2-1-2019 Wrap Up Post 3 (rifles and actions, Tubb, Badrock South Fork / Defiance, DD Delta 5, and ARC Archimedes and Xylo)
Tubb gun, scope, and magic dust
It never ceases to amaze me who has lines to meet them at Shot Show and who you can walk right up talk to without even a wait. Some "reality star" I never heard of, big long line, an Olympic gold medal winner or perhaps 11 time NRA high power rifle winner with a couple of Wimbledon cups, no line. Who wants to talk to the best shooters in the world anyway? I'm sure there is nothing worth learning from them. Of course, the 11 time NRA winner with a pair of Wimbledon's is David Tubb since nobody else has ever done these things.
Tubb had his 2nd generation Tubb gun on display along with some magic dust, his non-symmetrical bipod, and some information on his DTR reticle scopes. The rifle is actually named the Adaptive Target Rifle. The first rifle he designed was called the Tubb 2000, but everybody called it the Tubb gun as I expect this one will continue to be called. If Tubb 2000 wasn't catchy enough to stick, there is know way Adaptive Target Rifle has a chance.
David Tubb with his 2nd generation Tubb gun.
The main focus of the changes in the new Tubb gun is on keeping firing pin movement, case alignment, and barrel all coaxial. In the past, I have seen these issues mostly addressed through tighter tolerances on the parts involved. This is particularly so in benchrest actions. Tubb address things with a more engineering, rather than manufacturing, strategy. His new 3 lug non-symetrical bolt features cone shaped lugs that are actually pulled tight to self center by a spring at the back of the bolt. So, the bolt is both centered, and tight to the lugs, before firing. This will prevent the case from shifting, and seating, the whole arrangement during firing. The interface on the trigger with the firing pin in the new Tubb gun is not the conventional angled one that puts force upwards on the firing pin and down on the topsear. Instead, this interface is totally vertical so that the topsear will actually rotate forward when released not downward so no off axis force will be applied to the firing pin. No torque will be applied to the firing pin either thanks to Tubb's reverse coiled duo firing pin springs. When the Tub action is fired you do not see the bolt shudder at all. It is uncanny. The trigger itself is very similar to the Tubb 700 one with just the necessary sear geometry changes. Obviously, the action is not compatible with any other triggers. The new Tubb gun has a rather unusual proprietary magazine system. It takes just 1 magazine or a single feed block for all calibers and the magazine is machined rather than stamped for tight tolerances. This magazine is double stack, accepts different length limiting inserts for different cartridges, and can feed most of the sort of things you might want to feed from the .308 family, to WSM's, all the way up to 338 Norma (gun comes in standard, magnum, and 338 bolt heads). Magazine Capacity varies with what it is feeding. The front end for the new Tubb gun incorporates rounded, non-fleshpealing, picatinny rails and the barrel utilizes a barrel extension for the locking lugs rather than having them in the reciever. This both makes it easy to change calibers, and to have new barrels made. This generation of Tubb gun also incorporates the key features of the last such as face forward cheek positioning, cycling with no head movement, and lots of stock adjustability. the stock folds sideways for storage or to remove the bolt to clean. The rifle typically runs $5,850 and includes bipod and barrel extension but no barrel.
Overall, I was impressed with the new Tubb gun design. It includes a number of novel engineering solutions to problems I have seen others handle only by degrees. I am telling you, that bolt doesn't even shudder when you fire it. Furthermore, the geometry of a tube gun, with bore axis below, rather than above, the top of butt stock, has been well established as superior to the conventional alignment. The only thing I would suggest would be some variety in the forearm tubes available as different competitive disciplines are becoming quite specialized, and polarized in this respect. A PRS specific forend would certainly be a boon in that sport with it's dependence on quick adjustability of stops and bipods.
I'll talk a little about Tubb DTR scopes here. This is probably the most controversial product Tubb makes because it is a totally different system of drop and wind compensation than any other. The two sentence overview is that DTR reticles are caliber family specific reticles where you hold both drop and wind on the reticle. The system includes corrective formulas for differences in atmospheric conditions and ballistic variations from the model. This can get a bit complicated and if you want to fully understand it there are both guides, and a very nice shooting simulator / trainer, at davidtubb.com under DTR training. The advantage of the reticles is that they are both very fast to use and also show the shooter, on the reticle, their margin for error on range and wind calls. In fact, by simply googling the DTR reticle right now, you will probably learn that spin drift is a lot more important than you thought and that you have been missing some shots up or down because of wind left or right. Just looking at the reticle was a very enlightening experience for me. While I have mixed feelings about the trade offs and calculations nessicarry to use the DTR reticle in situations that increasingly depart from the ones it was ideally calibrated from, I can see the advantage it has for the trained user in the field. I can also see some glaring problems with the way wind is compensated for in what you might call the standard approach.
The last thing I want to talk about is Tubb's new magic dust. If this stuff works as well as he says it does this is going to make him a very wealthy man. Tubb dust is a very fine, non-carcinogenic (except probably in California) powder that you mix a tiny amount of (10 - 12gr / lb) in your gunpowder before loading to vastly reduce copper fouling in your barrel. The amount added is so little that you do not change your load recipe any. The guys testing it are saying the reduction in fouling is so dramatic that they are now going upwards of 500 rds between cleanings. Would I like to clean my high powered rifle as little as I clean my .22lr's? Yes please. I have some thoughts as to how something like this might work, especially, if most copper fouling is vapor deposited like my green muzzle brake suggests, rather than mechanically deposited. The dust is brand new and not yet on the site yet. I don't remember the exact price but I'm thinking it was something like $30 a tin and a tin was enough for many, many, 8lb barrels of powder. So, were not talking a lot of dough for the convenience here. Honestly, this could be the biggest change in reloading since temperature stable powders.
Tubb Dust to prevent copper from building up in the bore.
Defiance / BadRock South Fork rifle
This year Defiance machine company has formed a rifle making division of itself called BadRock rifles and is now producing a truly custom rifle quality factory rifle $1,995. Yes, that means that it qualifies for the PRS production division. Very few rifles exist that qualify division while still utilizing full custom level components. This rifle features:
-A new, Badrock specific Defiance action similar to the Tenacity but with a mechanical rather than plunger ejector.
- MDT LSS-XL Gen2 chassis in black or huckleberry (purple)
- Triggertech Primary (Yea, I know you want diamond but it is not in the budget)
- Match grade barrel with straight taper (looked like maybe a #8 standard target contour) with 5/8 - 24 threaded barrel (makers will likely vary on the supply of this)
BadRock South Fork rifle from the guys at Defiance machine
The price on this thing is rather shocking and there is some secret sauce to that. The greatest amount of savings is actually the bolt design on the new action. It is actually both the cheapest to make, and most precise of the Defiance line. It is done entirely, from stock to finish, without being removed from the machine, on their finest new Mazak machine. The bolt was specifically designed for manufacturing process efficiency. Similarly, the pinned recoil lug and rail vs the integral ones on the Deviant and short bolt handle with long knob vs. the opposite on the Deviant are also for manufacturing savings. Other cost savings come from volume deals with component suppliers and the ability to batch manufacture models rather than do individual custom guns. Lastly, the scope rail is not technically included in the $1995 but rather is a $75 extra. I guess it doesn't have to be and were not dealing much in the way of margins on this rifle.
The model nature of the South Fork rifle should be highlighted as you cannot order these things in any way custom. You get three choices. For color its black or purple (huckleberry.) In the short action variant the caliber can be 6cm, 6.5cm, .223, or .308. Lastly, you can get it in right thinking or sinister handedness. Barrel length, barrel maker, contour, stock, trigger, action, bolt knob, and anything else, are off the table. As far as components go, rifles don't get any more custom than this but as far as options, they don't get any less custom.
My first thought on the South Fork is that full custom level quality in the production level, $2k price point is pretty amazing. Off hand, I can think of only one other rifle that does this and most production model custom guns are not even close. BadRock did it with a nice MDT chassis no less instead of something less adjustable and plastic. I think I might even like the BadRock action better than Defiance's other actions as I far prefer mechanical ejectors that don't spit my brass all over to plunger ones and don't really care that much about integral rails and not at all about integral lugs. For now, this action is only for the BadRock rifle for those of you now wanting it. The only thing I really dislike about the South Fork is the heavy barrel contour. I know they were on the fence between a rem varmint contour and the heavier straight taper (the early prototypes on display were varmint) and I far prefer the varmint. I'm not sure if their decision on this will prove to be the correct or incorrect one as match shooters will almost all want the heavy straight taper barrel and everybody else will want the mid weight varmint or lighter.
As for rebarreling your South Fork, the tolerances are such that barrels can be cut on spec such as benchrest shooters have long had done from top flight builders like Kelbly's. BadRock is not yet sure if they are going to be willing to just ship out barrels for you to torque on with a barrel wrench and vice yourself. I expect they are a bit worried about the yahoo novice here and suspect, with no input from the BadRock guys here, that you may be able to talk them into it if perhaps you can explain to them what a chamber gauges are, how to use them, and what torque to apply to a barrel. In any case, the prices for a re-barrel are not yet set but because of the batch, factory, nature of them they will be cheaper than the blank + chamber + thread for suppressor prices you are used to. I was thinking something starting with a 6 after talking to them.
Daniel Defense Delta 5
I'm not sure what I was expecting from the Daniel Defense Delta 5 but whatever it was it must not be what I got because I came away feeling very meh and that was before seeing the BadRock rifle, so I hadn't been spoiled. The delta 5 combines some AR like features with some 700 ones. It uses 700 triggers and AICS mags but has a barrel / barrel nut design similar to an AR. Some things I have read say that the barrel has a barrel extension though the rep said it did not. I believe it does as the 55 ft/lbs you are supposed to torque it on with is not enough for no extension. The bolt is 3 lug 60 degree and the barrel is cold hammer forged and user replaceable, I believe, with an extension, AR15 style.
I think the big turn offs for me were the $2,199 price, the cheap looking reinforced plastic stock, and the CHF barrel. Sure, you can make a really accurate CHF barrel, but most are not. Also, aside from 700 trigger interchangeability, what precisely am I getting that makes it $600 more than a Ruger RPR that looks better, has better stock geometry, and I can get a $550 Kreiger barrel for that I can install myself when the time comes.
Daniel Defense Delta 5, not a pretty gun.
It may be the case that the DD Delta 5 shoots great. The machining on the bolt does look a bit cleaner than an RPR though, not custom rifle clean. Of course, the RPR is already well known to shoot lights out and I think we are all familiar with Ruger not doing the cleanest machining on non-critical surfaces and then re-directing that money critical components. My mark 2 is basically a pipe with a barrel screwed into it and it shoots lights out. Bottom line, the Delta 5 just didn't light it up for me.
American Rifle Company Archimedes and Xylo Chassis
This year ARC rolled out a new action, "improvements" to it's original Mausingfield action, and a new chassis. Yes, I put "improvements" in scare quotes because not everybody seems convinced that it is being improved. For what it is worth, I agree that some things are improvements and others look like small steps down that make it significantly less costly to make. Several of the changes also bring it closer to the Nucleus in appearance and function. My guess as to the net effect of this will be more migration to the lower priced Nucleus action. I can't say that I see much in the way of advantages the Mausingfield has to justify the price difference. Most of the improvements, and changes for that matter, were actually found in the Nucleus already.
American Rifle Company's new Archimedes action in the Xylo Chassis
ARC's new action is called the Archimedes and departs significantly from most actions on the market in the way it handles extraction and loading. The key difference is that, on almost all actions, rotating the bolt also moves cams it forward (closing) or backward (opening.) This gives mechanical advantage to the final seating of the round in the chamber and to the initial extraction of the fired case from the chamber but, at the price of a heavier feel to the bolt lift and movement of the extractor on the case during primary extraction in most actions. The Archimedes has squared lugs and the bolt does not move forward or backward when being opened or closed. For the primary extraction, the bolt handle actually pivots backwards around a pin in the bolt while the other side impinges on a shelf in the receiver creating mechanical advantage and no movement of the extractor on the case. To ease some folks worries, the pivot between the bolt and handle does not feel sloppy. It feels different, but not in a way that is loose or will turn you off. That is what the proverbial "she" said anyhow.
The big question you should have when contemplating the Archimedes is what reloading sins do you commit? Do you push your pressures and often get stuck cases and difficult extractions? Do you ride the edge on shoulder bump back to maximize brass life and, some people think, accuracy? Do you load into the lands for the various good and mostly terrible reasons people sometimes do that? Your answer means a lot when it comes to the Archimedes action because, in changing the way primary extraction is done, you may be getting more extraction force, but you are also removing the mechanical advantage in the final seating motion of the round into the chamber altogether. For my part, I do not tend to push pressures or get stuck cases. I do try to ride the edge on shoulder bump back though. So, I get a snug close from time to time. I don't feel like I need more extraction force and don't really want to give up mechanical advantage on close. I think that whether or not you like the Archimedes really comes down to whether you frequently have issues with stuck cases and how frequently you have rounds that fit tightly in the chamber.
In addition to the new action, ARC released the Xylo Chassis. This is a very competition oriented Chassis in that most of it's features are designed around speed. It's Cheek and LOP adjusts are more rapid than any others I have seen. They do not lock down to use and then have to be loosened to adjust. Instead, adjusting them is a one step, operation. The forend is also built for speed and has both the Arca rail system for bipods, barricade stops, and tripod mounts while also having an Anschutz rail for handstops. There are holes in the Anschutz rail for barricade stop pins. These would presumably be of the MPA variety. The mag well is low and flared for easier mag changes. The part that I like best, aside from the Anschutz rail which I love, and nobody else puts in any more, is the grip. Lots of folks have seen the big, ugly, oven hardening polymer clay grips I have on all rifles I compete with because the hand position on most stocks is terrible and that is a huge disadvantage. They Xylo has a grip that fits my hand perfectly. The pad of my finger lands relaxed and perpendicular on the trigger and the thumb fits comfortably vertically up the back of the grip. If it doesn't fit your hand, that is not a problem, you can get a big, unfinished walnut grip blank that you can hack on yourself. If you want it uglier, you could also slap some polymer clay on the stock and mold one. The fasteners are already there so it is easy. The designer, Keith in this case, also has an interesting idea about making the grip sides flat so you are only gripping with the front and back of the grip to prevent the application of torque to it. I would have to experiment with that to see if I think it has any value but the grip is quite comfortable and I like the unfinished sanded wood feel as well. Overall, the Xylo has some great points.
BAT TR action
BAT Machine Co. has been making benchrest actions for many years now with far more titles than I could count. In 2017 they decided to do a tactical version called the TR. The TR has the changes you would expect in such a product: different fluting, integral rail and lug, bigger port, better extraction and ejection geometry, more open magazine well for AI and AW mags, and a re-profiled bolt for better toleration of dirt. Like the Kelbly Atlas, it retains the trigger hanger from it's benchrest roots so you can tune the firing pin fall that way if you have a problem. I mention this action here even though it is not new this year because it was the smoothest I felt at the show. At $1,645 it may also have been the most expensive, but it did feel crazy slick.
BAT TR tactical action
Next up I think I'll do triggers and maybe some miscellaneous stuff before circling back to optics again.
