Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Downfall of Montana Rifle Company.....

And this whole discussion is why I buy JC Higgins FN’s for 375 to 400 bucks and smile all the way home. High quality rifles are available for what I consider not a lot of money, if a guy is patient and willing to make a few modifications that will cost you way less than the discounted price of 799.

Well, maybe not way less. But I’d rather add a new trigger and a safety to a JC Higgins FN 98 than take the gamble on a rifle that doesn’t have a great reputation.

I've got a couple of JC Higgins - one in 270Win and one in 30-06. FN actions. Chromed-lined barrels. Walnut stocks. They're classic American-style rifles from a bygone era, and both are poor shooters. I'd be happy to move them for $400 each.

This was $799...



Not for sale, btw.

Well, I took a plunge and bought a X2 in .243 and a X3 in 6.5 Creedmoor. The silver lining is with them having gone out of business, I don't have to worry about their crappy service.

Their XWR model, which was the predecessor to the X2, has really worked well for me as has a SCR of the same vintage of about ten years go.

The one X2 I own in .300 Win Mag took work similar to fooling with a R700 and 250 rounds and replacing one broken stock before it ran right. Once it was in a new stock and bedded correctly, it too cut cloverleafs. My conclusion was the metal work was well done, but they started to make their own stocks for the X2 they ran into problems.

I still watch for the XWR’s to come up for sale.

No experience with the X3 or comparable recent vintage wood stocks, but they seem to generate a disproportionate share of the negative feedback.

The MRC XWR .308 with a Nightforce 2.5-10x42 and Barnes 130 TTSX is one of my favorite rifles.

What kind of deals did you get on them?

Paul, I bought the X2 NIB from a member here for $950 and the X3 from Impact Guns for $1248. Looking for another .308 but will just probably buy a new Model Seven SS H-S Precision.

I bought a X2 years ago in 7mm08. Had the factory shorten the barrel to 22 from 24. Its a accurate rifle with the few different factory loads I tried.
The safety is more stiff than I would like but useable. They told me to send it back but I didn't care to at the time and thought maybe it would loosen up with use. It did some. Its heavier than I expected by about a half pound or better. Handles pretty good but the forearm is a bit large for me. Wrist grip is just right for me.

I bought thru a buddy in the gun business who sold quite a few. There was a lot Negative feedback thru those buyers concerning feeding issues as the stiff safety issue. But I don't remember him getting any complaints about accuracy.

In my humble opinion it was a poorly executed attempt of a good idea. Most of the issues should have been caught at the factory. Especially since the wait times where long. Guys don't like to order a rifle for that kind of jack and be disappointed on simple qc issues let alone After a long wait.

Its never the good guns that sink a reputation its the bad ones that get put out with qc issues.

This was the base for my 9.3x62 . Shilen #3 , Timney and Mcmillan and a Jkob side swing safety.

The single improvement over the Model 70, was that the bolt handle was integral to the bolt. Apart from that, the actions were a kit and one could count on a half day of work to correct factory polishing efforts. GD

Yeah, the few I handled in town at local gun shops were rough. They were made right here in town. Big article years ago in local newspaper boosting that they were hiring workers and expanding production.
I remember article stating that they were going to grow larger than Remington Arms company. Yeah right! What I saw was poor quality. No thank you, plenty of other excellent choices of rifles out there that are well made. Never will buy one.

The two I owned were built entirely by MRC in the middle of this decade and the actions were extremely smooth and non-binding - not Tikka smooth but smoother than most of the Model 70's I've owned over the last 23 years and way smoother than any Ruger 77. And I like Model 70's and Ruger 77's so not saying that just to diss them.

The glass bedding from the factory was clean and neatly done, far cleaner than about 75% of the bedding work I've seen done by folks calling themselves gunsmiths. Triggers were clean and like the original M70 could be adjusted down to a great hunting rifle pull weight. Actions as noted were very smooth to operate and non-binding.

Their downfall IMO wasn't lack of build quality but the inability of management and their employees to take a start up company into the big time, they literally couldn't manage it.

I have one as well. Straight out of the box the action was very smooth. I had an issue with it occasionally not picking up the first round from a full magazine, so I contacted MRC about it and they gave me a postage paid mailing label. Off it went, they fixed it, and it has never hiccupped since. I did, though, send it to Redneck to polish and adjust the trigger. It is easily one of the most accurate rifles I own. About the only thing I'd change on it is the barrel profile: it's a bit beefy, but then so is a standard Super Grade. Would I buy another? If I wanted one and the price was right - and Redneck stays in business - you bet.

Just my $.02

So I was just in another LGS and they did have a lefty. It's an X3 in 300 WM. They don't have quite the discount as the other store though, they want $1500.

Maybe they concentrated to heavily on sheep rifles.😂

I don't know, the x2 25-06 I have is the most accurate rifle I have ever owned. Granted, I am not a great marksman, but I notice the difference. Works well, it is a little heavy, but well balanced (at least to my taste). I don't know what all of their business issues were, but I do know that anyone in any business who tries to play in the "middle ground" has a tough road ahead. Most consumers buy at the bottom with a disposable mindset. Others buy at the top with an "I want the best" mindset. They may have been better off spending a bit more time (=money) on making sure everything was right with their rifles and beefed up the CS department. Spend a few dollars on finer finish. Double the price of the rifle. Look how many "semi-custom" 700 clones are being produced and marketed as the greatest thing ever in the 2500-4000 price range. If it wasn't worth it for Barrett to continue producing the fieldcraft, which could essentially be propped up by their mainline business, imagine how challenging it is for smaller outfits to stay afloat selling sub $2k hunting rifles exclusively. Anyway, sorry they folded, as a business owner I would not wish that on my own competition. Some good deals on MRC's out there right now...

The last story I heard about the FC was that they were busy with something for Uncle Sam, not that they weren’t making money. Regardless, mine is flawless. Function is first and foremost for a rifle, and there’s no acceptable excuse for shipping one out that won’t feed, fire, extract, and eject- at any price point. Saving a buck by skipping quality checks just bites you in the azz down the road, and kills you in the market.

Somewhere in the past, I read that one of Bill Gates better management decisions was to bring in outside managers to run the "post-startup" Microsoft. Not so many entrepreneurs are able to effectively handle both the start up, and the long term run and grow...

I've owned three and all were excellent shooters. Each was also bought used at reasonable used prices and were advertised as proven shooters. Ya, sellers can lie; but, I was satisfied upon purchase and, justifiably so as it turned out. The whole customer service thing was disconcerting over the years. When I buy used, I'm open to the fact I could be deceived. However, as someone else stated, if you buy new, you should be able to expect that a company will make it right if there are problems right out of the chute. I think if Montana Rifle Company could have got that part of their business under control, they would have or could have thrived.

I was in another gun shop here in Wyoming over the weekend. Found two left handers, one in 7mm and one in 300 ultra.