Howdy!
Just wanted to share some info on the Barnard SMS. I know there are a few of us out there who have these (at least 27 anyway), and maybe some of y’all are having the same kind of issues I did.
First and foremost, I think this action is incredible, I love how slick it is, and I absolutely love how the bolt is easily disassembled. Plus, Barnard has made Palma actions for years, so you know they’re accurate. If you didn’t know already, they differ from normal rem 700 actions in that the bolt lugs do not protrude from the body. There is a relief cut that the receiver lugs move in when the bolt is closed. I believe this is one of the reasons the action feels so great.
I can keep going in about what I love, but let’s get to the issues:
First, it uses a trigger hanger. This is a bit of a pain since most chassis/stocks are not cut to accept a hanger. I had to remove a good amount of material from my mini-chassis and some from my Bravo to make this work. Nothing out of the ordinary, and a Dremel will fix it. Just annoying.
Secondly, I kept having feeding issues. The next round would get caught on the bolt body at the relief cut when closing the bolt, I had a hard time figuring this out bc I figured it was a magazine problem. The fix ended up being fairly simple- just using a Dremel and sanding/polishing the shoulder of the relief cut behind the 6:00 lug. Now it feeds flawlessly.
Thirdly, bc the ejection port is fairly large, and the bolt stop is pretty long, you’ll need to take some material off of whatever stock you’re using. Just be prepared for it.
Lastly, and the worst part- Barnard is closing up shop. I know there are a few actions left to be purchased in the states, but once they’re bought they’re gone. Replacement parts will likely be hard to come by, and the only place able to help will likely be Whidden Gunworks.
That said, they are a good looking action, and I am hoping to buy another here shortly.
Just wanted to share some info on the Barnard SMS. I know there are a few of us out there who have these (at least 27 anyway), and maybe some of y’all are having the same kind of issues I did.
First and foremost, I think this action is incredible, I love how slick it is, and I absolutely love how the bolt is easily disassembled. Plus, Barnard has made Palma actions for years, so you know they’re accurate. If you didn’t know already, they differ from normal rem 700 actions in that the bolt lugs do not protrude from the body. There is a relief cut that the receiver lugs move in when the bolt is closed. I believe this is one of the reasons the action feels so great.
I can keep going in about what I love, but let’s get to the issues:
First, it uses a trigger hanger. This is a bit of a pain since most chassis/stocks are not cut to accept a hanger. I had to remove a good amount of material from my mini-chassis and some from my Bravo to make this work. Nothing out of the ordinary, and a Dremel will fix it. Just annoying.
Secondly, I kept having feeding issues. The next round would get caught on the bolt body at the relief cut when closing the bolt, I had a hard time figuring this out bc I figured it was a magazine problem. The fix ended up being fairly simple- just using a Dremel and sanding/polishing the shoulder of the relief cut behind the 6:00 lug. Now it feeds flawlessly.
Thirdly, bc the ejection port is fairly large, and the bolt stop is pretty long, you’ll need to take some material off of whatever stock you’re using. Just be prepared for it.
Lastly, and the worst part- Barnard is closing up shop. I know there are a few actions left to be purchased in the states, but once they’re bought they’re gone. Replacement parts will likely be hard to come by, and the only place able to help will likely be Whidden Gunworks.
That said, they are a good looking action, and I am hoping to buy another here shortly.
