This is a brand new $2600 EX action.
This is a SS action and is not QPQ'd. The quality of the fit and finish shown here has also been seen on the Tactical actions that have come thru.
If this action were to be FNC treated it would not change anything about the fit and finish except for the color. The action geometry, chattered thread flanks, and zippered feeling while running the bolt would still be there.
Well, here are the photos. Let's start with the chattered threads. Chattered tenon threads, improper thread relief, no thread truncation, rolled over lead thread. It shows even in the thumbnail but in a full size picture it's rather telling.
It's sticky feeling just sitting on the table with light grease on the surfaces. It also makes a zipper sound while being actuated. The bore does not appear to have been honed and the bolt body OD really does not appear to have been polished or burnished. If you listen at 16-18sec into the video you can hear the bolt doing a "stick slip" type motion.
I apologize for the video quality, most of my household is asleep... basically just myself and the dog are up still. I was trying not to clunk around too much and wake my 4 year old.
The bolt handle root end has a breakout and pits due to the cutoff threads. This picture also shows the undercut region where the bolt body has some poor quality machining areas around the PE cam.
The bolt release screw is tiny and still has breakout and poor engagement in the receiver body.
The bolt nose surface where the cartridge rides is rough and the endmill used to finish it clearly needed to be changed. The surface finish in the root here will catch a nail with you drag a finger across it.
When I received the action I tried reaching out to BAT directly several times. They wouldn't return a call.
I tried reaching out to Mr. Butze since he is a Distributor for BAT receivers (he is from Bullet Central). His response to to tell me I was an inexperienced hater and that I lacked understanding in everything related to rifle receivers, building rifles, etc. He also ignored every single thing and instead dared me to prove him wrong about my statement that I found taper in tenon threads.
What this thread has proven to me is that the largest BAT distributor in the country is extremely arrogant.
My experience with BAT actions is not as deep as what Jamie has, the tactical is his pet receiver. It works fine, I would disagree with the statement that it is the finest thing on the market but it isnt BAD. I don't think anyone doubts their ability to make a receiver that shoots well however these days that's not really too special. There are more custom bolt action receivers that hit the market every year at SHOT. In 2008 it was a different story than today. There are a lot of good actions on the market. There are a few excellent actions on the market. I think that each one has something slightly different being brought to the table. I'm hard pressed to say, hands down, one is THE FINEST. There are things that I like and dislike about pretty much all of them. None of them is perfect but there are definintely some that do a better job than others. Consistent headspace, clean blends, clean surface finishes and holding consistent dimensions are important to me.
The headspaces on the BAT Tacticals that have come through my shop have varied over the gauge band entirely, a dozen receivers was 4 thousandths. They all had the same tenon geometry with no cutouts, the thread flanks were chattered and some of them exhibited slight taper in the thread PD. Not as bad as some others on the market but it was quantifiable and I altered the programming variables for each barrel in order to most closely fit the threads in that particular action. v
I have not seen a QPQ'd action gall. My issue comes from the fit and finish on the Tacticals. It does not impress me at all and chattered tenon threads are unacceptable.
