I am the proud godfather of the first .395 caliber rifle ever built. It's barrel was engraved with ".395 Tatanka" in Nashville, TN today.

It is a Dakota 76 African action with a stainless barrel, one of the last few barrels made by Harry McGowen himself.

Major auto body work still needs to be done on that @#$% #$@% MPI stock, but at least the boat-building phase of that stock work is complete.

Stuart Satterlee had 6 months notice to supply an action for this ... but now I am going to have to make him wait even longer to supply me with an action.

Congratulations! Now get us some pictures of the first groups (once the body work is sufficiently done).

I'll be handing out cigars too.

Congratulations Dr. Berry!

pictures as soon as possible, please!

Ron!
Congrats on the rifle. I've posted the .395 Tatanka reamer drawing on my loading wall. Your stock is going to be what color after the body work is completed?

Max,
The stock will be gray like the kudu, like the color my hair has turned over this.

By the time the .395 Ruger Max, is done the head hair should match the chin hair: white by the end of July ... expecting to send the .395 Ruger Max "tools" to you by then.

Gotta work out a big shipment of bullets. I expect to go bald over that.

Ron- why in the world did you use a MPI stock? They are the worst pieces of crap in the world next to a A square Hannible of course. I take that back the a-square is better. You could do better starting out with a rail road tie and a chain saw. Ever think of moding a Mcmillan? How about just Whitling one out yourself from a blank? It's not that hard,you can do it! Given all the money you've sunk in this it deserves a decent stock. I'd actually be afraid of shooting a MPI stock on anything bigger than a .22. The one I bought years ago broke on THE SECOND SHOT with a 6.5X55. -Rob

Yes Rob, I can do anything with synthetics if I can use an MPI for starters. I am an accomplished boat-builder/stock-reinforcer. The MPI was available, no wait. Nobody else wants them. I am one of the few stockers in the world capable of handling an MPI properly.

BTW, A-Square did use MPI's for their synthetics. Ever see a Coil-Check MPI? Funny as hell.

What? You can't remember the MPI Hannibal stocks?

Sounds like your RID is advancing.

Congratulations RIP!

Looking forward to seeing your results.

ps: Dave E had an MPI stock on a 470 Mbogo for years. I shot it quite a few times, and to my knowlege it held together. While MPI stocks do suck and Dave E recently swapped his out for a McMillan, I am sure with your mastery of plastic and fiberglass that it'll last at least long enough to get some load development work done.

Cheers,
Canuck

Canuck,
The MPI stock now has steel allthread crossbolts and brass pillars, with an oak block epoxy-bedded in the butt for recoil pad attachment at perfect pitch, and a lot of epoxy in the barrel channel where there used to be just foam. It is now recoil proof, but badly in need of external finishing.

Rob did at least have a constructive idea above: modify a McMillan to fit the Dakota. I was planning to do this for the Satterlee Action.

I'll probably find an importer of large quantities of GSC bullets before I find that Satterlee action.

This thread is useless without pics!!

quote:

Originally posted by Demonical:
This thread is useless without pics!!

Of course you shall have them when I have them. Ain't the internet amazing?

AWWW, give the Doc a chance. There are probably some patients who want him to complete their X-Rays first.

Picture whiners are now
As a prelude to the completed rifle pictures:



Then I will show the finished barreled action when I have it in my hands to photograph:

McGowen stainless 12" twist .395 barrel
Dakota 76 African action (four down of the .395/.416 Rigby 20-degree)
Talley rings, bases, and peep
NECG banded front patridge with hood
"Seal Paint" finish on all metal: dark gray, looks like parkerizing

Then I reckon I am going to have to show what can be done with one of those MPI stocks with major boat-building and auto body work.

I need to get a grip cap trap to store the Talley peep in the grip of the MPI stock.
Turning a sow's ear into a silk purse for the .395 Tatanka?

.395 Tatanka update:
Planning on picking up the barreled action this weekend, with Talley and NECG hardware attached, and all finished to a dark gray Parkerized appearance. Photo by Sunday hopefully.

Next, the auto body shop will give me an estimate on the MPI stock exterior finish. Right now the stock looks like a Corvette that ran into a mailbox. Totalled. Bondo and sanding can work wonders on fiberglass.

Excellent -- sounds like great progress.

How are you fixed for projectiles? Seems like you will need to be shooting soon...

Charles,
I have those .395-cal/400-grain cast bullets that were designed for paper patching up to .401 caliber for BP antiques.
Those will hopefully serve for fireforming loads and squirrel hunting.
[/QUOTE]

Excellent. I look forward to a full report in the fullness of time.

New prototype HV's are on the way for expansion testing, and the FN and SP designs are cinched.

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
New prototype HV's are on the way for expansion testing, and the FN and SP designs are cinched.

Very nice!

Suddenly i started thinking on an .395 Norma Magnum or .395 PH......

mr rigby,
You want to do something original, eh? No better way to do that than with a .395.

Here is a pic to show some ideas so far.

The .395 Ruger Max would fit in anything that a .395/.358 Norma Magnum would fit.

The .395 GSC would similarly fill the .395/8mm Remington Magnum niche.

What do you have in mind for the .395 PH?

What? Did you say the .395/404 Jeffery? Using the excellent Norma brass?

What? Are you saying that maybe you'll get Norma to add it to the PH line of ammo, featuring 340-grainers from GSC in HV, SP, and FN variety?

You could be the next Made Man in the .395 Family.

Whilst killing time, waiting on the first "Made Rifle" in the line to be photographed tomorrow:
L to R
39 Whelen: 2.500" (when full grown)
.395 Ruger Max: 2.580"
.395 GSC: 2.850"
398 Lapua Magnum: 2.724"
.395 Tatanka: 2.900" (shoulder needs fire forming to same neck and shoulder as the 398 Lapua)

quote:

The .395 GSC would similarly fill the .395/8mm Remington Magnum niche.

Is there a .395/8 Mag prototype? There seem to be some STWs on the market...

Last question for the moment. How do you like the Sako 75 300 RUM as a RUMsveld platform? Seem to be more of them around than the Model 70s.

Maybe I should sell some little guns and so forth to fund a project.

Charles,
.395/8mmRemMag: Could you doodle an "8" into a "10" on the headstamp and call it the "10mmRemMag?"

"8" becomes "18" for the 10.03mm .395 bullets.

The Manson reamer for Gerard's .395 GSC already exists, with 40-degree shoulder, the .395 H&H AI equivalent.

Sako 75's are not my style, but I won't bad mouth them.

Gerard's dummy, simply a .375 H&H necked up (ready to fireform), next to a .338WinMag and an 8x68mm:



The trio that makes it all so special:

Ten Mag. Hmmm...

I realise the ground already prepared is the easier path, of course...

"10 Mag"

8mm RM reamer with removable pilot plus the .395 Ruger Max neck and throat reamer:

The 398 Lapua Magnum is also known as the 10.03x69mm Tornado in Germany.

The .395 Tatanka is also known as the 40-07 (Forty-Ought-Seven) in the USA.

Damn! I wish I could dance as good as you two.

quote:

Originally posted by prof242:
Damn! I wish I could dance as good as you two.

Max,
See how easy it is to steal from Charles' dance repertoire? This one ought to be called the "Wild Turkey."

10 MM Jesse TW (Tiere Waffen)?

Needs work.

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:
10 MM Jesse TW (Tiere Waffen)?

How many languages there Charles? An Anglo-German-Afrikaans designation?

Is that the "10mm Jesse Beast Weapon" or the "10mm Bush Worthy Rifle"


10mm JTW = 10mm Just Turkey Wild

Designation by a committee: 10mm Wildebeest

Two languages only, but Jesse is universal now isn't it?

That would be weapon or arms for animals in the bush, in my pidgin German.

Wildebeest? Does it need an extra "e" on the end or is that too affectedly Afrikaans?

Too much effort on naming. Is it as simple as sending the Model 70 STW to someone who has the reamers you mentioned, fire-forming some brass, and getting dies made? How many necks would split going up from 8mm to .395? SWAG 340 grain at what, 2400 FPS plus?

Better brass than the RUM because of no rebate? Or no better because the Sans-a-Belt crowd dislikes belted magnums?

Edit: Of course, I left out the part where you buy and install the barrel, blue it, and re-install the sights.

Don't know about splitting necks going from 8mm to .395, but I have gone from .30 cal to .375 in stages without losing any...and with some brass, losing about 10%. Fireforming using pistol powder and cream of wheat filler seems to do an excellent job as a final stage.
And I'll just keep doing my 'funky banana.'
wit a gud looking gurl

Oops! 10mm Wildebeeste.

The .395 Ruger Max and .395 GSC and the 10mm Wildey all ought to max out around 2500 to 2700 fps for short and long loads with the 340-grainers.

2700 to 2900 fps possibly with the 398 Lapua and .395 Tatanka for short and long loads with 340-grainers, in a 26" barrel.

.338 Lapua brass goes to .458 Lapua in two steps (.338 >>> .375 >>> .458) with no losses so far for me. Anneal before necking up and after necking down, Ross says.

It's that easy, as you say Charles.
Why do I feel like a bad influence?