How hard is it to build a rifle by yourself??

[birdiemc]

I was really enjoying this thread in the beginning because I think it might be the first time I saw the online community of "experts" supporting somebody who was asking the question "can I just do all this myself?" But then a couple folks chimed in and got cranky and ruined it. The fact of the matter is a bolt action rifle such as a remington 700 is an action, with a barrel that screws into the end of it. There's a trigger that mounts to the action and the whole thing gets screwed to a stock. So yes any monkey could perform those tasks and not blow themselves up.
Cutting a chamber requires a lathe and a chamber reamer, not a highly specialized super amazing 97 yr old master black belt machinist as some would have you believe. Cutting it perfectly to achieve the highest level of precision and performance does require some experience, but the above mentioned machinst had to cut his first one some time. That is an irrefutable fact in my hypothetical situation. Not just any monkey off the street can build a trigger assembly, but that's why timney (and the likes) exist. 2 pins...which a monkey could punch in. So the doom and gloom "your gonna kill yourself" guys need to lighten up a bit. If I want to go spend $8,000 on a lathe and tooling, then f--- up a couple factory takeoffs and burn up another $500 in reamers learning how to do it why does it get under your skin so bad? That's the only thing I want to know. It doesn't have to make sense to you, the same way spending $5000 on a single rifle doesn't have to make sense to me, but do you see me out there telling everybody they're stupid for doing it? No because that's what liberals do, they bash everybody who doesn't agree with them.

 

[djm670]

The action has nothing to do with accuracy? And then you woke up!
A friend of mine shoots .22 rifle matches. He sorts ammo by rim thickness with a fixture and indicator He says thickness affects lock time which is all in the bolt in the action?
If you were right all the action company's would fold and only Savage actions would be made. But in the REAL world the action company's are backlogged for months.
You have to stand in line to get one...
Look at "What the pros use" Savage ranks right at the top doesn't it..LMAO!

I am guessing that 70 to 75% of a rifles accuracy is in the barrel, rifling, chambering of the barrel and a good trigger? And 30 to 25% is in the action? Ie.. with a good barrel and a stock action there seem to be a number of remage rifles shooting in the 0.700 to 0.450 moa range or a little better (head space set with a go and no go guages).

That you need the ultimate aftermarket action and firing pin assembly to go from there to the 0.180 to 0.300 moa range?

And you can get somewhere between the two ranges with a blue printed (trued) factory action? That of the factory actions Sako/Tikka are the most accurate, with the Japanese Weatherby/Howa a close second followed by Savage and Remington?

I am asking not telling or stating a fact; but my thoughts are based on reading this and other long range/sniping forums for a number of years and based on my own shooting experiences.

I am sure the gunsmiths that do this for a living that are active on this and other forums could pinpoint these numbers a bit more precisely.

 

[Yotekiller]

I hate to speak in absolutes when it comes to rifles because there are always outliers. This is a general assessment of my experience. Everyone's shooting ability and goals with a rifle are different, and some barrels are just better than others regardless where they came from. There is getting to be a trend of repeating bad information spewing out of a lot of people on forums that have no idea what they are talking about but pumping up whatever they own (much like AT entire discussions between people who don't have any experience on the topic at all).

Most of the 10/110 savages with an aftermarket barrel and a good stiff stock I have been around shoot in the .3s or better. I personally own some that will shoot in the .1s. They are a heavier stiffer action and have a free floating bolt head. From my experience many of them benefit very little if any from blueprinting (the only factory action I would say that about). Most of the aftermarket barrels that have been on them have been a fairly heavy taper that also lends to accuracy. Factory savage barrels tend to be rough and foul bad but many shoot .5 to .75 moa. Sako/tikka is not popular for their accuracy but lightweight and a smooth cycling bolt. They have became popular due to the ounce counting western hunter wanting the lightest weapon they can find. They are not as stiff as a savage action (not as much steel) which does not lend to accuracy. The ultralight barrels that are typically on them do not lend to extreme accuracy. I am not aware of any that consistently shoot .5 or better (outside of the internet warriors shooting factory ammo that can also maintain moa to 1000 yards with good old Kentucky windage). I find remingtons to be somewhere in the middle. Remington, tikka, etc. usually benefit from blueprinting. By the time you have paid for the action and paid a smith to blueprint it you are flirting with custom action cost. That is why so many are choosing to go with custom actions today. Most of the top competitors in competitions are sponsored by various companies to promote their products. Sure I would be using a $1,800.00 action and wear a shirt if you were willing to give it to me. No doubt they are nice, but I bet many of those competitors would not be laying down the cash for them if they were paying full retail price.

Why anyone would get on this thread and tell the op he can't assemble a few parts and have any luck? The only reason I can imagine is they are trying to justify the $8,000 custom they bought. They obviously have no experience with the topic if they are trying to make it look impossible.

 

[Jjviperzar1]

I was kinda in the OP's shoes a year or so ago. Go custom or build off something I already have. Like has been mentioned he could buy a couple go/no-go gauges $60 and remage barrel and nut $350. A barrel vise and an action wrench $200 and he could change barrels. I got a great deal on Black Friday on a triggertech for a $125 but usually a trigger is $175 to $200. A Boyd's at one with bedding material roughly $250. So he could semi custom his rifle for about $1000 to $1200 with his own hands. The only negative is the good possibility the factory 700 action you start with is out of square, then it may not shoot all that well even with better barrel. That's the advantage to building off a savage in this style of home built rifle is the floating bolt head design. By the way I had one built because I like the 700 and didn't want to have the out of square thing happen and end up taking it to a smith and trueing it all up after the fact.

 

[Smokepoles]

Sooo.. yes it can all be done yourself but if it's a one or two time thing it's way cheaper to pay someone else to build it. Even if starting with a bbld action, whether defiance or savage and taking the lathe out of the equation, the cost of getting set up, tooling, small parts needed, etc just isn't worth it. Also plan on doing things over, it takes a lot of time and practice to get your methods nailed down. And if you happen to be a perfectionist prepare to spend some serious time getting it right. But it is fun and satisfying in the end and everybody had to learn the same way. If time and money aren't a factor I say go for it. It's not rocket science just takes some common sense and practice.

 

[NickW]

Since the introduction of precision, match quality, pre-fit barrels like those for the Impact Precision action, building a rifle yourself is pretty easy. You can order a barrel from Robert Gradous or TS Custom, a manners stock (mini chassis), trigger and optic. With a barrel vise and action wrench you can install the barrel on an impact action and it will be perfect. Load development and you're done. There's no longer a need to send an action out to a Smith to have a barrel head spaced and shoulder to your action. I've done two of these and I'm no Smith. Both shoot bug holes. Want to switch calibers? Just order a new barrel in whatever caliber you want as long as it shares the same bolt face. Want to run a short action magnum, just order a new bolt, barrel and magazine and you're on your way. It really couldn't be easier. The other nice part of doing this is that you're not waiting months and months for a Smith to finish a rifle. You can literally order the parts and build a rifle within a couple weeks. Hope this helps.

 

[scdogman]

Savage action with a shilen prefit. . Cold bore 1000 yards. First shot of the day. 6.5 creedmore.

 

[ATH]

Before your hole gets deeper read this and think twice...
https://precisionrifleblog.com/2018/12/29/custom-rifle-action/

How many of these guys are sponsored to shoot the gear they do? "The pros" are prime examples of fads, just because they use certain gear (or are paid to use said gear) is not proof it is actually better...

 

[ATH]

I own custom rifles. I'm unlikely to buy another after building a few myself with barrel nuts.

I have a 338 Edge I built on a Stiller action with a McGowan barrel. I used a Dremel to open the magazine cut to accept a Wyatt's extended box. It probably took 8-10 hours and a lot of patience, but it turned out fine. I bedded it into a nice McMillan stock and added a screw-on, self-timed Heathen brake. That sucker shoots with my F-class competition rifle (custom) and took 3rd in a 2000 yard match.

I've built half a dozen rifles myself now. None of them group over .3ish with proper loads. They are not in benchrest stocks so if they were capable of better I would be unlikely to be able to tell.

If what you are after is a rifle accurate enough for most uses, there really is no reason for a custom. But it's your money and enjoy your rifles.

The hardest part about building your own is getting the factory barrels off, if you are using donors. Remington in particular. For most of mine I used a homemade vice made from a threaded rod and some scrap 2X6's, cost me like $2. I finally broke it getting the barrel off a Remington and upgraded to a real vise. Add a barrel wrench and a "go" gauge for each chamber, I'm not understanding the comment that it's cheaper to have someone else do it for you.

 

[Buck300]

Make sure you have the tools or have a gunsmith check your savage action before you put a barrel on it. The last one I had the actions face was off by .13 thousands, the bolt was straight with the threads but the action wasn't. Their triggers may also need to be timed with the action so if you dont think your capable or If you have any questions the OP should contact Fred he is the most notable savage gunsmith in the country.
https://www.sharpshootersupply.com/

 

[Barrelnut]

Before dealing with Sharp Shooter Supply. I would suggest checking the complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau.

 

[Oi.223]

One note of interest. I often read that one can "make a gun (receiver) from scratch" legally as long as one does not sell it. True, an individual can make a receiver (other than a machinegun) from scratch, but cannot have anyone else do it or assist in doing it unless that person has a manufacturer's FFL.

So, if you decide to make, say, a Mauser 98 type receiver from a block of steel, you can do it. But you can't legally waltz down to the local machine shop and have them do it for you unless they have a manufacturer's FFL. Nor can you have them do the heavy machining while you take care of the minor stuff. There may be a place (xx% completion) where they are not making a receiver, but I am not sure I would want to debate the point with a U.S. Attorney, and I doubt they would either.

 

[RioAguaNegra]

I bought a donor Savage 110, a new, unused takeoff barrel (Northland Shooters Supply - NSS), a precision recoil lug (NSS), a squared and trued barrel nut (NSS), an MDT chassis stock, and an AR grip and stock to finish it. I also bought go / no-go gauges, an action wrench and a barrel nut wrench. Put it together and torqued it. Shoots like a champ. No bedding required as the MDT does the job as is.

 

[RioAguaNegra]

The action has nothing to do with accuracy? And then you woke up!
A friend of mine shoots .22 rifle matches. He sorts ammo by rim thickness with a fixture and indicator He says thickness affects lock time which is all in the bolt in the action?
If you were right all the action company's would fold and only Savage actions would be made. But in the REAL world the action company's are backlogged for months.
You have to stand in line to get one...
Look at "What the pros use" Savage ranks right at the top doesn't it..LMAO!

I think that may have been true a decade or so ago but factory offerings are getting pretty dang good. I have a factory rifle that will shoot the socks off some of my older, more expensive rifles in my safe. Computer aided manufacturing will, in my opinion, greatly reduce the need for gunsmiths when it comes to putting together a good shooter.