I'm thinking about venturing into the world of custom guns and I must say the price of the Montana 1999 is somewhat attractive. I've been doing research and seem to come across very mixed reviews. It also seems that many of those posts are a couple of years old and I know MRC has changed hands in the last year or two. I am specifically looking at buying a barreled action in 25-06 and adding a laminated stock and scope myself. I figure that I can come in at $2000 or so with a Richard's Microfit Laminated stock and a good Leupold VarX III 3.5X10 X 50. I have seen that many people seem to have a gunsmith do what I can only surmise to be assembly and they come across problems with feeding and or extractor issues. It also seems that many or these problems go back to the wrong magazine box sent or some similar easily resolved problem. Am I oversimplifying these potential problems and can I likely deal with any of these myself? I have changed out stocks and triggers on my own rifles before, and installed scopes and simple things like this, I have no experience with pulling or chambering a barrel or more complicated issues dealing with extractor measurements being off and none of the equipment required to deal with any of these problems. It would seem to me that buying a barreled action would mean that I simply need to drop it into an appropriate stock and shoot it. Am I wrong? If a gunsmith is going to need to be involved to tune an action (thus increasing the cost another $500 or so) so that it'll feed and shoot, I think I'd rather buy another Rem 700 that I already know and am comfortable with. My model 700 7mm mag will shoot 3/4 moa with reloads, and less accurate than that is not acceptable to me either. Waiting for the rifle to be sent really doesn't bother me so I don't think that apparent weakness of MRC will bother me.


So could some of you who have experience with these rifles give a little guidance. Montana 1999 Do or Don't?

I bought one of the original "charter issue" actions and had MRC put one of their lapped barrels on it, then I had Serengeti put one of their laminated stocks on it. The action is externally finished to the stock line. The bolt racesways, etc. could be polished or finished smoother, but the action works "as-is" for me. It has smoothed out with use. My brother bedded the action and the first couple inches of the barrel under the chamber.

Mine is a stainless short action in .358 Win with a 21-inch barrel. It has shot several 1/4-inch groups and every group has been under an inch - most well under an inch - with bullets from 200 gr to 250 gr.

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So could some of you who have experience with these rifles give a little guidance. Montana 1999 Do or Don't?

I built mine using the original actions....it's a .404 Jeffery.....it's a fine gun!.....I like it!

DO !!!!

Mine is awesome. 6.5X55SE with thier barrel in my design and specs.

I had mine worked over by Jim Dubell at Delta Gun Works and it prints under 1 inch at 100 and under 2 inches at 300.

I have built several. The first was a Stainless Steel Short Magnum action. I put it in a McMillian Supergrade stock with a 26" number 2 contour (featherweight) 415 stainless Kreiger barrel. I ordered the action and it arrived about 30 days later. The fit and finish required about 40 hours of polishing. It was pillar beaded and glassed into the stock. It shoots sub .5 MOA. This rifle was done under the Bryan Sipe administration.

The second rifle was a Stainless Steel Magnum Long Action (300 Win Mag). I ordered it and was promised delivery in 30-45 days. It took over 6+ months for delivery. After promises and more promises it finally arrived. I was just before cancelling the order. The telephone calls had become heated with Devin and Jeff. McMillian Varminter stock arrived 14 weeks after the original order date, 4 weeks later than promised. The 26 inch number 6 contour 10 x 3/16 fluted Kreiger barrel arrived 9 weeks after ordered, one week earilier than promised.
This rifle has a 32 port seamless muzzle brake and shoots sub. .750 MOA. As stated this action was sold and delivered under the Jeff Sipe administration.

I have built several others where the customer provided the action. In my opinion they can make a nice rifle. The quality is about what is expected for the price. The aggrevation about delivery date promises is more than just frustrating.

I get much better quality custom actions from other manufactures and delivery dates from other custom action makers are spot on. The other actions are not investment cast and are machined from solid billets of steel. The cost are slightly more but the agrevation is much less. I have been only hoping that another custom action maker would do a CNC version of a Pre64 action in bothe stainless and crome molly.

LongShot

I built my .375 Taylor on a Model 1999 action with a Shilen barrel. It turned out to be a fine shooter and easily the slickest action I own (Mausers included). I have it in a Borden Rimrock stock. It was an original charter action...

MKane160

Don't.

I have two MRC 1999 stainless actions, one built to 375 H&H, one 270 Win, both by gunsmiths, neither with a Montana barrel. No problems with the 375, except it functions somewhat rough. The 270 seemed OK until it misfired just before leaving for a hunt. Lowered my confidence level. It's being fixed with a new firing pin spring, but I doubt I'll take either rifle hunting- too many other options.

One other thing: the barrel maker, "The Montana Rifleman Inc." is a separate entity from the action maker. The barrel maker, on my last purchase from them, sent me a 7mm blank instead of the 270 I had ordered, and the error wasn't discovered until the barrel had been fitted and chambered by the gunsmith.

Anyone else? I originally came to this forum because another site said 'books' had been written about the M 1999 here, and frankly, I was hoping for quite a few real world experiences. So, anyone else?

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Originally posted by daniel77:
Anyone else? I originally came to this forum because another site said 'books' had been written about the M 1999 here, and frankly, I was hoping for quite a few real world experiences. So, anyone else?

Just do a search on here. It would be easier than re-hashing this issue. It is all here, just do the search with a couple of beers. If you cannot make up your mind after that your in trouble.

The company is different now than a year ago, but I will never regret my choice, but I did have on the the top US gunsmiths work my action over to a full custom, not just barrel and slap in a synthetic stock.

I have two 1999 Long Actions that made a pair of 404 Jeffery rifles. I couldn't be happier!

Way to go Rusty, a pair of 404's. Now you'r talking. Are they different spec or a pair as in the same. All you need now are a pair of 7x57's.

Von Gruff.

One is left handed, a gift to my Friend David Guitar. Both rifles were put together by Tip Burns of Canyon lake Texas. The stocks were made from American Black Walnut blanks. John Valicek did the stock work.

Engraving by ScrollCutter (Roger Kehr)

I have a 35 Whelen and two 458 Lott's (sold the first one-big mistake on my part) on these actions. For a lefthander the stainless actions are a dream come true.
I am in the process of having a .308 built for my wife (she is right handed) on one of there short actions. It has a ss Shilen barrel and will sit in a McMillan stock.
The only problem I had with any of them was the first Lott was sent to me with the incorrect bolt stop. Sent it back and they replaced it for free.
I did weigh the short action complete with bottom metal prior to turning it over to my smith and it weighed 45 ounces on a certified scale. Only negative thing I can say about MRC actions is they are heavy and would not make a good choice for a lightweight rifle.
The fit and finish are fine with me. I own hunting rifles, not safe queens.

I would do it. I have a long magnum in left-hand. My gunsmith said in 2005 they are very good actions. They had feeding problems back then; all now leave the factory guaranteed to feed flawlessly. I checked their website about ten days ago. Many are in stock in long, short, right, left, .473" and .534" configurations. I would absolutely NOT use a Richards Micro-shit stock. The inletting is not in line with the c/l of the stock; it is rough; it is oversized in width and it requires further inletting in the depth by your smithy. There is far, far too much wood on them. My gunsmith charged me an arm and a leg to work on mine. He told me to never bring him one again, else he'd throw it and me out the door. He recommended a MacMillan A4.

I'm actually looking forward to some wood work. I enjoy that sort of thing and the weight of laminate doesn't bother me. Are the Micro fit stocks really that bad, or just some extra time/work?

The micro-fit stocks are that bad and the customer service is worse. I have three MRC 1999 rifles and all feed flawlessly and are very accurate. They have not been reworked at all.

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The micro-fit stocks are that bad and the customer service is worse.

There's your answer. Take it from at least two who have been through the fire with Micro-shit...

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Originally posted by homebrewer:

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The micro-fit stocks are that bad and the customer service is worse.

There's your answer. Take it from at least two who have been through the fire with Micro-shit...

I no longer do business with them

Would like to add that MRC changed the follower on there actions to one made of aluminum and styled a little differently. When I ordered my wife's .308 action I ordered one to try in my Lott and think they improved the design.

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So could some of you who have experience with these rifles give a little guidance. Montana 1999 Do or Don't?

Everyone has different wants in a rifle.....

If CRF is important to you then the MRC action is a good option. If it's not.....I'd sure recommend a fine post-64 Win M-70. They are quite reliable and extremely strong and IMO are a real bargain because they're fairly inexpensive.......and have all the bells and whistles many folks like. They also work quite well!

I have this one in a 375 H&H and could not be happier. I did have to replace the follower spring because I did not like the way it was feeding, but once no problems since.

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Originally posted by Phoenixdawg:
I have this one in a 375 H&H and could not be happier. I did have to replace the follower spring because I did not like the way it was feeding, but once no problems since.

Good-ness. Wow, that's beautiful.

I want that, only in 7x57. Wow!

...and the gun's pretty damn nice, too!

MKane160

rnovi I can tell you where you can get one just like it 7x57.

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Originally posted by Phoenixdawg:
rnovi I can tell you where you can get one just like it 7x57.

Just gonna keep me in suspense, aren't you!

The Montana receiver has a C-ring breech, I like to see that in a receiver.

It also has a M-70 style trigger, IMO there is no better trigger design for a hunting rifle trigger.

The LH locking lug and raceway are angular. This seems to provide good anti bind for the bolt.

I like the fact that the safety sleeve covers the back of the LH raceway. This is the way it should be on all actions.

Interior polishing with mold stones really helps the function of these actions as with about any action.

On The two that I'm working with. I found that the face of the C-ring and face of the reciever were not paralell to each other nor where they perpendicular to the threads. I corrected that situation.

The bolt handle shape will do. considering the action is a sub 1,000 dollar action. The bolt handle could look better.

In looking at the way the bolt fits in the front of the action. Better location of the front of the bolt could have been achieved by making the bolt head just like a M-98 bolt head.
Not like an M-70 bolt head.

The M-98 bolt head actually enters the C-ring in the breech this helps locate the bolt in front and seals things up a little better.

As I understand the receiver and bolt are cast at same place Ruger gets thiers. I have not found any casting pits in the two that I'm working with, I like like that. The quality of these cast parts looks good to me, as far as castings go.

for the type of project you are looking at doing
I think a Montana would suit well.

Be sure whoever installs your barrel checks out the C-ring face and the receiver face in relation to the threads.

Stuart/AKA Timan
www.satterleearms.com

Listen to Timan, he makes extremely good actions (a little pricey for me) but he certainly knows of what talks. I would trust his opinion over many others.

Thanks to all for your replies. Very informative. My reservations are eased.