So how hard is it to build your own rifle

[jrock]

I agree. Prefit builds are easy. It's easier than assembling an AR. Some stocks still need a little Dremel work here and there with different bottom metals and barrel channels but that's simple too. Tools are a bit costly to get setup. Rent gauges. There aren't as many prefit options out there but the market has really expanded in that department recently.

However, you'll miss out on a few chambering and barrel-fit-to receiver options that a gunsmith can do. Gunsmiths can do prefits and you'll be paying for a chambering cost either way. If you want a clean fit up of a timed brake to barrel, a gunsmith is required. Self timing brakes, peal washers, and such are the way around that. You can also learn a whole lot about the ins and outs of what makes a great rifle by talking to a gunsmith. Overall modifications and versatility in customization is where the gunsmith will win hands down. "'Kit builds" can only take you so far but it's a great place to start.

There are lots of good resources online to learn bedding. Plus, it's easy to grind it back out if you mess up...unless of course you mess up the wrong way and glue in your receiver, ha ha. #releasecompound

 

[Leaf Litter]

This turned into a windy post, for that i apologize.

I built my first rifle this year. I bought a Tikka T3X in 270 and ordered a 35 Whelen AI barrel. A friend of mine helped me, but nothing was beyond my abilities. His barrel vice was the most helpful part of the equation, but I could have made due with a bench vice and drilled out oak slabs to hold the barrel. Grinding flat spots into the barrel would have been another option (I'm not reusing the 270 barrel).

Tikka is a step harder than the average rifle because of the locktite that they put on the barrel threads, but a good penetration oil and/or heat both helped. The Tikka build equipment swap thread is excellent for borrowing hardware.

Steps:
1. Clamp factory barreled action into barrel vise.
2. Spin action off of barrel after breaking it loose.
3. Clean threads on action.
4. Clamp new barrel into barrel vice with drywall tape to protect finish.
5. Spin action onto the barrel.
6. Torque action onto barrel.
7. Check with go/no-go gauge.
8. Inlet factory Tikka stock to fit THICC new barrel.
9. Install barreled action into stock.

I'm no gunsmith by any stretch of the imagination, but it was all fairly easy.

Bedding this rifle is my next project. I'm also building a target rifle from a Tikka T3X 243. It's fun.

Tools used for 35WAI build:
- Short Action Customs action wrench
- Short Action Customs barrel vise
- (insert brand here) torque wrench
- Breaker bar
- Go gauge (add a layer of scotch tape to the go gauge to create the no-go gauge)
- torch to heat barrel


Your mileage may vary, but it was a rewarding process.

 

[quandary]

Order the stock with the mini chassis

Mini chassis does not work with the Vampire because of the flat bottom.

 

[Jeffrey Van Zandt]

I have done around 20 rifles for long range hunting up here for buds so easy it is not funny. Bighorn action SA or LA, proof barrel shoulder fit one or more barrels if you want to have a switch barrel set up stock of your choice,trigger you want, scope you want brak you want buy all parts a want or 1 a month get a action vice,torque wrench, and go/no go gages for you cal and 20-30 mins put it all to geather and go shooting. this is a good vid on how also with shoulder fit even easier.

 

[Jeffrey Van Zandt]

here is shoulder fit proof rifle Co I have taken boos over 1000 yards wolves at 1100 yards and all have shot well under 1/2 inch 5 shot groups at 100 yards and all the men love there long range hunting rigs

 

[chav0_12]

It's very straight forward. Even bedding an action isn't that hard, though it can be messy and the second or third or fourth one that you do is considerably easier than the first one.

 

[HRM Johnny]

I agree. The first time through anything is a learning experience.

 

[comfisherman]

Its not hard at all, quite honestly nowadays the gunsmith mostly keeps you from doing bad ideas. Bedding is pretty straightforward, start on a cheap rimfire first. Heck maybe do two

 

[vz_send_it]

Another vote for "it's not hard". I wish I would have started it sooner than I did. I've had good luck with prefit barrels, and you can use one action for a variety of barrels if you want. I buy stocks with internal chassis or just a regular chassis that is swappable between different actions without needing to bed anything. Allows for a variety of configurations based on what I need, like competition with heavy barrel and chassis or hunting with lighter barrel and lighter chassis.

 

[Lee7588]

If you can screw a nut on a bolt then torque it to a spec tightness then you got this. I shoot a Bighorn/Zermatt origin long action with proof research barrels. I have a PMA barrel vise so I am good with using anything between a pencil to sendero contours and a Southern Precision rifles action wrench. There are multiple action makers who build the actions with tight tolerances so pre-fit barrels are possible. Some actions you can change bolt faces to be able to go from standard bolt face to magnum bolt faces. Other actions may not be able to swap bolt faces but you can just buy an additional bolt with a different bolt face. This offers the ability to change to a different caliber on the same action. I can my barrels between a 300 wm to a 6.5 prc, I do have a standard bolt face if I went that direction. Tools and a set of go and no go gauges and you are off to the races

 

[Kmccord]

It will be easy to assemble, if you want to go without the barrel vice, go Terminus Zeus QC, screw it on and tighten the Allen screws. A Manner stock with a mini chassis will keep you from bedding. You will not know unless you try it and if it doesn't work the way you want, find a gunsmith to assist.

 

[highdrum]

Simple, buy a barrel vise, trq wrench, zermatt action wrench, torque on a prefit proof barrel for zermatt action, pin in a TT special, drop into manners pro hunter or eh1 with mini chassis. Bed the recoil lug, use a hawkins hunter m5 bottom metal and a SRS Ti Pro self timing brake. These will end up 6.7-7.4# depending on action/barrel used. If you get an origin from zermatt, you can buy the hunts long range 0.150 recoil lug that allows you to use TL3 prefits. There is only one conversion to allow origin barrels on a tl3, and it's from Patriot Valley Arms, and he hasn't made a run of them in some time. It's basically a collar/bushing that's 0.100 thick to change the headspace. Use a little bit of a good copper based anti sieze(not the silver) on barrel tenon threads and muzzle threads. When installing barrel in barrel vise, I like to use a wrap or two of drywall paper to prevent marring on cerakote or carbon. Torque doesn't have to be 100#! I am now running 50# and it works just fine, headspace is the same, as well as accuracy.