On the Montana price page that just came under the column "Coming Soon" there is a "Mini Action In Right Hand" "Expected Production Date" Late 2003"

I believe it will be along the lines of the mini mauser, ie scaled for the .223, 7.62X39, and I believe the 22-250.

That reminds me that I was wondering if MRC might consider selling the action as a pistol action, because it would be a dandy for building single shot and repeater pistols on.

I recieved an email from Montana Rifle company yesterday saying that it would be several months on the cad program before they even had a design on a mini.

[ 02-21-2003, 07:15: Message edited by: elim ]

In that case what do we want? A small ring action for say .375 case head diameters, something to fit the wide WSSM's or something else.

I think you will be looking for an action that will do:

.17 Rem
22 Hornet
222 Rem
222 Rem Mag
223 Rem
6X45
6X47

or any wildcats based on those cases, and accept nothing larger.

Start making it bigger you don't really have a mini action anymore, that competes with the Sako A-I, and Zastava mini-mauser actions.

Cheers

pete

If I remember correctly, when someone asked Rod about the .223 or .243 WSSM in the Short Action, he told them to wait for the Mini Action.

If you buy just the action, and it was never a rifle, it can be legally used as a handgun. No problem!

The action would be truely small if it was used for the 223 family of brass (See Cooper Model 21), but if it was made for the WSSM family, it would need to be much larger.

I suggested a while back that it should follow the lines of the Rampo Small Action action that would fit into a Remington Model 7 / XP100 stock. The availability of aftermarket stocks is a big issue with custom receivers. If stocks, both new and used, are available it opens up a bunch more possibilities

On another topic here Rod @ MRC called the mini action the WSSM program! So that must set the ring diameter.

I am interested in the WSSM's but have to get thru this year first with the short actions. For what my choice is worth I have no interest in a "PH" action.

The shot show told us to concentrate on the WSSM. This one is relatively easy, being just a .500 section whacked out of the M1999 SA.

That said, we have a CZ527 in house for review and analysis. Before you go to CAD you have to have design goals. The skinny mini is a good year away. The WSSM? Depends on how things shake out over the next few weeks.

Rod

Rod does that mean that a mini for 223 is a year away?

Elim: Unfortunately, this is probably so. Investment casting allows us to deliver good product at great prices, but quick it ain't. Since we've done no CAD work yet, and it's a complete new receiver ring and bolt design, this means a lot of cycles before we'll be ready to do a prototype. Destructive testing will be a must. It takes at least two months to get a proto through the foundry and machined. Assume a successful test at HP White. Then we have to fund the molds. And when the check is written, we're still 20-26 weeks away from production castings.

A year goes by damn fast.

For WSSM it's much easier. The receiver ring and bolt is the same as the Long Action, which has already been tested. CAD is easier too. We could probably spin up a prototype in a week. Four days for CAD and three for the 3D printer.

Don't get me wrong. We're going to do both WSSM and Skinny Mini, but even if we started them the same time, WSSM would beat the smaller action by 4-6 months.

[ 02-24-2003, 09:32: Message edited by: Rod@MRC ]

I think the WSSM's are one of the dumbest things to ever come down the pike! I've been hoping for a quality, affordable, U.S. made, Stainless Steel, scaled-down crf action for the 223 for years. I certainly hope you guys can see beyond the WSSM nonsense and make available the 223 sized action which, IMO, more devotee's of the rifled tube would choose anyway. If Congress can get their act together (yeah, right) and normalize trade with the former Yugoslavia I'll probably just pick up a mini Mark X action in stainless when imported again... I'd prefer a M1999 hint, hint!!!!

BA

... this coming from the same guy who maintain's belted cases are inherantly dangerous...

Savage99,
I am in the boat with you on the WSSM's. Some may not see the value in one, so they can keep their money in their pocket . No one has said anyone has to buy one against their will . That aside, it might produce some interesting knockoffs. Plus they should make good walk arounds. By the way, it seems that Winchester is still tweaking the case design. I wonder if they have listened to the gun writers and are reconsidering the shoulder angle/capacity issue. Anyway we shall see what they have in their minds about June or July.
Happy shootin'
Greg H

At the ShotShow, USRAC submitted the .223 WSM to SAAMI. I suspect it's done with development. They expect to ammo in "a couple of months" and RH rifles by July. LH? Sorry guys.

In the meantime, some folks visited us with compelling arguments for this action for other than the WSSM cartridges. And its just too easy to do. So we'll get the CAD done and see if the business is real. If we start...LH and RH begin simultaneously.

I have no fault with the WSSM cartridges, I just don't think they are going to do a lot that wildcatters have had for years.

A good mini action is something really needed. I have had quite a few of these, and they fill a real niche. I built a 6x45 for my young daughter when the Mini Mark X came out. With a tiger maple stock, an 18" Douglas #1 barrel and a mini-compact Burris 2-7, it weighed less than 5-1/2 pounds and easily shot 3/4" groups. It is a tremendous walk around varmint rifle and adequate for deer with a lighter premium bullet. I also had a 6x47 at the time, built on an L461, but the magazine was so restrictive that it was for all practical purposes a single shot. I recently set the barrel back and rechambered to 6x45.

The new KBI mini-mausers will supposedly be available with three bolt faces, 223, ppc, and 22-250. I have talked to their service/parts manager about this and these actually exist. The 22-250 rifles and barreled actions they plan to offer are on conventional sized short actions, but the actions only will be available with a .473 boltface. I think this would make a unique light varmint/deer rifle chambered in 6mm BR. You would hav the accuracy without the weight.

I missed getting one of these when Brownell's had a few, and it now looks like it may be a long time.

Short actions on standard sizes are simply that(short actions). Cutting a half inch out of the feed rails doesn't reduce a lot of weight and no bulk. Putting 6x45, ppc and BR cartridges in a true small action that weighs a pound less really changes the character of the gun. Stocks are no problem as long as the Mini Mark X/L46 profile is retained. While it may be a niche market, a mini action will fill an actual void that exists.

As I said, we are going to do them both. But it is simply not possible to get the .223 bolt face here first. After all the CAD is done it still MUST go through destructive testing.