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Custom Action Questions/comparison

JMayo said:
Trigger hanger is what a trigger is put into then it's attached it to the rifle.
Get a Smith that has Bench rest, f class experience .... If that is what you're after.
If you're shooting at the farm for fun ...you might just buy a OTC or used to start with.
Take it apart, you'll learn allot
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move done several 700 triggers plus a few shotgun things and what not... just saw on kelbys website they mention a trigger hanger so was just curious.. and I did call around to a couple other smiths relatively close who’s numbers I could find ... 2 no longer do smith work... they referred me to the smith I originally asked who also told me he sends all 700 actions out to another smith to be blue printed.... so there is that... the other one I called said he really only does military rifle stuff and wasn’t interested in building any sort of rifle ... after that my next closest is pierce actions...

i you tubed it..:eek: so i now know what a tirgger hanger is
 
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Might be more than you want to spend, but Jim Borden has taken great care of me and I would recommend him to anyone.
 
A lot of people seem to love the origins.
Personally I much prefer my Defiance tenacity To the TL3 I had. I like my Tikka CTR action way more than the bighorn too.

tons of cock on close, wanted to bind, not terribly smooth. Just didn’t impress me in any way really. Granted the gentleman that bought it loves it as most seem to.

I would look at the new bat igniter or defiance tenacity personally.
 
Spike A said:
move done several 700 triggers plus a few shotgun things and what not... just saw on kelbys website they mention a trigger hanger so was just curious.. and I did call around to a couple other smiths relatively close who’s numbers I could find ... 2 no longer do smith work... they referred me to the smith I originally asked who also told me he sends all 700 actions out to another smith to be blue printed.... so there is that... the other one I called said he really only does military rifle stuff and wasn’t interested in building any sort of rifle ... after that my next closest is pierce actions...

i you tubed it..:eek: so i now know what a tirgger hanger is
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well most people ship parts to a competent smith around the country and there’s lots of good trusted smiths.

the trigger hanger is nice. It works well and makes it hell of a lot easier if you buy a second and have a back up. That said, the terminus threaded trigger pins is definitely my favourite system
 

Description​


The Mack Brothers EVO Stainless Steel Short Action is made from 416 heated treated billet. Each action is cut utilizing advanced wire EDM technology for precision tolerances and reduced internal residual stress on the action compared to traditional machining.


Each action comes with a self-indexing 17-4 stainless recoil lug, complete bolt, and a 20 MOA Picatinny rail. The enhanced recoil lug adds thread length for more contact with the barrel and increased overall precision in your rifle. The 20 MOA Picatinny rail can easily be removed for the hole alignment to be compatible with a set of front Remington rings for complete customization. Other features include a streamlined external bolt stop located above the stock line and an integral trigger hanger system for ease of assembly and enhanced trigger repeat-ability in the field.


Our bolts feature M16 style extractors, Remington style cocking pieces, threaded bolt handles for interchangeable knobs as well as threaded and pinned handles. Each bolt is nitrided for reduced friction and superior durability. Bolts come in magnum and standard bolt face. All parts proudly made in America.

Evo SS_Mack Bros_scaled.jpg

EVO Stainless Steel Short Action​


$575.00

https://macbros.com/product/evo-ss-action-short/

There is a Titanium version also...
 
Im impressed with the Defiance tenacity for its price point.
I tend to look for things like how square the face/lug seats are to the bolt bore, how well the shroud is fit to the bolt and how straight it is in the bolt, cocking and closing cam design, ignition design, ext. They all feel smooth in your hand, that doesnt tell you if its any good.
 
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As you can see you have tons of options and all good ones

Big Horn
ARC
Impact
Curtis
Kelby
Defiance
Lone Peak
The list goes on

My advice look at the features you want.
Bolt throw, floating bolt heads or standard, recoil lug pinned or one piece, pre-fit barrels availability, extractor etc.

Then pick a good smith, not the cheapest one.

A true custom rifle will cost $3500-$4500 with all the bells and whistles.

Then don’t forget the scope!!!
 
Is there any reason not to just go with the Pierce? I have a rifle that is 99% done (bottom metal at Cerakote) that Pierce did the barreled action. It's just one of his standard actions, but it seems good to me. The only drawback is it's a 2 piece bolt if that matters.
 
I used to use quite a few Pierce actions. I am curious as to how the newer ones are, just have not handled one in a while.
 
Maybe I missed it, but what is the intent of this rifle? Hunting, F-Class, PRS, etc? Some will have different requirements than others IMO especially when it comes to barrels.

Example is that I use either Criterion or Shilen prefits on a cheap Savage action(with bushed firing pin) for hunting and they are tack drivers with 1 hole 3 shot groups. I can order and install myself in less than a week usually total time. But hunting is usually a 1 shot application.

For F class I use a Kelby Atlas and Bighorn TL3. 20 shot strings and 1/2 MOA x ring are a much different standard. Both great actions but there are pros and cons to each. Kelbly will chamber my barrels that I send to them and I've had surprisingly fast turn arounds at times. I now have a smith a lot closer but most people send barrel out for chambering. Don't feel like you have to use one close. Screwing on a barrel is easy with about $150 of the right tools. I use Krieger, Bartlein or Brux for F class but did start out with Criterion and set a NR that still stands.

Bighorn has savage threads so I can prefit a barrel nut if I want to change calibers or barrels on the quick for another application. And it's an easy switch for bolt heads too.

The floating bolt head of Bighorn does cause me a little trouble finding the "touch point" using the Alex Wheeler method where the Kelbly can do it perfect. Hasn't held me back but it's just different.

Both have mechanical ejectors which I prefer for F class.

I have no experience with PRS but obviously you are getting into mag fed actions where smooth, fast actions and reliable feeding are important.

Ultimately I have been very impressed in Kelbly's customer service and they are always fast and helpful with any questions. If you had a good experience with Pierce and they are close why not use them? BUT, once you get into the custom they really start to become a level playing field and it's more Ford vs Chevy and what options you want.

These days I lean toward customer service more than anything else since they are all so close in quality I will support people I like.
 
Ccrider said:
Seems like Alex is saying “feeling nice” and “being nice” are two different things.
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I agree here. I learned this in archery. Shot a bow with a high wrist that felt terrible compared to my usual grip. I then went to shoot my best rounds ever with it. Same with gun stocks(shotgun and rifle). Good feel doesn't always equal good results. Especially at the small things with a custom action that you will never see or feel but will be present on the target.
 
Spike A, Been using Kelbly & Bartlein for over 30 years. Never a problem & both companies are great to deal with. Questions; give them a call! You'll be glad you did in the long run!
 
There’s nothing wrong with the Pierce actions. They’re very good, and would be great for your intentions. The Kelbly Atlas would also suit your needs very well. Being so close to Pierce, I would go that route. And have them chamber your barrel also. I have a Pierce round chrome moly that I use for F class. I used to live close to Brux Barrels, and would have them do most of my chambering. Close convenience is really nice, if you ever have an issue or questions.
 
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