Ok. I just doubled checked my Nevius chambered Muller. Vudoo 360 action, .043 headspace. Bolt closes smooth with one finger and ejects a unfired lapua super long range round. Sounds like you have chamber issues . If bolt closure is smooth and doesn't take excessive effort then the chamber may be short and engraving the bullet more. You might check this by pulling a bullet and see if it will extract the unfired case. If it does then short chamber. If it doesn't then tight chamber. marks.
Curtis Custom 22lr conversion
- Thread starter DisplacedTexan
- Start date
Lapua's rem is the thickest of the top 3 brands. Eley is the thinnest then RWS then Lapua. Remove the bolt and see if the extractor catches the rem of a lapua case and locks in completely. If it does I would decrease headspacing. If it doesn't I would look at the extractor and its tensioner.An unfired case with the bullet pulled slides in and out of the chamber quite easily. It seats completely in the chamber with no pressure and I can easily pull it out again with just my fingernail. There's no resistance at all.
So I'm short for some reason and the bullet is seating to the point I can't extract it unfired. But I'm still having extraction issues with fired rounds on a round or two in every 3 mags. Even though the chamber is not tight and the bullet is gone.
It's gone from extracting 100% of cheap ammo, but not extracting Lapua at all, to extracting about 95% of Lapua/SK after an extractor swap. My CZ457 shot lights out with an IBI Barrel with a Calfee 4 chamber and it started sticking. I swore up and down the chamber had an issue. Then I swapped bolts with a buddy and it went away. But of course CZ has nonexistant support for that platform and a new extractor can't be had to save your life.
It sounds to me like it should be extracting. I scratch my head that the cheap stuff that mics out to exactly the same everything has never had an issueI have no idea why they are behaving di
Any of the Curtis sponsored guys shooting these yet? Or are they all shooting Vudoos and Rim-X's still?
Do you think you would run a 22lr conversion if this wasn't being sponsored?
How does this compare with the CZ you usually shoot?
I like the idea behind mutlicalibre rifles but kind of on the fence about a 22 conversion.
I feel like my 22lr is the one rifle I always take along to range sessions and that it warrants being a seperate rifle.
I worked with Chase on this 3 years ago. I think I have the the first working version. I had 1 of 1 for a long while. I used to shoot for Curtis and do my own smithing work so we did some experimenting with various extractor angles and tenon designs. I got mine working with a specific tenon design. Looks like thing mag insert is drastically different than the original and I see some changes to the bolt. Haven't heard from Chase in a couple of years, but glad to see the project is still going.
We have done a piles of these 22s now and are seeing amazing results across multiple brand barrels and twist rates. We actually have actions and barrels in stock.
Eagle Eye Precision does a lot of 22LR stuff on YouTube and when I asked his opinion on the conversion he said the following.
"...broken bolts. Headspacing only allows for .048", the bolt retracts as you cam over the bolt. The locking lug (if you want to call it) is prone for damage and being sheared off. The ejection molded aics adapter needs modification to fit any chassis other than MPA. Anyone that builds the barrel for this action as a cone breech is guaranteed to have metal shavings because the control round feeding geometry is trash. I can continue my list but I want to emphasize this is my opinion based off expirence and observation from 9 of these builds"
What are you take on some of these issues? I would absolutely love to have a valor quick change with this system so I can have a .22lr comp rifle set up and 6.5 PRC hunting set up. However...I don't want to spend 3k on an action, conversion, bolts and barrels if I'm looking at broken components
Saw that video, seems like that helps with reliability. Looks like the barrels would be about $1,125 for a prefit? Is that right?
Sounds like it which I think is wayyy too high. The Scout action with kit is $1050 direct from Curtis. That extra $1125-1148 for the barrel better be magical. $475 for the blank I get. But extra $650+ for CNC/lathe work is a little on the high end. But I don’t know jack about running CNC machines.
That's what I thought....but like you I'm not a CNC operator. I'm guessing that the extractor cuts are why it's that much
I shot them (DI) an email over the weekend asking how much it would cost to spin up a barrel if I provided everything. Haven’t heard back yet..
My two bits.... I've experienced none of that. Not sure what kind of forces he believes we're dealing with here that would shear off these hardened steel parts.
The AICS adapter fits just fine in my XLR Envy and Element.
I have a cone breech barrel, no metal shavings, and after some magazine tinkering that I've pretty much had to do with every custom bolt gun I have owned, the rifle feeds perfectly. I'm at nearly two bricks of ammo without a malfunction since my last posts. I doubt Chase tried to reinvent the wheel on feeding the rounds. I have a Bergara B-14 here and my buddies RimX has a cone breech that feeds very similarly. But I've seen some shooters struggle with those actions here and there. And I know he builds semi customs on that Bergara action a lot. I've seen Vudoos that the owners wanted to drag behind their truck by the end of the day. So I'm not sure what we're using for a base line here. I haven't seen a rimfire action that stands out above all the others.
I haven't had 9 of them. I've only had this one, and I've managed to get it running quite well and shooting fantastic with limited rimfire gunsmithing experience. Maybe he should start sending those clients to me
Glad to hear it's going strong. Thanks for the update! I think I will pull the trigger on this in the next few months. How much was the conversion on black friday?
We have plenty of experience doing the Curtis scout and valor conversion 22s we don’t see a headspace issue at all. Infact we test all of our 22s with Lapua and Eley ammo. We don’t just test for reliability but also accuracy. I think the Curtis platform when done right is very smooth and a absolute pleasure to shoot.
We’ve seen some slight modification needed for the mag adaptor with certain chassis or stocks but this is typically something we take care of at the shop.
We recently built a indoor testing range just to eliminate the vast amount of wind conditions we get at the shop, allowing us to test everyday now. Please feel free to call the shop if we don’t get back to you quickly enough on here.
We’ve seen some slight modification needed for the mag adaptor with certain chassis or stocks but this is typically something we take care of at the shop.
We recently built a indoor testing range just to eliminate the vast amount of wind conditions we get at the shop, allowing us to test everyday now. Please feel free to call the shop if we don’t get back to you quickly enough on here.
I just wanted to revive this thread to get any updated feedback from the conversion kit users. I have a kit ordered and wondering which way to go. Coned breach or DI’s treatment. Six of one half a dozen of the other?
Awesome to hear. I’m waiting for Curtis to call/email me back to order the valor qc with the conversion.
Thanks for the update. I’m sure all his kits going forward have been updated. Any way of telling new from old?
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Thanks again. And is it safe to assume your smith followed the tenon print to the T and didn’t have to make any adjustments? I don’t want any gotchas later on.
Could you quantify " my most accurate rimfire" ?
Is that v. Vudoo, Rim-X, Bergara, CZ, all the above?
Thanks!
Chase just called me back. Valor QC in route to the smith. I’ll make sure to post how everything goes
Do you know when Chase made the change to the extractors? If i have the early version i'll call and order a replacement set. I haven't had any issue yet but better safe than sorry and i've run mostly eley.
I picked up my Curtis today. Won’t have time to make it to the range today but the extractor did not want to extract Eley ammo. Mind you this is just hand cycling. I shot Chase an email so I’ll see what he says. Maybe it’ll be different when I actually fire a round. Works fine with everything else.
Good to know. My RimX always extracted live rounds so I was in slight panic mode today.Mine doesn't extract unfired ammo either.
Some do, some don't. Most quality match chambers don't extract until the round is fired. It depends on the dimensions. My chamber engraves the bullet about .030". No way it's coming out of there unfired
I lucked out on my throw down XRS stock. The polymer Vudoo mags lock in pretty tight with little to no slop. I was concerned because it doesn’t have an adjustment mag catch.
I have heard that the bolt in the Valor and Zeus are interchangeable wonder if this can drop in a terminus …..
…..I asked the same thing earlier, with no reply. If you find out it will work let me knowI have heard that the bolt in the Valor and Zeus are interchangeable wonder if this can drop in a terminus
You might need the optional adjustable mag catch if your chassis doesn't already have one. I just dropped the action in my KRG Bravo and there was way too much vertical play in the mag. Luckily I had one of KRG’s long mag catch handy and filed it down 2-3 hundredths to fit. I filed and fit as I went. Now there’s no vertical play but only a little front to back rock remains. It’s not enough to mess with hand feeding unless I push on the mag to simulate loading into a barricade bag.Fingers crossed there is no issue with the KRG chassis
I’m going to put a strip of loop Velcro on the front of the mag to see if I can remove some of the front to back rock. Other than that it should work just fine.
I have heard that the bolt in the Valor and Zeus are interchangeable wonder if this can drop in a terminus
Unless you have one of the first run Zeus's (with the .750" diameter bolt) then I would highly doubt it. When Joel changed the bolt body to .725", I believe he tightened the action diameter as well as the cocking piece height. Then again, I've never had a Zeus at the same time as a Curtis to try the interchange...@BuildingConceptsllc I believe you have both. Can you confirm a Valor bolt won't fit in a Zeus ?
The Terminus bolt is .200 smaller so it will go in the Curtis Valor but the Valor won't go in the Terminus. As you can see, they are pretty much exactly the same other than that difference in bolt diameter. I run several barrels between the two and can interchange them however I want to. I generally don't but I've shot em all on the 3 actions and they all space perfectly.
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Thanks for double checking...so that looks like a no-go on the 22lr conversion fitting
Took my new DI Precision build out to function test with various lots of random ammo I had. Zero issues with normal round nose ammo. Everything fed, fired, and extracted as Birddog said it would. The only thing it did not like were feeding the flatter Eley style bullets. I gave up after a few rounds. I also took the match ammo from my RimX and ran about 75 rounds through the Curtis. Zero issues with the Eley semi auto benchrest and it hammered.
The accuracy potential is definitely there. I managed to cluster 4 rounds and called the 5th down below which opened it up to little over 1/2” at 50y. Chrono numbers were great as well. I know it’s not a 5x5. So far I’m happy with the work and accuracy of the build. Wind was about 7-8 mph at the range. Time to start lot testing. Barrel is a 23” Krieger.
The accuracy potential is definitely there. I managed to cluster 4 rounds and called the 5th down below which opened it up to little over 1/2” at 50y. Chrono numbers were great as well. I know it’s not a 5x5. So far I’m happy with the work and accuracy of the build. Wind was about 7-8 mph at the range. Time to start lot testing. Barrel is a 23” Krieger.
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Did you have any fitment issues with the magnetic ejector with the bravo? Looks like a sweet build!
I love the note on the magazine!
Looking like a nice build above, and great magazine addition haha.
Has anyone been having light primer strike issues with theirs? Seems to be much more prevalent on eley ammo for me so guessing I may have a headspace issue, but it passed go nogo test when assembled originally. Going to try and recheck it this weekend when I can get to my gauge set.
Looking for input if anyone has any though. Thanks
Has anyone been having light primer strike issues with theirs? Seems to be much more prevalent on eley ammo for me so guessing I may have a headspace issue, but it passed go nogo test when assembled originally. Going to try and recheck it this weekend when I can get to my gauge set.
Looking for input if anyone has any though. Thanks
Nope. I had zero issues with fitment on the MDT XRS as well.
Just received my valor from the FFL. Chase didn’t send a mag or the ejector with it so it will be another little bit. I might get impatient and single feed it so I can shoot it lol
I’m not convinced my Timney will cut it. I’ve heard it’s hit and miss with light primer strikes in a Curtis so we’ll see. That and my mag catch might be too shot. I’m thinking I’ll have her up and running in another month. Fingers crossed!
All in all, I think we’re going to get along just fine…
I’m not convinced my Timney will cut it. I’ve heard it’s hit and miss with light primer strikes in a Curtis so we’ll see. That and my mag catch might be too shot. I’m thinking I’ll have her up and running in another month. Fingers crossed!
All in all, I think we’re going to get along just fine…
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Just got the ejector plate finally. Either I’m an idiot or it’s not fitting in my KRG whiskey 3. Any tips? Did you have the action removed from the chassis before install?
