Square Bridge aficionados can help us out here. In investment casting, mass is bad. To get consistant grain structure, more mass means more or larger gates. Gates disrupt the harmony and lines of a part.

So, the questions are: How long? How wide? How tall? What are the minimums you can live with?

Should we deliver it unmachined: no holes, no dovetails, and with the full cast height? (which would be .020 -.025 over design height) Naturally, we'll blend the bridge into the receiver with scalloped fillets.

Rod

Rod

Thanks for asking----

I'd like to see the bridges be just big enough for ME to dovetail for Melanie or Talley rings. A total width of .900 down .100 from the top of the bridge (Just like a M21 BRNO) would be perfect.

To fit the Talleys the bridge would have to be thinned slightly, the Melanie rings for BRNOs would be just a matter of cutting the dovetail and one locking recess.

Square bridges were originally designed for a flat sighting plane for open sights, but they're now a natural for scope mounts. I think the old BRNOs (small ring/small thread/double square bridges) are the best designed of all the "small" M-98 actions. A full size M-98 would take a little more material but still shouldn't be a problem.

Let me know if you'd like to see a M-21 action. I have one that I'd be happy to loan you.

No dovetails, screw holes, etc. Leave that to the gun builder. Some will be iron sighted only and nothing looks worse than holes or dovetails on the bridges of a dedicated iron sight rifle.

JBELK: A loan for a week would be exceptionally helpful, especially if it's the perfect solution. Our CAD team is particularly adept at turning reality into virtuality.

Rod Rogers
Montana Rifle Company
2593A Highway 2 East
Kalispell, MT 59901
406-755-4867

John Ricks: Message received. We could leave the extra .025 on the flats (as cast) so that sighting angle can be whatever it needs to be. I trust a bit of minor machining a Rc44-45 receiver wont be a problem?

Rod,

Regardless of the shape of bridge, I think it would be good to have a positive recoil shoulder, especially with your PH version. Thanks.

I believe the excess on the flats should take care of the recoil shoulder, one could go either way from there...You can take it off but you cannot put it back. Well, you can but it is not good to apply heat unless you have no choice...

I think everyone has about covered whats needed..

The Brno, as usual, gets the big cigar, what a perfect example of the makers art......