This will be a long post but I thought it may help someone who wants to build a semi custom rifle.
I started out this project (compared to most of the custom rifles around here this doesn't count as a build) with a bunch of questions on what scope to put on a CZ American in 9.3x62mm that I was thinking about buying. That led to a talk with Karnis about thinning the stock and adding a forend tip and different recoil pad. That led to thinking about a Ruger Hawkeye African 9.3x62mm and a few stock tweaks by Karnis. After all that I decided that if I was going to have a 9.3x62mm chambered rifle that it should at least have a real Mauser action. That is the kind of thinking that can get you in debt or divorce! I had a 1909 Argentine action laying around so I started checking around with different metal smiths and looking at barrels and such. I found out very quickly why custom guns cost as much as they do. To do this the full blown right way I would need the action drilled and tapped, a nice bolt handle welded on, the charging hump ground off, the trigger guard reshaped, a nice bolt shroud with a safety installed, a barrel installed, rear sights, front sights, a barrel band swivel stud plus someone who knows what they are doing to put it together. PLUS good bluing starts at $500 and goes up! I really had my eyes opened when I started looking for a stock! I would want a nice piece of wood to start with since you can't really "upgrade" the figure later. I found what I think are good looking sticks for $250-$500. Now to get someone to turn that firewood into a work of art starts at $1500 for the basics. Once you add the forend tip, cross bolts, trap grip cap, a little fancier checkering and you have $3000 in the stock in no time.
I figured out that a full blown custom rifle on a military action is not in the cards right now so set about looking for a factory gun to modify. I looked at a few Husqvarnas and commercial FN based rifles on Gunbroker and was about to pull the trigger when this Brno caught my eye. It was twice as much as the other candidates but I have always loved the way they looked and figured that nothing says your starting point can't be nice! It already had been drilled and tapped and a new bolt handle and the stock replaced so I was not carving up a pristine original. The good part is that the stock has decent figure in it and it fits me better than the original stock would. This stock has less drop than the original and will be perfect for the scope. It needs a new pad and a forend tip and a cross bolt and it will be perfect which will save me a bundle. Even going the cheap route a wood stock will run $1000 unless I went with one of the Boyds stocks. I love a McSwirley as much as the next guy but plastic does not belong on this gun. All in all this is the route I chose. Once done lock, stock and barrel plus the optics, I will probably have $2500 tied up in it. Could I have saved money by going with a factory CZ or Ruger in 9.3x62mm? Yes. Will my rifle be better than the Ruger or CZ? Maybe. After all is said and done I think I will have a very nice rifle in a wonderful caliber that won't dislocate your shoulder and is suitable for anything that I may run into.
