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Joined: Jan 2016
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OP
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In your opinion, what makes a gun custom? A complete from scratch build? A re-barrel? A cushy recoil pad? Any change from factory, or a combo of changes? Just throwing this out there.
I am just your average Joe.
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Joined: Dec 2020
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Campfire Regular
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I had a Custom Rifle built from Accuflite Arms in Pittsburgh, PA, a few yrs. ago. That Rifle is a Tac Driver! 1/2 MOA! Sako 85 Action, .300 Win. Mag. Stainless steel, Ceracote, Reverse Tapered Barrel, for Harmonic Balancing, Detachable Mag. (Ceracote Stainless Steel Mags.) Action 3 Lug Design, W/Action Recoil Lug (bottom of Action) Stainless Steel Floor plate. Barrel; Lothar Walther Stainless Steel,(Accuflite Specs) Composite Kevlar Stock, W/Palm Swell,(Custom Fit to my Palm) Stainless Steel Pillar Bedded Stock! Stock Swivels for Sling/Tripod! Pachmayr Decelerator Pad. Sako Set Trigger Topped with a Swarovski Scope! (Don't ever go Cheap on the Glass) !
This is Just What Myself and my Brother in law had done and are really Happy with! There are several Choices out there, and the .300 Win Mag. for us is very versatile for Us! These Rifles that we had built are second to none in OUR Opinion, and can and, Have been used in all Sorts of Weather Conditions!
Different Strokes For Different Folks!
Last edited by HunterShooter58; 08/15/21.
I Learned a long time ago to Separate My Want's from My Needs!
A man's Gotta Do What a Man's Gotta Do!
Know Thy Self!
TRUMP DID WIN!!!
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Joined: Jun 2001
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Campfire Outfitter
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For me its following.
1. Gunsmith!!! 2. Custom action 3. Barrel 4. Stock 5. Trigger 6. Glass bedding, free float, fitting, ect. 7. Built to your specs
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Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 649
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Interesting post.
I'd call my m700 a custom. Even the factory action itself got a face lift. Plus a new barrel, stock, trigger. With remage setups, you can cut out the gun smith for a lot of stuff now even on factory actions. I do a lot of my own work. That particular gun was a Browns Precision Pound'r I snagged cheap. I used aftermarket BDL bottom metal. Did my own inletting and bedding. Fill the barrel channel a bit to clean up the profile. Painted it.
Just swapping a part or 2 IMO doesn't make it a custom.
But to me, factory actions can be used to build customs.
Where the line is? I don't know. Lol. If it's not a full custom call it a semi custom. Or just call it what you want. Not something to get too wound up about. At the end of the day it is what it is.
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 17,527
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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New aftermarket barrel and stock.
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Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 76
Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
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see through mounts, a slip on recoil pad and a big ol’ muzzle brake.
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,705 Likes: 6
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2011
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In my eyes.
Semi custom- factory action, stock upgrade, barrel upgrade, smith work.
Full custom- custom action, stock upgrade, barrel upgrade, smith work.
HunterShooter58- I have a 22PPC built on a Sako A1 that was built by accuflite. It is the most accurate rifle I own. Groups average in the .4s and turns out .2s often enough that it's not a shock anymore.
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Joined: Apr 2011
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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I consider a custom gun as one put together for you from acquired parts and pieces.
The way life should be.
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 11,953
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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For me its following.
1. Gunsmith!!! 2. Custom action 3. Barrel 4. Stock 5. Trigger 6. Glass bedding, free float, fitting, ect. 7. Built to your specs I like your list and could add one or two lines to it as well but I wonder why a custom action is needed. I had a faux 275 Rigby built by a guild builder here in Canada a couple years ago from the ground up but used a commercial FN-98 action. The action was tuned up and had a 3 pos safety and hinged bottom added. Does that action discount it from full custom status?
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 3,286 Likes: 5
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2003
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hey are called parts guns!!! You get the parts and let someone put it together and call it custom?
+Professional member American Custom Gunmakers Guild
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Campfire Outfitter
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I'm pretty sure if you asked 100 guys on this site for their definition of a custom gun you would get 100 different answers...
Mine is pretty simple- A lot of rifles are made from Remington 700, Pre 64 Model 70, or Mauser actions of various birthing so a custom action isn't necessarily needed to become a "custom rifle" - it's what is done to it that makes it "custom"...
In my limited experience, a custom rifle is made to your wish list of specifications- whatever that may be. A cleaned up, trued action of whatever make you prefer, a new barrel with the profile you specify, custom wood or stock to suit your purposes, and metal work that fits the job- including sight options... I think this list leaves a lot of room for customization to suit everyone's needs IMO. A custom benchrest rifle won't have the same work specified as a lightweight mountain rifle and adding a new stock to a rifle doesn't automatically make it a "custom rifle" IMO....
I've seen Jarret rifles that if you didn't know who he was you would assume the rifles were just some off the shelf rifle with a Cerakote treatment.... they often look pretty plain on the outside...
Last edited by Sheister; 08/16/21.
Never underestimate your ability to overestimate your ability.
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,179 Likes: 19
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,179 Likes: 19 |
In my eyes.
Semi custom- factory action, stock upgrade, barrel upgrade, smith work.
Full custom- custom action, stock upgrade, barrel upgrade, smith work.
HunterShooter58- I have a 22PPC built on a Sako A1 that was built by accuflite. It is the most accurate rifle I own. Groups average in the .4s and turns out .2s often enough that it's not a shock anymore. I agree with this^^^ I call my pre 64 model 70 with custom barrel and brown precision PoundR stock a "semi custom". It's glass bedded and has a matchgrade barrel that shoots lights out. The action was blueprinted, according to my smith. I've fine tuned things like the trigger and bedding to make it shoot well. The rifle is cerakoted midnight blue by a local guy I know that shoots for Lapua.. The bare rifle weighs 7 pounds. That's about as "semi custom" as you can get...
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 4,084 Likes: 1
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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Any gun that is redesigned from the factory spec to fit your wants and needs.
After the first shot the rest are just noise.
Make mine a Minaska
Heaven has walls and rules, H-ll has open borders
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 296
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 296 |
Any gun that is redesigned from the factory spec to fit your wants and needs. Define "redesigned" Using your interpretation of custom... Buying a manufactured home, painting it pink, installing a pulsating shower head and padded toilet seat would qualify as a custom home. IMO there's a big difference between customizing and custom. When I worked at DakArms, we didn't believe that we were building custom rifles even though many rifles had several different boxes checked off on the order form varying greatly from the factory spec both in features and $$$. There's so much more to a custom rifle than a list of options. IMO Sponge painting a camo pattern on an aftermarket high quality stock for your Rem700 doesn't qualify as bragging rights with your buddies as owning a custom rifle. It does however, depending on the execution of the work, add to the value and functionality you place on the tool you trust to bring home the "bacon". If a client would send me a barreled action to just have me hand carve a several thousand $$ stock for it, I wouldn't consider it a custom rifle regardless of the final bill. Calling it a custom stock, absolutely. Does if matter what I consider a custom rifle? Not likely. Who needs bragging rights anyway. As long as you're happy with what you're hunting with, who cares what anyone else thinks.
gunmaker ------------------ Custom Metalsmith & Stockmaker
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Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 1,996 Likes: 1
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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[quote=Ky221]In my eyes.
HunterShooter58- I have a 22PPC built on a Sako A1 that was built by accuflite. It is the most accurate rifle I own. Groups average in the .4s and turns out .2s often enough that it's not a shock anymore. Yeah, Jim Really does some nice work! Were very Happy with him and his products!
I Learned a long time ago to Separate My Want's from My Needs!
A man's Gotta Do What a Man's Gotta Do!
Know Thy Self!
TRUMP DID WIN!!!
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 296
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 296 |
In my eyes.
Semi custom- factory action, stock upgrade, barrel upgrade, smith work.
Full custom- custom action, stock upgrade, barrel upgrade, smith work.
My eyes see things a little different as I would consider this rifle I built a custom rifle. However it doesn't fit your criteria. Does it matter??? Not to me or my happy client.
gunmaker ------------------ Custom Metalsmith & Stockmaker
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 296
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Dec 2008
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For me its following.
1. Gunsmith!!! 2. Custom action 3. Barrel 4. Stock 5. Trigger 6. Glass bedding, free float, fitting, ect. 7. Built to your specs Another rifle that doesn't make it into custom grade as it is a military action and not a custom action. Let's just call it sporterized.
gunmaker ------------------ Custom Metalsmith & Stockmaker
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 11,953
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2002
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hey are called parts guns!!! You get the parts and let someone put it together and call it custom? Not sure I like the sound of "parts gun", but that is about how it did all go down. The credit all goes to the gunmaker. If I had been left to my own devices without his guidance, it really would have been a parts gun.
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,705 Likes: 6
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2011
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In my eyes.
Semi custom- factory action, stock upgrade, barrel upgrade, smith work.
Full custom- custom action, custom stock upgrade, barrel upgrade, smith work.
My eyes see things a little different as I would consider this rifle I built a custom rifle. However it doesn't fit your criteria. Does it matter??? Not to me or my happy client. 1) It sure looks like that rifle you posted fits ALL of the criteria I listed above. Stock, barrel, smith work, etc. Split hairs much? 2) I don't really care what you or your client care or don't care about. Or what your eyes see VS what my eyes see. Or why you care so much. Nice rifles but pick nits elsewhere.
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Joined: May 2002
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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CUSTOM- "something made to unique specifications, especially something one of a kind. …" thank you Meriam Webster dictionary.
After the first shot the rest are just noise.
Make mine a Minaska
Heaven has walls and rules, H-ll has open borders
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