stagpanther
New member
Funny--I've had pretty good luck with them (unlike with other suppliers), I've ordered lots of gages from them and even though they often had to be cut to order I thought they came reasonably fast.
Affordable Barreled Actions?
- Thread starter dedrevil
- Start date
stagpanther
New member
Remington rifles have never been my thing, but Brownells carries Bergara "in the white" stripped receivers as well as barreled actions. I wish Howa stripped receivers were available cause it looks like it would be a simple matter to have a "howage" style barrel nut system to swap barrels out. Instead, it seems you have to toss the dice and see if you can get the barrel off a factory made barreled action.
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I emailed these guys a few years ago about a re-barrel question I had, and of their doing the work for me. I believe I even called them once, and though I didn't contract any work from them, they were great folks to share info about their work, and what they offered. Their basic barreled action is over your noted budget, but maybe you'd like to call them and tell them of your project. If nothing else, they have a great website to surf around on. Good luck with your build!
www.nwactionworks.com
click on services. Lots there.
www.nwactionworks.com
click on services. Lots there.
I know bergara says its a remington based action, but didnt know in what way haha
It would make sense footprint is 700, scope rails are 700 compatible
Theres an old lady in my home town who is supposed to be amazing with gunsmithing stuff. Ive used her as my ffl when ordering lowers. She was telling me about cutting a barrel for a one-off cartridge for a customer
Ill probably order the barrel online, get her to cut the threads and install the barrel maybe even true the action.
Other issue is finding a barrel maker, Krieger has the barrel I want but is out of stock and to have one custom made their website says 6 months. Im doing a shooting class in 7 months, that cuts it too close for me. McGowen as the right contours available but not the twist I want, and the other half-dozen or so barrel makers either dont offer the contour or twist, or both, that I want lol
It would make sense footprint is 700, scope rails are 700 compatible
Theres an old lady in my home town who is supposed to be amazing with gunsmithing stuff. Ive used her as my ffl when ordering lowers. She was telling me about cutting a barrel for a one-off cartridge for a customer
Ill probably order the barrel online, get her to cut the threads and install the barrel maybe even true the action.
Other issue is finding a barrel maker, Krieger has the barrel I want but is out of stock and to have one custom made their website says 6 months. Im doing a shooting class in 7 months, that cuts it too close for me. McGowen as the right contours available but not the twist I want, and the other half-dozen or so barrel makers either dont offer the contour or twist, or both, that I want lol
stagpanther
New member
McGowen can't make you the twist you want? I've never had a barrel that I ordered from them where I couldn't get a twist for whatever bullet could realistically be handled by the cartridge the barrel was being chambered for. I'm guessing you are taking a long range shooting class? I'd ask your instructor what to get (which may also correspond to what they like to use and know a lot about).
I havent emailed every company, but according to their custom barrel forms/builders they dont offer it.
I did the basic long range class this past summer, Im going back to do the advanced this summer.
The barrel would have the same twist contour and length as the instructor's rifle.
308, m24 contour, 1:11.25 twist, 24" length, and really want 5R lol
The teacher was shooting a Remington Defense M24, he is ex-military, I was gonna buy one from Remington but decided I wanted to build an "inspired by" M24.
Not a direct clone, but close and having enhancements that will work better for me.
I also really like the idea of being able to order "surplus" M118LR for the class/competitions/fun-range-days, since that round and that twist rate were directly matched for each other. Also, pre-pandemic, M118LR was cheaper than match and readily available; hopefully it goes back to that before the class.
stagpanther
New member
Ah--so you want to match the specifics of a military rifle and the military ammo it shoots. I'd just rent the instructor's gun.
Again, not a 5R or 11.25" twist in the bunch but here are some M24 .30 Cal barrels ready to ship.
First you can buy an Axis (now preferred due to the Top Bolt Release) for under $300, saw one for $219.
You don't say what caliber or twist but Shilen and Criterion offer twists off the norm.
Get a Savage Pre fit (you can do a Remage as well but it all goes up_
NSS has the 308 bolt head actions - Single Shot Right Port may be sold out but you can get single shot left port (which is what I am getting) or you can go with a magazine type right port (and leave off the magazine.
All in all its a bit over $1000 the way I am going but I elected to get tghe NSS Savage Target action (gets me the Target Acut Trigger) and the left port as I shoot boht single shot and the shell cas eout the left side works bettrer for eject was well as feed)
Boyds stock (I went TH Featherweight because its the best fitting stock). I can carve the channel out for the bull barrel (have done so on a 30-06 that is great)
Get the donor actin from Sportsman fort $219, change the trigger spring and you have a pretty good trigger you can adjust to 1.5 lbs.
You don't say what caliber or twist but Shilen and Criterion offer twists off the norm.
Get a Savage Pre fit (you can do a Remage as well but it all goes up_
NSS has the 308 bolt head actions - Single Shot Right Port may be sold out but you can get single shot left port (which is what I am getting) or you can go with a magazine type right port (and leave off the magazine.
All in all its a bit over $1000 the way I am going but I elected to get tghe NSS Savage Target action (gets me the Target Acut Trigger) and the left port as I shoot boht single shot and the shell cas eout the left side works bettrer for eject was well as feed)
Boyds stock (I went TH Featherweight because its the best fitting stock). I can carve the channel out for the bull barrel (have done so on a 30-06 that is great)
Get the donor actin from Sportsman fort $219, change the trigger spring and you have a pretty good trigger you can adjust to 1.5 lbs.
dakota.potts
New member
I'm having a hard time understanding where you're wanting to go with a $1000 action when you can get another Bergara in .308 for the same price?
I used to spend a lot of time professionally turning Remington 700s into Spec M40 line rifles. I never saw a factory Remington action that didn't need significant work to bring it up to par with a custom action - full truing and lapping and a new trigger at a minimum, most of our builds used a Badger Ordnance spec recoil lug but if you're not doing that most of your recoil lugs need to be ground true. And then since you're doing all that you really ought to have the barrel cut to the action because the dimensions might not always be the same by the time you're done machining the necessary surfaces.
That said, if you want to re-barrel yours and you want to go military inspired, I'd find somebody to cut you a Schneider P5 barrel blank. They are the suppliers for the M40A3-6 for USMC and in my experience they make some laser beam accurate barrels when cut precisely to an action. The website shows they do make M24 contour barrels. I don't know about rifling rates. I seem to recall doing mostly 1:10" twist to shoot the real long, heavy bullets. I do recall Schneider also making 1:12". I don't know about 1:11.25 but it certainly could be worth asking.
http://schneiderriflebarrels.com/#contact
I used to spend a lot of time professionally turning Remington 700s into Spec M40 line rifles. I never saw a factory Remington action that didn't need significant work to bring it up to par with a custom action - full truing and lapping and a new trigger at a minimum, most of our builds used a Badger Ordnance spec recoil lug but if you're not doing that most of your recoil lugs need to be ground true. And then since you're doing all that you really ought to have the barrel cut to the action because the dimensions might not always be the same by the time you're done machining the necessary surfaces.
That said, if you want to re-barrel yours and you want to go military inspired, I'd find somebody to cut you a Schneider P5 barrel blank. They are the suppliers for the M40A3-6 for USMC and in my experience they make some laser beam accurate barrels when cut precisely to an action. The website shows they do make M24 contour barrels. I don't know about rifling rates. I seem to recall doing mostly 1:10" twist to shoot the real long, heavy bullets. I do recall Schneider also making 1:12". I don't know about 1:11.25 but it certainly could be worth asking.
http://schneiderriflebarrels.com/#contact
stagpanther
New member
They don't look ready to go to me.
Anyway--if this is to match something you experienced in the service--I get that, and hope you find want you want.I know you're just picking on me! However, any part I can have in my hand to take to my GS in days rather than months is "ready to go" in my book. Last custom rifle I built took me over a year of research and parts gathering before dropping it off at my GS, he had it assembled and back to me in under three weeks. Very anticlimactic for all my efforts.stagpanther said:
So, just an update:
I have decided to keep my Bergara B14 and re-barrel the action instead of buying a new action or donor gun. For future readers: donor guns are going to be the cheapest option, check out previous posts to see the better options. As well, the cheapest custom actions are going to be Pacific Tool or Zermatt/Big Horn, both being under the $900 mark as of this post.
As far as the barrel goes, it seems Krieger and Bartlein both produce the barrel I want either as a production or offer it on the website. However, one-offs are taking 5-10 months and won't work with my timetable. I have sent out some emails to dealers trying to find one in stock. If that fails, I'll email mfg's and see if any production runs are about to happen or what my other options are.
That's almost everything; I have the stock picked out and is readily available, the action already has a trigger tech trigger that I have a lot of time on.
I am having trouble finding the "perfect" scope, but I am being picky about that and may have to settle one thats close enough.
UPDATE:
Barrel ordered!
I have decided to keep my Bergara B14 and re-barrel the action instead of buying a new action or donor gun. For future readers: donor guns are going to be the cheapest option, check out previous posts to see the better options. As well, the cheapest custom actions are going to be Pacific Tool or Zermatt/Big Horn, both being under the $900 mark as of this post.
As far as the barrel goes, it seems Krieger and Bartlein both produce the barrel I want either as a production or offer it on the website. However, one-offs are taking 5-10 months and won't work with my timetable. I have sent out some emails to dealers trying to find one in stock. If that fails, I'll email mfg's and see if any production runs are about to happen or what my other options are.
That's almost everything; I have the stock picked out and is readily available, the action already has a trigger tech trigger that I have a lot of time on.
I am having trouble finding the "perfect" scope, but I am being picky about that and may have to settle one thats close enough.
UPDATE:
Barrel ordered!
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NSS sells the Savage target actions for under $600.
I don't know if you want to cal the them custom or not, but its a beefed up Medium action with a Target Acu Trigger.
I cold have gone with an Axis donor to get the TBR but then I have to buy a trigger for it. Cost wise I think the Savage action is a fair deal. Whit the heavy action, bull barrel, it should be as stable as the rock of Gibraltar in the 6.5 Lapua and like shooting a 22.
I don't know if you want to cal the them custom or not, but its a beefed up Medium action with a Target Acu Trigger.
I cold have gone with an Axis donor to get the TBR but then I have to buy a trigger for it. Cost wise I think the Savage action is a fair deal. Whit the heavy action, bull barrel, it should be as stable as the rock of Gibraltar in the 6.5 Lapua and like shooting a 22.
So I'm getting ready to get the barrel cut and mounted in the action.
The shop offers "accurizing" as an additional option, is it worth it?
Should I ask about truing the action?
I have the rifled barrel blank and a new bolt going into the old action, and not sure how much I should have the smith do to the action and the new parts to make sure everything works good together.
I am going to glass bed the new stock myself
The shop offers "accurizing" as an additional option, is it worth it?
Should I ask about truing the action?
I have the rifled barrel blank and a new bolt going into the old action, and not sure how much I should have the smith do to the action and the new parts to make sure everything works good together.
I am going to glass bed the new stock myself