I'm curious how many of the people bashing our new rifles have actually handled and/or shot one?
I can tell you that personally I'm really proud of what our team has done so far with this project. Especially if you factor in that we only had one rifle we borrowed from Melvin and some crude paper prints and later a second loaner rifle from Richard Mann to go by. Another thing I want to mention is how impressive the quality of Melvin built rifles are after seeing the VERY limited resources he had. It proved to me that Melvin is one heck of a skilled gunsmith!!! While on the subject of Melvin, he and his wife Patty are two of the nicest people I've ever met, truly special people.
While we stayed pretty true to Melvin's original proven action design we have made some noticeable improvements.
ID of the receiver is wire EDM cut so we can hold tolerances to less than .001"
Bolt is fully machined out of bar stock on state of the art CNC equipment
The bolt handle is mechanically attached to the bolt instead of being brazed like Melvin did it which makes it stronger
The bolt knob is user interchangeable
The Bolt stop is beefier and fully machined from bar stock instead of a stamping, it also has a heavier stainless spring
Receiver, bolt and bolt handle are DLC coated by Armorlube and don't require any lube
The stainless 416R WC mfg barrel is Armor Tuff coated for corrosion resistance
Scope base screws are 8-40 thread
All standard SKU barrels are threaded 5/8-24 for muzzle devices or suppressors
We added hinged floorplate bottom metal that's fully machined out of 7075 T6 aluminum bar stock and hard anodized
AG composites is making us a awesome stock that's as light and strong as the labor intensive one Melvin made
The new Timney trigger locks the bolt down when on safety and has eliminated the potential safety issue of the original trigger
We've been able to keep the guns lightweight, before I added a suppressor and optic my 16.2" .308 weighed 4# 12.8oz
We have been extremely happy with the overall accuracy of the guns with 5/8"-3/4" 100yd groups being very common. I've shot several 1/2" groups with my personal .358 Win and Lehigh Defense bullets.
Barrel twist rates were picked because they shoot common hunting bullets the best. Sure a 1-10 twist .308 will shoot 175gr Sierra Matchkings better, but our 1-11.25 will shoot popular 150-165gr hunting bullets great. We've already made some 1-10 .308 barrels too.
Some have asked "why a .358 Win"? Well a few of my hunting buddies and I are big .35cal fans and we figured since we were already making barrels for us, why not offer them to customers too. Also, since we already make .338 Fed barrels for large frame ARs there is no reason we can't for a NULA if there is enough demand.
The next calibers to be available will be for the model 20S: .223, .300 Blackout, 300 HAM'R and 350 Legend
One last thing. Unlike Melvin's business model of dealing directly with the customer and "you dream it and we can build it", WC sells the majority of it's products through distributors like Sports South and key dealers. These customers want the # of SKUs to be kept to a minimum. This doesn't mean we can't step out of this box some if a customer wants to order a rifle direct at retail price. Things such as different barrel lengths, crowned muzzle (no wart), different finishes, etc could be done.
It isn't so much people bashing your rifles, but rather not building a rifle to what people are looking for. Because of advancements in bullet technology, some of the old SAAMI dimensions and specifications are a bit long in the tooth. That is part of the reason for the success of some of the "new" cartridges like 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, 7mm PRC, and .300 PRC. The new cartridges are optimized for these new bullets, but they can breathe new life into the old rounds and offer performance on par with the new stuff.
People want to shoot high-BC bullets. That means longer. That means the 1:9" .243 Winchester doesn't work for the guy wanting to shoot a 108 gr Hornady. The 7mm Remington Magnum is another cartridge that is rarely twisted faster than 1:9.25"; too slow for the highest BC bullets in the 175 gr. plus range. The old 1:10" .270 Winchester just isn't up to par with the 175 gr. bullets out now. From most shooters' experience, it is hard to have "too much twist" except in the most extreme cases. For instance, my 1:10" .308s have zero problems shooting 150 gr. hunting bullets, but my 1:12" barrels do struggle with 185 gr Juggernauts.
It isn't a personal jab at you, your company, or the rifles you're producing. It is a matter of the modern shooter not being your target audience.
