Reliability of customs

[pineoak]

Yes, this is a very broad question and I'm framing it that way purposely.

What has been your experience with custom action/rifles?

Reliability? What would you have done different? Which ones worked well for you? which ones did not?

Anything you'd care to share.

 

[shoobe01]

VERY broadly:

If your custom rifle is set up for reliability, it'll be reliable.

Not trying to be snarky. You can and should discuss this with the custom shop.

BUT, many folks go "max precision I can afford" and simply don't ask this question, or buy from a "tactical" place (vs e.g. a benchrest place) so assume. You can absolutely can sacrifice reliability but usually /in poor conditions/. GENERALLY if you take all due care (cover, case, clean...) and are not typically using such a weapon to shoot in ice storms, etc all will be fine. Seen some very tight actions never bauble, but they are well cared for.


(Most of my experience with precision rifle pro/con along these lines is seeing other's stuff work or fail so I won't call out makers, models as I cannot guarantee I have 100% of the story there, hate to give the wrong info on anything).

 

[kthomas]

Customs have come a long way in the past 5-10 years.

My Mausingfield + BnA Tacsport combo has been perfectly reliable, and I've shot it in some horrible conditions. It replaced a GAP Crusader/Defiance Rebel action, which would lock up at the mere sight of dust.

The rhetoric that custom guns aren't near as reliable as AI's is from a previous era in custom actions and components. Sure, some still have issues (nucleus light strikes for examples), but most of the new custom actions and components are pretty much reliable as an AI these days. In the past couple of years, I've seen just as many issues with AI's as I have customs, these new customs have really narrowed the reliability gap that used to exist.

Use top quality components put together by a top quality gunsmith, and you won't have any issues.

 

[generalzip]

Want your cake and eat it too? Buy an Impact Precision 737 and have a competent gunsmith put on a SAAMI reamed custom barrel of your choice. End thread.

But seriously, most reliability issues you find are not rifle related. From what I've seen it's poor reloading practice, magazine issues (tiliting of folower, feed lips too open/closed), or trigger issues. That said some actions have been found to bind in dusty conditions such as defiance.

 

[steve123]

My Surgeon XL long action is perfectly reliable in a long action magnum cartridge. In 6.5 Saum (short case) it is not, if I don't run the bolt the correct speed it'll turn cases around backwards. I tried messing with the ejector but it's above my limited expertise.

My Mausingfield with it's Mauser claw type extractor and mechanical ejector needs a fast pull on the bolt to eject shorter cases but is more reliable than the XL is with a shorter case than the actions were designed for.

Both feed very well, especially with the mag lips bent just right which makes them feed buttery smooth.

Perhaps both could benefit from some GS tuning for shorter cartridges as far as ejection. I'm pretty sure there are some secrets to this I don't know about!

Seems to be a lot of hit and miss as far as which brand mags fit best in whichever chassis or stocks, getting that mag at the correct height is important, and some action types work better with either single stack or double stack mags.

Some mags, IMO, weren't designed the best from the start.

Reliability, as long everything in the action is working correctly, has as much to do with the OACL of the cartridge and the tune of the various relationships of the presentation of the case, in the mag, from the mag, to the feed ramp, and off of the extractor and ejector. Heck, sometimes cases can even bounce off a turret and screw the ejection up??!!

Off the top of my head poor reliability can also come from the trigger and sear relationship not jiving, triggers jamming up from dust, lighter firing pin springs, tighter tolerances in the bolt and raceway causing the bolt to bind, probably many more things.

 

[Rust]

Three of my custom rifles are all solid bottom single shots built for long range competition. For that they are very reliable. They are not field rifles for hunting or PRS style competitions.

I have a custom varmint rifle. Built as a field/walking/stalking rifle. Clearances of the action are more generous than the competition rifles, and the chamber is SAAMI spec rather than a tight competition chamber. It has been reliable for thirty years.

If you choose the components and build the rifle to suit its intended purpose, you shouldn't have a problem

 

[whatmeworry_45]

I think people used to get far too hung up on super tight bolt to receiver clearances and bolt nose to breech distance. But dirt has to have somewhere to go, unless it a range only gun then whatever, go wild.

Just my opinion

 

[jd5521]

If your custom is t reliable the. Your smith is shit. Just my opinion...