How are these actions? What would one be worth today? Are they still around?

this could be an interesting post, but think you forgot the pic, but maybe I missed something

GG,
he's talking about the shilen DAmn Good Action DGA..

I have one, target solid bottom... great action.. other than my savage 99, i think it's the only push feed I own.

Mine is in 222, huge barrel, shoots in the 2's...

it's an interesting action, and i've only seen one other one.. It's more or less a model 700 with a savage extractor, and a nicer looking top than either...

400ish? for the action, add 100 for a trigger... 50-100 for a solid bottom, if youwant a target rifle... you can use rem stocks for them

jeffe

Jeffeosso hit it on the head. The DGA's were made by Shilen up until I think 1988, the date is on their website. I've seen a bunch and shot a silhouette gun that belonged to a guy that worked at Shilen. I really like the actions. All the ones that I've seen were very smooth. They are very similar to a 700 with a bolt release somewhat like a Browning A-Bolt. I also think Jeffe's price of around $500 is a pretty fair guess, it might even be a little low. You can't find a gun built on one of those actions for less than $1200-$1300 and most that I've seen are usually around $1500-$1800. I'm currently on the lookout for one of their long actions for a 300 H&H bench gun that I plan to build, but those are very hard to find. Doug has a slough of DGA's in his office there at Shilen, but I don't think he's willing to part with any of them.

I remember, the old shilen flat bottom actions, I havent seen on of them in long time. They had flat target bottom and mdl 70 like lug if I remember correctly. I think they quit making them 10 yr ago. I tried to buy one, but could not get one, they didnt make that many.

They are nice. I owned two of the short action DGA Varmint rifles with light varmint contour barrels, a .220 Swift and a 6mm Rem. Very nice Claro walnut came on these rifles, and the triggers were superb. Mine were purchased in 1977, and at that time a complete rifle was in the $750-800 range if I recall correctly. Tight shooting rifles. The Swift accounted for more vermin than any rifle I've owned since.....but, alas, I sold them a few years ago.

The DGA was an investment cast action and an action I admired. Although a bit heavy, it was attractive and looked to be ultra rigid. I ordered one in 1979 (it was about 275.00 at the time as I recall. When it arrived I fondled it for a bit then selected a Hart barrel to put on it that night. The threads were so far out of line there was a .006 gap on one side when the barrel was screwed in. On top of that, there was nearly .001 difference in thickness in the recoil lug from one side to the other. I had a mandrel turned on centers from a piece of barrel. When I slid this into the receiver I couldn't see light through the barrel! It was that bad.
I called Ed Shilen and, after some discussion, we agreed I would return the action and receive another. The new one was better but not perfect. All in all I would have to classify the DGA as a disappointment to me. This was, after all, supposed to be a precision action and was priced as such.
In essence the DGA was almost a Damn Good Action but fell just a little short IMO. Regards, Bill.

You had one of the early ones. I think they got all of that worked out later on. I was thinking that the later DGA's were milled, not investment cast, but I'm not sure.