Neal and I have done the following last week...



1: Dies are on order and being made for the 550 express (550 magnum 2.65") .. should be in late June



2: Reamer: drawings for the express in approval/order stage.. possibly end of june



3: I've written Woodleigh and asked them for a ".550" 700gr RN or PP, with a crimping groove 0.700" from the tip of the nose" and what number will constitute a minimum order



4: Brass:... TRYING to get Bell to make us headstamped brass. Still working on pricing and minimum orders





On my 550 express...



My bauksa barrel is on order from a 1.75"... late june? who knows. This is just a tad larger than the AB f-54 taper... Neal suggests, and I agree, that we look hard at the AB f-54 taper, adding the recoil lug/sight base washer of course. Projected weights 23", 3#9oz to 4#, depending on how you cut the sight base and recoil lug, mostly.



this can use an necg 24mm banded front sight, and a CZ rear, with a special ~1" barrel band for sling.



I'll wind up with 2 stocks for this. The first being a boyd's lam... 77 bucks, .. this will use the mauser box, and will be the proof of concept on the cheapest way to get there. The mauser box holds 2 down and BARELY closes with one in the pipe... 15 mins on a mill, it now holds 2 down, and you can easily close the bolt with a third in teh chamber. The second stock will be NICE NICE, and i have a london guns bottom metal on the way... yeah, london guns, as I found an old one just hanging around, for a good price. Wait till you see the stock... that's all I got to say about that!!



Why am I doing 2 stocks? the first one is to make the "cheapest" route to a 550 express. Rebarrel and restock a vz24, with the least mods possible, to make a true working gun. In all honesty, machining the washer into the recoil lug and sight base would be were a person would spend the most labor money on this. One could, (as Neal said) draw file it for the most part. The recoil lug is CRITICAL (thanks rob and dave.. for telling me AND letting me learn this). I estimate for $1300, one could have a 550 express made.. and save quite a bit off that for doing their own work.



The nicer stock and drop box (thanks ray for making me learn what that IS), will be what I want to carry.. and the main difference will be the type of safety, the drop box, and the quality of the stock!!!!



Just wanted to let ya know

Jeffe

<ps, should the troll post his amazing knowlege on this round, please remember, not only does he not have a 600 OK that he claims expertise in, he hasn't even HANDLED a .550 bullet>

On brass, what about Quality Cartridge?

500,
I am trying to go straight to Jim Bell and have it made there. Not trying to cut out QC, jsut trying to get value. QC can make the stamp and then charge ~4 bucks.. looking for a closer to $2.

jeffe

So QC only stamps brass but does not make it?

As I understand it, QC stamps brass in this case (no pun intended)

jeffe

Jeffe - Here's my rule #1.

Never pick a cartridge that can't be made out of an /06 case. Then you wouldn't have all these troubles.

Pecos,
I can make these out of '06.... melt two '06 down......
lol
jeffe

The brass may melt down after the first Full-House load as well. LOL.
I can hear the bells and chirping birds already.
Frank