What is a left hand short action MRC worth. I've always wanted a .358 Win Mannlicher stocked rifle and thought this might be a good place to start.
Being a south paw I have limited choices. I've read posts about them needing to be cleaned up etc. It won't be a DGR or need to shoot 1/2 minute groups. Just good 200 yard deer rifle. Any thoughts?
TIA
Sam

They're decent, but for the money you could buy a whole Ruger M77MkII in left hand, part out what you aren't going to use and have a whole lot left to put towards the build. Just my $.02 worth.

Ruger doesn't make a left handed short action.

The last time I looked MRC's sell for around $550, I think and I've seen bare actions sell for about $450 in classified Ads.

I built one in 6.5x284 because the short action actually is about 3.2" long it let me use all of the 284's case length.

I had the action completely trued and my gunsmith said the front ring and threads were the best he had ever seen on a production gun. He barely skim cut the front ring and it was dead flat and perpendicular to the threads and the threads were perfectly straight to the bore. The rear ring was not perfectly aligned with the front so he made a smoothing cut inside there to make the bolt travel easier.

The bolt he said was a major pain, the lugs were making 20% contact on the left and not touching at all on the right. This was one high spot because when he lapped the lugs once he got the high spot off of the left lug he immediately got to 90% contact on both lugs.

The bolt face was perpendicular to the bore and flat so he barely skim cut it. The surface of the lugs and the rails were rough as a cob but the rails were flat and straight.

I'm working up loads with it right now and the 142 grain SMK's are coming out at 2900+ with no signs of pressure yet and groups are hovering between .7" and .3" at 100 yards.

Yeah, I guess you're right... I've never actually seen a Ruger short action, but thought they existed. A quick scan of the web couldn;t turn one up though...

Remington makes one - no sure if you like Remmy actions though.

The MRC action IS nice, but is also pricey. I tend to not want to buy oneunless it's for a truely special project.

Yes, I'm a lefty too...

quote:

The MRC action IS nice, but is also pricey. I tend to not want to buy oneunless it's for a truely special project.

$500 is cheap for a custom action.....try having a '98 Mauser built.....or even a US Enfield model of 1917!!!

My experience with the MRC left-hand actions pretty much matches Frank's. I'm just finishing up stocking one in 25-284 and it was very straight/true with no locking lug problems like Frank had. They are somewhat expensive but I think they're worth it if you want a custom gun.

I was in the same boat recently when I wanted a nice 338 Win Mag ss leftie. MRC wanted 900 and change for the barreled action. Add 450 for a McMillan stock and you are up 1350.
I bought a ss leftie Ruger in 300 win mag for 590 and am selling the barrel and stock. Should bring in 100 for both. Add 290 for a Lilja barrel, 275 for my smith to install, chamber, true, and do a trigger job and then 450 for the stock. The Ruger project actually costs more but the flip side is it will carry a top of the line barrel in the contour I wanted. Add the fact I will not have to buy rings or mounts and it is a wash for price.
In short, it just depends on what you want.

quote:

$500 is cheap for a custom action.....try having a '98 Mauser built.....or even a US Enfield model of 1917!!!

I have built M98's an P14's (basically an M1917) into custom guns.

You can't really compare IMHO because a Mauser 98 action is what? $80 max for the action, plus bolt welding or forging fees ($50), milling off the hump ($40?), trigger ($40 maybe?) and the rest is just polishing and shaping of the receiver and bottom metal ($100-150?). That's $320 for what is, in my personal opinion, a better action IF you want a standard long action. Add another $150 or so if you want a swing safety, so you're now up to $470 - still cheaper than an M1999. Of course, the M1999 IS less hassle

Should come out under $500 to end up with an action in the white that's the equal of the M1999 and it'll be forged, not cast. Not to mention, along the way you can build it however you like, not ready-made to a pre-defined set of specs.

Don't get me wrong, the M1999 IS a great action that needs to be produced, but I'd argue it's use would be limited more to rarer configurations such as left handed models, short actions and longer actions like the PH series.

But hey, it's a free country and I know a pile of people will not agree with me! lol...

quote:

You can't really compare IMHO because a Mauser 98 action is what? $80 max for the action, plus bolt welding or forging fees ($50), milling off the hump ($40?), trigger ($40 maybe?) and the rest is just polishing and shaping of the receiver and bottom metal ($100-150?). That's $320 for what is, in my personal opinion, a better action IF you want a standard long action. Add another $150 or so if you want a swing safety, so you're now up to $470 - still cheaper than an M1999. Of course, the M1999 IS less hassle

Your prices on the action are a bit low if you are trying to duplicate the Montana 1999. Try an Argentine 09 with hinged bottom metal to start with at $250 and up, then add $120 for a good bolt job, Surface grinding the action will cost you $75 to $100, Timney trigger at $50, you are about right at $125 for a 2 postion safety but more like $250 for a 3 position fitted that is similar to the one on the M1999. If you go with a 98 (and you wont find many these days for $80, the bottom metal is going to cost you $300 or so. You might be able to find some Argentine hinged bottom metal it is not easy to find. Now you are at $770, add a stradle floor plate to the mix and you are just at $825. So I will join the pile that at least do not agree with your cost assessment. I am not a big fan of the Montana action, just clarifying a few things.

For those of you who believe the MRC is an expensive action, you have just had it too good for too long. Margins on building and selling guns (and actions) at the prices you get them at in the US are razor thin. USRAC has long lost money on their famed M70 - in spite of being top of the heap in marketing and brand recognition terms. But I guess that is over - for now at least.

To the people who believe they can make a military Mauser project come out cheaper than by using a modern, commercial action, in most cases I believe you are kidding yourself. Unless you can do some of the work yourself, it has been my experience, that a "cheap" military Mauser project rapidly turns into quite an expensive action - at least if you want the same features you'd expect on a modern commercial action: turned down bolt handle, single stage adjustable trigger, hinged floorplate, safety allowing low scope mounting, use of sensible scope mount bases.

I'm certainly not going to try to tell you what action you should use to build on: MRC, M70, Ruger, Mauser etc. Just don't kid yourself going into the project.

- mike

Of course, if you're not interested in anything but basic function, you can use a Turk with stock bottom metal for $80 and pick a cartridge that is no longer than 8mm Mauser to start. Have the bolt forged $30 and action drilled and tapped $40. Side-safety trigger for $60. A&B barrel and stock combo kit for $180. You have the barrel chamber finish cut and headspaced $30 and you put it all together yourself after you spray paint it flat black for $6. So for less than $450 you have a functional butt ugly rifle. I have a customer who owns literally dozens of these, most of which he doesn’t even bother changing the trigger and saves money by forging the bolt handles himself and shapes them on his bench grinder. He usually has me bead-blast them and blue them instead of painting them so that adds a few more bucks but still under $500. I myself would rather buy a nice used rifle for my $500.

quote:

Originally posted by Customstox:
Your prices on the action are a bit low if you are trying to duplicate the Montana 1999. Try an Argentine 09 with hinged bottom metal to start with at $250 and up, then add $120 for a good bolt job, Surface grinding the action will cost you $75 to $100, Timney trigger at $50, you are about right at $125 for a 2 postion safety but more like $250 for a 3 position fitted that is similar to the one on the M1999. If you go with a 98 (and you wont find many these days for $80, the bottom metal is going to cost you $300 or so. You might be able to find some Argentine hinged bottom metal it is not easy to find. Now you are at $770, add a stradle floor plate to the mix and you are just at $825. So I will join the pile that at least do not agree with your cost assessment. I am not a big fan of the Montana action, just clarifying a few things.

I have to disagree. I'm building one right now on a nice 1909 Argentine that I picked up a few months ago for $150 as a complete sporterized rifle with a sewer bore. Has the hinged bottom metal, great receiver, matching numbers, etc. If I was patient, I could get it for less

While alot of people seem to not like them, the Gentry safetys work perfectly fine when gunsmith installed, are 3 position, and are under $150. Timney Triggers are more like $39 or so, Bold is even less. Surface FILING, not grinding, will cost more like $50. Most smiths file from what I've seen - too easy to screw up or over-heat the action when grinding.

Anyhow, this ios splitting hairs. Some guys can do it cheaper than you aparently can is all

If you find many Argentines for $150 you had better grab them, that is a very rare price. A Gentry safety sells for $150 and they dont put them on for free. Timney sportsman trigger is $48.85. If I find a gunsmith (and I use the term loosely) that would file the rear hump off and expect a good fit, I would run, rather than walk away. You know little about surface grinding. If you want to bubbaize something you can do it cheap and will end up with something that exhibits the effort. If you want to compare apples to oranges you can come up with all kinds of poor examples.

Some of you missed the posters point. He is left handed.
Are these military actions mentioned left handed?
I don't think so.

My gunsmith has filed three military Mausers for me and they were all perfectly flat. If you can't file one flat then I would suggest that doesn't prove others cannot.

Is it me, or is there ALOT of tendency on this board to try to beat up on other users and tell them they are incompetent or bubba if their rifles are built using a technique than differs from your own?

As for a Gentry safety, if you buy it from Gentry, they DO install it for free The Brownells ones you have to fit yourself (or by a gunsmith).

quote:

Originally posted by Customstox:
If you find many Argentines for $150 you had better grab them, that is a very rare price. A Gentry safety sells for $150 and they dont put them on for free. Timney sportsman trigger is $48.85.

You're right about the Timney, the Bold is $37.29 though and is basically as good.

quote:

Originally posted by Ohiosam:
What is a left hand short action MRC worth. I've always wanted a .358 Win Mannlicher stocked rifle and thought this might be a good place to start.
Being a south paw I have limited choices. I've read posts about them needing to be cleaned up etc. It won't be a DGR or need to shoot 1/2 minute groups. Just good 200 yard deer rifle. Any thoughts?
TIA
Sam

Sam,
Give Rod a call at Serengetti rifles. He has several LH short actions for sale at great prices. He can also build a rifle for you if you so desire. Rod helped design the action before he left MRC and he is a great guy to do business with.

quote:

If you want to bubbaize something you can do it cheap and will end up with something that exhibits the effort.

And for the record, my current Argentine project is being built with the following parts by an experienced gunsmith. It's hardly a "bubba" or even "cheap" thank you very much. It won't be on the cover of any magazines, but it will be very respectable.

-Argentine 1909 action
-Talley bolt handle TIG welded and dressed
-Bold Trigger
-Gentry safety
-NECG bbl band
-Ruger banded front sight (hey, I like 'em!)
-Either Sako or 1970's era milled Rem 700 rear sight - undecided as yet)
-1909 bottm metal reworked in the Oberndorf style
-EAW rings and mounts
-hand inlet black walnut stock with hand cut checkering
-Fisher engraved grip cap
-Montana rifleman .35 whelen No.3 profile bbl
-Leupold VXIII 1.5-5 (probably - I have the scope, but may still go Zeiss)

quote:

Originally posted by Snowwolfe:
Some of you missed the posters point. He is left handed.
Are these military actions mentioned left handed?
I don't think so.

Good point.

As I see it, the alternatives to the MRC 1999 are:

-to build with a right handed action using a left handed stock (not for everyone. I'm left handed and have both lefty actions and righty actions with lefty stocks)
-to use a commercially made LH action from Ruger, Remington or Winchester, etc.
-to use a non-bolt action like a high-wall or Ruger No.1, etc.

Any will work and in the hands of the right gunmaker can be incredibly fine products. Depends on what you want to spend and how far you want to take it

Gentry doesn't install their safeties for free, IIRC from 2 months ago, they charge $30, which is still a bargain in my book.

quote:

Originally posted by jz:
Gentry doesn't install their safeties for free, IIRC from 2 months ago, they charge $30, which is still a bargain in my book.

I stand corrected. Not an option for me anyhow as I am in Canada, so I can't easily ship an action to him for the work In any event, the smith I work with had no problems doing it.

quote:

Originally posted by Snowwolfe:
Some of you missed the posters point. He is left handed.
Are these military actions mentioned left handed?
I don't think so.

Good post, Snowwolfe!

People get so busy pissing about their tangental point of view they forget the main points of the problem.