I am quite taken by the lines and bolt configuration of the Heym Express, but assume there are much better values out there.

Here is my Mauser M03 with the 404 barrel installed:


By coachsells at 2010-07-01

Here it is broken down with the 8x68s barrel and 2 QD scope mounts:


By coachsells at 2010-07-01

Accurate rifles with the ability to change calibers and store easy. I like them!

Ralf Martini, Duane Wiebe, just to name 2

Duane Wiebe...hubba hubba... the guns that is...

The man stated better value then the Heym so less then 10k

quote:

Originally posted by fla3006:
Ralf Martini, Duane Wiebe, just to name 2

Those would be my two first choices and a smith that has worked for Ralf for a few years also had words of high praise for Reto Buehler, who is from Switzerland, worked here in Canada and is now in the western US...Oregon, maybe?

If, I were younger and did not have so many rifles now, I would have rifles, including a .404J by each of these gentlemen and can highly recommend both Duane and Ralf from dealings with them as men of the finest personal characteristics and a level of talent exceeded by none and approached by few.

I had a CZ for a couple years. I only sold it because there was too much overlap with my 416 Rigby. Fine rifle, and less than a third of the Heym.

Rich

What is your budget?

If you are considering a custom rifle, Mike Cuypers at www.bijoucreek.com made this one for me:

.404 Jeffery build by Bijou Creek

I am most happy with it and Mike's fees are quite reasonable. I think you'll find his prices competitive with semi-custom CZ's and Heym's.

Another option is finding a donor Winchester 70 Classic in one of the RUM calibers and putting on a .404J barrel, some good express sights and a barrel band swivel.

AHR

Here are my 404 Jeffery rifles. . .
Mauser M 03


Two Tip Burns made custom 404 Jeffery Rifles ( a Left and right Handed) on a Montana 1999 Long actions.


I really like the custom rifles. If I had it to do all over, it would just be Mauser M 03 and several barrels. No waiting, no worries about performance, just plug and play!

No flies on this and reasonalby priced. I believe it is Wiebe that is offering nice bottom metal for the CZ actions now. I am about to send a CZ 458 Lott to AHR in the next 6 months for the stock upgrade. Already at the stage two upgrade. If the CZ is fine tuned, it makes a slick DG offering.
BTW; Nice looking shooting iron!
EZ

quote:

Originally posted by tradewinds:
AHR

A very nice 404 for sale in the used gun section of Hendershot's Sporting Goods. It is an iron sight set up but very serviceable for about 1/3 the cost of a Heym.

quote:

Express_Rifles: The man stated better value then the Heym so less then 10k

Still better value, even if they cost more.

Value and Price are very different standards. An original Westley Richards in like-new condition at $5,000 would be a tremendous value, even though it is 8 times as expensive as a Remington BDL.

the above, and Tipp Burns

quote:

Originally posted by LJS:
A very nice 404 for sale in the used gun section of Hendershot's Sporting Goods. It is an iron sight set up but very serviceable for about 1/3 the cost of a Heym.

The one Lance has does look nice and the price does not seem out of line at all. Looks like a good working rifle.

I was thinking that a nice classic British-style express bolt gun might be much more affordable (like under $3K?) than a basic double rifle, but I appear to be wrong.
By the way, Buehler is right here in the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon, but his (lovely) rifles start at $9,500 in magnum calibers.

http://www.customsportingarms.com/index.html


Rich: I've had the CZs in .375 and .416 Rigby; nice guns for the money, but they need the AHR treatment.

Saw a CZ550 Safari Classic on Guns International. One of the custom shop guns not rack grade.

CZ 550 .404J

The Heym Express bolt rifle is a very nice gun.

There's a lot of space between, say, David Miller and a new FN Win M70. Much of that space is occuipied by really excellent bolt guns.

Your dime, your call. Is a true custom Miller forty times more gun than the FN?

I'm happy with my CZ Safari classic in 404 Jeff. Beautiful wood,very accurate and easy to shoot. I see there is a new one at Cabelas Buda priced right for a new rifle.....

Mehul, that's gonna be nice.

I'll throw my vote in for AHR. Really like mine!

Mehul: That's going to be just bloody lovely when finished. Please do post more photos. Really like the long, straight drop on the bolt handle. Stock is gorgeous.

Cliff: Looked at that CZ at the Buda store, then noticed that Reilly .500 BPE double underlever ...
SWEET!

Forrest / Bill,

Thank you for the good words which I shall convey to my friend Joel Dorleac, who is the person who makes these guns. Yes, I shall certainly post pics of the completed rifle as soon as I have them.

Good hunting, gentlemen!

new Heym-Martini Express

http://www.martiniandhagngunmakers.com/heym.htm

Mauser, lovely gun but it is $14,500 ...

ok, i have thought it will begin by $9200...

best regards

Who does currently make, or has in the recent past made, a production bolt rifle in .404? I saw CZ mentioned. I also saw Remington and Winchester mentioned, but did they ever chamber .404?

Winchester did in 2004 for their safari line but it was a custom shop offering

It is hard to beat a Winchester for the money spent. I have 2 and they have worked flawlessly.

AHR has (had ?) a great looking .404 on its website. Solid rifles well done. From what I've seen, Buehler builds excellent ground up rifles on any reasonable action, as would be expected from most guild members.

I talked to Wayne yesterday, and the 404 is sold. I'm sure he'd build you a new one in a decent amount of time. That's the route I'd take if 1-2 years was too much.

If I were to build a 404 Jefferys and I have built a number of them. I would only use a magnum Mauser or one of the big knock offs or a Rem 30-S, its big, control feed and holds 4 down and one up...

Otherwise I would use the 416 Ruger on a std. action..

Atkinson,
Why would you prefer the magnum type over the shorter standard M98?

Everyone seems to have their own twist on assembling a rifle and the 404 comes up a lot on AR. We are hardly 404 experts but have recently assembled both a RH & a LH Legend in the 404 Jeffery. We made the magazines to our specs which holds 4 down and are shallower in depth than the factory Magazine box. The I.D. of the box is only .050 longer than the factory cartridge OAl call out. This prevents the soft nose loads from turning into wadcutter under recoil. I believe this becomes a problem with longer magazine boxes. Depending on the steel used for the box the extra I.D. length can also allow FMJ's to dent the front of the magazine in recoil in an overly long magazine such as a Magnum length Mauser unless that magazine was made for the 404, not a 416 Rigby or 375 H&H.

The boxes we made are in no way a drop in part. In fact they required more than the average amount of time to make and properly fit them to the action and make the action modifications to the rails, ramp etc to get them working as they should. It goes with out saying that a follower had to be made to match the box.

A Pre-64 would work fine although we used two G-series Mod-70's and found them to be the perfect action for this caliber in regards to length, width, etc as would any Std 98 with a similar spec magazine. Done this way you have 5 rounds in a rifle set up for that caliber. Hopefully I can get Chuck Nelson to post some pics of this box.

D'Arcy send them to my home email address and I'll post them.