Any ideas for a custom rifle? I've always wanted one and am trying to narrow down the choices.

Requirements:

Left-Hand
Bolt Action
Stainless
Synthetic Stock

Thanks for the input!

MIBIGHNTR

The real fly-in-the-buttermilk, as far as your requirements go, is that you'd like a stainless left-hand action. I would suggest a left-hand chrome-moly action, then have it plated with Robar's NP-3 or else hard chrome. By doing so, you'll be able to use a left-hand Model 70 Classic action or else an older left-hand Remington 700 action that was built before that stupid bolt sleeve lock was forced upon us.

Other than that, I'd have someone like John Lewis build the rifle with a pillar-bedded McMillan stock, a Hart barrel, and maybe Talley scopemounts plus hex-head guard screws.

I like projects like yours. You'll have a no-nonsense, bread & butter sort of hunting rifle that you can take anywhere.

What cartridge are you going with?

AD

MIBIGHTR,

Take a look at what the Montana Rifle Co is making for actions. www.montanarifleman.com Perhaps there is something there for you. Also get more specific on the rifle size and what bullet you want to shoot. I hope I am not sorry about getting into the left handed discussion as I have not studied it. Somehow I think I read that they have SS actions and perhaps they are available in LH.

Just my opinion but I would not invest any money in a Remington action. Their problem is that they will always be a Remington.

I am thinking something in the .30/.338/.358 range. Not sure yet....

I have looked in HS-Precision and they seem to put out a good quality product at a good value. The downside, they will only do SAAMI cartridges.

Any thoughts on the HS's???

Thanks!

MIBIGHNTR

I had a rifle built last spring on a left handed stainless model 70 classic action. These actions aren't made anymore and finding used left handed actions of any color is not easy. When I located that classic stainless action I immediatly sold a horse to buy it.

That said, I agree with Allen when it comes to buying a chrome-moly action. Buy one and plate it or leave it black and throw on a stainless barrel.

My "young" rifle is pillar bedded in a synthetic stock and chambered in 300 win mag. It has already gone sheep, mule deer, white tail deer, and elk hunting. I use a 180gr Barnes XLC BT bullets for everything and this gun looks like a keeper.

I would recommend the custom route to anyone, and would also recommend, as Allen does, a no nonesense functional hunting rifle. One of these is worth more than a safe full of factory stuff and if you refrain from buying factory rifles that sit in the safe you can afford a custom outfit.

The Montana 1999 action would also fit the bill nicely. Good luck with your project, it will be great fun.

chuck

P.S. I just threw on a set of Talley's new ring/base scope ring system on this rifle and am quite impressed with the setup.

I have a left-hand M-70 Custom Sporting Sharpshooter in 7mmSTW built for the Winchester Custom Shop by H-S Precision (I have the letter).

Workmanship is flawless (at least I haven't found any flaws), and accuracy is outstanding. The test target was a three-shot group of 0.1326".

I have shot groups as small as .220" with this gun using a Leupold 4.5x-14xAO.

There are MANY great SAAMI cartridges in the calibers you mention: .308, .30-06, .300H&H,
.300WSM, .300Win. Mag., .308 Norma Mag (aka .30-.338), .300Wby., .300RUM, .300 Dakota, .338Win. Mag., .340Wby., .338RUM, .330 Dakota, .358Win.,
.35 Whelen, .358 Norma Mag., plus all the Lazzeroni cartridges in those calibers.

George

I have a LH chrome-moly short action on order from Montana Rifle. I hope to put on a 22" Douglas barrel and have it blued in a matte finish. I'd like to put it in a McMillen stock for hunting and a nice wood stock for show. Scope would be a matte finished fixed 4 or 6X so that limits me to Leupold, Weaver or Nikon, and Talley rings.
I'm leaning toward chambering it in 358 Winchester or a wildcat 338-284 or 338-308 or even the 350rem Mag.
I need a LOP of 14.5" so a nice custom stock is required.
Hope to have it up and shooting by this time next year.

[ 02-06-2003, 01:30: Message edited by: jbmi ]

MIBGHNTR

Montana Rifleman is in the process of building a stainless Left hand model. Remington has built one in the past (no bolt lock by the way). There are certainly better options than plating. Sounds like you have your ducks in a row. If you can wait, put in an order for one of these new actions or look for a Remington.

[ 02-06-2003, 14:08: Message edited by: Customstox ]

Chic, I didn't realize that Remington has built some left-hand stainless actions before the bolt sleeve lock. That's good news.

I'll agree that some of the plating materials are less-than-desireable. I've seen electroless nickle chip and flake and Teflon peel, for example. But Robar's NP-3 is in another league altogether. Combining electroless nickle and Teflon, this finish is incredibly durable and weatherproof and adds greatly to the slickness of the action. My old .300 Winchester has a chrome-moly action that was plated with NP-3 from the beginning, and that rifle has seen a lot of miles in a lot of places, both wet and dry, and over 2500 rounds of shooting. That finish just doesn't seem to wear and there's never been a spot of rust on the action.

In general, I've found chrome-moly actions to be more satisfactory than stainless. They don't have the same tendency to gall that stainless does, plus they finish-out slicker and smoother.

AD

Allen, they came out with them the same year the NRA show was in Seattle ..... Charleton Heston was elected president that year .... mid 90's. Just did a search on "Google", the year was 1998. Funny thing was that I went into the Remington booth and asked when they were going to make one. The salesman said it would be a long time if they ever did. He walked through their display and I saw one hanging up and of course I had to say in a smart ass tone, "then what is that???" He was rather embarassed and asked someone else and they said it was completed just as they got the show shipment together and included it. Seems like the salesmen should be aware of what R&D is doing. I have a client who is left handed and said when they build a left hand stainless he would have me stock it for him. I called him on my cell phone and he ordered one that day. He is also my taxidermist for my african animals, that his payback for the stock. I think I will owe him another stock when he is done.

I will look into that Robar stuff. Does it hold on sharp corners? After all that with the stainless rifle this guy had it teflon coated. The first application (gunkote) started to come off before he even took it in the field. The second was done by gunkote at their expense. It is comeing off in some places and they are doing it again.

The Robar is nickel colored then? Sounds interesting. It would be nice if they could get something that sticks well and looks good, the teflon does seem to smooth things up. I tried some spray on bake stuff and it sucked. Probably operator error but it seemed to get glossy in places. Now I get to remove all of it.

[ 02-06-2003, 22:01: Message edited by: Customstox ]

MIBIGHNTR,

I absolutely agree with others about the wisdom of buy a custom rifle. If you want a rifle that already is turn key so to speak this is the way to go. You just have to make up your mind that you are going to shoot this rifle and not become bored with it and trade it off next year. Custom rifles usually don't bring a good return in resale.

You don't need to spend $5000.00 either. You can get a pretty trick rifle for less than half that and even less if you supply some of the components.

You should call Rich Riley at High Tech Customs in Colo. Springs and he can help you figure out what you need in lefthand. He has done a lot of work for me and I can assure you that he stands behind what he does and will not BS you. You can call him at 719-667-1090.

Remember one thing regarding supplying parts. If you go to someone whose specialty is say installing barrels. Don't go buy one retail and ask him to install it. Part of his profit on his work is predicated on selling you those items. He can get it wholesale and will mark it up to what you would have paid for it and save you the shipping from the distributor and to him in the process. If we are talking about an action you have, I agree.

Chic, you say 1998? That demonstrates how far out of the loop I am on things Remington these days!

NP-3 holds up extremely well on sharp corners, and it is nickle-toned in color. For foul-weather, hard-use applications, it's the only plating type of finish to go with in my experience for actions and all other hardware. Barrels are another story, however.

I will not have barrels plated with anything except for Teflon, which I have come to dislike in terms of durability. Some of the plating finishes can get inside (even with both ends of the barrel plugged) and ruin the barrel. Electroless nickle was infamous in this regard.

All told, I like chrome-moly metal and a good blue job followed by a good rust preventative (Sheath by Birchwood Casey) best of all for general hunting. I've come full circle in this regard..........

I agree that the thing to invest in and prioritize is the skill and labor of the man who's chambering and installing the barrel. SKILLED INSTALLATION is the biggest accuracy hurdle to overcome in terms of barrel installation and thus performance, and it's the biggest part of the cost, and rightfully so. There are lots of great, wonderful barrel makes on the market these days: Kreiger, Hart, Lilja, Douglas, Pac Nor, Schneider - take you're pick, they're all good. What is really hard to find is the ultra-skilled technician who really knows how to blueprint an action and install the barrel with a high level of precision.

Here's a general trueism that's based on having a lot of synthetic-stocked custom rifles built over the years. The best, most satisfactory, highest-performing rifles I've owned (and have KEPT!) have been produced under one roof. In other words, a single creative expert performed the action work, installed the barrel, installed the scopemounts, adjusted and otherwise timed the trigger, performed the stock bedding etc., and thoroughly broke-in and tested the rifle for functional reliability and accuracy, or else supervised those who carried out specific proceedures. I say this becasue too many guys think that they can somehow piecemeal their way into a custom rifle (in other words, cut corners somehwere) and end up with a rifle that's "just as good" one that came from a single shop. In almost every case this will not prove to be true, and is an exercise in false economy.

The exception is fine wood-stocked custom rifles, where an expert metalsmith and an expert stockmaker team to produce a stunning, best-grade rifle. Collaborated efforts by guys like Milliron and Burgess or Heilman and Tucker have been absolutely incredible.

AD

Allen, that NP3 bears looking into. I prefer CM blued also, rust blued but we wont get into that. Prevention and care as you mentioned is the best components to add.

The only reason I know anything (and not much) about Remingtons is that I stocked this one and found it for him. The horror story has been him wanting to convert it to clip feed. Doing root canals without painkillers would have been less painful.

I think that you have to ask yourself-what exactly
will a custom give me that others will not? The pride of ownership is a given. I have several and as far I can tell they have not given me anymore trophies than if I was shooting a better quality factory rifle. I use both often. Reliability will
likely be better as well as fit<important>. I enjoy almost all of the rifles that I own. What I will try to save money on is to relace factory barrels with premiums, triggers,and stock if needed. I honor the true craftmanship of the builders and am glad that they are there when I need them. If I were to own only one hunting rifle
it would come from one of these gifted men.

"The dreded Remington bolt lock" Complete firing
pin assembly can be purchased from Brownells to replace the bolt lock. A little over $40 I believe.