Handsome Rob

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This one hurts to post, but if I'm honest with myself, I've sat & stared at it for 2 years now. It's just too damn pretty for me to hunt with & I know I'm going to spend more time worrying about it getting scratched than I actually would hunting. I built this up from parts. The action is a Sears model 52, which is the Sears specific brand Winchester Model 70. I had the entire action blueprinted & rebarreled to 6.5x55 Swede by E.R. Shaw. The barrel is 21", 5R rifled with a 1:8 twist. The profile was turned to match the factory M70 barrel which is basically a medium/light Sporter. The barreled action was then mirror polished & sent to a specialist refinisher in Wyoming for bluing. Along with that, the hinged bottom metal, bolt shroud, trigger, grip cap, scope mounts, sling swivels & all screws & fasteners were sent for color case hardening. While all the metal was away for finishing, I found an unfinished, Exhibition grade walnut stock & set about hand fitting & finishing. I hand sanded everything to 800 grit & applied 24 coats of Alkanet oil, wet sanding the first 12. Once the color I wanted was achieved I applied 32 very fine coats of polymerized Tung oil (over a period of about 4 months) The stock was then sent to Ahlmans for hand cut checkering in a 22tpi Winchester point pattern. Once finished, the checkering was then very lightly oiled. Once it was all back here & together, I added a Leupold FX-3 6x42 scope. I've taken it to range 1 time to zero & work out a load & that's literally it. I don't think I've fired 40 shots since I finished it. The whole project was a labor of love, because I wanted an Heirloom Quality gun, only to find out that I'm far better served with working guns. I don't know how many hours went into the build, but I'm pretty sure I clocked over 100 just in the stock. Since then, it's literally sat in the cabinet slathered in anti-rust. I've occasionally taken it out to look at & fondle. It's a crying shame to just have it sitting & it needs to go to someone who'll actually use & appreciate it for what it is, rather than just being a decoration. I'm not gonna lie, I'm pricing this at slightly less than I have in it, but not much & the price is NOT negotiable. I paid nearly half the cost just for the stock alone. $2000 will buy it & if it doesn't sell for that, it can stay in the cabinet. I'm only selling her now to fund a used Harley purchase (unless someone wants to part trade me for a ratty big twin.....) Link to photo album....... https://imgur.com/gallery/LrNFN1l

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Custom fitted, black walnut grips. Maybe shot 200 rounds. Comes with everything from the factory plus a good quality, leather, cowboy style holster. I bought it for bear protection when I bowhunted out west, but I no longer have a use for it. I'll throw in all the 300gr, hardcast handloads I have plus whatever spare brass I can scrounge up. I also have an Alaris Tactical chest holster I'd part with for an extra $50 to the buyer. $700 firm (I don't do haggling. I list for the lowest I'll accept.) No trades. Can meet anywhere between Winchester & Murfreesboro.

I'm looking high & low but turning up goose eggs. Looking for a 16+inch light weight 6x45 barrel. Gas journal position not important, muzzle thread not important. I just don't want to have to drop $300+ for a custom reamed number. Where have they all gone?! 10 years ago they were all over the place!

Potato/Tomato.....

I'm seeing a 6x45 in my future.

Welp, I guess if nobody else is going to....

Sooooooo it's an M4 with a different barrel & bolt then.

Well crap. Where were you when I was hacking this thing up?

Right now, with the SWFA score & 5, 77gr rounds in the 10rd mag, it comes in at 4lb 7½oz. I had a rough day at the range with it, initially, using the Tasco scope. I was having a hell of a time getting it into battery & a worse time extracting spent brass. Turns out my brass is a few thou too long. Function is much better now, but I haven't had chance to get back to the range to see exactly how well she shoots. Honestly, anything under 2 MOA will be more than good enough for the distances I'll ever hunt with it, but I don't see why much better wouldn't be possible.

I've considered replacing the gas key, I didn't think about delrin though. Good idea! I didn't really want to reduce the lower any further (it's only 4oz as is!) & I was worried about the structural integrity of taking any more of the upper. The butt-plate could stand some holes though. The biggest weight saving now would come from an aluminum BCG. Big difference there, but also quite a bit of cash to go cutting it to bits & drilling new holes in it!

https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/painless-load-development-mine.238400/ Here's a much better description of what I do, from the guy who taught me how to do it.

The old model is a damn good, all around rifle, but for a little more cash you can get much better. I've had them & enjoyed them, but they're heavy for what they are & are.....unrefined, shall we say. For an extra two bills, you can get into a blued Tikka & that's like comparing a 1996 Malibu to a Bently, quality wise. I've actually come to dislike most everything about Savage these days. The bottom dollar Ruger American is as good as the better Savage models at the same price point as the Axis. It's smoother, has a better trigger, has more available upgrades, has infinitely better magazines, 60⁰ rather than 90⁰ bolt throw & is just as accurate out of the box.

You spelled 'T3x' wrong.

I lurk. All seeing but unknown in the shadows. Like a demon ninja. Or something. Probably.

As far as I'm aware, yeah. It's pretty much the same action, but the bolt has had the micro ridges polished off (I did the same thing with my gen1, some 800grit wet & dry & a half hour with nothing better to do. Smooth as a baby's butt now! The only feeding problems were with the rotary mags. They just flat out suck. They all crap the bed at some point. Some right out of the box, some a year down the line. The AR magwell version & AICS version feed just as reliably as anything else that eats from this mags. My .223 is closing on 1500 rounds & hasn't had a single hiccup yet. The only known complaint with the gen2 is the stock. It's a terrible design, the geometry is all to cock & it makes the gen1 seem like a super stiff benchrest job (it isn't. It's serviceable, better than an Axis or others in the price range, but I'll be changing mine out the very day Jennifer at Stocky's tells me the VG Carbon is available!)

In fact, in your shoes, I'd just go buy this & call it good.

For the wallet: Ruger American with AICS pattern magwell. It absolutely cannot be beaten for value. The original is cheaper, the Mk2 is prettier & smoother & has a 3 position safety. Stocky's is also going to be releasing one of their awesome VG carbon stocks that'll fit either, later this year. Both require a couple of upgrades, trigger at minimum, but are still amazing for the cost. Best: Tikka T3x (although it doesn't use AICS mags & at the moment, nobody makes a compatible bottom metal) Light years ahead of 90% of factory guns at ⅓ to ½ the price. Fantastic aftermarket, tedious accuracy, lightweight & just generally a spectacular rifle that's at home in the woods or on the 1k gongs.

Seems like it's just overcomplicating things. A quick flick of the wrist returns the bolt easily enough.

Not a thing. Without a gas system, the bolt can't move after firing. The locking lugs hold it in battery until the charging handle is moved backwards, rotating the bolt head out of sync with the lugs.

No way of doing it without a full length BCG & that's a lot of weight to add. I did think about an aluminum BCG but they're a little spendy. I'd still like one to play with at some point, but dollars spent vs weight saved it's not a priority.

It's still about twice as thick as a regular forged upper. But it is a Bear Creek..... Vice mount.

D'oh! .223 Wylde, 1:7 twist.