Got started on this almost 2 years ago - invoice for a Stiller 2500XR action is dated 2/23/16. I'd seen an ad on another forum for a run of very classy 22LR trainers based on the Stiller repeater action, Bartlein bbls, & Manners Elite carbon fiber shell stocks. Thought about how nice it'd be to own a rifle like those in the ad, but choked on the $4200+ price. Decided to build one myself, so placed a call to Curtis at Stiller. They had actions in stock, so all it took was to put a check in the mail. Long story short - I wound up doing a Krieger bbl, using a PTG Ultimate EPS reamer. Manners had listed an extra T4A Elite in molded-in Elite GAP camo that was identical to those being used in that run of trainers that initially peaked my interest, so I snagged it, along with a Seekins CF DBM unit that I modified to work with the inlet in this stock. What I wound up with was a 13lb rifle that shot very well, and was a near perfect duplicate of my CF PRS-type rifles. The only thing I didn't really care for was that it used little 10rd curved Savage magazines that made fast reloads a bit awkward.
Then I started reading about Mike Bush's 10rd AICS-style magazines being used in modified 40X 22RF actions. Hoser dangled the carrot, and I went for it. I had a couple of complete 40X/XB rifles purchased from the CMP 12-13yrs ago that weren't doing anything but taking up space & gathering dust in the closet, so the older 722-style action was sent off to Jonathan Elrod in Denver, NC for the repeater mod that uses the Bush mags. I fitted & chambered a Benchmark 3-groove bbl for it when it came back, and put it into a B&C #2015 stock (very similar to a McM A5 w/o the butt hook, inletted for DBM). I used a Jewell HVR trigger on this rifle, and have been very pleased with it ever since. Wound up selling the Stiller to a friend who was interested in it, and put that money into converting the 40XB into another repeater, but put a Lilja titebore bbl on this one. With the addition of two Athlon Cronus 4.5-29x56 scopes, I had a couple of really excellent rifles - what more could I have wanted?
Then Mike Bush partnered with Paul Parrot of Vudoo Gun Works in St. George, Utah to bring his custom 40X-based 22RF repeater into production - I resisted the temptation for awhile, but when a friend & customer bought one of their complete rifles & brought it to one of the 22RF PR matches he runs, I decided it was just too cool a rifle, and called Paul to order an action. I still had a couple of Krieger 22RF bbl blanks in sendero contour on hand, so when the action arrived, I went right to work on getting one done for it. The Manners Elite T4A I'd ordered for this project was already here, as was another Jewell HVR & Cronus scope. This is the end result:
Then I started reading about Mike Bush's 10rd AICS-style magazines being used in modified 40X 22RF actions. Hoser dangled the carrot, and I went for it. I had a couple of complete 40X/XB rifles purchased from the CMP 12-13yrs ago that weren't doing anything but taking up space & gathering dust in the closet, so the older 722-style action was sent off to Jonathan Elrod in Denver, NC for the repeater mod that uses the Bush mags. I fitted & chambered a Benchmark 3-groove bbl for it when it came back, and put it into a B&C #2015 stock (very similar to a McM A5 w/o the butt hook, inletted for DBM). I used a Jewell HVR trigger on this rifle, and have been very pleased with it ever since. Wound up selling the Stiller to a friend who was interested in it, and put that money into converting the 40XB into another repeater, but put a Lilja titebore bbl on this one. With the addition of two Athlon Cronus 4.5-29x56 scopes, I had a couple of really excellent rifles - what more could I have wanted?
Then Mike Bush partnered with Paul Parrot of Vudoo Gun Works in St. George, Utah to bring his custom 40X-based 22RF repeater into production - I resisted the temptation for awhile, but when a friend & customer bought one of their complete rifles & brought it to one of the 22RF PR matches he runs, I decided it was just too cool a rifle, and called Paul to order an action. I still had a couple of Krieger 22RF bbl blanks in sendero contour on hand, so when the action arrived, I went right to work on getting one done for it. The Manners Elite T4A I'd ordered for this project was already here, as was another Jewell HVR & Cronus scope. This is the end result:
