For my 100th post, I thought I would participate in a thread that I can really lend some solid "experience" to. I have been reading and lurking on SH for well over 3 years. I just joined last year so I could make sure nobody else used my screen name, and because I figured it was time to start asking questions. I felt that I had searched enough, read enough and learned enough about how you guys operate that I had paid my dues and would not be a "newb" burden to the sometimes cantankerous long timers I have seen unload on folks here. I am still learning, but I love this place and feel like there is a shitload to learn here.
That being said, I have direct experience with 2 out of the 3 items the OP mentions in his initial post, so I can share from a place of experience and not speculation. Here goes.
The JAE 700 just started to roll out. I know ordering right now is a year wait. Only way to get one faster is hope you find someone selling it and that will be rare.
I would suggest this (finding one used) will be EXTREMELY rare, because I can't see anyone who waited as long as you have to wait to get one, being even marginally disappointed enough with it to sell it anytime soon. I ordered 2 of them when I ordered. I waited the time I was required to wait and then I built the rifles I wanted to build around them. I will NOT be selling either one of mine anytime soon. If any of you are motorcycle enthusiasts, then you will remember when the Ducati 916 first came to America. It was like a fine piece of art. I was a motorcycle racer back then, and was partially sponsored by Suzuki. I wanted a 916 but had to wait until the 996 came out to buy one. I did, and it was like owning a fine piece of Italian art. I would have never sold that bike. It was just that bitchen. Mine was stolen 2 years after I bought it and I was gutted. Unless someone steals my JAE's, I will own them for a very long time. See pics below.
Last I heard, Surgeon has suspended all orders due to a massive backlog. You may have a tuff time getting something from them at this point in time.
The first rifle I wanted to build around the JAE was a Surgeon Scalpel. It could equally be argued the only chassis I could dream of resting a work of art like the Scalpel in was a JAE. The Surgeon is just that bitchen too. Call me weird, artsy, a fag or whatever you want, but I like nice things and I am willing to pay the price. A Surgeon Scalpel resting in a JAE-700 is no less bitchen than my Ducati 996 was, and I had it (the 996) dressed out in all of the carbon fiber bad assness (including Termignoni exhaust) that you could get at the time. (again, see pics below).
Next, I had a major dilemma. I had another JAE-700 that needed a mate. Since I already had a flagship rifle, with a flagship action and all of the good stuff that goes along with it, I decided to do a custom Remington 700 build because I needed to see just how close a factory action could come to measuring up to the Surgeon. Yes I could have sold off some toys to pay for another top shelf action, or purchased another Surgeon, but I felt that would have been silly. Why not prove to myself that a good R700 touched by the golden hands of a solid builder (machinist) could be just as good if not better than a fancy high brow barreled action? That was it. I had my mind set and was on a mission.
I called several builders, all of whom are held in high regard here on the Hide, and I settled on Chad Dixon from Long Rifles Inc. From the get go, I knew Chad was the real deal. He spoke the language I spoke (hot rods, race bikes and machine tools). His advertised turn around time was wayyyyyyy acceptable, and his attitude was bad ass. We clicked, and I knew he was going to get my money. He knew it too. I had a new (Bartlien 5r 1:10) barrel that I had previously secured from Bugholes in hand, and had a bone stock Remington 700 SPS tactical with 60 rounds down the pipe ready to come apart and be sent his way that night. He had it all in his hands 3 days later, and I had a Jewel trigger drop shipped to him from Brownells the following day. I also sent Chad a dummy .308 round that I built with a Hornady 178 BTHP seated to the lands in my Surgeon, so that he could match the chamber on the new build as close as possible so that I could potentially share rounds between these 2 rifles. The clock was ticking.
Long story short, a short time later, I had my new barreled action, (which was the first action to come off Chad's new bad ass machine center) in my hands, and that night it was mounted in the 2nd JAE-700 chassis. It is a thing of beauty. (see pics below).
I am going to do a full range report write up in the next few days on the Long Rifles rig, but I am going to wait for the 2nd range trip so I can confirm a few things before I do. The bottom line is that with 150 rounds down the pipe on it's first outing, being hardly broken in, this fucking thing is a laser beam. It truly is ungodly accurate, and is nothing short of amazing.
What I am trying to get across to you here, is that you might just want to reconsider the long wait on a custom action build. Get a Remington 700 in any flavor you want, order a barrel from Bugholes, send it all to Chad and buckle your fucking seat belt. He hung the barrel, blueprinted the action, chambered it with a Bisley Palma match reamer, fluted the bolt, installed the side bolt release mod, trued up and enlarged the scope mount holes, cerakoted the whole deal with 2 different colors, installed the Jewel trigger, test fired it and had it back in my hands in record time. All while setting up 2 new machines, and taking phone calls from me every other day because I am OCD and need my hand held sometimes.
In summation, I love the JAE-700's, I love the Surgeon and I love (no homo) Chad Dixon from Long Rifles Inc. The only thing I will say right here and now is that neither one of these rifles is any better than the other as far as accuracy is concerned with me pulling the trigger. I have exactly 800 rounds down range through the Surgeon and exactly 150 rounds down range through the LRI build. If history holds true and these rifles get more accurate with more rounds down range, then my Surgeon is going to be in trouble soon as far as "favorite" rifle status is concerned.
If that happens, I will not really be surprised. Chad is just that good.
If this feels a little like thread jacking, please forgive me. I just wanted to share my experience with 2 out of the 3 things you have on your list sir...... Here are some pics:
<img src="http://www.boogalootactical.com/pics/JAE%20Rifles/IMG_3370.jpg">
<img src="http://www.boogalootactical.com/pics/JAE%20Rifles/IMG_3372.jpg">
<img src="http://www.boogalootactical.com/pics/JAE%20Rifles/IMG_3375.jpg">
<img src="http://www.boogalootactical.com/pics/JAE%20Rifles/IMG_3376.jpg">
<img src="http://www.boogalootactical.com/pics/JAE%20Rifles/IMG_3378.jpg">
<img src="http://www.boogalootactical.com/pics/JAE%20Rifles/IMG_3381.jpg">
P.S. In case you just can't tell the difference, the Coyote Tan and black rifle is the Surgeon, and the Black on Black w/Tungsten bolt is the Long Rifles Inc. build.
They are both Ducati 996's in my opinion. One is Ducati Red and the other is Ducati Yellow (ya gotta be a biker to get that one).
