Re: Cheytac M200 .408?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dogtown</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yep, the way I've come to understand it over the years is that EDM was involved in developing a scaled-down version of the .50BMG Windruner for Cheytac, which was developing the .408CT cartridge at the time. Bill delivered a number of rifles for testing and initial production. The M200 was essentially the XM04, but with modifications to the bipod assembly and a few other things. Lawton provided barrels & brakes for the production models. At some point around 2004 EDM and Cheytac had a falling out and Cheytac went on to produce the M200 through a different parts provider.
That's where much of the confusion about the rifle began. Bill continued to sell the slightly scaled down model of the M96 as the XM04, keeping the original Windrunner configuration. At the same time, Cheytac was making their modified Windrunner through a different source until they went belly up.
During this time, many of us bought XM04s from Bill over the M200 for the simple fact that it was nearly half the price. A select few were able to get M200 parts that allowed them to convert their XM04s into the M200 configuration and Lawton made some M200 barrels for XM04s for a bit as well. Around 2008 Lloyd at RND Precision started making a barrel shroud/bipod assembly for a select few Windrunner owners and eventually this became popular. Somewhere around 2009 Bill licensed or sold the design of his .308WIN Mini-Windrunner to Nemesis Arms. Not long afterward it appears he licensed the XM04 with extended bipod (not barrel shroud mounted) to THOR, which is essentially Knesek Guns in AR, who were also a Cheytac dealer. In the last year, Bill decided to make his own barrel shroud/bipod modification for his rifles available.
That's the current state of things, as I know it. </div></div>
Dogtown gets it pretty close. In this thread (
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1708546&page=1 ) I mention the actual production run of EDM for Cheytec and the "build type" of those rifles. That really sets the stage and, if you read between the lines, explains why QC really lapsed between the EDM "matched" sets and the earliest Cheytec "build to completion" rifles sets the stage. IMO, the earliest genesis of the "trouble" we would come to see in Cheytec can be found by understanding the manner that Cheytec dealt with EDM. It was not pretty and EDM quickly broke all associations. The story goes that from then on, Ritchie would hunt down any Cheytec supplier facility producing receivers and have a judge close them down. No, Cheytec never made their own receivers, outsourcing was all they had until perhaps the very end.
For all the reasons posted, and a whole host of others not posted, Cheytec is no more.
EDM has also fallen on hard times. It appears Bill is in Hurricane Utah, Kerry (the man responsible for every machined receiver) has left California and maybe presently in AZ. Now Bill, was always, always. always against the Cheytec free float tube and carry handle. Now, it appears that EDMs new rifles have the tube and the above barrel axis fully rotating bipods. Equally interesting, NO rifles can be sent to Kerry (only the barrel nut), odd at best. In any event the EDM story (which really IS the Cheytec story) is hazy now at best.
Otherwise, Nemesis Arms, after finally addressing some 32 important improvements to the EDM chasis is, once again, sold out and as busy as can be. In fact they just bought a *hit load of new equipment, here are some shots. Nemesis Arms, now has a speed barrel nut, no break bar, Ti Nitrating, new Timney trigger exclusively made for the Vanquish. And, get ready, a custom stretched .338 Lapua frame is in design.
Glory days at EDM
Equipment arriving at Nemesis..