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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 7,215 Likes: 8
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 7,215 Likes: 8 |
It wasn't just that the actions were rough. They were also crooked; with sloppy tolerances to accommodate misalignment.The tang design was ill-advised. It is a shame that someone couldn't have taken the machinery and put it to good use but, from what I have seen, the new owner is even more inept than Sipes. He killed his company before it was fairly started. GD
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Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 5,532 Likes: 2
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 5,532 Likes: 2 |
I guess I can only say after my experience the company and the rifle I didn't have any intention of being a repeat customer. Plenty of inexpensive accurate rifles being produced these days so I guess I was looking for something better in qc for my extra $600-700 more. At minimum I would have expected someone to check the basic functions of the rifle. They either didn't or did and decided to ship it along with the many others we got complaints on about the ridiculously stiff safety operation. I couldn't get passed that with them.
Life can be rough on us dreamers.
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 20,958 Likes: 3
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 20,958 Likes: 3 |
Interesting how we seem to always be on the quest for the perfect rifle. I have 5 rifles in 308 Winchester. The most accurate of all of them is my Remington 700 which I paid $350 for in 1977. The others ranged from $800-1500 & none of them shoot any better.
Owned a Montana once that I took in on trade. Did not spark my fancy one bit. Was glad to get the full value out of it when it sold.
By the way, in case you missed it, Jeremiah was a bullfrog.
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 20,958 Likes: 3
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 20,958 Likes: 3 |
It wasn't just that the actions were rough. They were also crooked; with sloppy tolerances to accommodate misalignment.The tang design was ill-advised. It is a shame that someone couldn't have taken the machinery and put it to good use but, from what I have seen, the new owner is even more inept than Sipes. He killed his company before it was fairly started. GD Seen it happen. Too often the new owner thinks the pixie dust is in the brand alone, not a very smart individual.
By the way, in case you missed it, Jeremiah was a bullfrog.
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 9,473
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 9,473 |
It wasn't just that the actions were rough. They were also crooked; with sloppy tolerances to accommodate misalignment.The tang design was ill-advised. It is a shame that someone couldn't have taken the machinery and put it to good use but, from what I have seen, the new owner is even more inept than Sipes. He killed his company before it was fairly started. GD Rugers are the same way. The difference is Ruger has technicians wailing away on the actions with hammers until they are straight. This is mentioned in Stuart Ottesons book. You will never convince me that casting is nothing more than a cheap way to build a rifle action.
Last edited by BWalker; 11/06/20.
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,036
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,036 |
My ASR in 300 WM shoots very good and the action is almost as slick as a Tikka. My only problem the gun is just too heavy for an old man to tote very far and I don't. Mine has very good wood with some figure and I wouldn't think about putting a plastic stock of any form, shape or brand.
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 102
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 102 |
I picked one up in 26 Nosler last year, or maybe 2018, can't remember. Its the ALR, cerakoted and fluted, with their muzzle brake. It's been a lights out shooter, both with factory Nosler 129ABLR and with my 130gr hand loads over US869.
I adjusted the trigger down to 2lbs. I love it, but maybe I just got lucky. It was not purchased from a retailer, but I did get it new.
Cody
Texas Aggie c/o 2004
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 44
Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 44 |
I ordered a X3 in 280 AI after the reopening from the buy out..
Smoothest M70 action I have ever handled and I'm a M70 nut case... The action is like butter, shoots little tiny groups and the trigger is the best ever on a production rifle which I adjusted to 2 lbs and it breaks like glass..
Never had an issue with it and very sorry to see them go..
Put it in a Bell and Carlson stock because the wrist on the X3 stock is to thin and strait for my hands....
With current production Rifles the price of a new trigger and stock is always a necessary additional cost when evaluating a new rifle..
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 10,091 Likes: 15
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 10,091 Likes: 15 |
A local shop has a clean used x2 or x3 stainless synthetic 280 ai on the rack fir $900. I'll have to take a closer look at it next time I'm there.
I have a campfire limited edition x2 in 260 with the fluted 8 twist barrel. It had a little feeding issue but I fixed it and it feeds great. It also shoots really well with 140g vld hunting bullets which is one of my favorite 6.5 bullets. The longer mag box let's me seat them out to where I get enough h4831 in it to drive tge 140 to 2820fps and it groups 1/2 moa.
I was tempted to rebore it to 358 because I have so many 6.5mm rifles but it shoots too well as is. Fir whatever reason I've never taken it hunting. I always seem to reach for something else. I've tried to sell it a few times but no one has ever really showed interest. It is 1 if 25 that Derrick had made for the fire.
Bb
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Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 743
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 743 |
I have one in .338 Federal that I'm getting back from the gunsmith this weekend. I attempted to shoot it a year or so ago and was having extraction issues with Federal Fusion factory ammo. After 3 shots I gave up and put it away. I finally got around to taking it somewhere two months ago. He polished the chamber. Also he noticed the primers were a littl flat on my once fired brass so he checked the headspace. The action closed on the no-go gauge with minimal resistance. I just talked to him now he said he was able to just tighten the barrel a little bit to get the headspace back within spec.
I may get him to shorten the barrel a bit down the road but want to see how it shoots first. 24” seems a bit excessive for a .338 FED but if it doesn't shoot well no sense in dumping more money into that barrel.
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,832 Likes: 3
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,832 Likes: 3 |
Have one in .338Fed and also shortened the barrel a little....Shoots just fine at around an inch +/- a little at 100....
laissez les bons temps rouler
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Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 743
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 743 |
I'd be happy with an inch. How short did you go with the barrel?
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,832 Likes: 3
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,832 Likes: 3 |
laissez les bons temps rouler
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Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 7,031 Likes: 2
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 7,031 Likes: 2 |
I recently purchased a 1999 SS action for a WSM. Hoping to chamber up a 6.5 PRC in the coming weeks. Does anybody know if I can use a PTG bottom metal on this action ?
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 10,091 Likes: 15
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 10,091 Likes: 15 |
The x2 280 ai on consignment at a local shop was marked down to $750 today. Almost tempting bet the action feels pretty rough.
Bb
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,389
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,389 |
PM me the name of the shop, I’ll take it at that price.
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,336
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,336 |
I would take it at that price too.
Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 4,857
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 4,857 |
... bet the action feels pretty rough.
Bb I'm not trying to be a smart-a$$ but what makes you think so? I have two 1999s, one of which I purchased new. Straight out of the box it was as smooth as any M70 I've owned or used. Since the one you're looking at is used, that means it's been cycled a few times. Why not handle it and give it a try? You might be surprised. RM
"An archer sees how far he can be from a target and still hit it, a bowhunter sees how close he can get before he shoots." It is certainly easy to use that same line of thinking with firearms. -- Unknown
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 771
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 771 |
Too bad, I always wanted one.
“One thorn of experience is worth a whole wilderness of warning.” - James Russell Lowell
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 7,215 Likes: 8
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 7,215 Likes: 8 |
Have followed them off and on since the late 90's and offer a brief history as I remember it.
25 years ago people who wanted a "real quality" custom rifle wanted a genuine pre-64 M70 or genuine Mauser 98 action, not some tubular push feed thing.
By the mid 90's the supply of unmolested pre-64 M70's and genuine M98's was drying up and becoming expensive so some guys got together and said "let's design a new action with the best features of both that we can sell at a reasonable price to the custom gunsmith market". So they did and called it the Model 1999 since it was designed in 1999. All they ever intended to do was supply custom gunsmiths with the raw material to make a quality CRF rifle.
They got the new action to market and said over and over and over and over and over - "this action is supplied in the rough to keep costs down, your gunsmith will have to do the final finishing". Did I mention that they said this to everyone who would listen? And that they said it to those listening over and over and over and over and over?
People, being idiots people, got the actions and were completely surprised and dismayed when it arrived in the rough so that their gunsmith had to do the final finishing. "Hey, this action is rough! WTF!? I expected something I could just attach a barrel and a stock to and show off to my friends!!"
So, somewhere along the line and this is where I stopped watching them for a while, they got together with a quality barrel maker of a confusingly similar name and Boyd's stocks and probably some other stock maker and started putting together a complete rifle. Complete rifles need a lot more company support than just sending an action out the door to a gunsmith who would then take responsibility for the finished rifle.
And that's when they pushed off on the slippery slope. They never could find the right people to build and support the product. They had one guy who was worth a damn and everybody else (that I talked to or communicated with) was sub-par in terms of being a dedicated employee.
They tried this and that but from what I can see they never found the people to support what was otherwise a fine design and mostly/usually a pretty well put together rifle. About this same time the demographics of shooters willing to spend moderate to big bucks was changing from guys in their 50's-70's wanting show off quality custom rifles to guys who wanted black tactical rifles in chassis stocks with push feed actions being perfectly suitable if not preferred.
They also put themselves in a bad niche. They priced the rifle at a point a good bit higher than a factory M700, M77 or M70 and guys wanting a "good quality" rifle couldn't see the reason to spend more money over a M700, M77 or M70, but it wasn't high enough and the quality wasn't truly top notch enough to capture the hearts and minds of the real carriage trade.
And that brings us to the present, requiem MRC.
The above is all IIRC, so if anyone recalls differently please chime in.
I tried to get them to supply my actions (first offering) unpolished because their polishing efforts often messed things up badly enough that it was difficult to fix it. They always said they would but they never did. I spent a few days at the first shop and ended up buying eight actions from the initial offering. I bought a couple more actions from them a little later but was just not really happy with what I was getting for my money. I built a few rifles on them which were pretty satisfactory. I bought quite a few barrels from them and, though they were a bit wanting in the straightness department, they were decent barrels and I still have a couple on my own rifles. I think they tried to go forward before they were ready to. The design was OK but execution was poor. Their trigger parts were very good and I should have bought some to fit to late model 70's. GD
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