The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Guns, Politics, Gunsmithing & Reloading Gunsmithing How to lighten an action?Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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So when a gunsmith wants to go about lightening an action, what are the typical places they take out weight? Let's assume it's a Kimber 84 Mike Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | ||
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Take a look at these from last Fall and they may give you some ideas. Photos of my latest project John Farner If you haven't, please join the NRA! | |||
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Short of what John Farmer posted, I think it is a waste of time to try and lighten an action; too much work for what little weight can be taken away. Starting with a lighter action would be my choice. Jim Kobe 10841 Oxborough Ave So Bloomington MN 55437 952.884.6031 Professional member American Custom Gunmakers Guild | |||
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And I agree with Jim, but customers pay for such work. I tried hard to talk the guy out of it but he insisted. I'm working on another one of his rifles right now, but only fluting the barrel on this one. Maybe find a titanium model 700. John Farner If you haven't, please join the NRA! | |||
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I would agree. Unless you are talking of a military rifle where every ounce saved is an ounce more ammunition that can be carried. Especially when loading aircraft. If you look at the Enfield SMLE and No4 major machining was done to save mere fractions of an ounce. On a sporting rifle simply changing to a less dense wood for the stock will probably give the greatest weight saving. Next reducing the barrel profile rather than fluting and/or reducing the barrel length. And drilling out the butt. Most American hunting rifles have what in Europe would be considered grossly oversized stocks. They could do with being slimmed and the forestock shortened. | |||
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Not if you've already gone as light as you can everywhere else. Yes, it's expensive, but if you absolututely, positively gotta use XYZ action, then you do whatcha gotta do.  Aut vincere aut mori | |||
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You should just start with a lighter action. Howard Moses Lake, Washington USA hwhomes@outlook.com | |||
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Ok, for all those that say use a lighter action here are two scenarios. Please suggest the "lighter" alternative action. 1) A 98 mauser. 2) A Kimber 84M. | |||
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Ok Ok then how about a heavier workout regimen?  Howard Moses Lake, Washington USA hwhomes@outlook.com | |||
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The exact same argument can be made that there is no need to ever build a big bore. Or no need to ever build a varmint rifle. Or no need to ever build a shotgun. The exact same argument can be made about EVEY SINGLE custom gun out there. Guys, we are talking exclusively about CUSTOM rifles in this thread. There are some damn good reasons to spend money (client's point of view) and time (gunmaker's point of view) making actions lighter. Kinda thought the memebrs of this board were all aquainted with the whole concept of a custom rifle.  As far as how to lighten an action, you start turning, milling, drilling, filing, cutting, welding, and cursing off every little sliver of metal you can in any part of the action that can stand to lose some weight. EVERY little bit of metal dust or sliver adds up. Like so much in life, the last 5-10% of a job is what costs you the bucks. You need relatively little of the action's metal to actually have a fully functional and accurate rifle. The key is working with a gunmaker who knows and hopefully has done it before. | |||
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If folks didn't take chances, try new things and piss away money now and then we probably would not have something a peculiar as rifling to wrap all of the time, money and attention around. | |||
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