I’ve been following some active threads about this at the African Hunting site. I have a MRC Xtreme X3 in 6.5 CM that I like quite a bit. I might be interested in something similar chambered in 338 Win Mag.
Unfortunately they’ve stated that they don’t plan to offer any magnum length receivers for at least a couple of years. I’d really like to see a double square bridge receiver to fill the gap left by the CZ 550 magnum receivers.
I really like my X2 in 7mm08. I had the factory cut the barrel back to 22. I hunt out of a climbing stand and although I was initially disappointed on the weight it has proven to be a benefit. When I lay it down on the rest on my stand it is very steady. Its accurate and only issue is the safety which is a bit hard to operate. Best wishes for the new owners to do well.
The Devil, as always, will be in the details. As an old fart with more rifles than I’ll even need, or even use, I’ll be watching rather than participating, but I’m hoping for the best. Nice stuff is always welcome.
Stainless and walnut is just fine with me, and I’ve put together a couple myself when the market didn’t offer them outright.
Always a good day when a new CRF rifle manufacturer comes online. Looking forward to seeing their full lineup. Have several of their older rifles and they've shot great. Easily sub MOA.
Ugliness on a rifle like that, even though most of it is covered up. Integral type like this Montana isn't as bad as a 20MOA stick. Pic rails are trending, though.
Looks like they may also offer a bald top which would give owners more flexibility and a cleaner look.
Ugliness on a rifle like that, even though most of it is covered up. Integral type like this Montana isn't as bad as a 20MOA stick. Pic rails are trending, though.
Looks like they may also offer a bald top which would give owners more flexibility and a cleaner look.
Picitiny rails are great for mounting scope that would others wise tuuf to get proper eye relief. If you don't like the full rail you can cut out the middle part between the rings.
Ugliness on a rifle like that, even though most of it is covered up. Integral type like this Montana isn't as bad as a 20MOA stick. Pic rails are trending, though.
Looks like they may also offer a bald top which would give owners more flexibility and a cleaner look.
Picitiny rails are great for mounting scope that would others wise tuuf to get proper eye relief. If you don't like the full rail you can cut out the middle part between the rings.
Talley makes a two-piece pic rail solution for some applications. The Montana rifle I have is a heavy-ish rifle to begin with. That little added weight of the integral pic would be a non-issue.
Ugliness on a rifle like that, even though most of it is covered up. Integral type like this Montana isn't as bad as a 20MOA stick. Pic rails are trending, though.
Looks like they may also offer a bald top which would give owners more flexibility and a cleaner look.
Picitiny rails are great for mounting scope that would others wise tuuf to get proper eye relief. If you don't like the full rail you can cut out the middle part between the rings.
Talley makes a two-piece pic rail solution for some applications. The Montana rifle I have is a heavy-ish rifle to begin with. That little added weight of the integral pic would be a non-issue.
Average weight of a full length Picatiny rail is 2 to 3 ounces
I am not interested in a pic rail, so any weight penalty is not wanted. You like a pic rail, so you don't mind the extra weight an integrated pic rail brings. Different strokes, etc.
I am not interested in a pic rail, so any weight penalty is not wanted. You like a pic rail, so you don't mind the extra weight an integrated pic rail brings. Different strokes, etc.
How much do your monthly weigh? Is there a weight penalty?
Unless I am missing the picture, I only see 2 part integral rail. I like it. Less screw connections and a little additional ring placement options. Hopefully they will offer bigger bore stainless and synthetic options soon.
Unless I am missing the picture, I only see 2 part integral rail. I like it. Less screw connections and a little additional ring placement options. Hopefully they will offer bigger bore stainless and synthetic options soon.
Yes, and it looks like the rear section has been hollowed out to reduce weight. I think the weight complaints came from someone who hadn't looked at the action pictures. Not that you need to know anything about the matter at hand to comment on it, of course.
Unless I am missing the picture, I only see 2 part integral rail. I like it. Less screw connections and a little additional ring placement options. Hopefully they will offer bigger bore stainless and synthetic options soon.
Yes, and it looks like the rear section has been hollowed out to reduce weight. I think the weight complaints came from someone who hadn't looked at the action pictures. Not that you need to know anything about the matter at hand to comment on it, of course.
It is cut out over the action to make it easier to load the magazine. I've done that to a few of mine.
Even leaving them full length the average wight is 2 to 3 ounces
They are usually to long and have to be shortened when big bell scopes are mounted as low as possible
Scroll down and you'll also see a picture of one with no rail; Talley LWs holding the scope.
Hopefully, that photo does show an 2022 action option with no rail, rather than an image of a 1999 action recycled from the old MRC archives.
I'm almost 100% certain that's the new action, the old M1999 action didn't have the scalloping where the banner and serial number is located like in the pic. The pictures with the two piece picatinny rail look like it's machined integral to the action with a cutout in the center to lighten it. It looks like they're offering both the rail option and no rail which is smart.
The old Montana 1999 actions were cast by Pine Tree casting which was a division of Ruger. They were nice but too heavy, there was a lot of unnecessary metal in them. These being fully machined it looks like they did some work to knock out the parts that added weight but no functional benefit. That's great, weight for no reason is a negative. You can always add weight back if it's too light. Most custom rifles come in too heavy when guys start adding heavy scopes, heavy fiberglass stocks and larger contour barrels. It's easy to make a rifle that'll shoot, it's harder to make one that'll shoot and doesn't handle like a train axle.
I'm almost 100% certain that's the new action, the old M1999 action didn't have the scalloping where the banner and serial number is located like in the pic. The pictures with the two piece picatinny rail look like it's machined integral to the action with a cutout in the center to lighten it. It looks like they're offering both the rail option and no rail which is smart.
The old Montana 1999 actions were cast by Pine Tree casting which was a division of Ruger. They were nice but too heavy, there was a lot of unnecessary metal in them. These being fully machined it looks like they did some work to knock out the parts that added weight but no functional benefit. That's great, weight for no reason is a negative. You can always add weight back if it's too light. Most custom rifles come in too heavy when guys start adding heavy scopes, heavy fiberglass stocks and larger contour barrels. It's easy to make a rifle that'll shoot, it's harder to make one that'll shoot and doesn't handle like a train axle.
This is a MRC 1999 that I picked up a few weeks after MRC announced their closing. Except for superficial differences like bluing and stock material, it looks pretty much the same as the gun w/o integral mounts shown on the new MRC website. My MRC 1999 appears to have a higher serial number than the rifle shown on the website, so my guess is the website is showing an old image.
I always thought the MRC 1999 action was a great design, but poorly executed and poorly supported by the company. I hope the new MRC does a lot better, and I will probably buy one regardless of the integral mounts.
They must have changed them somewhere in their manufacturing run, neither of the two I have are scalloped like that. Mine started as bare actions from early in the run.
They look nice. I’m jonesing for a nice new rifle in nice wood stock. The stainless is a bonus for me. Maybe in a 280. If the price is around 2k and the reviews are good after year or two. I’ll consider them, as I don’t buy anything brand new the first year it’s out.
I'm almost 100% certain that's the new action, the old M1999 action didn't have the scalloping where the banner and serial number is located like in the pic. The pictures with the two piece picatinny rail look like it's machined integral to the action with a cutout in the center to lighten it. It looks like they're offering both the rail option and no rail which is smart.
The old Montana 1999 actions were cast by Pine Tree casting which was a division of Ruger. They were nice but too heavy, there was a lot of unnecessary metal in them. These being fully machined it looks like they did some work to knock out the parts that added weight but no functional benefit. That's great, weight for no reason is a negative. You can always add weight back if it's too light. Most custom rifles come in too heavy when guys start adding heavy scopes, heavy fiberglass stocks and larger contour barrels. It's easy to make a rifle that'll shoot, it's harder to make one that'll shoot and doesn't handle like a train axle.
This is a MRC 1999 that I picked up a few weeks after MRC announced their closing. Except for superficial differences like bluing and stock material, it looks pretty much the same as the gun w/o integral mounts shown on the new MRC website. My MRC 1999 appears to have a higher serial number than the rifle shown on the website, so my guess is the website is showing an old image.
I always thought the MRC 1999 action was a great design, but poorly executed and poorly supported by the company. I hope the new MRC does a lot better, and I will probably buy one regardless of the integral mounts.
I have the same rifle/different chambering. A late model X3 bought as NOS after the closing. It has the scallop receiver and looks identical to yours.
I figured I'd chime in- I'm the design engineer at MRC.
I know the Pic rail is a polarizing feature, but it's actually used to hold the receiver in our machining operation. There are plans to do a "slick top" for a proper, traditional look in the future, along with chrome-moly variants. We just had to start somewhere to get this out on to market. There are plans to add the 30-06 to the line up depending on demand. Big dog African calibers will be out eventually, but we have to focus on the larger sales markets before the niche. We've teamed up with McMillan for our carbon stocks, and the leading wood stock manufacturer for the walnut.
It's been a long road evaluating and designing this product (2+ years of R&D so far). Montana Rifle Company is now part of Grace Engineering/G5 outdoors, so there's a lot going on around here. Everything is machined, assembled, and finished in house with the exception of the stocks and a few screws/springs. Just check the website periodically for updates, or feel free to contact direct.
-Ian
p.s.- the rifle in the last website pic is an older, cast receiver Model 1999 (there were 2 casting sources previously). We've been so busy building and testing, there hasn't been time for new photo shoots :-)
Ian - Thanks so much for weighing in and providing more information. It is a great sign that the new MRC is willing to reach out to forum membership to answer questions. I think it is safe to say that there are lot of people eagerly anticipating the rebirth of a great CRF action on the US market. Thanks again!
I figured I'd chime in- I'm the design engineer at MRC.
I know the Pic rail is a polarizing feature, but it's actually used to hold the receiver in our machining operation. There are plans to do a "slick top" for a proper, traditional look in the future, along with chrome-moly variants. We just had to start somewhere to get this out on to market. There are plans to add the 30-06 to the line up depending on demand. Big dog African calibers will be out eventually, but we have to focus on the larger sales markets before the niche. We've teamed up with McMillan for our carbon stocks, and the leading wood stock manufacturer for the walnut.
It's been a long road evaluating and designing this product (2+ years of R&D so far). Montana Rifle Company is now part of Grace Engineering/G5 outdoors, so there's a lot going on around here. Everything is machined, assembled, and finished in house with the exception of the stocks and a few screws/springs. Just check the website periodically for updates, or feel free to contact direct.
-Ian
p.s.- the rifle in the last website pic is an older, cast receiver Model 1999 (there were 2 casting sources previously). We've been so busy building and testing, there hasn't been time for new photo shoots :-)
Thank you for chiming in on this. I have pic rails on some rifles but they have no business on a M70 style receiver IMHO.
Smooth top does interest me so I'll wait for it before taking the plunge.
Will you be offering receivers for sale or complete rifles only?
I figured I'd chime in- I'm the design engineer at MRC.
I know the Pic rail is a polarizing feature, but it's actually used to hold the receiver in our machining operation. There are plans to do a "slick top" for a proper, traditional look in the future, along with chrome-moly variants. We just had to start somewhere to get this out on to market. There are plans to add the 30-06 to the line up depending on demand. Big dog African calibers will be out eventually, but we have to focus on the larger sales markets before the niche. We've teamed up with McMillan for our carbon stocks, and the leading wood stock manufacturer for the walnut.
It's been a long road evaluating and designing this product (2+ years of R&D so far). Montana Rifle Company is now part of Grace Engineering/G5 outdoors, so there's a lot going on around here. Everything is machined, assembled, and finished in house with the exception of the stocks and a few screws/springs. Just check the website periodically for updates, or feel free to contact direct.
-Ian
p.s.- the rifle in the last website pic is an older, cast receiver Model 1999 (there were 2 casting sources previously). We've been so busy building and testing, there hasn't been time for new photo shoots :-)
Thanks for dropping in Ian. Here's wishing you well in the new venture.
All of my serious hunting rifles have Warne slotted bases. Easy to have two scopes RTG. Have tested this system by removing/re-installing scopes. POI is consistent and pretty much spot on. Checked this with my 300 H&H, 375 H&H, and 404 Jeffery when I went to Africa. Easy to take a spare scope, just in case...
I know you can do the same thing with full length rail, but I do not prefer them for my hunting rifles. Since I do not do a lot of LR shooting/hunting a FL rail is not a huge deal for me.
I too, was always turned off by the weight of the old MRC rifles. If I was considering a new build/rifle, this action would get a serious look.
All of my serious hunting rifles have Warne slotted bases. Easy to have two scopes RTG. Have tested this system by removing/re-installing scopes. POI is consistent and pretty much spot on. Checked this with my 300 H&H, 375 H&H, and 404 Jeffery when I went to Africa. Easy to take a spare scope, just in case...
I know you can do the same thing with full length rail, but I do prefer them for my hunting rifles. Since I do not do a lot of LR shooting/hunting a FL rail is not a huge deal for me.
I too, was always turned off by the weight of the old MRC rifles. If I was considering a new build/rifle, this action would get a serious look.
For sure! Coming up with a good CRF for a build is tough these days. Pretty cool you are looking at using McM's for the stocks. Should be an excellent move.
I figured I'd chime in- I'm the design engineer at MRC.
I know the Pic rail is a polarizing feature, but it's actually used to hold the receiver in our machining operation. There are plans to do a "slick top" for a proper, traditional look in the future, along with chrome-moly variants. We just had to start somewhere to get this out on to market. There are plans to add the 30-06 to the line up depending on demand. Big dog African calibers will be out eventually, but we have to focus on the larger sales markets before the niche. We've teamed up with McMillan for our carbon stocks, and the leading wood stock manufacturer for the walnut.
It's been a long road evaluating and designing this product (2+ years of R&D so far). Montana Rifle Company is now part of Grace Engineering/G5 outdoors, so there's a lot going on around here. Everything is machined, assembled, and finished in house with the exception of the stocks and a few screws/springs. Just check the website periodically for updates, or feel free to contact direct.
-Ian
p.s.- the rifle in the last website pic is an older, cast receiver Model 1999 (there were 2 casting sources previously). We've been so busy building and testing, there hasn't been time for new photo shoots :-)
Welcome to the 'fire and thanks for the info. Best wishes to your endeavors! With the demise of the properly triggered M70, demise of MRC, and cancellation of any sort of decent Hawkeyef from Ruger, there's certainly been a missing option for CRF rifles for the last several years. I'll never buy one of your rifles with a rail, but would certainly buy normal ones in all available action lengths.
I figured I'd chime in- I'm the design engineer at MRC.
I know the Pic rail is a polarizing feature, but it's actually used to hold the receiver in our machining operation. There are plans to do a "slick top" for a proper, traditional look in the future, along with chrome-moly variants. We just had to start somewhere to get this out on to market. There are plans to add the 30-06 to the line up depending on demand. Big dog African calibers will be out eventually, but we have to focus on the larger sales markets before the niche. We've teamed up with McMillan for our carbon stocks, and the leading wood stock manufacturer for the walnut.
It's been a long road evaluating and designing this product (2+ years of R&D so far). Montana Rifle Company is now part of Grace Engineering/G5 outdoors, so there's a lot going on around here. Everything is machined, assembled, and finished in house with the exception of the stocks and a few screws/springs. Just check the website periodically for updates, or feel free to contact direct.
-Ian
p.s.- the rifle in the last website pic is an older, cast receiver Model 1999 (there were 2 casting sources previously). We've been so busy building and testing, there hasn't been time for new photo shoots :-)
Probably won't be able to see the rail very well once a scope gets bolted on. We're all happy these are being made.
Thanks for letting the Campfire know the latest! Looking forward to the new MRC rifles.
John Barsness
What were your opinions on the previous MRC rifles? Thanks
By all accounts, when they were properly executed they were excellent rifles. Too frequently though, they weren't properly executed and horrible customer service added insult to injury. That was very likely contributory to their demise.
Thanks Ian for sharing the information with us at the 'fire! I think there is a real market for rifles like this but it will be the price point that either makes it or breaks it.
I'm a long time lurker in many forums, but don't have the time to be an active participant. I'm going off-grid later today for a week, but will try to stop in regularly to answer any questions. I don't want to do a sales pitch or anything without being a forum sponsor (yet?).
Quick answers to some questions/comments- -Yes, receiver/bolt sets will be available for custom builders at some time; they will be offered with our M70 style trigger, though a Timney pre-64 unit will fit as well. -The new 2022 receiver with integrated split pic rail is actually 3 oz. lighter than the previous cast slick top, so no worries of added weight. -I (and the rest of the guys here) are fans of the old MRC rifles, but consistency was lacking. No opinion on their CS since I never dealt with them. -Caliber list is always up for revision. If there's enough interest in a cartridge to warrant tooling up for it, we'll do it. I just don't want to diversify so much that quality suffers.
It's taken 2 years to get where we're at with MRC, The G5 Outdoors side of our company and contract machining currently pays the bills, but it's time to start recouping the investment.
I figured I'd chime in- I'm the design engineer at MRC.
I know the Pic rail is a polarizing feature, but it's actually used to hold the receiver in our machining operation. There are plans to do a "slick top" for a proper, traditional look in the future, along with chrome-moly variants. We just had to start somewhere to get this out on to market. There are plans to add the 30-06 to the line up depending on demand. Big dog African calibers will be out eventually, but we have to focus on the larger sales markets before the niche. We've teamed up with McMillan for our carbon stocks, and the leading wood stock manufacturer for the walnut.
It's been a long road evaluating and designing this product (2+ years of R&D so far). Montana Rifle Company is now part of Grace Engineering/G5 outdoors, so there's a lot going on around here. Everything is machined, assembled, and finished in house with the exception of the stocks and a few screws/springs. Just check the website periodically for updates, or feel free to contact direct.
-Ian
p.s.- the rifle in the last website pic is an older, cast receiver Model 1999 (there were 2 casting sources previously). We've been so busy building and testing, there hasn't been time for new photo shoots :-)
Ian-
Welcome to the forum and the thread.
Do you guy sell barreled actions? I would like to use different stock that your factory offerings.
I'm a long time lurker in many forums, but don't have the time to be an active participant. I'm going off-grid later today for a week, but will try to stop in regularly to answer any questions. I don't want to do a sales pitch or anything without being a forum sponsor (yet?).
Quick answers to some questions/comments- -Yes, receiver/bolt sets will be available for custom builders at some time; they will be offered with our M70 style trigger, though a Timney pre-64 unit will fit as well. -The new 2022 receiver with integrated split pic rail is actually 3 oz. lighter than the previous cast slick top, so no worries of added weight. -I (and the rest of the guys here) are fans of the old MRC rifles, but consistency was lacking. No opinion on their CS since I never dealt with them. -Caliber list is always up for revision. If there's enough interest in a cartridge to warrant tooling up for it, we'll do it. I just don't want to diversify so much that quality suffers.
It's taken 2 years to get where we're at with MRC, The G5 Outdoors side of our company and contract machining currently pays the bills, but it's time to start recouping the investment.
Thanks again, -Ian
Will you do custom work, ie build a "one of" rifle for a wildcat or factory cartridge?
I figured I'd chime in- I'm the design engineer at MRC.
I know the Pic rail is a polarizing feature, but it's actually used to hold the receiver in our machining operation. There are plans to do a "slick top" for a proper, traditional look in the future, along with chrome-moly variants. We just had to start somewhere to get this out on to market. There are plans to add the 30-06 to the line up depending on demand. Big dog African calibers will be out eventually, but we have to focus on the larger sales markets before the niche. We've teamed up with McMillan for our carbon stocks, and the leading wood stock manufacturer for the walnut.
It's been a long road evaluating and designing this product (2+ years of R&D so far). Montana Rifle Company is now part of Grace Engineering/G5 outdoors, so there's a lot going on around here. Everything is machined, assembled, and finished in house with the exception of the stocks and a few screws/springs. Just check the website periodically for updates, or feel free to contact direct.
-Ian
p.s.- the rifle in the last website pic is an older, cast receiver Model 1999 (there were 2 casting sources previously). We've been so busy building and testing, there hasn't been time for new photo shoots :-)
Very glad to see that you are up and running. I look forward to larger bore, stainless, synthetic production runs. I am a fan of the machined in two piece rails.
I'm a long time lurker in many forums, but don't have the time to be an active participant. I'm going off-grid later today for a week, but will try to stop in regularly to answer any questions. I don't want to do a sales pitch or anything without being a forum sponsor (yet?).
Quick answers to some questions/comments- -Yes, receiver/bolt sets will be available for custom builders at some time; they will be offered with our M70 style trigger, though a Timney pre-64 unit will fit as well. -The new 2022 receiver with integrated split pic rail is actually 3 oz. lighter than the previous cast slick top, so no worries of added weight. -I (and the rest of the guys here) are fans of the old MRC rifles, but consistency was lacking. No opinion on their CS since I never dealt with them. -Caliber list is always up for revision. If there's enough interest in a cartridge to warrant tooling up for it, we'll do it. I just don't want to diversify so much that quality suffers.
It's taken 2 years to get where we're at with MRC, The G5 Outdoors side of our company and contract machining currently pays the bills, but it's time to start recouping the investment.
I don’t have an issue with the machined in picatinny bases on a rifle like this. It’s eliminating a potential point of failure for a hard use rifle. I likely wouldn’t have chosen picatinny, but I understand it from a broad applicability standpoint. The Mauser I’m having built I chose for S&K ring bases to be machined, but I doubt that is what I would choose for a broad marketing option as a manufacturer.
I suspect an awful lot of the folks not enamored with the split-pic rail would do an immediate about-face were there a lightweight factory scope ring option with eccentric live-centers.........
Is there a patient issue that keeps them from producing the recoil lug integral to the action? Not to be a nay-sayer but it looks like a lot of extra nooks-and-crannies where glass-bedding material will end up where you don't want it and/or create mechanical lock where it ought not be??
If there's a good reason to produce the action/lug in that manner I'm all ears.
I love that they're using the open trigger design.
I'm a long time lurker in many forums, but don't have the time to be an active participant. I'm going off-grid later today for a week, but will try to stop in regularly to answer any questions. I don't want to do a sales pitch or anything without being a forum sponsor (yet?).
Quick answers to some questions/comments- -Yes, receiver/bolt sets will be available for custom builders at some time; they will be offered with our M70 style trigger, though a Timney pre-64 unit will fit as well. -The new 2022 receiver with integrated split pic rail is actually 3 oz. lighter than the previous cast slick top, so no worries of added weight. -I (and the rest of the guys here) are fans of the old MRC rifles, but consistency was lacking. No opinion on their CS since I never dealt with them. -Caliber list is always up for revision. If there's enough interest in a cartridge to warrant tooling up for it, we'll do it. I just don't want to diversify so much that quality suffers.
It's taken 2 years to get where we're at with MRC, The G5 Outdoors side of our company and contract machining currently pays the bills, but it's time to start recouping the investment.
Thanks again, -Ian
Does the slot spacing between the receiver rings on your split rail match up to that of a solid rail, which would allow you to move scopes between the MRC and another rail equipped rifle? There are scope mount manufacturers that sell two piece Picatinny bases, but when mounted on the action, the slot spacing between the front and rear receiver rings doesn’t match that of a one piece rail.
I'm a long time lurker in many forums, but don't have the time to be an active participant. I'm going off-grid later today for a week, but will try to stop in regularly to answer any questions. I don't want to do a sales pitch or anything without being a forum sponsor (yet?).
Quick answers to some questions/comments- -Yes, receiver/bolt sets will be available for custom builders at some time; they will be offered with our M70 style trigger, though a Timney pre-64 unit will fit as well. -The new 2022 receiver with integrated split pic rail is actually 3 oz. lighter than the previous cast slick top, so no worries of added weight. -I (and the rest of the guys here) are fans of the old MRC rifles, but consistency was lacking. No opinion on their CS since I never dealt with them. -Caliber list is always up for revision. If there's enough interest in a cartridge to warrant tooling up for it, we'll do it. I just don't want to diversify so much that quality suffers.
It's taken 2 years to get where we're at with MRC, The G5 Outdoors side of our company and contract machining currently pays the bills, but it's time to start recouping the investment.
Thanks again, -Ian
If you want to build a rifle that will fit in with your Memphis, Michigan home base and will sell very good ....build a 45 Raptor 20" barrel 1-24" twist threaded 11/16"-24 for a suppressor.....you will have back orders from all the States that require under 1.8" cartridge..... Hope you build one before I get to old....put me down for one I'll pick it up from the factory.....
Is there a patient issue that keeps them from producing the recoil lug integral to the action? Not to be a nay-sayer but it looks like a lot of extra nooks-and-crannies where glass-bedding material will end up where you don't want it and/or create mechanical lock where it ought not be??
If there's a good reason to produce the action/lug in that manner I'm all ears.
I love that they're using the open trigger design.
Curious on that also. Is the lower lug affixed to the stock ala tikka? Also curious what max coal in the two action lengths will be.
The lug is the only thing about the action I’m not sure of but I figured worst case scenario I’ll just epoxy it to the action and treat it as a normal action at that point
Hey all, back from a glorious week of camping and hiking in SC with the family :-)
There's too many questions to answer to the the quote post thing, so here it goes: 1. We will be offering both bare and barreled actions as our manufacturing dept. picks up speed. 2. There are no plans currently to do custom rifles or wildcats, you'll have to work with your gunsmith and one of our bare actions. The long and short, is we don't have the manpower. 3. The initial offering for the McMillan stock is very similar to their Gamehunter model. A traditional sporter will be coming later as we add to the product line. 4. Lefty actions should be out in a year or so. 5. Picatinny slot spacing is the same as if it was a solid rail, anything else would be silly! 6. We're not taking direct orders. Sales are being handled through the same rep groups we use for our G5 Outdoors and Prime Archery brands. They're doing the leg work to find "full service" shops in their areas that are a good fit for this brand. There should be a dealer locator on the main MRC website at some point in time. 7. Being a Michigan company, we'll be doing straight wall "neutered" rounds at some point. It will likely be the .350 Legend, and .450 Bushmaster because of sales volumes despite my affinity for better rounds like the 45 raptor and various whisper type wildcats. I've got some fun goofy stuff for my own personal collection brewing, but I'm sure it'll never make production. 8. The bean counters are working on the pricing, but it's going to be somewhere between $2-3k depending on options.
and finally, the answer to the recoil lug...
The reason for the removeable construction stems from it being a fully machined receiver, and starting bar stock size. We start with a 2" diameter 10 lbs chunk of pre heat treated stainless. We gun drill the main bolt diameter on center using the same drill we use to make barrels. If I were make the recoil lug integral to the receiver, I'd have to start with 2.5" diameter stock (13.5 lbs vs 10 lbs), and subsequently machine off the additional 3-1/2 lbs of steel. With the increased cost of material and added machine time, it would add somewhere in the $500 ballpark cost to the receiver. Yes, it's somewhat of a compromise, but it works, and works well.
We bed the actions with Devcon epoxy front and rear. The lug and all receiver surfaces are drafted forward and laterally to allow release from the bedding compound. The flat recoil bearing surfaces are left flat for proper load transfer. The lug to receiver fit is quite tight, and we spray mold release on the receiver, and lug so they come out of the bedding together. I've also purposely only mold released the receiver to bed the lug in. When I want to run multiple actions in the same stock, this method works great (providing you stone off a hair of material from the lug to allow them to separate easily).
Sorry, I forgot to add that the magazine box inner lengths are 3.15" for the short action, 3.4" and 3.65" for the long action (the -06 length box has an integrated spacer in the back, but the body and receiver interface are the same). I usually recommend giving yourself .040-.060 space between max COAL and box length to keep things moving in the cartridge stack.
When we acquired the company, it included the parts inventory, so I'm working around existing magazine boxes at the moment. I'm going to have a new LA magnum box made that will accommodate the 300 PRC's 3.70 max COAL when the time comes.
We bed the actions with Devcon epoxy front and rear. The lug and all receiver surfaces are drafted forward and laterally to allow release from the bedding compound. The flat recoil bearing surfaces are left flat for proper load transfer. The lug to receiver fit is quite tight, and we spray mold release on the receiver, and lug so they come out of the bedding together. I've also purposely only mold released the receiver to bed the lug in. When I want to run multiple actions in the same stock, this method works great (providing you stone off a hair of material from the lug to allow them to separate easily).
I think that is an interesting and surprising configuration for an initial offering. It is shockingly close to a build I’ve been putting together in my head for a 5 digit classic stainless 7 mag I have sitting in the safe. I’m not sure how well it will speak to the general CRF market, but I’m interested in a 7 prc.
As for price, based on what you describe I see the value from 2-3k. However, I think as you move towards 3k in price you will rapidly lose people’s interest as it moves into the “well for a bit more I can build it EXACTLY my way” territory. Close to $2k it’s a no brainer if you want a long range style CRF rifle.
What? No 35 Whelen, no 35 Remington or even a 358 Winchester? Tell the new owners to leave plenty of meat in them skinny bores for a decent JES rebore job. A plain jane 280 Remington would have been cool, but they forgot that one too.
I've no idea about the rep groups but I sure wish there was at least a run of left hand limited options where folks could at least pre-order even if has to be thru a distributor. This would be ideal for your left hand runs to have the majority all pre sold and that way you wouldn't have to worry about low or slow sales. Anyway, that's how I'd handle the left hand issue. It alright to trickle some occadi9nally on the market but pre paid runs would be the way to go.
A plain jane 280 Remington would have been cool, but they forgot that one too.
Why would they do a “plain Jane” .280 when they already have a “plain Jane” .280 AI? You can shoot “plain Jane” .280 out of the AI chamber and you’d never know that it was AI until you looked at your fire formed brass. 😀. You’d have the best of both worlds….a .280 and the option to hot rod it by going AI. 👍🏼
Thanks for the information on your design. By 98 barrel ring and feed cone, I assume that you mean that the action will have the Mauser c-ring or c-collar and not a coned breech?
MSRP is $2500.00 . Most rifles do not sell for MSRP . Basically with the new CNC machining tolerances you are getting a trued receiver , bolt and barrel . I like the wood stocked model and it has a nice chunk of walnut . I sent them an email that I would purchase one when they are for sale .
If the new MRC rifle turns out as nice as it sounds like it will, $2500 seems like a fair price, considering what else is out there at that price point.
I just called the manufacturer to inquire about when these will actually be available.
The current estimate is to release 6.5 CM "in about 30 days" followed by .308 Win. Then magnum chamberings will follow at the end of the year or next year.
Hope you guys the best, but only if your CS service is light years better than what it was! My one and done with MRC left such a bad taste in my mouth that years later, I can still taste it! But, with that said, here's to high hopes!
Start to design and sell a nice "classic rifle". And then get all "tacticool" with milled in pic rails... Really? Pic rail bolt-on mounts if you have to. But at least let us choose a set of traditional mounts if we would like...
Start to design and sell a nice "classic rifle". And then get all "tacticool" with milled in pic rails... Really? Pic rail bolt-on mounts if you have to. But at least let us choose a set of traditional mounts if we would like...
Started out interested until the built in Picatinny rail bump. Unremovable rails don’t belong an a CRF rifle. Maybe cool for the LR crowd but I’ll pass.
Not interested in being forced to buy a configuration I don’t want. Plenty of other choices out there in that price range.
Started out interested until the built in Picatinny rail bump. Unremovable rails don’t belong an a CRF rifle. Maybe cool for the LR crowd but I’ll pass.
Not interested in being forced to buy a configuration I don’t want. Plenty of other choices out there in that price range.
Originally Posted by Wildcatter264
Started out interested until the built in Picatinny rail bump. Unremovable rails don’t belong an a CRF rifle. Maybe cool for the LR crowd but I’ll pass.
Not interested in being forced to buy a configuration I don’t want. Plenty of other choices out there in that price range.
Unremovable rails don’t belong an a CRF rifle - why not on a CRF rifle? I'm old school, Win 70s for decades but now I only use Pic rails, prefer those milled in receiver. One less place for a small screw to fail!
I love the idea of the built in mounts. One less thing that can go wrong on a serious hunting rifle. Also opens up a ton of options as to what brand rings to use. Thumbs up from me. Ruger did a similar thing as well and you don’t see people complaining about it.
I've got an Savage bolt action with this type of integral mounts on the reciever and Surgeon rifles did this as well. Sure, it's not beautiful and classic looking but it's an much better method of attaching an optic with no worries about Loc-tite or screws coming loose nor anything to maintain. Looks kinda crappy from an traditional view but it's highly functional.
The choice of 6.5 and 308win are solid and what sells mostly today but I'm shocked there's not an 30-06 offered right away.
Weak scopes riding in weak rings on a weak mounting point are not a positive to wish for.
Pic rails with Pic rings are a vast improvement for reliability and durability in keeping a scope in place. An integral Pic rail mount is even better. Wish more manufacturers would offer it, but it significantly increases the machining cost over the R700 round tube receiver. The integral Pic rail mount is one of the single best improvements in this design for a hard use and/or heavier recoiling rifle. As others said, it one less thing to go wrong.
I'm ready to buy and give it a try, if and when they turn them loose in the wild.
What is the advantage of a .338 Win Mag? The big .300's, Win Mag, PRC, and RUM fill the role for lighter bullets on one side and the bigger .338's best it on the other. A .338 RUM or Lapua runs off and leaves the .338 Win Mag in the rear view mirror.
Weak scopes riding in weak rings on a weak mounting point are not a positive to wish for.
Pic rails with Pic rings are a vast improvement for reliability and durability in keeping a scope in place. An integral Pic rail mount is even better. Wish more manufacturers would offer it, but it significantly increases the machining cost over the R700 round tube receiver. The integral Pic rail mount is one of the single best improvements in this design for a hard use and/or heavier recoiling rifle. As others said, it one less thing to go wrong.
I'm ready to buy and give it a try, if and when they turn them loose in the wild.
What is the advantage of a .338 Win Mag? The big .300's, Win Mag, PRC, and RUM fill the role for lighter bullets on one side and the bigger .338's best it on the other. A .338 RUM or Lapua runs off and leaves the .338 Win Mag in the rear view mirror.
You’re not wrong but on a classic blued and wood stocked hunting rifle an integral pic rail is fugly and unnecessary. I have a stainless synthetic stocked MRC that I’d like it on but not on the model shown.
Sure a .338 Lapua leaves a .338 Win Mag in the dirt but again for a hunting rifle very few ppl need that much gun or want that level of recoil. It’s overkill for most non African dangerous game but is undersized for African dangerous game. It’s neither fish nor fowl for most hunting applications. More of a specialized long range precision or sniping cartridge.
Unless very large non dangerous game at long ranges is your game it doesn’t serve much of a niche for hunting.
Weak scopes riding in weak rings on a weak mounting point are not a positive to wish for.
Pic rails with Pic rings are a vast improvement for reliability and durability in keeping a scope in place. An integral Pic rail mount is even better. Wish more manufacturers would offer it, but it significantly increases the machining cost over the R700 round tube receiver. The integral Pic rail mount is one of the single best improvements in this design for a hard use and/or heavier recoiling rifle. As others said, it one less thing to go wrong.
I'm ready to buy and give it a try, if and when they turn them loose in the wild.
What is the advantage of a .338 Win Mag? The big .300's, Win Mag, PRC, and RUM fill the role for lighter bullets on one side and the bigger .338's best it on the other. A .338 RUM or Lapua runs off and leaves the .338 Win Mag in the rear view mirror.
You’re not wrong but on a classic wood stocked hunting rifle an integral pic rail is fugly and unnecessary.
Sure a .338 Lapua leaves a .338 Win Mag in the dirt but again for a hunting rifle very few ppl need that much gun or want that level of recoil. It’s overkill for nearly any non African dangerous game and is undersized for that. It’s neither fish nor fowl for most hunting applications. More of a specialized long range precision or sniping round.
Improved performance looks pretty good to me. Here is my nice wood deer rifle, a .308 built by Sterling Davenport, with a Pic rail, Pic rings, and a Nightforce.
Typical thornbrush where I hunt on the west side of South Texas. It is hot and harsh, but beautiful in its own way.
Same rifle, three shots.
Again, just responding to the comments that the omission of .338 Win Mag somehow leaves a hole in the line up. I just do not see what the .338 Win Mag brings to the table that is not otherwise filled by the big .300's or the bigger .338's. What is the advantage of a .338 Win Mag?
In a lighter weight .338 Lapua with a NF scope, I run the Barnes TTSX 225 gr @ 3050 in a 10# all up rifle with an APA brake and recoil is firm, but not bad. I've shot .30-06's that were worse. We have some larger bodied animals here, Nilgai and Oryx, that I worked up that load for, but I've used a .300 Win Mag with a 165 TTSX and it worked fine. Totally off on a tangent, Scimitar Horned Oryx is the finest meat I've ever eaten.
Weak scopes riding in weak rings on a weak mounting point are not a positive to wish for.
Pic rails with Pic rings are a vast improvement for reliability and durability in keeping a scope in place. An integral Pic rail mount is even better. Wish more manufacturers would offer it, but it significantly increases the machining cost over the R700 round tube receiver. The integral Pic rail mount is one of the single best improvements in this design for a hard use and/or heavier recoiling rifle. As others said, it one less thing to go wrong.
I'm ready to buy and give it a try, if and when they turn them loose in the wild.
What is the advantage of a .338 Win Mag? The big .300's, Win Mag, PRC, and RUM fill the role for lighter bullets on one side and the bigger .338's best it on the other. A .338 RUM or Lapua runs off and leaves the .338 Win Mag in the rear view mirror.
You’re not wrong but on a classic wood stocked hunting rifle an integral pic rail is fugly and unnecessary.
Sure a .338 Lapua leaves a .338 Win Mag in the dirt but again for a hunting rifle very few ppl need that much gun or want that level of recoil. It’s overkill for nearly any non African dangerous game and is undersized for that. It’s neither fish nor fowl for most hunting applications. More of a specialized long range precision or sniping round.
Improved performance looks pretty good to me. Here is my nice wood deer rifle, a .308 built by Sterling Davenport, with a Pic rail, Pic rings, and a Nightforce.
Typical thornbrush where I hunt on the west side of South Texas. It is hot and harsh, but beautiful in its own way.
Same rifle, three shots.
Again, just responding to the comments that the omission of .338 Win Mag somehow leaves a hole in the line up. I just do not see what the .338 Win Mag brings to the table that is not otherwise filled by the big .300's or the bigger .338's. What is the advantage of a .338 Win Mag?
In a lighter weight .338 Lapua with a NF scope, I run the Barnes TTSX 225 gr @ 3050 in a 10# all up rifle with an APA brake and recoil is firm, but not bad. I've shot .30-06's that were worse. We have some larger bodied animals here, Nilgai and Oryx, that I worked up that load for, but I've used a .300 Win Mag with a 165 TTSX and it worked fine. Totally off on a tangent, Scimitar Horned Oryx is the finest meat I've ever eaten.
Pic rails aren’t my 1st choice for a traditional hunting rifle. Especially a factory, even higher end factory rifle. A 10# hunting rifle with a brake wouldn’t be my first pick for general hunting.
Having said that. The .308 in that picture with pic rail is obviously an absolutely beautiful rifle that can shoot👍👍
Weak scopes riding in weak rings on a weak mounting point are not a positive to wish for.
Pic rails with Pic rings are a vast improvement for reliability and durability in keeping a scope in place. An integral Pic rail mount is even better. Wish more manufacturers would offer it, but it significantly increases the machining cost over the R700 round tube receiver. The integral Pic rail mount is one of the single best improvements in this design for a hard use and/or heavier recoiling rifle. As others said, it one less thing to go wrong.
I'm ready to buy and give it a try, if and when they turn them loose in the wild.
What is the advantage of a .338 Win Mag? The big .300's, Win Mag, PRC, and RUM fill the role for lighter bullets on one side and the bigger .338's best it on the other. A .338 RUM or Lapua runs off and leaves the .338 Win Mag in the rear view mirror.
You’re not wrong but on a classic wood stocked hunting rifle an integral pic rail is fugly and unnecessary.
Sure a .338 Lapua leaves a .338 Win Mag in the dirt but again for a hunting rifle very few ppl need that much gun or want that level of recoil. It’s overkill for nearly any non African dangerous game and is undersized for that. It’s neither fish nor fowl for most hunting applications. More of a specialized long range precision or sniping round.
Improved performance looks pretty good to me. Here is my nice wood deer rifle, a .308 built by Sterling Davenport, with a Pic rail, Pic rings, and a Nightforce.
Typical thornbrush where I hunt on the west side of South Texas. It is hot and harsh, but beautiful in its own way.
Same rifle, three shots.
Again, just responding to the comments that the omission of .338 Win Mag somehow leaves a hole in the line up. I just do not see what the .338 Win Mag brings to the table that is not otherwise filled by the big .300's or the bigger .338's. What is the advantage of a .338 Win Mag?
In a lighter weight .338 Lapua with a NF scope, I run the Barnes TTSX 225 gr @ 3050 in a 10# all up rifle with an APA brake and recoil is firm, but not bad. I've shot .30-06's that were worse. We have some larger bodied animals here, Nilgai and Oryx, that I worked up that load for, but I've used a .300 Win Mag with a 165 TTSX and it worked fine. Totally off on a tangent, Scimitar Horned Oryx is the finest meat I've ever eaten.
Pic rails aren’t my 1st choice for a traditional hunting rifle. Especially a factory, even higher end factory rifle. A 10# hunting rifle with a brake wouldn’t be my first pick for general hunting.
Having said that. The .308 in that picture with pic rail is obviously an absolutely beautiful rifle👍
I agree a 10#'er is not my first choice. It is kind of fun to shoot the .338 Lapua though and leaves me smiling just from shooting it.
For my hunting purposes what the 338 Lapua brings that my 338wm’s don’t is the need to buy ANOTHER ammo and reloading setup for another chambering. I understand the logic of the Lapua being “better” but I’d be happier with the Win Mag. I have embraced the KISS principle and I don’t want a million different chamberings so at the ranges I’m using my Win Mag at the additional power of the Lapua is superfluous.
Received the following info, I'm liking what I'm hearing on 270 barrel twist rates!!
Quote
All the barrels and actions on the new guns are stainless with optional Cerakote. Originally, I was planning on the traditional 1-10 for the .270 Win, but leaning toward 1-8 for both performance and to simplify the barrel tooling. The 6.8 Western and 27 Nosler both shine brighter with the tighter twist, so it makes sense to run them all that way. We're just starting on machining the long action prototypes this week (starting with 300 Win Mag), and I need to really beat the snot out of them out before releasing to production. That being said, it will probably be into the first of the year before we long action calibers fully rolling. This is also the major hot season for our archery line, so the machining and assembly departments are pretty tied up with broadheads and the 2024 bows.
I'll forward your info on to the customer service/sales department to put you on the email list.
Thanks, Ian MacDonald Firearms Design Engineer Grace Engineering/G5 Outdoors/Montana Rifle Company 34775 Potter St. Memphis, MI 48041
An CNC machined M70/M98 copy, integral scope bases, a McMillan carbon fiber stock, and a 1/2 MOA guarantee for $2500. While maybe on the high side for a steel barrel rifle, I think it is a good looking rig with some good features (premium manufacture, integral scope bases, CRF). A lot will depend on the quality of construction, whether it meets the 1/2 MOA guarantee, and how well the company stands behind its product. I'm not saying I am going to rush out and buy one, but I think there is some market potential if it shoots as good as it sounds like it should.
The maker needs to get a few examples into the hands of gun writers/YouTubers who can do some testing and report what they find. Otherwise, there is going to be slow adoption by the market.
A local pawn shop currently has a MRC rifle in 300WSM. The action on that rifle is simply amazing. Obviously one of the older ones but a very nice rifle with nice wood in excellent condition. Priced right at $1099(without dickering) Too bad it was not in .308 Win., Magnum recoil does not interest me in the slightest anymore....
Quite awhile ago, I purchased a then new MRC 1999 in 260 Remington. Unfortunately, what a disaster and the CS was worse than the rifle. Has really put a bad taste in my mouth about MRC, and while I know this is a new company, it's the same name. Following this thread to see what's what...
All great info, I’m enthusiast with the introduction of new CRF quality rifle,wish them well. I purchased two of 1999 last year, one a stainless 28 nosler, w/break and a plain Jane ASR wood stock 30/06. Haven’t really had a chance to ring either one out yet , health issues, some of the posting relating to functionally and customer service of the old company have me concerned. Course the new company can’t , nor should be expected to , support the old company. Interested how others have handled their problems with the old 99, annd availabilty of parts and the like?
It is a shame they will not permit buyers to order directly from their web site. They would end up with a huge fan base of left handed shooters if they did.
Course the new company can’t , nor should be expected to , support the old company. Interested how others have handled their problems with the old 99, annd availabilty of parts and the like?
I'd like to know who got all of the 1999 parts, especially the synthetic stocks. I'd love to put my walnut 1999 ASR in one, but I haven't seen any of the old inventory listed anywhere.