• This Forum is for adults 18 years of age or over. By continuing to use this Forum you are confirming that you are 18 or older. No content shall be viewed by any person under 18 in California.

Kauger Arms BRIII action

rwj said:
Geometry is also an important characteristic…
Click to expand...
What I mean is some actions handle more pressure than others within the same model. Sometimes its something out of square but sometimes its not. I had one that I simply could not fix, even after re cutting all the important surfaces. The hardness actually tested good. Nitride fixed it. But others of the same model are fine. My guess is that one was actually soft in the lugs, but in spec at the tang where it was checked. Most every other one I have been able to fix with recutting the problem area.
 
I have felt slightly lighter bolt lifts on other custom actions but that’s because they didn’t have nearly enough pin fall and possibly worn FP springs.
 
Alex Wheeler said:
Pressure handling abilities is something I am interested in. I have some opinions, but I have 2 actions on order, one 17-4 one 4140. I am going to do a direct comparison between them. I have seen actions that handle a lot of pressure and some that dont out of all 3 materials. I think the hardness is as important as the material.
Click to expand...
17-4 at H1050 combined with a 4140 bolt at 38 RC would seem about right.

Having it all Melonited sure won’t hurt.
 
Alex, for the uninitiated, when you say "handle pressure" - what do you mean exactly? What are you looking for/at?
 
Some actions will let you run very high pressures, enough to ruin the brass and they still open easy. Some will get stiff bolt lift prematurely. Certain action designs handle pressure better than others. Issues like poor lug contact, bolt face issues, or soft material are some of the causes I have seen as well.
 
While 17-4 alloy is superior to 416 in just about every aspect, it’s also a lot more expensive. If Kauger offered 17-4 they’d be priced just as high as BAT.

All else being the same, I could see benefits of 17-4 over 416 in a large Lapua or CheyTac size action for big hard hitting rounds that really test the strength and durability of the steel, but I don’t quite see how 17-4 would ever be warranted in a BR style action for the little light recoiling 6mm variants used in competition.

A good quality and perfectly even heat treatment on the steel is key and can be the great equalizer between most of today’s modern alloys. A bad heat treatment on any quality level of alloy is going to leave you with a pile of junk in your hands
 
Last edited:
the single largest factor in an actions ability to handle higher pressures, (assuming proper design and machining), is material.
The actual stretch of the material when subjected to the bolt thrust against the action abutments is the culprit.
17-4 at the proper age hardening and Chrome Moly are by far the best in this area.
One of the most popular steels used by the vast majority of custom action manufacturers is 416. The reason is simple. Machinability.

however, what the manufacturer gains in machinability, the shooter looses in the actions ability to handle upper end loads and not experience excessive bolt thrust.

The manufacturers who use 416 will say…..”it is perfectly adequate for accepted pressures”.

Bat and Mausingfield are the only two manufacturers that currently use 17-4. Bat even goes a step further by doing their own in house age hardenning.

I use actions machined from 17-4, (or some other precipitation hardenning stainless with similiar properties), or Chrome Moly.

The last custom action I had on my Rail Gun machined from 416 would not shoot the upper end loads in 6PPC that my Farleys, (machined from cast 17-4 at H1050), would handle with ease in my bag guns.

I replaced it with a Bat Neuvo.
 
Last edited:
jackieschmidt said:
Bat and Mausingfield are the only two manufacturers that currently use 17-4. Bat even goes a step further by doing their own in house age hardenning.
Click to expand...
Jackie, unless Ted made you a one-off Mausingfield in 17-4, they are traditionally CM. They’re great actions… just not stainless.
 
ohiofarmer said:
Jackie, unless Ted made you a one-off Mausingfield in 17-4, they are traditionally CM. They’re great actions… just not stainless.
Click to expand...
I thought they were 17-4.. My error.

They are in fact machined from 4340 at 53 RC. Hardness. That is high up on the tempering scale for 4340. But since 4340 is known for it’s toughness, the high RC number gives exceptional wearability.

www.thetruthaboutguns.com

Gun Review: American Rifle Company’s Mausingfield Action (LRI Build) - The Truth About Guns

Thanks the rise of competitive shooting leagues such as PRS and movies such as American Sniper, precision rifles have been gaining popularity Does the American Rifle Company’s innovative “Mausingfield” action meet the market demand for an improved Mauser-style receiver maximized for long-range...
www.thetruthaboutguns.com www.thetruthaboutguns.com
 
Last edited:
With everything being equal as far as being square will a melonited 416 action bring it to the hardness of a non- melononited
CM action?
 
Nitride is very hard but it doesnt penetrate very deep. The hardness under the nitride should still be the same but that hard surface layer does help with pressure.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Upgrades & Donations

This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.


Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.

You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.


To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.

Classified Ads

Forum statistics

Threads
165,063
Messages
2,189,416
Members
78,688
Latest member
C120

Share This Page

Back
Top