this being my first post i'll make it simple. i am toying with the idea of building a .416 remington magnum. thought it my be good medicine any and everything.

my question is this: what is the difference in the dakota 76 safari action and the mrc 1999 ph action? i am trying to justify the extra expense for the dakota. i am really looking for design and/or functionality differences if any. what would you reccomend? why?

jason

Jason,
Welcome to the forums.

The MRC PH is not avialable yet, nor will it be for at least a year...

If you are dead set on the remington, the BEST choice is a winchester 416 rem, restocked. best from a cost perspective.

The 416 rem, or taylor, will work on a MRC long action, no sweat, though....

If you are are just looking for a 416, consider the 416 rigby, on a cz 550 express... it's 650$ complete, and shoots very very well. That more than offsets the cost of the brass.

jeffe

From reports of folks who own them, the MRC will require additional work, such as finishing into a custom rifle.

The Dakota action is just about ready to bolt a barrel onto and drop into a stock.

George

quote:

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Originally posted by GeorgeS:
From reports of folks who own them, the MRC will require additional work, such as finishing into a custom rifle.

The Dakota action is just about ready to bolt a barrel onto and drop into a stock.

George

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So true. Yet, without wanting to enter into a discussion about the merits of action A vs action B, if there are budgetary constraints in a project like this, let me point out that a Dakota M76 action currently retails for $1850 and upwards, whereas the M1999 AFTER the application of the Serengeti treatment (polishing, trueing etc etc - see here) can be had for $800.

The M1999 was always targeted at the lower end of the action market, and although it can be used as is from the factory, it was meant to form the basis for the completion into an affordable custom rifle - with whatever action improvements the smith saw fit.

Btw, the long M1999 is all you'll need for a .416 Rem, no need to wait for an MRC PH to appear. That is the beauty of the .416 Rem (.416 Hoffman and other .375 H&H based cartridges) as opposed to the Rigby based cases - nice as they are.

- mike

If you want to get there with minimal expense get the MRC. It is rifle-ready from the factory; the extras people do are more cosmetic than necessary for function. 250 Rounds of full-house 416s will polish everything that needs it including your big bore skills. Beyond that, pride of ownership is what you pay for and that is a perfectly legimate desire. The only question is how much pride can you afford?
I would add that you can pump enough money into an MRC to make it smoke a Dakota but when you go to sell it in the used gun market, it will still price out as a used MRC. Not much way around that.

The CZ has the self-locking extractor like a true Mauser. Dakota's finest does not.

Nobody has improved the true Mauser design. Am I wrong?

thanks you everyone for your replies. price is not a concern if i am getting what i pay for. i am wondering if there are any design differences in the two actions? i realize the mrc needs to be finished by a smith but beyond that how is it different than the dakota? or should i say how is the dakota $1000 better?

thanks,
jason

I think the difference is more in terms of the manufacturing process than in terms of features and functionality. Yes, a lot of design parameters are different, but either action can be turned into a very nice and practical big game rifle. It really comes down to a matter of personal preference which one you choose.
- mike

thanks that is what i was looking for.

Hi Jason, welcome to the forums. I agree with jeffeosso. However, I have had a run of bad luck with M70 Safaris lately.Poor quality barrels, a 458 with the barrel rifling done by a crackhead with a file and a 416 Rem with one locking lug on the bolt floating in space. If you just want a 416, the CZ 416 Rigby with a Brockman laminated stock is a great rig. Stick some Talleys on it and you are good to go.

I am in the process of making a 416 Rem. out of a CZ 375. The inner sides of the receiver have to be ground down to take out the hump that CZ leaves there for the .375 and a little grinding down of the ramp to get it to feed, but it will hold 5 Rem's. compared to 3 Rigby's.

A new barrel from Douglas, sights, and getting it blued will make it about $1300, using the CZ stock.

thanks guys. here is what i have come up with so far:
416 remingotn magnum
dakota 76 safari action-capacity 4down and 1 up
#6 contour straight taper lightwieght target shilen barrel-fluted, target crowned, 25"
high tech specialties or mpi stock
all metal parts teflon coated
scope- kahles 1-4 or leupold 1.5-5

i am thinking this will put the rifle about 10.5lbs

any thoughts would be appreciated......

Honestly, I have nothing against either the Dakota 76 or MRC1999, both are based on the Winchester Model 70 and there is no denying that.

As someone else has pointed out, neither functions exactly as true Mauser 98, that having true controlled round feeding from the magazine throughout the cycle back to extraction and pick-up again.

I think the Dakota is a bit overpriced for its features and I would probably select a true Mauser 98 action built by an Italian firm and imported through the Global Trading Company to Legacy Sports here in the states.

Wayne Van Zwoll has written extensively about these actions and has only great things to say about them. They are built as square bridge with 3 position safety and come in standard length magnum, long magnum and special Big-five Model 98 (Obendorf style) for cartridges the size of Rigby, Gibbs, 12.5x70 Schuler (500 Jeffery), etc. The Obendorf is expensive, but very impressive.

product/index.htm

Take Care,
rossi

My Gunsmith has just about finished my 416 Rem, waiting on the scope mout/rear sight from Brockman. It is a lefthanded Model 1999 action, MacMillan stock, 23" #5 Kreiger barrel, a removeable Vais brake, and it weighs an even 9 lbs. I haven't shot it yet but he has and it goes bang and is well balanced. The action didn't need much work to true or smooth it, it's the third one he's done and was the best so far. I wish I could give you a bit more first hand experience but I'll have to wait for another couple of weeks. From everything I've seen the 1999 is a good choice, especially for left handers.

I own a 416 Rem Mag and the 400 gr bullet goes 2450 fps and it can kill any animal in the world. Thats what I like about it.

I built my 416 rem on an enfield action using a douglas barrel and it has never let me down..
I use it as the back up to my 375 H&H when I hunt deer and elk and the back up to the 510 wells or 460 weatherby when I hunt big stuff

If all else was equal I would rather have a Dakota than any Mauser because of the Model 70 receiver design.

But if you were getting the Dakota and a few extra dollars were available I think I would look to their longer action and go for the 416 Rigby, just because it is a nicer thing and you never know you might want to turn it into a nice wood rifle one day.

Mike

You might want to rethink using an MPI stock unless it is the A-Square Hannibal model. I have had bad luck with them, from poor craftsmenship to stocks cracking and warping. They also require alot of work to finish and if they finish it for you it is over priced. I have had decent luck with the Hannibal stock, since they are the only ones that make it. I would suggest looking at McMillans also.