Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Later Production Forbes Rifles

So I recently picked up a Forbes 24B in 270 win. Blued receiver, stainless barrel, green stock, fluted bolt. Serial number 15-3xx. I read the thread one here with all the horror stories, crappy bedding, bad fit/finish etc. Also have seen numerous posts where the early jeweled bolt guns were the best. I pulled this one apart, and the bedding, fit/finish etc. look flawless. Even the safety cut out looks nice. Bare rifle weighs 5lb 11oz, so 3oz heavier than specs. All that being said, does anyone have a later production gun like mine that shoots well, ejects/functions well, etc. I’ve read all the bad stuff, just looking for some good reports. I’m itching to shoot it, but my range is snowed in, and looks like it’s going to be for the foreseeable future.

I've had a LH 24b in 270 for a couple years. Very accurate with most loads but like many guns it has its preferred loads. Of course stock dimensions and fit are subjective but fortunately for me it is about perfect-wouldn't change a thing. Like it so much I have another one on the way. Good luck, I bet it will be a shooter.
Steve

The earlier ones seem to be much more consistent and issue free. As demand for them ramped up, and Melvin stopped consulting with them/Titan (read, watching them like a hawk), their QC went downhill rapidly. There were issues like poor ejection/feeding, hasty assembly, rifles assembled while the bedding or paint was still curing causing issues, and very poor response from the company to complaints and requests to fix these issues. For the price of what they were selling for, when the poor QC rifles began hitting the market with limited to no support from the company, they began to earn their poor reputation and folks stopped buying the Forbes rifles. With their financial issues, Titan Machine went out of business shortly afterward.

That being said, not all of the later rifles had issues (though the most common issues were feeding/ejection issues), nor are they bad rifles in any sense. Many folks were more than satisfied with their rifles, and were not aware of the issues or the company’s demise. Once Barrett stepped in and began making the Fieldcrafts, with their better quality control, good customer service, and mostly stainless rifles, the Forbes rifles were looked at like unwanted stepchildren.

As the market (price) has seemingly exploded for the Fieldcraft rifles, hopefully the value of proven Forbes will increase along with them (though likely the Forbes will ever see the money the used Fieldcrafts are bringing).

So go shoot it and let us know how it goes...

One thing I'll say for Forbes, they actually produced the left hand versions they promised. Barrett came out at the start saying the LH versions were coming and they never materialized. No slam on Barrett as their core products demand killed the RH models as well. The few Fieldcrafts I've looked at were to my eye noticeably better quality than the Forbes, but being a lefty ya gotta take what you can get. One criticism that I agree on about the later fluted bolt versions is that it takes a lot of cycles to get the bolt to smooth up.
To borden811, I'm interested to hear how yours shoots. Here's what mine likes: 150 Partition(1"), 160 Partition(3/4"), 130 BT(sub 3/4"), and 130 Etips factory and handloads(1"). Odd, but the 130 and 140 partitions just didn't shoot that well. Reloder 16,17,19, 22, 23, and 26 were my primary powders but I'm sure there's a bunch of others that would work as well.
Steve

As soon as the weather breaks, and I can get into my range, I’ll let you guys know how it shoots!

On another note, does anyone know around what serial number or when exact Forbes closed the doors? Late 2015, early 2016? We’re any 16-xxx guns produced?

Hey Borden,
Did you just get this off of Pennswoods?

Yes sir

Well, I have a 20b, chambered in 260 Remington (my serial number is the the low 400 range for 2015). It initially was hesitant to feed well, and I noted the follower sitting below flush in the receiver well. Seemed the logical thing to do was to remove the spring and tweak it until the follower was touching the bottom of the rails. After that, it seems to feed fine. I put a Leupold VX3 3.5x10 on top, and with a sling it weighs 6.25 lbs (by my bathroom scale) - so probably closer to 6.5 actual. Still plenty light enough for me. It is accurate....when I do my part. Three shot groups are usually sub-MOA, and it seems to love the 120gr TTSX load I feed my Ruger 77, as well as the now-defunct Berger 136gr Scenar L factory load. Again, I seem to be the rifles' limiting factor regarding accuracy. It is NOT for sale, unless you are going to trade me your Purdey 16ga SxS straight across.

Were I the OP, I'd toss a good scope on it and work up a load. Then go forth and slay........

Kaiser Norton

My LH 6.5x55 shoots fine, it was from the Barret sale so a later model. I would gladly get another one if I run across one at a good price.

I had a Colt Light Rifle re-stocked by Melvin but feel no need to send the Forbes in.

If yours has any issues they should be an easy fix or if severe then send it to NULA.

On my Forbes I put Flitz on the bolt and cycled it a number of times as the Parkerizing made the action feel gritty. This smoothed it up well but will take the finish off the bolt and rails which didn't bother me. Now it feeds and cycles smoothly. If it ever bugs me I will touch up the rails with cold blue.