I was thinking about the last 10 months and how I handled my first Custom Rifle build. I'm sure glad Kirby was gentle with me, as it was my first time. I think about the entire project as a culmination of 5 phases/stages.
I can sum up each phase with 3 words.
1) The "Wow, that's nice" phase.
We start thinking about a new custom rifle and spend entirely too much time trying to justify a new rifle. This 6 months spent justifying the build will bite us in the butt during stage #3.
2) The "Please, Please, Please" phase.
We beg the boss (spouse) and spend our time figuring out how to gain approval/funding. This phase culminates with an actual order for the rifle, it is however puncutated by at least 3 dozen posts on the long range hunting forum entitled "What do you think about my new rifle build?", or "I changed my mind, what do you think now?". If your gunsmith is lucky, you will stop making changes prior to ordering your rifle.
3) The "Waiting on Parts" phase.
This is the answer given every time we can't help our impulses and ask the gunsmith for a status. I had a self imposed 2 month timer between emails to Kirby which I tried my best to abide by. We supplement our need for feedback by using the long range hunting forum to enjoy the company of others in our same boat.
4) The "Its all done" phase.
This phase starts with a call or email from the gunsmith. During this phase, you will feel a heightened need to talk about your rifle with EVERYONE you meet. It's a good idea to limit human contact during this phase to only close friends and relatives. Absolutely don't attend parent teacher conferences or other 'public' events; you might inadvertently talk with someone unaware of your sensitive mental state during this phase, In fact its a good idea to take some sick time and just meditate quietly in the basement next to your reloading press. You may have thoughts like using your frequent flier miles to pick it up yourself, or driving from Michigan to Fort Shaw MT, because you could be there and back in 3 days and FedEx is going to take 4. Fight those impulses any way you can, spend your time checking the FedEx website for tracking updates and posting on long range hunting with subjects like "I Can't stand it any longer", or "Its almost here".
5) The "OUT FOR DELIVERY!" phase.
The 3 most powerful words known to man are seen on the FedEx website. Once you enter this phase, you are unlikely to get any productive work done, so you might as well camp out at your local FFL dealer.
I'm sure there are stages after #5, but I can't think about that now, I've got to go check the FedEx website again. ;-)
AJ
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If some is good and more is better, then too much is just right.
I'd rather have a VP that can gut a Moose, than a President that want's to gut our Second Amendment!
Sorry for not getting you some pics to stare at for those shipping days, as you know, it was a finish, test, test again and ship type of deal with not much time to spare to get you the rifle in time hopefully for your hunt.
I assure you, if your a rifle nut, when you unpack that rifle, you will just have to set it up on the bipod for a while and just look at it. I build alot of rifles, yours is easily in my top three favorite rifles.
For everyone else on the board, pictures will give you an idea on what the rifle looks like but until you get to see them in person, pictures will not do this rifle justice.
For those that are curious about the two sets of NF rings we had to use. The reason is because we have learned that the 5 port slab brakes are so effective the negative G-forces are significant enough to make a single set of scope rings slide back and forth between the rail slots.
With two sets of rings, one set is positioned forward to control recoil energy and one set is positioned to the rear to control the extreme deceleration created by the muzzle brake.
Also, the rail base has to be converted as well. It comes with four 8-40 flat bottom seat screws. That just does not cut it with this chambering and muzzle brake. As such, for the BAT rails, I convert them for 6 10-32 bolts with tapered seat heads to offer shear force control.
This rifle is build to the proverbial nuts from the muzzle brake to the recoil pad and it shows it!!!
Hope you enjoy your rifle!!!! I assure you 1000 yards will be like kicking your dog, in fact you better have a spotter because the 300 gr SMK gets to 1K so damn fast that even with the low recoil in this rifle, you will have a hard time seeing your bullets hit, its not a recoil problem, its an extremely short time of flight problem!!!
Have fun, look forward to the pics and comments.
Again, sorry for the delays in your rifle and I appreciate all your patients.
Kirby Allen(50)
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Kirby Allen(50)
Allen Precision Shooting
Home of the Allen Magnum, Allen Xpress and Allen Tactical Wildcats and the Painkiller Muzzle brakes.
Im somewhere between Ill guess #4.75 and #5.....#3 is actually a joke if you can find something to do. I imposed a 1 month update period and have yapped my mouth in here for 8-9 months!
I have all the data I can stand new scope and mounts new bi pod new sling.....everything but dies and a gun! AND Wait #5 thing!
LUCKY DOG!
Kirby's gonna throw my bone soon! Then Ill be a LUCKY DOG!
Ordering a custom is self imposed personal punishment!
Im somewhere between Ill guess #4.75 and #5.....#3 is actually a joke if you can find something to do. I imposed a 1 month update period and have yapped my mouth in here for 8-9 months!
I have all the data I can stand new scope and mounts new bi pod new sling.....everything but dies and a gun! AND Wait #5 thing!
LUCKY DOG!
Kirby's gonna throw my bone soon! Then Ill be a LUCKY DOG!
Ordering a custom is self imposed personal punishment!
+1 to all you wrote.... Been There doing That Again... Kirby is waiting on my last part (thanks Glen for rushing my base rail!) so I am still in #3 technically, but Kirby has everything put together but the scope... :(. So the base rail is supposed to have been delivered Monday or Tuesday... but I won't email Kirby asking about it..... I don't know how you guys can go 1 month or 2 without emailing a status question. I have really got to give some Kudos to Kirby for responding to my bi-weekly email on status of parts.
I got so desperate that I called Glen (Seekings Precision - great guy to talk to btw) up myself and asked about base and rings for another build I just started... just so I could ask about the status of my first builds base rail... lol.
There is almost a sick kinda of S&M thing going on, in that you punish yourself by emailing for status more often, but that ends up with more 'still waiting for parts'. This also is my first custom, it is just taken since 2/06, and of course I am foaming at the mouth to use it this year. BTW - not Kirby's fault for the long build, the receiver took till this past summer to ship (sound familiar?). I am halfway through my second build, and just ordered the third action/receiver a week ago:eek:... thank God for an understanding spouse!
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Bart Starr - paraphrasing Vince Lombardi "Gentlemen, our Goal and Ideal is the Pursuit of Perfection. Perfection is not attainable. But in our chase for Perfection, we will catch Excellence. I have no use for or interest in good enough."
Havent seen AJ today bet he's off having fun! I told him to take today off, Ill bet he did.
Foaming at the mouth doing my best not to interupt the mad man(50) Hoping hes in the shop workin spinkling magic dust and whatever else he does on mine today! or at least putting someone's in the out rack...move mine up a notch!
The first month is kinda tuff cuz you want it so bad then it lightens up alot(time to get all the other stuff to go with it, keeps mind busy) then you know its just any day Kirby gives the #5.....man its ruff, pure self inflicted torture!
Ive seen him in here 2 days in a row takin his lunch (dared not bug him) thats a good sign....kinda his normal activity when he's workin.....drives me up the wall! Wondering will he shoot me a e-mail today maybe a pm?
All you can do is grin and wait!
Oh almost forgot I sit here in front of this computer all day with not alot else to really do....makes it worse!
I am simply amazed. When I picked it up today at the dealer, I slapped a bipod on it and set it up on the counter. It immediately drew a crowd. One of the customers whispered to me "You should charge them all a buck just to touch it!"
THATS HOW GOOD IT LOOKS!
We were able to shoot it 8 times tonight (shoot, clean ...). We where taking turns, you really can't shoot it twice in a row, the smile keeps you from getting a good cheek weld. Anyway, the last3 shots we had to hurry because it was getting dark and the wind was starting to stir a little. I shot the first shot, then Dennis (my hunting partner) then Brian (Dennis' son). All 3 shots tore a single short 1/2" strip vertically on the target. We were just shooting off an old rickety table with the bipods and a bag under the back. I'm sure the vertical was due to 3 different shooters (different pressure on the shoulder). Brian is 13yrs old and he couldn't even speak after he shot it, he was just grinning from ear to ear.
I think Kirby sprinkled some magic dust on his muzzle break, it seems to have less recoil than a 270Win!
I weighed it at the dealer and it weighed 17.6lb with the bipod on!
Here are a couple pictures, they don't even come close to doing it justice, they where just snapped with a flash down in the basement so you guys would get off my case. I'll try to get some better pics in a couple days.
I forgot to mention, the concussion is something to behold.
I don't have words to describe it, and the trigger (set at 1lb is down right scary) is like breaking a piece of glass (nothing and then boom!)
__________________
If some is good and more is better, then too much is just right.
I'd rather have a VP that can gut a Moose, than a President that want's to gut our Second Amendment!
Last edited by AJ Peacock; 08-24-2008 at 02:12 PM.
Reason: updating picture location
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