RPA Quadlock in 6.5x284

[257Roberts]

Hey folks, putting this on the main board as I am hoping to find folks with exposure to both the RPA Quadlock and chambering the 6.5x284 cartridge, both are new to me.

I picked up a used, RPA Quadlock chambered for 6.5x284. It was built by one of the best smiths in the game. The gun is set up for long range highpower prone, which is how I intend to use it. I haven't shot it yet, but am getting ready to start reloading for it. Started doing some measuring last night.

Bolt face to the rifling is 2.410". I have no idea the history or round count on the barrel. I have no doubts the barrel has erosion. As a friend put it, "uhhh, its a 6.5x284, after 100 rounds they have erosion.."

Can anybody with 6.5x284 experience tell me if 2.410" is super long or might have some useable barrel life left?

Regarding the RPA Quadlock short action, at this 2.410" rifling length, a 142SMK seated cartridge has an OAL of 3.065". Not a crazy length by any means, but what I found interesting, is that the RPA will NOT eject the "live" shell out the fully enclosed loading port!

Is this normal for RPA Quadlocks? Of course a fired, empty piece of brass would eject just fine, but in the event of a cease fire, unload and clear your actions, there would be no way to eject the cartridge, and one would be forced to pull the cheek rest and extract the entire bolt.

A friend suggested trying to manually push the cartridge out of the extractor with the bolt back, but there is not enough cartridge angle to disengage the head of the brass case from the recessed bolt face.

Thru trial and error, the max OAL the RPA will eject is about 2.80-2.85". The seems excessively short for a 6.5x284 match loading.

Those folks with experience with either of these areas, please chime in. I am learning as I go here.

 

[boltfluter]

Sounds like a very nice set up. Sorry no help, but looking forward to the responses.

Paul

 

[ebb]

I went and measured one of mine (6.5-284 Loaded ammo with 140 JLK) and it is longer OAL than yours. Mine has had some shooting done with it and I have chased the lands. Mine is a Remington 700 LA as I wanted room to load long bullets and not stuff them way back in the case. I know nothing of an RPA action, but my guess and it is just a guess is that the action is a short action (JUST A GUESS!!!!). I hope you will find someone that knows RPAs and find out what length it is designed to handle. Maybe it is time to set back the barrel and make freebore shorter, or open the ejection port. Sounds like a cool rifle I hope you get it sorted out to work safely. Ive seen Remington custom shop rifles chambered in 300 ultra mag made on short actions that will not eject a live round.

 

[flintcreek6412]

Depending on how you take your measurement to the lands its very hard to give you a firm number because there are different methods to measure, different comparators for measuring and different bullet shapes that will give different dimensions.

I shot Berger Hybrids so my measurement will be different than yours with SMKs. I used the Alex Wheeler method to find my lands. If you use a hornady tool, marker or candle carbon or some other way they will all very. Sorry to be a downer there.

I am not familiar with the bolt head and extractor on your rifle. It it's like my Kelby or Bighorn and I can't pull the bolt to remove a long round I carry a needle tool with a 90* bend to hook the hole in the extractor, pull outward and cartridge falls off.

Look at the attached photos to see the bolt part I'm talking about(red arrow) and the tool type I use. Good luck.

 

[Leeman]

The Quadlock was designed for Palma style shooting so .308, thats what the loading port is designed for, smallest possible opening for a .308 round to keep the action as rigid as possible. That doesn't stop you chambering to other cartridges that use the .308 bolt face of course but you run into issues that you've just described.

Current website of the manufacturer is www.rpainternational.co.uk

 

[Laurie]

The RPA Quadlock and Quadlite actions are very widely used in UK target shooting. The Quadlock is a 3rd gen development of the SWING action originally introduced in 1971 and which subsequently went through five 'marks' before evolving into the Paramount action and finally the RPA Quad models.

All three generations have four lugs and VERY short lock times. They were developed very much with the UK and British Commonwealth 'Target Rifle' (sling / prone) discipline which until relatively recently 'enjoyed' use of military ball 'sniper grade' 7.62mm ammunition. I say 'enjoyed' ironically and one reason for the 4-lug or 'quad' arrangement is that it was found that this ammunition with its often non-concentric brass and out of square case-heads performed better with this lug arrangement. The standard actions are very much designed around the 7.62/308 Win round so won't unload a 6.5-284 length round via the action port necessitating unloading through bolt release and removal. This is not uncommon on single-shot target actions and is little more than a minor nuisance.

It is an exceptionally strong and stiff action and is optimised for prone sling shooting. A combination of a powerful mainspring (replaced by Belleville washers in some RPA models) and the four lug bolt producing very short handle lift to unlock it requires considerable effort and a 'notchy' feel. Once open there is a very short throw. The bolt-opening effort isn't usually an issue for sling shooters although it takes a little getting used to coming from a good two-lug type. It's not well suited to Benchrest or similar though because of this feature.

All three generations were very common in F-Class and F/TR in the early days of the disciplines. I'd reckon 40%, maybe even half of national level 'Open' shooters used the current RPA Quadlock, many of the remainder being Barnard Ps. They still turn up, but not as many as 10 years ago. As we don't string shoot here (or in Canada) the heavy bolt-unlocking isn't a major issue, although I personally would find it a distraction and prefer my slicker Barnards. They still turn up too among high-level F-TR shooters too including a fair few of the older models right back to late mark SWINGs. Like the Barnard P, they're on the heavy side for F-TR though and smaller diameter / lighter actions like the Barnard 'S' are mostly seen now.

 

[spclark]

...necessitating unloading through bolt release and removal. This is not uncommon on single-shot target actions and is little more than a minor nuisance.

Laurie you’re too modest. Should have included something about how in most countries besides the US, competition rules REQUIRE bolts to be removed from actions when leaving the firing line.

Everyone else but we here makes frequent practice of pulling their bolts before leaving position (what you deem ‘a minor nuisance’).

 

[Laurie]

Well, I was thinking specifically about unloading a live round through bolt withdrawal - not uncommon in other actions too. But you're correct on the matter of 'clearing the rifle'. Over here we remove the bolt and present the rifle to our partner or the RO so that he can look through the action from the rear and see daylight down the barrel, also checking the magazine is empty from the side if the rifle is so equipped. The bolt will then stay out until the start of the next match or it is cased.

With my pre-Quadlock 'Paramount' action bolt removal is simplicity itself ......... but inserting it requiring those four lugs to be positioned just right is a different matter!

 

[257Roberts]

Thanks for the information folks. All your operational comments are spot on. I sure appreciate the history comments regarding the development of this action. This will be my primary prone sling gun.

The quadlock bolt looks very much similar to that shown above, except add 2 more lugs in the adjacent orientation. However, the quad lock extractor does NOT have a hole in it. I like the tool idea. I will have to experiment with some things and see if I can find something to move the extractor and disengage the loaded round.

Yes, the bolt effort is certainly stiff and takes some getting used to. I have seen folks both dismount the rifle from the shoulder to operate and a few are able to articulate in position. I wont know which is my preferred method until I get some serious trigger time.

Extracting live rounds isn't something that seriously concerns me during normal operation, its just something I need to be prepared for. Thanks again.

 

[ebb]

Since barrels don't last forever maybe next tine around a 260 rem?

 

[spclark]

Since barrels don't last forever maybe next tine around a 260 rem?

Or 260AI....

 

[Burga]

the RPA will NOT eject the "live" shell out the fully enclosed loading port!

Just curious, do you think you could possibly pull the bolt back past the bolt stop just far enough to let the tip of the bullet come out? And then push forward?

Assuming you wanted to leave the bolt in...

 

[Alan Warner]

Hey folks, putting this on the main board as I am hoping to find folks with exposure to both the RPA Quadlock and chambering the 6.5x284 cartridge, both are new to me.

I picked up a used, RPA Quadlock chambered for 6.5x284. It was built by one of the best smiths in the game. The gun is set up for long range highpower prone, which is how I intend to use it. I haven't shot it yet, but am getting ready to start reloading for it. Started doing some measuring last night.

Bolt face to the rifling is 2.410". I have no idea the history or round count on the barrel. I have no doubts the barrel has erosion. As a friend put it, "uhhh, its a 6.5x284, after 100 rounds they have erosion.."

Can anybody with 6.5x284 experience tell me if 2.410" is super long or might have some useable barrel life left?

Regarding the RPA Quadlock short action, at this 2.410" rifling length, a 142SMK seated cartridge has an OAL of 3.065". Not a crazy length by any means, but what I found interesting, is that the RPA will NOT eject the "live" shell out the fully enclosed loading port!

Is this normal for RPA Quadlocks? Of course a fired, empty piece of brass would eject just fine, but in the event of a cease fire, unload and clear your actions, there would be no way to eject the cartridge, and one would be forced to pull the cheek rest and extract the entire bolt.

A friend suggested trying to manually push the cartridge out of the extractor with the bolt back, but there is not enough cartridge angle to disengage the head of the brass case from the recessed bolt face.

Thru trial and error, the max OAL the RPA will eject is about 2.80-2.85". The seems excessively short for a 6.5x284 match loading.

Those folks with experience with either of these areas, please chime in. I am learning as I go here.

 

[Alan Warner]

Quick and easy bolt removal is the primary reason I long ago designed a snap on/off cheek hardware. Both for ceasefires and the RO at the end of a string.
If you fist hold the bolt handle and place your thumb on top of the action you can gain leverage when opening the bolt. A bit easier to manipulate while keeping it in your shoulder.
HTH
Alan

 

[Robert]

Most actions have spring-loaded ejectors wich means if you have to remove the bolt, the spring-loaded ejector push the live round across and finally often fell into the action where ith ave to be removed by hand. This is a double-operation issue.
The Quadlock have an inertia ejector actionned by the bolt stop at the end of the bolt rear stroke.
If the bolt stop is lifted to allow full removal of the bolt, the ejector is neutralised and the live round is maintained in place in the bolt face recess and come out with the bolt and can then be recovered without falling on the ground.
This is a major advantage IMHO.
R.G.C
c-g-designs.blog4ever.com

 

[Burga]

The Quadlock have an inertia ejector actionned by the bolt stop at the end of the bolt rear stroke.

Oh I see, I did not realise this as the pictures that I found online appear to be the standard spring loaded plunger ejector at first glance.