I am really having a bad week with "custom" action makers, lol.
It took 6 months longer than promised to receive my leftie MRC 458 Lott barrel action but it finally came in and I picked it up yesterday. I decided to look it over rather closely and discovered it came with a #4 contour barrel instead of the #5 I ordered. The end of the barrel mikes out at .655 which allows only approximately .100 wall thickness.
A McMillan stock has already been ordered four months ago for a contour #5.
Is this small of a muzzle diameter safe?

How long is the barrel at the .655" muzzle diameter?

That is a bit light for the 24" length.

CZ 550 .458's and even the SIGARMS M98 Magnum (450 Dakota) barrels in .458 are about .670" at the 25" muzzle diameter.

I prefer having a minimum of .125" wall thickness in the grooves at the muzzle if I have my druthers for high pressure chamberings.

This is also the minimum I prefer for accuracy in a light weight rifle, for stiffness, let alone the possibility of bulging or splitting of the muzzle.

Your wall thickness is .0985" in the grooves at the muzzle.

If they screwed up, I would want them to replace it with the N0.5 contour, or whatever is closest to or slightly over 0.708" at the 24" muzzle diameter.

Barrel length is 24 inches. And they absolutely screwed up as they do not even offer a #4 for .45 caliber.
If they ask me to ship it back at my expense (like they did last time they screwed up my order) I am going to blow a gasket.

It's safe but its gonna be light.

I just received an email from MRC stating:

"I am working to get a call tag issued for that to be shipped back to us so that we can replace the barrel."
Thank you
Daniel Wills
dan@montanarifleman.com
406-755-4867 Phone
406-755-9449 Fax

Gasp! Could this be the start of something new??????? Good customer service from a custom gun maker?

Anyhow, hats off to them when (if) I receive the call tag and the new barreled action back at no expense to me. Forgive me for being cynical but this hasnt been a very good day, lol.

On a separate note the fit and finish of the barreled action looks better than the previous one I bought from them.

snowwolfe

- I am interested in buying this barrel for a light 45 bore rifle - it would be cut to 18 or 20 inches max for my purposes - I will PM you about this !
Thanks
KMule

Glad he's making amends. Thats way too little wall thickness for me. I for one would never feel safe shooting it with full power loads.-Rob

FOr me, that is way too muzzle light. My 404jeffery is a 23"#5 & seems just right. I would want a #6 on a 23"-24" 458.

Mine is .925 at the muzzle and is fine. Came out to just under 12 lbs. Friend says I made an "uncontoured barrel". Easy to shoot and fast recovery with full house and a pussycat if you shoot WinMags in it. S'pose that might be heavy for some people but then some people think CZ 550s are too heavy.