Defiance Actions?

[mgood]

Anyone use them?
Love them? Why?
Hate them? Why?

I'm thinking about getting one (or two). Looking at the Deviant Hunter, or if I decide I want more traditional looking rings and bases rather than a rail, then the Rebel.

 

[lazylabs]

Tons of info in the archives.

 

[IdahoCTD]

They are great actions but the down side is they rust readily and the tolerance are tight enough that you can't really get a full coating with Cerakote. If I was going to run one I'd nitride it.

 

[mgood]

That's just the sort of information I'm looking for, thanks.
Made of 416R stainless steel, I'd think it would be pretty resistant to rust. My immediate need is for a 6.5 Sherman Shortmag, but on down the road, I may be looking at one for a heavier caliber for Alaska. I've never been, but from what I've read, weather resistance is a priority. A rifle that rusts easily is exactly what I'm trying to avoid. Nitride is a good possibility. This barrel and action, for the 6.5 at least, will be black.

 

[LBZ]

Action = stainless
Bolt = chrome moly
Have bolt nitrided and you will have a great action.

 

[Edd]

Nitriding doesn't improve the corrosion resistance of stainless. It does improve it for chromoly. Defiance prefers you don't nitride their actions.

They will make them with more clearance if you want to coat them with something.

They will make a Rebel action from either stainless or Chromoly.

A lot, maybe most, of the private label actions used by custom Gunsmiths are made by Defiance.

 

[Rick Richard]

I have one that is cerecoated and have no issues with tolerances. Great action in my opinion.

 

[Canadian Bushman]

Just for consideration

Ion/plasma nitriding - .0005"/.0015" buildup, case hardened exterior, little corrosion resistance

Titanium Nitriding - .0001-.0007" buildup, hard coating, very corrosion resistant.

Both are common with ferrous and non-ferrous alloys. Thickness, hardness, and depth varies with vendors.


P.S. Defiance advertises .0025" clearance on their actions. Cerakote typically lays down .001-.003" but varies greatly with color and who is spraying it

 

[Pdvdh]

Just for consideration

Ion/plasma nitriding - .0005"/.0015" buildup, case hardened exterior, little corrosion resistance

Titanium Nitriding - .0001-.0007" buildup, hard coating, very corrosion resistant.

Both are common with ferrous and non-ferrous alloys. Thickness, hardness, and depth varies with vendors.

Which best describes "melonite", the hot bath immersion process?

 

[Canadian Bushman]

Which best describes "melonite", the hot bath immersion process?

Im not entirely sure to be honest. In the past when i looked into it, i found sources that were using it synonymously with ion nitriding, but from what ive seen, the work that my shop has done in ion nitride there is no way that would work in a barrel. It must either be a different spec than what we use in the oil field or a modified process.

Ion/plasma nitriding is not done in a saltbath so if the melonite process they use on barrels is done that way, it could very well be a difference in process i spoke of. Most of the time the exact process is unique to the proprietor and they are pretty tight lipped about it. Unless it is spec-ed out by a vender whereas i get to view the process parameters.

I have two jobs i just shipped off today, one for ion nitride and one for titanium nitride. If my foreman allows i will post pictures when they return.

 

[sp6x6]

I have two actions.I havent had rust on either,life and hunt nasty snow rain in NW MT.The one is more of a rig gun but i took it out over 45 days last year,on bolt only flutes coated,very smooth.The other my pack gun is fully coated, and I put a very light lithium on bolt lugs and after 200 yrnds it worn in how I like it,was up in snow today looking for big muley or bull.I take good care my stuff but it gets lots use. I live in country a stone throw from Defiance.The one is 5 yrs old full coated

 

[GTN]

I have one and couldn't be more happier but the only other fully custom I have to compare to is Stillar. I like the Defiance better. It is a Dixie guns action which is made by Defiance. Doyle the owner of Dixie guns had a couple little things changed to his liking on the Dixie Guns actions, he can be reached at 706-654-8400

 

[Canadian Bushman]

Parts came back but my foreman shot down the idea of a photo. We have confidentiality contracts that limit stuff like that, and he wasnt willing to bend the rules.

However i just sent a PTG bolt out for TiALN coating and got it back and have a picture of that. The boltknob was aluminum and was cerakoted graphite black.

 

[desertcj]

Parts came back but my foreman shot down the idea of a photo. We have confidentiality contracts that limit stuff like that, and he wasnt willing to bend the rules.

However i just sent a PTG bolt out for TiALN coating and got it back and have a picture of that. The boltknob was aluminum and was cerakoted graphite black.

Who coated your bolt?