Thread: More recent custom builds

Still trying hard to catch up on the backlog of custom rifle jobs, as well as the inevitable mad rush that this time of year brings.

Delays with parts and not enough hours in the day meant that jobs i had planned to do in Jan or Feb were still in the to-do list.

So I though i'd try an experiment - see if doing 5 rifles at once in a sort of custom-production-run would speed things up a bit? Well, long story short - it didn't really work out. Might have saved an hour or two while doing the barrels, not having to change lathe set-ups, etc. But there is often just so much work in some of these jobs (such as the Remington re-works) that all it did was tie me up for about 3 weeks solid, while all the little jobs started piling up.

Here are some pics of 4 of the last 5 - not all Long-range rigs this time.

Rifle 1 is a .20BR built on one of the LH Stiller Predator actions that i import. 24" barrel, threaded for silencer, Jewel LH HVR trigger, HS stock.

Rifle 2 is a .308win (palma) on one of the Stiller Spectre actions with integral 20MOA rail, threaded for silencer also, Jewel HVR trigger, HS stock and HS detachable mag box system (new model).

Rifle 3 is a fully re-worked and trued Rem700 short in 7mm SAUM, sleeved bolt body at rear, sleeved bolt nose and sako extractor installed, lengthened ejection port, modified mag box, and EGW HD 20 MOA rail bedded into place for straight stress-free foundation. Boyds tacticool stock glass and pillar bedded. Also one of my proprietary Megamax brakes fitted to 28" True Flite Ultramatch barrel.

Rifle 4 is a fully re-worked and trued Rem700 Long in .300 Rem Ultramag custom, sleeved bolt body at rear, sleeved bolt nose and sako extractor installed, lengthened ejection port, Weaver 20 MOA rail (bedded), HS Precision stock, and one of my Megamax brakes on this one too finishing off a 30" True Flite barrel.

Pics attached.



At this time of year it means i just can't really do more than 1 or two custom builds per week, while keeping on top of all the other little jobs for guys, as well as muzzle brake production. Unfortunately that works out to 10 or 12 builds taking up to 2 or 3 months to get though, but that's just the way it is with a custom shop. Not everything lends itself to mass-production. Sometimes good things just take time! Still trying to get out for a hunt too.......

Time wise, with some of these builds i think it may actually work out cheaper or similar $$ for the customer to start with a custom action if it is a fully 'from scratch' build, and when things are super busy from the gunsmiths point of view, that can make life easier too. Working with those Stiller actions is such a breeze - no truing required, just do a top-quality custom barrel install, test, bed, brake or silencer install, etc., etc. Good to go!

D.

Brilliant, I just love to see top class work! You get my next one to do

Originally Posted by dfmaisey

Still trying hard to catch up on the backlog of custom rifle jobs, as well as the inevitable mad rush that this time of year brings.

Delays with parts and not enough hours in the day meant that jobs i had planned to do in Jan or Feb were still in the to-do list.

So I though i'd try an experiment - see if doing 5 rifles at once in a sort of custom-production-run would speed things up a bit? Well, long story short - it didn't really work out. Might have saved an hour or two while doing the barrels, not having to change lathe set-ups, etc. But there is often just so much work in some of these jobs (such as the Remington re-works) that all it did was tie me up for about 3 weeks solid, while all the little jobs started piling up.

Here are some pics of 4 of the last 5 - not all Long-range rigs this time.

Rifle 1 is a .20BR built on one of the LH Stiller Predator actions that i import. 24" barrel, threaded for silencer, Jewel LH HVR trigger, HS stock.

Rifle 2 is a .308win (palma) on one of the Stiller Spectre actions with integral 20MOA rail, threaded for silencer also, Jewel HVR trigger, HS stock and HS detachable mag box system (new model).

Rifle 3 is a fully re-worked and trued Rem700 short in 7mm SAUM, sleeved bolt body at rear, sleeved bolt nose and sako extractor installed, lengthened ejection port, modified mag box, and EGW HD 20 MOA rail bedded into place for straight stress-free foundation. Boyds tacticool stock glass and pillar bedded. Also one of my proprietary Megamax brakes fitted to 28" True Flite Ultramatch barrel.

Rifle 4 is a fully re-worked and trued Rem700 Long in .300 Rem Ultramag custom, sleeved bolt body at rear, sleeved bolt nose and sako extractor installed, lengthened ejection port, Weaver 20 MOA rail (bedded), HS Precision stock, and one of my Megamax brakes on this one too finishing off a 30" True Flite barrel.

Pics attached.

Attachment 22507Attachment 22508Attachment 22509Attachment 22510Attachment 22511Attachment 22512Attachment 22513Attachment 22514Attachment 22515

At this time of year it means i just can't really do more than 1 or two custom builds per week, while keeping on top of all the other little jobs for guys, as well as muzzle brake production. Unfortunately that works out to 10 or 12 builds taking up to 2 or 3 months to get though, but that's just the way it is with a custom shop. Not everything lends itself to mass-production. Sometimes good things just take time! Still trying to get out for a hunt too.......

Time wise, with some of these builds i think it may actually work out cheaper or similar $$ for the customer to start with a custom action if it is a fully 'from scratch' build, and when things are super busy from the gunsmiths point of view, that can make life easier too. Working with those Stiller actions is such a breeze - no truing required, just do a top-quality custom barrel install, test, bed, brake or silencer install, etc., etc. Good to go!

D.

There is a young keen fulla living in gisborne who would be an ideal apprentice for you.perhaps he should pm you to help with your backlog @dfmaisey

Sent from my HUAWEI Y210-0100 using Tapatalk 2

Very NICE ,

What a shame to use Bl&^#y HS mags on that Spectre , its just so WRONG , use a detach bottom metal from Aussie to take the AI mags , and use a AW mag , and IF he wants to use smaller than 10rds , cut down just one 10rd AW mag .

Dean , thats so wrong I will even send you a AW mag so your customer can see the difference , and they are available at a reasonable price , approx $100 NZD .

Later Chris

Originally Posted by ChrisF

Very NICE ,

What a shame to use Bl&^#y HS mags on that Spectre , its just so WRONG , use a detach bottom metal from Aussie to take the AI mags , and use a AW mag , and IF he wants to use smaller than 10rds , cut down just one 10rd AW mag .

Dean , thats so wrong I will even send you a AW mag so your customer can see the difference , and they are available at a reasonable price , approx $100 NZD .

Later Chris

Hey Chris,

There was a couple of reasons why we had to go that way. Original plan was for customer to fit the Spectre into an AICS stock, and to keep life simple. But no, he decided - too heavy, and ended up going and buying an HS stock and send to me saying - fit this please...... Ok, so that limits options. And he wanted to keep weight down as its for hunting, so big sticky-out mags weren't going to be acceptable for him. Had to get the HS mag kit in especially from the US - the new series HS mags (different to the older ones). Also, because of the 'swamped' bottom metal area of the stock in those HS stocks, means that the only thing that was going to be a drop-in fit was a genuine HS mag assy/kit.

As for the DBM kits, if i was going to fit one of those the first choice would be a Stiller DBM kit. They are so much easier to fit to existing BDL inletted stcoks compared with the Aussie ones, or other US ones like PTG, etc. See pics attached. The stiller does not need to be re-inletted around the trigger/rear screw area or the the front screw area, and it also has a flared mag recess to aid loading as well as covering the stock inletting underneath. As you can see the other ones require much more aggressive inletting to get them to fit at all.


Also, if you have a good supply of AI mags in NZ then let me know. Hell, i can't even buy them for $100.00 myself!!

Cheers,

Dean.

The mags are for my own use , I brought some in 6 mths back , and the std AW mags where approx that price , just hook up with Sporting Services in the UK , Graeme Clark , I think they got short on mags a while back , still be prepared to order & wait , thats just how it is , they have increased production , and I think they have redesigned the plastic 223 mag .

The offer was just so he could see one for himself , ME I would use the AW 10rd , and as I said IF I wanted lower profile for hunting , I would cut down ONE mag only for that use , all spares would be std 10rds ones .

Cheers Chris

Hi Dean ,

Are you interested in making a specialised bipod for me , after a Low C of G design , like an old Russian DP machinegun , for use on a AI AX rifle , I have a rough idea of how I want it to be etc .

Cheers Chris

Originally Posted by ChrisF

Hi Dean ,

Are you interested in making a specialised bipod for me , after a Low C of G design , like an old Russian DP machinegun , for use on a AI AX rifle , I have a rough idea of how I want it to be etc .

Cheers Chris

Hi Chris,

Sounds more like a job (or pet project) for a fabricator or engineer rather than a Gunsmithing job. If I wasn't already so maxed-out with current work demands I would look at it, but at present I would have to pass. Developing new or custom projects can take a HUGE amount of time, costs would need to be covered. May even be cheaper to buy or modify an existing product if possible to be like what you had in mind? Email me if you need to follow up on it.

Cheers,

Dean.

Dean - sorry if the info is already detailed somewhere in the thread but what were the barrel brands

Originally Posted by zimmer

Dean - sorry if the info is already detailed somewhere in the thread but what were the barrel brands

The .20 cal was a 3-groove Pac-Nor, all rest were True Flite ultra-matches.

.20BR I did for a mate - shoots amazingly well.

Thanks. Very happy with my Pac-Nor.