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Who makes the smoothest custom action.

XP1K

XP1K

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Jul 20, 2017
1,872
3,876
Texas
#1
As the title states, whose custom action is the slickest ?

I have three 700's now, two that I've built myself, but I'd like to try a custom action. I'm debating dumping one of my 700's to fund it. Maybe.

60 or 90 degree bolt throw doesn't really matter. Easiest to manipulate is more important to me.
 
#3
smooth in which way? bolt open/close between actions can be very very different. front to back loading/ejecting isn't all that much different unless you monkey fist your shit sideways

and yes. 60/75/90 degree does matter if you're talking 'easy to manipulate'
 
#6
Defiance owners be like
its-flat-sosmooth.gif


Impact owners be like
7a7087b0-aa3f-476d-9335-d8a0b221731b_text.gif


Bighorn owners be like
its-smooth-as-butter-bricky.gif


Lone Peak owners be like
002f6781-37eb-4091-b8db-e768c8573553_text.gif



Ruger Owners be like
feel-so-rough-wouter-de-backer.gif


Tikka owners be like
lick-ewww.gif
 
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#8
b6graham said:
smooth in which way? bolt open/close between actions can be very very different. front to back loading/ejecting isn't all that much different unless you monkey fist your shit sideways

and yes. 60/75/90 degree does matter if you're talking 'easy to manipulate'
Click to expand...
I guess I would prefer bolt open/close being the smoothest. But when running the bolt I don't want it to feel like a ruger American lol.
 
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#12
Impact, Defiance, Bat, ARC... all great custom actions.

I have a handful of Impact actions and have standardized on them for personal use. A well-broken in Impact action will get many compliments from shooters trying them.

Zermatt makes a very smooth action, but it can be subject to binding when trying to run fast.
 
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#17
1963 first year XP-100. Back then American’s knew how to make rifles and handguns, Fit and finish. If they had the equipment to make barrels and cut chambers as good as we have/can today, we’d still be shooting them. Curtis is smooth, but is a 60 degree action which makes bolt opening a bit heavier than an Impact.

In the end, i would bet that any of the custom actions would be more than smooth enough.
 
#18
Zermatt is the smoothest, of course its a 90, and 2 lug.

Curtis is as smooth as terminus , but the Curtis is a little less snappy which I prefer.

There's a few others that are 2 lug and 90 degree that are also claimed to be very smooth too and I'm sure they are but none of that that matters even a little bit when you are using them honestly. The custom actions are all really good so I'd be much more focused on type of feed you want and other features.
 
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#19
So I'm a left handed shooter that has always shot right handed rifles. At the monthly belly match I shoot, I got behind two left handed rifles to see what they were like. One was a ARC CDG and the other was a Defianfe from Robert's precision rifles.

Obviously, I cannot manipulate the bolt on a left handed rifle very well as I can a right handed rifle. I've shot right handed rifles all my life. The CDG bolt would grind and even stopped upon me running it back. The defiance was effortlessly gliding back.

I think if I was proficient with my left hand and had good dexterity operating the left handed bolt, the CDG wouldn't have been as bad. All this to say, the CDG is considerably more rough if you become off center or move the bolt back in a not so straight manner vs the defiance.
 
#22
OREGUN said:
I love the way a broken in Impact runs. I have three and likely won’t ever use anything else again. But goddamn if a Borden isn’t the smoothest action on the planet.

So Borden for me I guess is what I’m saying.
Click to expand...
Do you currently have any bordens ? I was just looking at the mountaineer and the alpine.
 
#24
Nothing wrong with the question, though it really comes down to mechanical / control rnd / push / trigger hanger / integral rail / recoil lug etc preferences.
Far more important than splitting hairs on function that is honestly undetectable......
Also, it will only be a 90' action that can compete for lightest, not necessarily smoothest
 
#26
6brshooter said:
Keep in mind a proper timed trigger that has different top sear options really help an action feel smoother on bolt cock/close
Click to expand...

This.

An action can only feel as "smooth" as the interface between the trigger and action allows it to.

Even the "smoothest" action can feel like ass if that relationship is off.

Beyond that, all the modern actions are pretty damn good these days. For "smoothness", a subjective and unquantifiable metric, there can be no one winner. It all comes down to preferences.

All my actions are "smooth". My TacOps R700 in birdsong coating. My Mausingfield M5. My polished and DLC'ed Deviant. My wife's LP Fuzion. They also all feel very different in their own nuanced ways. I wouldn't be able to pick just one, though perhaps if I was forced to it would be my M5.

Anyways, it's not hard at all to get a "smooth" action in 2024. They are pretty much all pretty good. Pick one that has the features you like and rock on.
 
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#27
I will say Impact.

That being said I don’t have experience or enough with all of them to say whether it is the smoothest or not. At least outside of Defiance and Impact.

What really matters to me is how smooth they run in a dirty environment. My Impact stays running smooth, but my Defiance would always bind when it got dirty. For that reason alone I sold the Defiance I had for competitions and went to Impact for everything. I still have a few Defiance Actions for hunting though.
 
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#28
Hey there buddy I haven't noticed anybody mentioning the Falkor actions. These are insane on how well they operate. We've had shooters use these relentlessly and you can barely even tell they've been used. They are designed to run dry and keep working through harsh weather and materials in the action. They are pre-fit capable. You should look them up.
 
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#29
StraightJacketArmory said:
Hey there buddy I haven't noticed anybody mentioning the Falkor actions. These are insane on how well they operate. We've had shooters use these relentlessly and you can barely even tell they've been used. They are designed to run dry and keep working through harsh weather and materials in the action. They are pre-fit capable. You should look them up.
Click to expand...
I'll check them out. Thanks.
 
#30
kthomas said:
This.

An action can only feel as "smooth" as the interface between the trigger and action allows it to.

Even the "smoothest" action can feel like ass if that relationship is off.

Beyond that, all the modern actions are pretty damn good these days. For "smoothness", a subjective and unquantifiable metric, there can be no one winner. It all comes down to preferences.

All my actions are "smooth". My TacOps R700 in birdsong coating. My Mausingfield M5. My polished and DLC'ed Deviant. My wife's LP Fuzion. They also all feel very different in their own nuanced ways. I wouldn't be able to pick just one, though perhaps if I was forced to it would be my M5.

Anyways, it's not hard at all to get a "smooth" action in 2024. They are pretty much all pretty good. Pick one that has the features you like and rock on.
Click to expand...
You've said your Mausingfield M5 with a BnA feels great. Did you use the sear that comes standard with the BnA or switch anything around? Just thinking of trying one on my Mausingfield since the bolt lift (with a TT Special and Huber) is extremely stiff.
 
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#32
NateVA said:
You've said your Mausingfield M5 with a BnA feels great. Did you use the sear that comes standard with the BnA or switch anything around? Just thinking of trying one on my Mausingfield since the bolt lift (with a TT Special and Huber) is extremely stiff.
Click to expand...

It was a while ago when I ordered the trigger, I can't remember exactly what sear I had to go with, but I believe it's the regular/medium one. I tried looking back at my invoice, but sear details weren't included.

You can always reach out to the bullet central guys, they will definitely help get you sorted.

My friend has an M5 with a Huber, and comparatively it feels atrocious next to my M5.
 
#33
kthomas said:
It was a while ago when I ordered the trigger, I can't remember exactly what sear I had to go with, but I believe it's the regular/medium one. I tried looking back at my invoice, but sear details weren't included.

You can always reach out to the bullet central guys, they will definitely help get you sorted.

My friend has an M5 with a Huber, and comparatively it feels atrocious next to my M5.
Click to expand...
I thought it may have just been a Huber thing but I don't think the TT Special felt any different.
 
#34
b6graham said:
Terminus > Curtis. for a million reasons
Click to expand...
I don't disagree with that, but...

"Smooth" is pure opinion and often means well broken-in. What is/was the smoothest out of the box isn't necessarily the smoothest in the arsenal. I have a Browning A-Bolt from the 1980s that is incredibly smooth. It feels like one of those ball bearing roller drawers. Probably as smooth as many or most custom actions out of the box.

The smoothest action I still have is probably also the oldest custom action, and it's a basic 60deg, Curtis, push feed from probably 2018ish that came on a MPA I had them build for me. DLC or whatever the hell they put on it is mostly rubbed off from honest use. On the 6th barrel. I know Curtis gets a lot of hate here, and there are other actions that are great, but that one has literally never failed me and I can cycle it in a match as fast as the F-Class guys run.

It's hard for me to say which one is smoothest out of the box because I have never compared them side by side, and it's usually a year or two between building another rifle. I can say that they seem to have just gotten better and better generally.
 
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#36
NateVA said:
I thought it may have just been a Huber thing but I don't think the TT Special felt any different.
Click to expand...

I've never put a TT in my M5.

My experience with TT's is that they tend to er on the side of more sear engagement. I had a TT trigger in a TL3 that dramatically increased the bolt lift and close due to the amount of sear engagement.
 
#37
kthomas said:
I've never put a TT in my M5.

My experience with TT's is that they tend to er on the side of more sear engagement. I had a TT trigger in a TL3 that dramatically increased the bolt lift and close due to the amount of sear engagement.
Click to expand...
What I need to do is track down the Huber's slave pins. Then I can just take it out, grab the BnA Pro-X off my Fuzion, and test it out. The barreled action went unused for a long time after I got it and only has 200 rounds on it so maybe it just needs a fair bit more break-in. The LP Fuzion's bolt lift was considerably lighter without any rounds on it though. My trued R700 with ~800 rounds on it almost flies open on its own during bolt cycling as well. So maybe the M5 will get there with a bit more use.
 
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#38
I cut the radius off of my TL3 striker and it dramatically improved the feel of the bolt close with the TT Diamond. It actually has .005" of decock on close now instead of the .015" of cock on close it had originally.
 
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#39
Let me ask you guys....why is "smoothness" of running the bolt a big deal. I'm not talking about timing the action/trigger or it binding from being badly pushed off center...just "smoothness?.

I only ask as I find that if I run the bolt with some authority, I don't really notice how "smooth" it is. Of course I am a wee bit dense and unobservant by nature! haha

Cheers
 
#40
Baron23 said:
Let me ask you guys....why is "smoothness" of running the bolt a big deal. I'm not talking about timing the action/trigger or it binding from being badly pushed off center...just "smoothness?.

I only ask as I find that if I run the bolt with some authority, I don't really notice how "smooth" it is. Of course I am a wee bit dense and unobservant by nature! haha

Cheers
Click to expand...

It isn't. It's probably the most worthless metric for judging an action I can think of. My favorite action isn't objectively smooth at all.
 
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#41
Baron23 said:
Let me ask you guys....why is "smoothness" of running the bolt a big deal. I'm not talking about timing the action/trigger or it binding from being badly pushed off center...just "smoothness?.

I only ask as I find that if I run the bolt with some authority, I don't really notice how "smooth" it is. Of course I am a wee bit dense and unobservant by nature! haha

Cheers
Click to expand...

It's an unquantifiable subjective element.

For me, I probably value light bolt throw and close over a nebulous "smoothness" quality, but I tend to incorporate that when I talk about "smoothness".

I personally don't like running the bolt hard and/or fast, and a light bolt lift and close really suits my personal style.

But it's all subjective.
 
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#43
kthomas said:
It's an unquantifiable subjective element.

For me, I probably value light bolt throw and close over a nebulous "smoothness" quality, but I tend to incorporate that when I talk about "smoothness".

I personally don't like running the bolt hard and/or fast, and a light bolt lift and close really suits my personal style.

But it's all subjective.
Click to expand...
I guess this is really more of what I was getting at.

I dont compete, so I never run a bolt hard or fast, I just want that whole process as "smooth" as possible.

Right now, my "smoothest" feeling action is a worked over 700 VLS in 243AI. Bolt lift sucks but it does have the factory adjustable trigger so there's that. (Change is coming) It's right around 2.5lbs and breaks decent enough for the occasional varmint/predator control it sees.
Cock on close is .018"
Pin fall is .258"

My smoothest overall action would be my 700LA in 300winmag. It's probably an 80's, or maybe even a late 70's vintage reciever, so round count is who knows. I picked it up used from a friend of mine and he probably took it in trade for something else. I've put roughly a thousand rounds through it myself since I've owned it over the last 10-12 years. It has a jewell trigger in it around 1.25lbs, and has the best bolt lift/close of my three 700's.
Cock on close is worst of the three at .025"
Pin fall is also the worst at .265"

Last up is the roughest of the bunch lol. 700 LTR. Also a worked over, this time by myself. It's just kind of rough all the way around.

Bolt lift is smooth, but a touch on the stiff side, closing it feels like it hits a detent that you have to push through. It has a triggertech primary set at the minimum 1.5lbs. Gretan firing pin assembly.

I did send the reciever to black canyon customs to have primary extraction corrected and also had the bolt handle welded.

Cock on close for this one is the best at .005" and pin fall comes in at .259"
 
#46
memilanuk said:
I see some people slapping the bolt around like they're a moonshiner shifting a 5-spd running from the feds.

Usually they end up spending whatever time (plus some) they saved bitch-slapping the bolt closed, getting the gun back on target. But hey, it looks cool... 🤷‍♂️
Click to expand...

People seem to think running the bolt quicker will make you a quicker shooter.

I remember when I was more involved in PRS how slow and deliberate the best shooters would manipulate their bolts. Like Matt Brousseau and Dave Preston.
 
#47
That's like saying the best gunfighters are the ones who draw slow and take their time aiming. That discounts the guys who can skin it and point shoot accurately. You can manipulate the bolt both fast and smooth. To me, if your bolt is running right, there's no reason not to cycle it fast. If I can't cycle it fast for whatever reason something is wrong. Granted, I am not the best shooter out there, but I don't drop shots because I'm cycling the bolt too fast. Saying working the bolt slowly is better is like saying it's better to take a long time to create the most stable position possible. Sometimes you have to shoot. The F class guys do it to shoot a condition, and I sort of feel like when I get a center impact I want to repeat it as quickly as possible. Yea, and it looks kewl.
 
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#48
Fig said:
That's like saying the best gunfighters are the ones who draw slow and take their time aiming. That discounts the guys who can skin it and point shoot accurately. You can manipulate the bolt both fast and smooth. To me, if your bolt is running right, there's no reason not to cycle it fast. If I can't cycle it fast for whatever reason something is wrong. Granted, I am not the best shooter out there, but I don't drop shots because I'm cycling the bolt too fast. Saying working the bolt slowly is better is like saying it's better to take a long time to create the most stable position possible. Sometimes you have to shoot. The F class guys do it to shoot a condition, and I sort of feel like when I get a center impact I want to repeat it as quickly as possible. Yea, and it looks kewl.
Click to expand...

I'm not saying it's better.

What I'm saying is that manipulating the bolt faster is not how you become a quicker shooter in PRS. That's a fallacy.

All it is, is shooter preference.
 
#49
XP1K said:
As the title states, whose custom action is the slickest ?

I have three 700's now, two that I've built myself, but I'd like to try a custom action. I'm debating dumping one of my 700's to fund it. Maybe.

60 or 90 degree bolt throw doesn't really matter. Easiest to manipulate is more important to me.
Click to expand...
I know this is the new taboo thing to mention, but If you don't want to dump a lot of money into it, and just want to get your feet wet with something that runs well, works great, and is nice and smooth, and takes shouldered prefits you can find anywhere, just pick up a Solus when it's on sale for around $650-700, and order you a nice Proof carbon fiber shouldered prefit in 6.5CM (steel is about 1/2 the price), and a TT Special, and screw it all together. Depending on your stock/chassis, and how good your deals are, you can have a really nice (and damn-accurate) custom build for well under $2K if you go with a steel prefit, and under $2,500 with the Proof CF barrel.
 
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#50
FuhQ said:
I know this is the new taboo thing to mention, but If you don't want to dump a lot of money into it, and just want to get your feet wet with something that runs well, works great, and is nice and smooth, and takes shouldered prefits you can find anywhere, just pick up a Solus when it's on sale for around $650-700, and order you a nice Proof carbon fiber shouldered prefit in 6.5CM (steel is about 1/2 the price), and a TT Special, and screw it all together. Depending on your stock/chassis, and how good your deals are, you can have a really nice (and damn-accurate) custom build for well under $2K if you go with a steel prefit, and under $2,500 with the Proof CF barrel.
Click to expand...
The thought of a solus has crossed my mind. I'm leaning more towards the 90 degree bolt throw though.
And I would say what I have now works "well", but when I build my next one in the future, I want to take it a little farther. I think my "budget" action would probably be an origin.

The option for shouldered prefits is a plus, and will be a consideration. I see a lot of nice use barrels come through here all the time. When it comes to new barrels though, I do my own barrel work, so that's a non issue.


6.5 creedmoor ? Not a chance lol. The only chance you may have of seeing me own a 6.5 creed would be if I got a barrel for my mws. And that's a slim chance.

I'm with you on the triggertech. Although I do like my jewell.

Stock/chassis, I'm torn between a whiskey 3 folder or a foundation.
 
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