40X actions

[bdsss]

If you were going to build a tatical rifle on a 40X action, is there any series or serial number range that would be the most desirable for the build?

Thanks for any advise you have,
Bill

 

[ridgeway]

Id look into a Pierce, Bat or Surgeon action for your tactical build before sourcing a 40X. By the time you get a 40x and make it worthy, your at the price of a custom action and still won't be as good.

 

[butchlambert]

Bill, if you do insist on using a Remington, the 40X is no different than the 700 other than it is stamped 40X. I like the latest 700 receivers as they are CNC machined and app[ear to me to be much better than the older receivers.
Ridgeway is correct. You get more for your money with a custom.

 

[eric32]

I did the whole REM 700 and blueprinted it and all the bolt mods later i spent a pretty penny rather than buying a stiller, pierce or well just about any after market action. The feel of a rem700 will leave you wanting something smoother and well better.

 

[Ggmac]

If you use a 40 x action the 40 xbr are better.

 

[butchlambert]

If you use a 40 x action the 40 xbr are better.

How is it better? You may have facts that I don't have.

 

[bdsss]

How are they better?
Thanks.

 

[bdsss]

Thanks everyone for the input. I'll have to rethink this now. Maybe a custom action will be better.
Does anyone have any experience with Defiant Devient actions?

Thanks,
Bill

 

[Ggmac]

Butch , come on , didnt you read the Book of Benchrest Actions !
You have my telephone # if you would like to discuss this . Would love to hear from you again , and I think I found a Mexican Mauser extractor in my shop .
That is what you were needing wasn't it ?
Gary MacDonald

PS , I've been looking for the book , I think the name of it is correct . Anyway I just wanted to answer thr OP question , which is better , and from experience and Mike Walkers own statments , the 40xbr is heat treated then surface ground ,for 100% contact on bottom 180 deg . Makes for easier bedding . Thats why the 40XBR is etched on the side , not stamped.
I didnt want to add the obvious , custom actions are a better alt.
I personally have checked many , many 40 x ,xbr's and have more uniform dimensions less warping on the XBR's . Ive only done , maybe 20 to 30 so my experience is limited .
Lately the Savage Target action exceeds the 40x , XBr in stiffness and most all
Aspects important to blueprinting.
Again ,Butch , give me a call , maybe we can again discuss why a rimmed straight walled case in a Mauser needs an extractor cut in the Barrel .
That was a hint not intended any other way .
Gary in S Florida

 

[Ggmac]

Found it ! Dang its a ***** being old ! The book is " Benchrest Actions & Triggers " by Stuart Otteson . Page 26 3rd column " by doing the heat treatment out of Remingtos normal production sequence , he was able to end up with a straighter and truer receiver than had been possible. ."
Gary

 

[22BRGUY]

One additional thing is that I heard that the Etronics actions were held to the same tolerance levels as the 40x's. If anyone knows for sure, please chime in. I happened across an Etronics a few years ago and had my smith go through it, installed a PT&G bolt and a jewel trigger. I'm pleased with the results but as others have said, going custom would most likely be a better value. I only mention this because I was able to pick the Etronics up fairly cheaply because the ammo for those things is expensive and hard to find and the guy that had it was trying to just get rid of it.
Best Wishes

 

[butchlambert]

Gary,
I'm a little unsure how a different heat treat would help. Not saying they didn't do it. I have never heard of a mod.7, 600, 700, 721, or 722 having problems that would be related to heat treat. I'm pretty sure they machined heat treated steel, rather than treating them after machining.
My experience and of quite a few smiths on this forum, the late CNC machined receivers are as straight as we have seen.
Now that being said, it still takes about as much effort and time to"square up", "blueprint" or "remachine" a rough or a pretty nice Remington.
Gary,
I have a step by step project that I just started with a gun writer. We are taking a new 700 and going step by step to improve it. The gunwriter will do the shooting. Each step will have 5-3 shot groups on a single sheet of target paper. Ain't going to be hand picked targets. I believe it will be fun and eye opening.

 

[Ggmac]

Butch , you know I'm kinda new to this computer stuff . You should read the book I mentioned FOR THE REST OF THE STORY . Alot more info , its just too dang long for me to pick an peck on this keyboard . Anyway I'm much more accustomed to the machine shop , you know , chip makin' .
Good luck on your project , Ive done that with mausers , and savages .
With the Mausers I had the inventory to pick and find the part I needed with the dimensions ( or as close as poss ) I wanted. Still have Way too many .
Always a pleasure ,Gary

 

[BoydAllen]

Butch,
On the heat treat, it wasn't that it was different, but that the order in which things were done was. On everything but the 40xb-BRs (that had the applied lettering rather than stamped), the actions' ODs were ground before heat treating, which resulted in slight warpage that is present in all actions that are machined soft, and then heat treated (because of the different rates of cooling around and down the action due to asymmetrical cross sections).
What they did on the BRs was to use the largest blanks that would fit in their fixtures machine everything but the OD before heat treat, heat treat, and then grind the OD, rejecting any that did not clean up on the bottom 180 degrees. This left them with an undistorted cylinder to interface with the stock bedding, that actual testing showed gave better accuracy. Of course we need to remember this was pre pillar bedding, and of course there were not factory action glue-ins, so it may be that with different bedding that the results would not be the same.

 

[butchlambert]

I will reluctantly give the old ways a little credit at the time. Only if they were no pillars or glue ins and I don't see how it would help noticibly. You would still have warp age inside where it really counts. I don't know of any receivers, stock or custom, that are heat treated after machining at this time.

 

[BoydAllen]

How about every modern Remington 700 style action that you have ever owned...except the 40B-BRs, including current production, and at least one popular clone (very well liked), that shall remain nameless.

 

[butchlambert]

And the source of your info? I'm willing to learn.

 

[BoydAllen]

The bit about current production is surmise, but the rest is from the Otteson article that has been mentioned earlier in this thread. Do you have a copy? Do you have any information that they have changed to machining them from hardened stock? I seriously doubt that any affordable rifle's action is made that way.

 

[butchlambert]

The bit about current production is surmise, but the rest is from the Otteson article that has been mentioned earlier in this thread. Do you have a copy? Do you have any information that they have changed to machining them from hardened stock? I seriously doubt that any affordable rifle's action is made that way.

Boyd,
It is easy and better to machine prehard material. Remember that they are not really hard. I would find it difficult to get a straight receiver heat treating afterwards.

 

[BoydAllen]

That is exactly why Mike Walker changed the order of operations for the 40XBRs. He was having problems with bedding due to warpage. That is in the article. They try to keep it to a minimum by quenching in molten (eutectic) salts. There is no doubt that not having to heat treat after machining is better as far as straightness is concerned, but that is not how they do it.