American Rifle Company New Archimedes Action, New Xylo Chassis, and major Mausingfield revision

Nice work Ted,
Please do an in-depth tabletop video for us geeks when you get a chance. The way this bolt goes together, I really want to see that.

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wow - some people are needy. Its a gun, they will get it to you when its ready - just like everywhere else in the world. Next i will be seeing posts asking for breakfast in bed .... starting to sound very liberal-ish ... time to act like grown ups.
 
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wow - some people are needy. Its a gun, they will get it to you when its ready - just like everywhere else in the world. Next i will be seeing posts asking for breakfast in bed .... starting to sound very liberal-ish ... time to act like grown ups.

People are rightfully annoyed. Some of us have been waiting on a nucleus order for a year now. Instead of getting these orders out, ARC is releasing a brand new action, a revision of a current action, a brand new chassis, and they just did a hunter action for LRI not too long ago. The fact that they are doing preorders again makes me want to run away as fast as possible.
 
People are rightfully annoyed. Some of us have been waiting on a nucleus order for a year now. Instead of getting these orders out, ARC is releasing a brand new action, a revision of a current action, a brand new chassis, and they just did a hunter action for LRI not too long ago. The fact that they are doing preorders again makes me want to run away as fast as possible.
If you ordered before SHOT last year, and are still waiting, you missed the call and email to pay your invoice months and months ago
 
I would assume that other signs of a hot load would still be visible on the brass. Ejector mark/swipe, etc...

I think it has a mechanical ejector, which for all its benefits, not being able to see pressure like you can with a plunger style is a downside in my opinion. A downside that is outweighed by the benefits.

I try to get all my small primer loads shooting with cci-450s (just make supply chain that much easier). With the 450s in a mechanical ejector action the first sign I always get is sticky lift.
 
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I decided to hold back on Mausingfield deliveries because the upgrade was pending. You'll be receiving your action really soon and I think you'll be happy with it. That said, you're certainly free to apply any deposit that you may have paid us to any of our three actions. We aim to please, and as I indicated in earlier in this thread, 2019 will be about delivery and improving customer service. I appreciate your business and I thank you for it.

Ted
Will there be one at range day to shoot?
 
I think it has a mechanical ejector, which for all its benefits, not being able to see pressure like you can with a plunger style is a downside in my opinion. A downside that is outweighed by the benefits.

I try to get all my small primer loads shooting with cci-450s (just make supply chain that much easier). With the 450s in a mechanical ejector action the first sign I always get is sticky lift.
It still has the cut in the bolt face to make room for the ejector. On actions with a spring-loaded, piston-style ejector, it certainly isn't the spring pressure of the ejector against the base of the case that leaves the mark, but the recess in the bolt face through which the ejector protrudes that actually leaves the mark.

I've been able to see ejector slot marks as I approach the limit while developing loads in a Mausingfield without first noticing sticky extraction, but it could be that I just don't have the "touch" to feel extraction that requires just a little more effort than usual.
 
Well that's not really ARC'S fault then is it
In a way it is as ARC was sending actions out of order. People who ordered on the ARC website in the past 3-4 months were getting actions ahead of those who ordered via PVA a year ago. PVA has barrels ready to go for Nucleus actions but is backed up waiting on actions from ARC. Discussion on it in another thread, but it was attributable to ARC fulfilling their own retail orders over the pre-orders from PVA, even though PVA had posted about an agreement and PVA providing order times to ARC so that ARC could ship actions in order. So, ARC is not faultless...

Hopefully ARCs work to improve customer service will address things like this as well.
 
In regards to deliveries of Nucleus or John Hancock actions to PVA, the details of that matter are between ARC and PVA. All I can tell you is that we make the decision we make based on the information that we have when said decisions are made. What PVA discloses to you is up to them but I can promise you that you do not have the information you need to pass judgement on either PVA or ARC as it pertains to this matter. Both PVA and ARC are growing businesses and I leave it at that.

On the more general topic of delivery, American Rifle Company is in a much better position to deliver actions this year that it was twelve months ago. During the past twelve months we have made great strides towards vertical integration. Since Spring of 2018, we have been making actions almost entirely in-house. The only processes that we out-source are Swiss-turning, some heat treatment, DLC, nitriding, and anodizing. Vertical integration offers us the flexibility to constantly refine our products and to respond quickly to customer suggestions or problems that may be discovered. For example, a customer recently complained about the way a Nucleus action felt when closing the bolt. His sensitivity to the issue was higher than we anticipated anybody's would be. Nevertheless, that prompted us to take a closer look at the offending detail and we discovered that an improvement was possible. So we decided to rework about 500 bolt heads and suck up the cost in both money and time, about four weeks. That impacts deliveries.

Putting the infrastructure that we now have in place was an enormous amount of work. Technical problems were encounter and solutions were developed daily to keep moving ahead. We knew it was going to be hard work because coaxing an action out of a hardened bar of steel is not easy, but how often does anyone overestimate the expected difficultly of a large and complex project. The answer, never.

Now, the good news. All of that is behind us now. That's not to say that we won't encounter more problems, but the heavy lifting is done. Machines and processes are in place. Tons of steel is on the floor and carbide is ready to go. We have even implemented a new ERP system that's already making it easier to manage the business. And so I am optimistic about this coming year and finally feel like the company is ready to start shifting more resources to customer service. There are some amazing companies that set the customer service bar really high and we will strive to at least meet that standard. But last year, I thought it was more important to set a new standard for the bolt actions that we all love to shoot. Years from now, you're not going to remember ARC's shitty customer service or the fact that you waited longer than you though you would for your action. But you will remember your Mausingfield, or your Nucleus, or your Archimedes, especially your Archimedes because every time you shoot it, it will remind you of what a great action it is.

I just want to make you happy by making great guns. That takes time and effort, but we're getting there.

Ted
 
What is the weight on the XYLO?

Depending on the grip size, base weight is a maximum of 3.4 pounds. A forward optics mount and the bag bar will add weight. I think we're offering bag bars made from steel or aluminum. These are essentially weights as much as they are bag riders. A weight kit will be offered as well but decisions about that sort of stuff will be made after we get public feedback at Shot Show.
Ted
 
Barloc for Archimedes? Just wondering.
Since I posted my question about this very subject, I did a little poking around on the ARC website, and found that in the Barloc area, you can order the Barloc with the "coned", rail-keyed recoil lug.

Given the thought/planning that Ted and the rest of the ARC crew put into their products, I have to assume that that recoil lug will be compatible with the Nucleus, the Archimedes, and the redesigned Mausingfield. That said, I reserve the right to be wrong... but there is at least some indication that the Barloc and the Archimedes will play nice together.
 
@karagias how will the Archimedes feel during lift and close compared to the nucleus?

Impossible to answer because your brain is not attached to the nerve endings in my hand. I've never had a problem cycling any of my actions but I've grown used to them. I guess all I can really say is that I think the Archimedes feels like the best of the three because there are no extraction cams to feel.
 
The Archimedes uses the same BarLoc as the Nucleus.

That's great!

Is it possible to get the conical recoil lug with my pre-order, for a Shouldered Barloc?

Will barrels from a Nucleus Short Action (running shouldered Barloc) fit the Archimedes Long Action?

I have a PVA Nucleus Barreled Action on order and would like the option to switch to LA. Different action length, no go?

Thanks!
 
Thanks for the quick reply! Didn’t get a chance to watch the video because I was waiting to see who plays the Rams.

Preorder placed for a right hand, .308 w/ 20 MOA Rail.

My first custom. Now I just need to figure out which bar lock to get if I want a shouldered barrel. But plenty of time for that
 
That's great!

Is it possible to get the conical recoil lug with my pre-order, for a Shouldered Barloc?

Will barrels from a Nucleus Short Action (running shouldered Barloc) fit the Archimedes Long Action?

I have a PVA Nucleus Barreled Action on order and would like the option to switch to LA. Different action length, no go?

Thanks!

We can switch out the recoil lug to a conical one. (There may be a small upgrade fee) Send an email to [email protected] they will add a note to your order.

The SA Nucleus barrel will fit perfectly on the Archimedes LA.

Contact PVA on your order with them. not a problem on our end.
 
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In regards to deliveries of Nucleus or John Hancock actions to PVA, the details of that matter are between ARC and PVA. All I can tell you is that we make the decision we make based on the information that we have when said decisions are made. What PVA discloses to you is up to them but I can promise you that you do not have the information you need to pass judgement on either PVA or ARC as it pertains to this matter. Both PVA and ARC are growing businesses and I leave it at that.

On the more general topic of delivery, American Rifle Company is in a much better position to deliver actions this year that it was twelve months ago. During the past twelve months we have made great strides towards vertical integration. Since Spring of 2018, we have been making actions almost entirely in-house. The only processes that we out-source are Swiss-turning, some heat treatment, DLC, nitriding, and anodizing. Vertical integration offers us the flexibility to constantly refine our products and to respond quickly to customer suggestions or problems that may be discovered. For example, a customer recently complained about the way a Nucleus action felt when closing the bolt. His sensitivity to the issue was higher than we anticipated anybody's would be. Nevertheless, that prompted us to take a closer look at the offending detail and we discovered that an improvement was possible. So we decided to rework about 500 bolt heads and suck up the cost in both money and time, about four weeks. That impacts deliveries.

Putting the infrastructure that we now have in place was an enormous amount of work. Technical problems were encounter and solutions were developed daily to keep moving ahead. We knew it was going to be hard work because coaxing an action out of a hardened bar of steel is not easy, but how often does anyone overestimate the expected difficultly of a large and complex project. The answer, never.

Now, the good news. All of that is behind us now. That's not to say that we won't encounter more problems, but the heavy lifting is done. Machines and processes are in place. Tons of steel is on the floor and carbide is ready to go. We have even implemented a new ERP system that's already making it easier to manage the business. And so I am optimistic about this coming year and finally feel like the company is ready to start shifting more resources to customer service. There are some amazing companies that set the customer service bar really high and we will strive to at least meet that standard. But last year, I thought it was more important to set a new standard for the bolt actions that we all love to shoot. Years from now, you're not going to remember ARC's shitty customer service or the fact that you waited longer than you though you would for your action. But you will remember your Mausingfield, or your Nucleus, or your Archimedes, especially your Archimedes because every time you shoot it, it will remind you of what a great action it is.

I just want to make you happy by making great guns. That takes time and effort, but we're getting there.

Ted

Ted, I'm glad you are working on improving the customer service. It would definitely appear you have the technical, quality, and innovative side covered. These days it is so easy to lose a customer through poor customer service or lack of communication (as I'm sure you've seen), and it's really hard to get them back when there are others differentiating through the combination of technical & customer service excellence. It'll be great to see ARC grow to have better communication and customer service. I realize its a change in this industry.

And, yeah, my PVA Nucles barreled action will end up being 1+ year from order to delivery, but I apparently 'learned my lesson' as this time around I'm just pre-ordering the Archimedes directly from you. Or maybe I didn't since I'm still buying ARC products :) I do have a feeling you're right that a few years down the road the instilled memory will be of the quality of the actions.
 
I'm a big fan of ARC products (well, maybe not the mags ?)

My favorite action I've put my hands on is my Mausingfield, I can't help but not say anything but great things about that action. I really can't imagine replacing that action/rifle for a long time - it's very cleverly designed. The ARC M10 rings are another one of my favorite products, and sit on pretty much all my precision rifles and the wife's new precision rifle.

I'm not an early adopter for products, and my precision rifle stable is full (for now - need to budget for a house), but I'm watching this with interest. Very cool stuff.