Help me find a specific action

[-Time-]

Apparently my google-fu is weak, because I’ve spent days unable to find an action with these features:

-Savage small shank threads for easy barrel swaps with a nut
-60* bolt throw (AI ball style bolt knob preferably)
-integral recoil lug
-r700 pattern
-drops directly into an AIAX chassis
-compatible with the double stack AW mags
-sub $1200
-good looking

Closest I’ve found is the ultimatum deadline, fits basically everything but apparently it needs a bit of modification to work with the AX chassis, modifying the tab for the AX mags, the mag release lever, and maybe the trigger pocket and recoil lug space.

Alternatively is there a smith willing to do the modification work to the chassis to fit the deadline for a reasonable price?

 

[Shanerbanner10]

The Origin is as close as your going to get unless the ARC Nucleus goes to a small shank. As for bolt knobs they can all be replaced.

If you're looking for easy barrel swaps spend 2 hundred more and get the Curtis Customs Vector. 3 lug, 60 degree throw, quick change barrel system, r700 footprint, integral lug and rail, drops into any chassis, works with AW's.

 

[-Time-]

The Origin is as close as your going to get unless the ARC Nucleus goes to a small shank. As for bolt knobs they can all be replaced.

If you're looking for easy barrel swaps spend 2 hundred more and get the Curtis Customs Vector. 3 lug, 60 degree throw, quick change barrel system, r700 footprint, integral lug and rail, drops into any chassis, works with AW's.

The vector looks sweet, but my hope for an action is really to be able to buy off the shelf prefit barrels to replace at home, avoiding a smith, but it seems the vector requires specifically spun barrels to take advantage of their quick change system.

 

[Shanerbanner10]

Barrels at home is cool and all, but if you're going to spend the money do it right and get a properly fit shouldered barrel.

 

[Dirty D]

Barrels at home is cool and all, but if you're going to spend the money do it right and get a properly fit shouldered barrel.

Because nobody ever won anything with a Criterion.

 

[-Time-]

The Origin is as close as your going to get unless the ARC Nucleus goes to a small shank. As for bolt knobs they can all be replaced.

If you're looking for easy barrel swaps spend 2 hundred more and get the Curtis Customs Vector. 3 lug, 60 degree throw, quick change barrel system, r700 footprint, integral lug and rail, drops into any chassis, works with AW's.

Actually looks like the nucleus works with savage small shanks, so that’s at the top of my list for now. I believe the only requirement it doesn’t fit is the AW mags, but I imagine that’s hard to pull off with CRF

 

[PBWalsh]

Ted from ARC said his mags fit into it and are only 3/8” longer than AW mags. So yeah, not AW length, but dang close.

 

[Shanerbanner10]

As far as I know a non shouldered barrel has never won a PRS match. They may have won some other stuff, but don't think they've ever done well in PRS.

I personally just don't trust it. I know and understand why people like them, just not for me.

 

[-Time-]

As far as I know a non shouldered barrel has never won a PRS match. They may have won some other stuff, but don't think they've ever done well in PRS.

I personally just don't trust it. I know and understand why people like them, just not for me.

To be perfectly honest I’m not a phenomenal shooter. On a good day I can stay about 1/2” at 100 with my 300wm, maybe a little less. Unless you’re telling me shoulderless barrels don’t shoot better than 3/4 or 1/2 moa, the rifle will always be better than me. I also imagine the whole PRS shooter thing has more to do with the Indian, and less with the bow.

Im also not a rich guy, I don’t have lots of rifles, so sending a rifle off for 3 months or more to a big time smith to have him swap a barrel every year or two doesn’t sound like a good time. To me, the ability to order a prefit barrel whenever, and throw it on in my garage, outweighs the minimal accuracy improvement of a shouldered barrel. ARC also seems like a very well respected company, I can’t imagine them throwing something like the barloc system out, if it performed poorly.

At the end of the day, to each their own. Maybe 3 years from now when my shooting improves I’ll realize shouldered is the only way to go, but right now I truly don’t think it’ll be anywhere close to the top 50 factors of why I missed a target.

 

[Rthur]

Pre-fits are handy and all but you could have "your" smith turn 2-3 barrels at once and achieve similar goals.
Couple of tools required.
Switch barrel rifle is common parlance.
Witness mark on action and barrels, drop in go gauge to verify and go.

R

 

[-Time-]

Pre-fits are handy and all but you could have "your" smith turn 2-3 barrels at once and achieve similar goals.
Couple of tools required.
Switch barrel rifle is common parlance.
Witness mark on action and barrels, drop in go gauge to verify and go.

R

Do you know of any actions that fit all of my requirements besides using savage small shank threads?

 

[Rthur]

Not off the top of my head.
60 degree bolt throw
700 foot print
I'd say you'll have to choose between these two.

R

 

[Bender]

Buy an RPR, buy all the pre fit tubes you want, spend your savings on the best glass you can, run AW or Magpul double stack mags.

 

[buffybuster]

As far as I know a non shouldered barrel has never won a PRS match. They may have won some other stuff, but don't think they've ever done well in PRS.

I personally just don't trust it. I know and understand why people like them, just not for me.

I believe this is a bit of the misleading statement. Every major match in my recent memory has been won by a sponsored shooter. Many of these sponsors are gunsmiths and having their shooter use a prefit barrel goes contrary to the purpose of sponsorship which is drum up more gunsmithing business.

I think a shouldered barrel is superior to a prefit barrel nut but the difference is slight and the approximate $300 difference is not insignificant if you're self-sponsored by Visa/MC...

 

[-Time-]

I'm not sure the 60 degree bolt throw or AW mags are worth it. Kind of paints you into a corner for features that most shooters don't find necessary to shoot well.

Tempest - busts the 1200 mark
Nucleous - not an integral lug (which is only necessary for one type of switch barrel set up)
Origin - not 60 * and doesn't take AW mags
Deadline - busts the 1200 mark
TL-3 - not 60 *

Guess you need to spend an extra $150 or just get a 90* throw

Yeah I’ve kind of dumped the AW mag idea at this point. I think being able to top off a magazine through the port would be nifty, but it doesn’t seem worth the extra headache in trying to find an action.

I think I’ll just end up ordering a nucleus with Barloc when they come back and stock, it should fit the AIAX chassis minus mild modification to the rail to clear the barloc, and while it’s not an integral lug, its slotted so it should be easier to pull barrels.

Thanks for bringing me back into reality guys.