Spike Camp

Custom Rifles.

Custom Rifles.
« on: May 03, 2024, 04:29:56 PM »
Occasionally I see a mention of a member mentioning a rifle he had built. So, how many of us own a custom rifle? Definitions of a custom rifles runs from a stock rifle rechambered for a wildcat cartridge, to a full blown custom with no factory parts. I'll start. My first was a 10-22. I added a Butler Creek match bbl, Boyds stock and a Volquartsen trigger. #2 is a basically stock Savage 99 I had rechambered to .250 AI. #3 started off as a Rem 700 30-06. I had a local gunsmith blueprint the action, install a Douglas premium barrel chambered for a 6.5 X .280 AI. and installed it in a glass bedded 700 Rem Classic stock.  Of the 3 the 10-22 gets the most attention followed by the Savage and the 6.5. I've been very pleased with all three.

eford

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Re: Custom Rifles.
« Reply #1 on: May 03, 2024, 08:28:03 PM »
One of the best things about a custom rifle is the tightness of the chamber. Sure, great tools and the experience using them right can’t be denied as a big part of putting together parts to make a truly fine rifle. Good barrels help too.
Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.

Every man needs to know his limits.

BB340

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Re: Custom Rifles.
« Reply #2 on: May 03, 2024, 08:54:59 PM »
I have a custom-made Winchester M70a that I had my gunsmith rebarrel to 6mm-204. I necked the .204 Ruger case up to .243 cal. Handload an 80grn Remington Powerlockt projectile that does around 3100 fps. I had my gunsmith move the magazine block back so as I can have a longer cartridge length. I had a nice stock fitted and the action bedded with a floating barrel. Bolt was jeweled and I then had the barrel, action and bottom metal all Cerakoted matt black and fitted a Leupold VX Freedom 3-9x50mm.
I wanted a rifle that was more powerful than a .223 but not as noisy as a 22-250 or .243. And this wildcat fills that spot perfectly. 
Aussie gun nut.

BB340

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Re: Custom Rifles.
« Reply #3 on: May 03, 2024, 09:08:21 PM »
Another semi-custom rifle I have is a Remington 760 pump action that was originally chambered in .270, I had my smith fit a new 23" stainless barrel chambered in 9.3x62mm. Attached some open sights, a barrel band sling attachment and replaced the old wooden stock with a black plastic one. I attached a picatinny rail and had it all cerakoted matt black. On top I fitted a Leupold FXII 4x32mm in quick release mounts.
It fires a 286grn Woodliegh RNSN at 2277 fps. I have shot a couple of buffalo, a scrub bull and several pigs with it.
Aussie gun nut.

Re: Custom Rifles.
« Reply #4 on: May 03, 2024, 11:11:48 PM »
I have 9 "custom" rifles. Most are new barrels in the original caliber with a faster twist rate. 243 win 1:8 twist #3 contour with custom stock. 250 Savage 1:9 twist. 257 Roberts 1:9 twist. 257 Roberts AI 1:9 twist #3 barrel. 264 Win Mag. 26" Stainless #5 Shilen precision barrel 1:8 twist Mauser action. 270 Win 1:8 twist Tikka. 280 Rem. 1:8.5 twist 25" barrel Mauser action. 280 Rem AI 1:9 twist 25" barrel Mauser action. All with non factory stocks from B&c or Richards microfit. Finally my 7mm Rem Mag. Vanguard 2 from the Weatherby custom shop. Being in the lead free state and owning older rifles the heavier lead free bullets need faster twist rates. The 264 Win mag I always wanted a faster caliber than 6.5 Creed and with the faster twist it could handle the heavier bullets for my anticipated out of state elk hunt. Love all of them. They all get used and will stay with me till the end.

Re: Custom Rifles.
« Reply #5 on: May 04, 2024, 12:24:11 AM »
    Great thread!

    I have many custom rifles... in no short order:

    • 7x57 Mauser built on a M98 German action circa WWII
    • 250 Savage built on a M98 Yugo intermediate length action with an ER Shaw barrell
    • 240 Weatherby Mag built on a M98 1917 Erfurt action with an ER Shaw barrel
    • 35 Whelen built on a 1903 Springfield action with an existing medium contour barrel @ 22"
    • 9.3x62 Mauser built on a 1903 Springfield action with a standard milsurp barrel rebored 
    • In progress - building a 7mm RUM
I have some other rifles that may end up getting customized but that's my main list for now.
JW

I like rifles with wood stocks

Re: Custom Rifles.
« Reply #6 on: May 04, 2024, 10:15:09 AM »
Most of my rifles have some custom work done to them.

My first centerfire rifle was a .30-06 that I bought from Herter's back in 1967.  It was a barreled action and a semi-inleted walnut stock that I shaped, glass bedded, checkered with a skip line pattern, and finished.  Ten years later I had a gunsmith re-chamber it to .30 Gibbs.  That rifle put 29 elk into my freezer.

In the late '70s I bought an Interarms Mark X Mauser .25-06 barreled action and another Mark X action.  I had my gunsmith re-chamber the .25-06 to .257 Ackley and he made a tapered octogon barrel in .22-250 for the other action.  I bought Fajen semi-inleted fancy walnut stocks for them that I finished inletting, glass bedded, checkered with a 5 panel wrap around pattern, and finished.

In the early 2000s I bought a plastic stocked Rem 700 in 7 mm Rem mag.  I glass bedded that stock and lenghtened it to fit me and installed a Limbsaver pad on it.  A couple of years ago I fitted that barrel and action into a Weatherby Griptonite stock, pillar and glass bedded the action, legthened that stock to fit me, added a Houge recoil pad, then painted the stock topped with spider web.

In 2004 I bought a Rem 700 Stainless chambered in .375 RUM.  I immediately took off the factory stock and replaced it with a laminated blank from Richards that I pillar and glass bedded, checkered it with my favorite 5 panel wrap around pattern, fitted a Limbsaver pad on it, and had a KDF muzzel brake installed on it.

After wanting a Weatherby rifle for over 40 years, in 2009 I finally bought a .300 Wby Vanguard.  Again, I immediately took off the factory stock and replaced it with a AA Fancy walnut blank from Richards.  And like my .375 RUM, I pillar and glass bedded, checkered it with my favorite 5 panel wrap around pattern, fitted a Limbsaver pad on it, and had a KDF muzzel brake installed on it.  That quickly became my favorite rifle, it is now my standard elk rifle, and I have taken it on 6 international hunts.

Because I don't want take my .300 Wby with it's Fancy stock out in wet weather, last year I fitted it into a Vanguard Griptonite stock that, like my 7 mm RM, I pillar and glass bedded the action, legthened that stock to fit me, added a Houge recoil pad, then painted the stock topped with spider web.

About 5-6 years ago I bought two more Wby Vanguard rifles, one in .308 Win and the other in .223.  Both of them came in Griptonite stocks that I customized the same as I did with the Griptonite stocks for my .300 Wby and 7 mm RM.

I also have a .45 Cal percussion Kentucky rifle and a .54 Cal  percussion Hawken muzzleloading rifles that I built from kits back in the '70s.
NRA Endowment Life Member

Re: Custom Rifles.
« Reply #7 on: May 04, 2024, 11:44:04 AM »
The only custom built rifles I have are muzzleloaders I built from scratch myself years ago.
Come and take it.

Re: Custom Rifles.
« Reply #8 on: May 05, 2024, 01:17:29 PM »
I have a fair number of custom rifles.  To be fair, my father was a gunsmith and custom gunmaker, so I had a pretty available resource.  Some of these my father built for himself and I inherited, some he built for me, and some I had built by other resources.  Also, some are more "custom" than others; some are built from the ground up around an action, some others were re-barreled/re-chambered.

  • 9.3x64 Brenneke - Ruger M77 Mk II - Father
    358 STA - Remington 700 LSS - Father
    35 Whelen - Springfield 03 - Father
    30-378 Weatherby Mk V - Thompson Long Range
    7mm PRC Defiance Custom - Hill Country Rifles
    7mm Weatherby Magnum - Remington 700 - Score Hi Gunsmithing
    280 Ackley Improved - Rugger M77 Mk I - Father
    27 Nosler Defiance Custom - Hill Country Rifles
    6.5-300 Weatherby - Remington 700 - Score Hi Gunsmithing
    264 Winchester Magnum - Remington 700 - Father
    6.5-06 - Winchester Model 70 - Father
    22-250 Ackley Improved - Remington 700 - Father
    22-250 - Ruger Mk 1 - Father
    222 Remington - Remington 600 - Father
    204 Ruger - Howa 1500 - Father
    20 Tactical - Sako - Father
    17 Remington Fireball - Remington 700 - Father
    .50 Cal Hawken muzzleloader - Father

I did a lot of custom rifles in my 30s and 40s, but I've kind of slowed down on custom rifles over the past few years.  I have the vast amount of "bases covered" in North America.  I just had a 7mm PRC built this spring, which I will use this fall...pretty excited about that actually.
JK

Re: Custom Rifles.
« Reply #9 on: May 05, 2024, 04:07:30 PM »
I have a fair number of custom rifles.  To be fair, my father was a gunsmith and custom gunmaker, so I had a pretty available resource.  Some of these my father built for himself and I inherited, some he built for me, and some I had built by other resources.  Also, some are more "custom" than others; some are built from the ground up around an action, some others were re-barreled/re-chambered.

  • 9.3x64 Brenneke - Ruger M77 Mk II - Father
    358 STA - Remington 700 LSS - Father
    35 Whelen - Springfield 03 - Father
    30-378 Weatherby Mk V - Thompson Long Range
    7mm PRC Defiance Custom - Hill Country Rifles
    7mm Weatherby Magnum - Remington 700 - Score Hi Gunsmithing
    280 Ackley Improved - Rugger M77 Mk I - Father
    27 Nosler Defiance Custom - Hill Country Rifles
    6.5-300 Weatherby - Remington 700 - Score Hi Gunsmithing
    264 Winchester Magnum - Remington 700 - Father
    6.5-06 - Winchester Model 70 - Father
    22-250 Ackley Improved - Remington 700 - Father
    22-250 - Ruger Mk 1 - Father
    222 Remington - Remington 600 - Father
    204 Ruger - Howa 1500 - Father
    20 Tactical - Sako - Father
    17 Remington Fireball - Remington 700 - Father
    .50 Cal Hawken muzzleloader - Father

I did a lot of custom rifles in my 30s and 40s, but I've kind of slowed down on custom rifles over the past few years.  I have the vast amount of "bases covered" in North America.  I just had a 7mm PRC built this spring, which I will use this fall...pretty excited about that actually.


Nice list! This list made me realize I'd left a few out too.

Additionals:

  • 22-250 L579 Sako action and Douglass barrel
  • 280 Rem 1909 Argentine Mauser 98 (recently acquired)
  • 30-06 Springfield 1903
  • 30-06 Springfield 1903-A3
  • 8x57 Mauser BRNO M98
  • 8mm-06 Mauser Gewehr
JW

I like rifles with wood stocks

eford

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Re: Custom Rifles.
« Reply #10 on: May 05, 2024, 04:11:38 PM »
This great stuff. I enjoy reading about the things others have modified or flat out dramatically changed to make an old clunker into a new hot rod, of sorts.
Stocks, triggers and barrels seem to be the components that make the biggest changes although great optics are a big item too.
Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.

Every man needs to know his limits.

Re: Custom Rifles.
« Reply #11 on: May 05, 2024, 08:02:15 PM »
I have a couple of Mauser 98 actions that are going to grow up and be something…I’m just not sure exactly what that will be. Both of them are FN actions; one with the 3-position safety has a magnum bolt face, the other has a standard bolt face.
JK

txaggie

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Re: Custom Rifles.
« Reply #12 on: May 06, 2024, 06:33:38 AM »
I'm pretty lame compared to all this stuff, mostly stock rifles in my band of arsenals. Couple of AR's I had made, but i've tried to off them so I don't mention them much.

I had a ruger 1 that i sent to get re-barreled at pac-nor to a 6.5-300 wby the gun was sent back and we were about to stick the stock back on it and noticed the ejector notch hadn't been taken out on the barrel so it was sent back to be cut. It was in their possession when the factory burned down. They handled it very well and professional all the way and I was compensated for it. Still have the custom stocks that were on the rifle when i bought it setting in the closet. I've never ventured back to redo this project.

I purchased a perfectly fine 300 weatherby accumark left handed rifle many of you've seen or heard me talk about it over the years. It was rebarreled to a 7mm STW with 1.8 twist. Shoots 195 bergers lights out all day - 30" Bartlien barrel 3 contour, it's a toad of a load to carry but man it shoots!

PARA45

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Re: Custom Rifles.
« Reply #13 on: May 06, 2024, 07:19:19 AM »
I have a Rem model 700 that started as a 7mm Rem Mag.  A good friend who is a gunsmith, used the action to build me a 7mm STW, with a Schneider barrel and fitted and glass bedded a Boyd laminated stock.  I also have a Springfield Armory M1A that Gunny Hook build for me.  Added a Douglas Premium air gauge barrel, tuned everything to CMP standards, and glass bedded the stock.  I also have another M1A Super Match made by Springfield Armory.  I have two double stack Para Ordnance 1911s customized by Gun Doc (I don't believe they are in business anymore) with Ed Brown and Wilson parts, both are 40 S&W.  I also have another Para Ordnance 1911 in 45 ACP customized with Ed Brown parts, unfortunately I can't remember who did the work. 
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