40X Repeater

[Hoser]

Spent some time today at the range with my "new" 40X repeater.

Found a cat sized bush about 465-467 yards away. The wind died down quite a bit and TimK and I started plinking away.

Normally I use Eley Black or Red, but as I am verifying all 10 of my mags work I was just burning CCI Standard Vel.

It took about 35-36 feet (24.7 mils) of elevation to connect. Once we had it dialed in, hitting that bush was pretty easy. First shot checks wind, second corrects, and 8-10 take advantage of hopefully one wind condition.

Tried to hit the 600 yard targets but didn't have the time/energy/motivation to keep plinking. Just seeing the hits at 465 was a challenge.

Very very very happy with my conversion. Two of three rifles are done. Number three will get the conversion by Jonathan Elrod in a month or two.

This one has a Lilja 17 inch barrel and a JET Integral suppressor.

 

[Intell]

Nice rifle! I always wanted an original 40x repeater for a general purpose 22, but they are few and far between. They go for big $ when found. I keep hoping to find one in a pawn shop someday for a good price.

 

[Hoser]

I also wanted a factory original repeater but couldn't find one.

Now that there are decent dedicated mags out there and a talented gunsmith willing to do the conversion all three of mine will be repeaters. Number three will head out to Jonathan Sept sometime. Waiting on a new bolt from PTG.

 

[painter]

I also wanted a factory original repeater but couldn't find one.

Now that there are decent dedicated mags out there and a talented gunsmith willing to do the conversion all three of mine will be repeaters. Number three will head out to Jonathan Sept sometime. Waiting on a new bolt from PTG.

thanks for the info. I have a 40x mounted in a BDL stock. I would like to have this as a repeater. where do I find the mags and a smith willing to do the conversion? thanks Painter

 

[Hal]

I wonder if a Ruger 10 22 magazine could be made to work ?
It would fit flush with the bottom of the stock.

Hal

 

[Hoser]

thanks for the info. I have a 40x mounted in a BDL stock. I would like to have this as a repeater. where do I find the mags and a smith willing to do the conversion? thanks Painter

PM sent.

 

[Hoser]

I wonder if a Ruger 10 22 magazine could be made to work ?
It would fit flush with the bottom of the stock.

Hal

The shape of the 10-22 mag is too wide and requires a lot of the receiver to be removed.

These mags are compatible with all bottom metal that uses Accuracy International mags.

On the outside they look just like an AICS mag but have a 22 lr guts stuck inside.

 

[jelrod1]

Thanks Hoser for the kind words. I'm glad you're happy with them. These things sure are fun.

 

[Hoser]

I have received a bunch of PMs regarding the conversion and the mags.

My repeater started off as a single shot and jelrod1 did the conversion for me.

Lots of questions about mags. Themags are built around the external dimension of Accuracy International mags to they are comparable with any bottom metal that uses AI mags. I would guess they can be shortened to a 5 round mag and not stick out too far from the bottom of a standard BDL/ADL stock.

Here are some pics to hopefully answer some questions.

 

[CJ6]

NICE.

 

[flatlander]

These conversions are extremely interesting, very well done. There are quite a few already finished & in the hands of their owners, and I've yet to hear anything negative out of any of them.

 

[Hoser]

So Jonathan recently finished up my last two 40Xs. It was a bit chilly today but not a lot of wind.

This rifle was an absolute hammer before the conversion and it still is.

This one is a Lilja titebore also chambered with an EPS Match reamer. S&B 12-50 and an AI chassis. I am still using my Shark 308 suppressor just to keep the weight and feel the same as my AXMC in 243.

Below is five shots at 220 yards using a 2014 lot of Eley Match. The plate is 5 inches across the flats so thats about a 1.5 - 1.75 inch group, four being inside an inch or so.

 

[flatlander]

Just got my 1st 40X repeater put together over the weekend. Jonathan sent the action back with four magazines and modified the bolt, but since I planned on fitting & chambering a Benchmark bbl myself, he didn't have any way to test the modified bolt for function. As a result, I probably need to do a little more work on the lead-in areas of the extractors, as rims aren't sliding up under them smoothly. Jonathan warned me about this, and gave some advice on what to do about it, so I'll work at it when I get the time. I went with a 26" sendero contour Benchmark, threaded for a SWR Spectre II suppressor. Stock is a B&C #2095 w/PTG Stealth DBM, Timney CE trigger, & EGW 20 MOA scope rail with a Bushnell 6-24x50 ffp G2DMR mounted in TPS TSR rings. The rail looks funky in the photo because it was CeraKoted in FDE in its former life on another rifle. When I'm sure I've got everything fine tuned, the bbl'd action & DBM will get CeraKoted, probably in McMillan tan.

 

[Hoser]

Just got my 1st 40X repeater put together over the weekend. Jonathan sent the action back with four magazines and modified the bolt, but since I planned on fitting & chambering a Benchmark bbl myself, he didn't have any way to test the modified bolt for function. As a result, I probably need to do a little more work on the lead-in areas of the extractors, as rims aren't sliding up under them smoothly. Jonathan warned me about this, and gave some advice on what to do about it, so I'll work at it when I get the time. I went with a 26" sendero contour Benchmark, threaded for a SWR Spectre II suppressor. Stock is a B&C #2095 w/PTG Stealth DBM, Timney CE trigger, & EGW 20 MOA scope rail with a Bushnell 6-24x50 ffp G2DMR mounted in TPS TSR rings. The rail looks funky in the photo because it was CeraKoted in FDE in its former life on another rifle. When I'm sure I've got everything fine tuned, the bbl'd action & DBM will get CeraKoted, probably in McMillan tan.

Looks excellent. Cant wait to see how it shoots.

Maybe see you on the 22nd. There will be 7-8 40X repeaters on the line...

 

[Delfuego]

The 40x Mafia is getting bigger...

 

[flatlander]

Hoser - A couple of us are heading for SHOT next Tues; should be back by Fri the 20th. May be too wiped-out after driving out & back to make another road trip. But after talking more with Jonathan this evening, I was finally able to get both the extractor & pusher out of the 40X bolt to fine-tune the lead-in angles, and believe I've got it set up to run smoothly now. Sent the PTG reamer back to have them inspect it - no idea how long that'll take, but I'm wanting to use a correct reamer to run into that tight chamber. Also need to do a little inlet work in the bbl channel to get the bbl floated, and will then do more shooting with it.

We've got an ice/snow storm in the forecast for this weekend - doubt very much I'll get in any shooting with it. But am sure looking forward to getting the details finished so I can get it CeraKoted.

 

[flatlander]

Hoser - I was so jazzed about getting my 40X back from jelrod that I failed to complement you on your excellent group at 220yds. That's an amazing group at that distance - would be extremely satisfied if my Benchmark would shoot anything close to that at 200. So far, weather has kept me from doing much shooting with the new/old 40X - had it down on my range last Friday evening, and it started sprinkling some light rain by the time I'd gotten the steel targets set up & moved back to the firing line. I shot a bit with both the Stiller/Krieger & 40X/Benchmark, but had problems with the 40X's extractor leaving rounds in the action after I'd modified it for smoother feeding. The rain was getting heavier, so I loaded everything back up and headed home - just in time to avoid getting soaked.

Got a set of new extractor/pusher, plus plungers & springs (in case I let one fly out of the bolt & get away) from Jack First in Rapid City, S.D. I put just the tiniest radius on the bottom of the extractor's hook area with a pointed round needle file, and just broke the sharp bottom edge of the new pusher. Got them installed & stepped out the shop door to test feeding/chambering & extraction/ejection with 5rds of SK Std+ in a magazine - perfect! Was so surprised that it took so little work to get these new parts functioning so smoothly that I had to call Jonathan to tell him about it. He said that in his experience in doing more than a few of these conversions, he's run into quite a variation in extractor/pusher parts dimensions & shape. Some have required no filing or re-shaping at all to work, while others have been more problematic. All I know is that the parts I got from First were nigh-on to perfect for the bolt in this action, and I'm happy! Now if I can get it to shoot like yours does.... When weather allows, I'll be trying some SK Rifle Match & Lapua Center-X in it.

Oh yeah - reason I'm still here to type this reply is because I cancelled our trip to SHOT because of the weather/power outage, and a medical issue that had me feeling uncomfortable about being on the road for 14+hrs each way to Vegas & back. Bummer - was really looking forward to seeing friends at the show, looking at a whole bunch of scopes & other optics, checking out an EH-1 stock Manners made for a Howa Mini bbl'd action I sold Tom, talking with the guys at McMillan's booth about the stocks they're making for another Howa Mini I sent them, etc, etc. Maybe next year...

 

[Hoser]

Good to hear your got your 40X all tuned up and running well.

Once you find a flavor/lot of ammo that your 40X likes, but as many cases as you can afford. I know my 22 ammo budget has gone way up...

 

[flatlander]

Looks more like I wanted now, with a good coat of McMillan tan CeraKote. Bedded it into the B&C #2095 stock first, also ran a replacement reamer into the chamber, which cut only a bit of the lands in the leade as far as I could tell while examining it with my Hawkeye borescope. Now if the wind would just die down & stay down for a couple of days, maybe I could get some shooting in with it to see if the replacement reamer & bedding have helped accuracy at all.

 

[Hoser]

Last 40X rimfire repeater done.

Manners T-5A stock
Shilen ratchet 17" barrel
TBAC 223 Ultra suppressor
Schmidt & Bender 5-25, Gen II XR
Tubb trigger

Now for some ammo lot testing at the Olympic Training Center...