OK, I have a springfield a303 30 06 that is wearing a sporterized stock and a bolt bent for scope clearance. I will need a new safety, need it drilled for a one piece weaver base and would like to rebarrel it to a 25 06. I might even put a new trigger in it, but that is not as necessary as the other items listed. I'd like to get this done for $350-$400 or less. Giving the parameters listed above does anyone with more experience than I do have any suggestions on where to start? I have looked at ER Shaw and it looks like I can get most of what I need done there well within my budget, but I want to know what other options are available.

Thnak you

Dave

I can do it for you for $480.15:

To Chamber/Install Barrel With Blueing: $202.50
Drill and Tap: $ 54.00
Install Mark II Safety: $ 22.50
Shilen Barrel in Contour of Your Choice: $178.25
Mark II Safety: $ 18.95
Weaver 45 Base: $ 3.95
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$480.15

This price can vary according to the details you want. I automatically chose a Shilen barrel because I have always had good results with them, and in fact I am installing one on a LH Winchester for a customer right now. The barrel installation includes blueing, but if you do not want it blued, that knocks about $50 off the price, although I recommend you have it blued. The Mark II safety is very well made and the only 2 position that I bother to install although if you prefer the Buheler-type I can do that also.
So there you go, and like I said the price can fluxuate based on your personal preferences.

If you have any further qusetions, feel free to contact me: ShopCartRacing@aol.com

-Spencer

This guy must be working for Shaw! Remember, you get what you pay for! One thing for sure though, if you do let them do it, you won't be sorry. You will sure as hell hate yourself in a month or so for wasting good hard earned cash.

See, I have heard good and bad on ER shaw-the good has come from a VERY TRUSTED and reliable source, but there is a lot of bad as well. That is why I wanted to know what other options there are out there. I hear that ER was awful until they replace a lot of their equipment and now they do good work.

Dave

Consider leaving it as .30-06 and just getting a new safety and having it drilled and tapped. With the difference (about $300-400), you could pay for most of another gun chambered in 25-06.

Besides, while you may be thinking primarily of varmints and deer with a converted .25-06, one of these days you may be wanting to venture just a few miles West into the mountains of New Mexico or Colorado to go for elk, and you'll wish you had that good ole '06 back.

Stonecreek,

I have though about that too, but I have a .270 and a 35 whelen, as well as a 308 to choose from if I go on any excursion that might include elk-size or larger game.

The .270 and 35 whelen will go for sentimental reasons-my dad's guns and the 308 is a light little winchester 88 that weighs 6 lbs which otta make an easy carry gun into the mountains chasing elk.

Dave

The big thing with gunsmithing you need to remember is that you do indeed get what you pay for.
I don't really buy into the whole 'assembly line' gunsmith process. When I do work, it is all hand fit and I do it all myself, it is real gunsmithing.
I believe gunsmithing is when you send your gun to someone who has experience and completes the entire process from start to finish.
This is besides the fact that they are using inferior materials to something that I or most other gunsmiths would use.

-Spencer

I automatically chose a Shilen barrel because I have always had good results with them

I have had more problems with Shilen barrels, especially of late, than any other barrel manufacture. From what I have heard I am not alone either. I have an e-mail from Jim Kobe telling his experience with them lately also. To make it short and sweet, it is not quite as glowering as yours is.

Another thing that bothers me is the expression, "You get what you paid for". I don't believe this is neccesarily so, especially in a hunting rifle. What is actually needed in a hunting rifle? To me a hunting rifle that shoots about 1.5 MOA is a keeper. It will always be "minute of deer or elk" at any sane range. It will also more than likely shoot better than a lot of folks who carry it can. I also will have to say every Shaw barrel I have used was a keeper, and the one on my 275 Rigby is a real tackdriver. I would also agree that if you can live with what E.R. Shaw does as far as gunsmithing, it is a real bargain. They do quality work as well as use quality parts such as Timney at a very reasonable price, and I think you do get what you pay for. You get a barrel that in most cases will shoot better than a factory tube will especially the ones turned out in todays world of factory rifles. If you want individual preferences on your project they are probably not for you.

The Springfield 1903 barreled action pictured below has always been a "minute of deer and elk rifle" even with the original military barrel, a Timney trigger, a Lyman 48 long-slide peep sight, a Lyman gold bead front site in the military base, and mounted in a cut down military stock. Matter of fact some folks with better eyes than I have could shoot about one-half inch groups at 100 yards with it.

I recently had a Talley bolt handle and PME side swing safety added to it as well as had it drilled and taped for scope mounts. Also because the barrel shank had a groove in it where the original military sight was, I had that filled and the contour of the shank rehaped a bit. Yes, I probably didn't get what I paid for doing that to the barrel but I am a bit vane also. This complete barreled action including the milled trigger guard and Lyman 48 peep sight not shown has cost me less than $500.00 total. The new bolt handle, safety, drilling and tapping and profiling the barrel shank cost about half of that amount. So, if I had spent any more than that, which I am quite sure I could have, I don't feel I would have gotten my moneys worth. Actually paying extra to have a new bolt added was really not needed, but as I said I can be a little vain also. I am also quite sure that a new Shilen or Douglas barrel wouldn't group much better, if any, than the military one on there now. Because of this I definately feel I would NOT get what I would pay for if I replaced the barrel, because there would be little change in practical accuracy knowing what this military barrel will do.

It is a known fact that a person can always find a way to spend more money on a rifle if you really want to. Whether you actually get real added value for more money can often be debated. I have no problem with spending more if you really want to, but I do have a problem with the thought I have an inferior product if I didn't choose to go that way. I also am not inferring that I think this way on a benchrest or target rifle. If I was building one of them I would without a doubt choose the best barrel that was available to shoot the smallest groups possible. However, when one is talking a hunting rifle built on an ex military action in a plain walnut sporter I don't see the need to spend for the best. Anything that will keep the shots "minute of deer, moose, elk, or Pronghorn" will work for me.

It is in my opinion that an ER Shaw barrel is indeed inferior to a Shilen.
Also, the Buhler-type 2 piece safety is definately inferior to the Mark II 1 piece safety.

Don't get me wrong, I am not bashing ER Shaw, and if this is where you want to get your work done, by all means I hope you go through with it.
It is just that if it were me, I would rather have all my work done by one person than by many people.

As for having trouble with Shilen barrels, I have not really had any in the past 20 or 30 years, but it is possible that thier quality has declined. However I am installing one on a Winchester Model 70 right now and it looks great but we will have to see how it shoots.

-Spencer

Dave,
what stock are you going to use?

If you can find a beuhler safety, those are generally about 30 bucks, but if you think about a timney with safety, well, that's 2 birds with one stone.

Shilen, Shaw, Pacnor, douglas...I've had good luck with them all... I didn't LIKE my shaw, till i polished the hell out of it and then beadblasted it...

IT&D does douglas work for within 30 bucks of shaw.. which i why i used them when i first got started...

400 bucks is going to be close, btw,

ever think about restocking, and having it converted to 300 winmag? I did that for my first mag rifle... a 95$ barreled action (with a buehler mount) in a 10" lop (i am not kidding) stock, 12 bucks for a bishop stock, 15 for a pad, and 75 for chamber/boltface, I did the feeding...

jeffe

Idared,

I would bet a weeks pay that the bolt handle on your Springfield was done by Dennis Olson. He does an absolute wonderful job installing Talley Bolt knobs. The Dakota bolt knobs are a close second, but the Talley edges them out in my book. The next time I need a custom bolt knob installed I will probably ask Jim to do a Talley.

Well grandview...I have belabored this topic on too many occasions. If you go back into the archives you will see why I dislike Shaw. PT Barnum once said, "there is a sucker born...". He was right. If you want some inferior quality, go for it. I had a problem with Shilen as mentioned in a privious response. I'll tell you what. Doug Shilen corrected the problem and told me so in a personal email. I still use his barrels, among others, and they can't be beat. I guess to put it in real terms, Using a Shaw barrel when, something better and maybe a bit more expensive is available, is akin to buying a Dodge pickup when you could have a Chevy. Aren't the front wheels falling off those things now? There are a lot of Dodge pickups on the road in Wisconsin; maybe that says something.

Jim

jeffeosso,

The gun right now wears a Fajen stock that is in good shape-I might replace it one day in the future, but right now my limited funds will go to turning it into a 25 06-always wanted a gun in this caliber. As for the 300 win mag-I have no use for a gun like that-most of my hunting is for whitetail and hogs, and if I ever elk hunt I would not hesitate to shoot the 270 or my 7x57 at a big bull elk. I kinda feel like shot placement is more important than caliber, but that is another thread.

Spencer, I have e-mailed amd pm'd you with a few ?? about a little smith work if you are interested...

Dave

Jim Kobe

Quote:

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There are a lot of Dodge pickups on the road in Wisconsin; maybe that says something.

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Jim.....if all you want is something to shoot Llamas then Shaw is just fine.

alvinmack

You are right on. Dennis put it on for me and also did everything else to it except the two holes for the Lyman 48. Strange you think Talley makes a better handle than Dakota. What are your reasons, as I was actually thinking of trying a Dakota the next time. Aren't they a little smaller?

Spencer

I don't mean to say that I think Shilen barrels are a piece of junk. Actually about seven rifles in the safe wear them right now, and there very well could be another one someday. I merely said that I have had more problems with them than any other manufacture over the years including Shaw. I also think that the best bargain with Shaw barrels is by letting them do everything. I doubt that there is a smith who will beat their price on a complete job if it entails furnishing the barrel, installing it, accurizing the action, drilling & tapping, either forging or installing a new bolt handle, installing a safety, and blueing. This doesn't mean that if your price is higher I think you are charging too much. What I am saying is I doubt putting on a Shilen barrel will make it a better hunting rifle. I would also add that the brand of parts used is often just as personal as the barrel used. I myself actually favor the Buehler style safety over the Mark II any day, but that may be just me. I will say I don't like the bolt handles Shaw use, or for that matter how they forge military ones. I would also have to say from what I have observed in the last year the work they did was very well done and nothing to be ashamed of owning. As I stated before though, I myself have never had problems with any of about a half dozen Shaw barrels I have used over the years. When I went through a wildcat craze years ago I would buy Shaw blanks because they were cheap ($50-$65) and have them installed by a favorite gunsmith. I didn't bother having the rifle blued until I shot it with the new Shaw barrel in place. They all eventually got blued. All but one, my 275 mentioned earlier, are gone now, not because they didn't shoot, but because I tired of wildcats in general. In light of this experience I cannot say that their barrels are substandard, I believe they are better than most factory barrels and about as good as some others on the market today. I myself always worry more how a barrel is installed than what brand it is.

Jim

I'm glad to hear you got things resolved with Ed and Doug on those barrels. I just reread your e-mail and at the time you wrote it such was not the case. Good to hear they still worry about their customers. And BTW, make mine a Dodge. I thought they were to pickups what Hart or Lilja are to rifle barrels.

Idared . The dakota bolt knob I got is a short ,little dinky puney thing. I bought one from brownels. Its rough cast too. Talley knob is 100 times better.

quote:

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Originally posted by Jim Kobe:
Using a Shaw barrel when, something better and maybe a bit more expensive is available, is akin to buying a Dodge pickup when you could have a Chevy.

---

That's an analogy I can live with, and not feel bad about it in the least.

Of course, to be a more precise analogy......the out-the-door price of the Dodge would have to be about half that of the Chevy.

GV

Just a thought. If your 1903A3 action is unmodified and "as issued", why not sell it and use the funds to purchase a 03A3 that has already been sporterized. You should be able to get an entire sporterized rifle for significantly less than the $450.00. I have purchased several nice sporterized 1903's in the $200 to $250 range. They have the bolt already turned and the action drilled for a scope, jeweling, commercial type stock, etc. The sale of the unmodified action should defer a majority of that cost. Shoot the rifle for a while and then decide what you want to do regarding modifications.

Hell, if it hasn't been modified and it is not otherwise screwed up, comes with a complet bolt, trigger guard, trigger and follower, I would be interested in it.