40XBR rifles

[dtucker]

I recently bought a older 70,s 40XBR with the wood stock in like new condition. The rifle used to belong to an older gentelman and he at 1 time had a Hart barrel installed which is a no turn neck 6br, Shilen 2oz trigger and a Presto bolt release knob. This is my first 40x type rifle i have had and really do not know much about these actions. The bolt has a Sako extractor. Did these come like this or was it an option? Maybe it was something installed when the new barrel went on. When these rifles were built did the receivers get any special attention or had to meet certain requirements. You know, like specially fondeled and carressed when put together I am thinking i would like to look for a XB-KS single shot stock or call Remington and see where i can get one.

 

[CatShooter]

I recently bought a older 70,s 40XBR with the wood stock in like new condition. The rifle used to belong to an older gentelman and he at 1 time had a Hart barrel installed which is a no turn neck 6br, Shilen 2oz trigger and a Presto bolt release knob. This is my first 40x type rifle i have had and really do not know much about these actions. The bolt has a Sako extractor. Did these come like this or was it an option? Maybe it was something installed when the new barrel went on. When these rifles were built did the receivers get any special attention or had to meet certain requirements. You know, like specially fondeled and carressed when put together I am thinking i would like to look for a XB-KS single shot stock or call Remington and see where i can get one.

The Sako extractor was not a Remington option - it was put in by someone afterwards.

The receivers were the pick of the litter.

You can order a XB-KS directly from Remington, through any FFL dealer.

They sometimes show up on Gunbroker and other on line sources.

 

[dtucker]

I am just talking about finding a stock only and not buying another rifle. I believe the stocks they use on the XB-KS are made by McMillan.

 

[CatShooter]

I am just talking about finding a stock only and not buying another rifle. I believe the stocks they use on the XB-KS are made by McMillan.

You can get one from Remington, or you can find them on eBay - get a SA stock I have never seen a used McMillen BR stock, but there are a lot of H-S stocks that have been pulled from police 700's that have a full dia straight barrel channel, and can be had for ~$250-$300.

 

[bheadboy]

I have had 3 of this generation and they were very well finished in the custom shop where Jim Stekle and Mike Walker worked.

The custom Bbl and sako extractor indicate the original was most likely a small bolt face and in barreling to br they opened the bolt and had to add the extractor, not at all uncommon. it is also most likely the action was checked for true when re-barreled.

Bob

 

[butchlambert]

My experience says the receivers are no different than the 700s except 40X is marked on them. If you have them in a receiver jig, you will see.

 

[Ghansen]

My 40x 222 shot in the low one's and two's in comp in the 70's (1 & 200 yds.' with some high one's at 200). Then some guys told me the bedding wasn't right and it could do better!

So yeah, definitely an action blessed by the pope with sprinkles of Holy water on the shooter.

 

[LHSmith]

No picking......Remington must still employ the same PR man that made that claim because in the current catalog we find this gem: "40-X -built on our world famous Model 40-X action-the very same action that's dominated benchrest competitions since it's creation in 1962......the blueprinted action is impeccably squared to the barrel."
I give it 4 Pinnochios - it didn't make 5 because they at least used lower case "b" in benchrest.
I believe Mike Walker, himself, said in a PS interview a few years ago that the actions were run on the same line with every other 700 but pulled before the mag cut-out operation.

 

[johara1]

I do believe they may be a little closer tolerance….. maybe. Then they some how make them crooked same as the 700. If somebody went to the trouble to rebarrel that action and put a Sako extractor in it maybe they trued it, again maybe. …….. jim

 

[Eddie Harren]

Smitty, Mike Walker told me that they would insert the bolt in the action and the ones that had less "wiggle" were pulled to be 40X's.

 

[BoydAllen]

Does your action have stamped lettering or is it applied? The reason that I ask is that years ago I read an explanation (in an article in Precision Shooting) as to why the latter was done on the 40XB-BRs that might interest you. It has nothing to do with thread squareness, or bolt fit, but the story said that because it had been discovered that in the case of the most accurate calibers, in that model, that if the bottom half of the action was not a true cylinder, that accuracy was degraded. As a result, the largest action blanks that would fit the fixtures were picked for that model, and the order of operations was changed so that the ODs were ground after heat treating, and if they did not clean up on the bottom half, that they were rejected. Because stamping, heat treating, and then grinding would have required too much hand work to fix stamped lettering, a different method was chosen, which is what you see on these models. Back in the late 90s, after the move to the sun belt, I called the manager of the custom shop to see if that model was still being produce in the same way, and he had no idea as to what I was talking about, I think was done during the Walker era. I am also told that he did not have a very high opinion of the gas venting hole in the side of the front receiver ring, and that in some cases, for that model, they were omitted.

 

[LHSmith]

Smitty, Mike Walker told me that they would insert the bolt in the action and the ones that had less "wiggle" were pulled to be 40X's.

OK, then they were "blueprinted" :.........note the lower case "b" ....as we all know that word can mean different things to different people. Last time I checked the actual selling price of a 40-XB from Remington, I could have had you supply and build 2 custom actioned rifles for the same amount .......and I know you do more than just swap out bolts until they fit.

 

[johara1]

Now tell me what did they have for a barrel? I heard so many different accounts on that one …….. jim

 

[LHSmith]

Jim, the current website states "the stainless steel barrels are button rifled, hand lapped and finished with a concave crown." It was stated in that PS interview with Mike W., but I don't recall what he said.....other than they were button.....after-all he was the engineer who perfected the process.

 

[dtucker]

The lettering was not stamped into the metal on this action. JohnHenry sent me an artical about the XBR actions built when this rifle was done and these actions where processed a bit different and more care taken for these bench rest rifles that were produced during this time. The other 40X actions did not receive the same treatment. Does it make it better i have no clue. I do not know how long the XBR rifles have been offered.

 

[dtucker]

 

[dtucker]

 

[dtucker]

 

[BoydAllen]

It would seem that my memory is not entirely shot.

 

[johara1]

Jim, the current website states "the stainless steel barrels are button rifled, hand lapped and finished with a concave crown." It was stated in that PS interview with Mike W., but I don't recall what he said.....other than they were button.....after-all he was the engineer who perfected the process.

I don't know about the perfect process but Douglas was making barrels with a button long before Hart ever did. Hart only made around 800 till 1968 so who made them? …… jim