Wea,
Gibbs, 585HE size, and the bmg is about the same
amount bigger as the difference in shank sizes
from them up to the PH. Ed

RIP I keep thinking about building a 500 A2 or 500 MDM and think this would be a great action for the A2. I would like an AI stock for the chassis tho....and an ebony forend. Would be nice to have a good fiberglass option also. It may happen before to long...never know whats in the works.

As for the 500 MDM I could order the XWR in 338 RUM with B/C stock for half the price. Then have the extra coin for a barrel with integral quarter rib. Maybe get a nice wood stock later. I'm sure my wife would never notice.