Mike Rock 5R barrels have an excellent reputation, and I have heard that they can be quite accurate when installed properly. From my experience, however, barrels rifled with the single-point cut method--which incidentally is the oldest form of rifling--have a tendency to be more accurate. The single point method has an added advantage of not imparting additional stresses to the barrel.
All of the steps that I noted CAN be done by the owner of the rifle--as long as the owner is also a capable machinist with the proper tooling (engine lathe, milling machines, proper cutters, surface grinders, etc.).
What can you do yourself? Depending on the rifle, a lot has already been done, especially with modern bolt actions. You'll probably have an aluminum bedding block, and a composite stock, along with a fairly nice trigger. Learn how to bed the action--it's not hard, just requires due care--and it can really enhance the accuracy of the rifle.
The money that you invest in a custom build is not only material, but the labor cost in performing the work. The parts themselves are not cheap--a McMillan stock will set you back about $400.00, without the cheekpiece installed. The barrel, with single-point cut rifling will cost about $350 for the blank ALONE-and that is what the gunsmith gets; a blank with the rifling and bore already cut. They must turn it to the desired contour, thread it, rough and finish chamber, cut the counterbore, and then time the barrel properly to the action. The Remington short action will cost about $500.00. In those costs alone, you have $1250 in the rifle.
The scope itself costs $1800.00.
The rest of the money goes into the time and expertise required to make everything just right. Lots of hand fitting, and machining down to a tolerance measured in .0001 increments.
The finish on the rifle is a reproduction of the ACU camouflage pattern. This was an option that Mr. Lau included at no cost. Considering that he had to make the pattern by hand, I think it's quite a bargain.
Yes, I could have purchased a rifle off the shelf that would shoot about one inch or a bit better at 100 yards. I have a couple, actually, that will do that. And, that would be OK for casual shooting.
But as I mentioned before, this is a duty rifle. I don't think I need to spell out the particulars or the implications of the use of a precision rifle in law enforcement. I need something that is above all things, consistent--that will place a bullet in the same place, repeatedly, in all conditions.
With this rifle, I can hole a dime at 100 yards on command, and do the same with a nickel at 200 yards with a cold bore shot. And that's what makes this rifle worth every penny that I paid for it. (And, no, I'm not rich--I saved for 6 months before ordering the rifle, and paid on it for almost 2 years!)
There are other riflesmiths that will also manufacture a good rifle for you. However (and someone else can add to the list if you know of another) only one other riflesmith that I know of flat out guarantees 1/4 minute (0.25 inch) three round groups, consistently, from their rifles. That riflesmith runs a business called Tac Ops, out of CA. He is the primary precision rifle builder for LA County Sheriff's Office, and LAPD. Mike Lau from TBA also builds for a good number of law enforcement agencies as well.
