Being a sucker for any orphan gun that needs a new owner, I'm putting the finishing touches on this project....an Old School 30BR.
It's entire history is a bit murky but it was an East Coast (Maine) gun at one time. After that, it somehow made it's way to the wilds of the deepest, darkest Iowa sub continent, then through multiple hands following the death of it's owner. It ended up in the western 'Forbidden Zone' (western South Dakota) and then, like an orphan being dropped at a convent, it ended up on my doorstep one frosty January morning.
The metal work was done by Gary Long, a long time BR rifle 'smith from Millville, Pa. He and his wife Helen were very involved with the IBS and Gary was known for doing very good work. It's a 700 with a Panda foot print sleeve that Speedy Gonzales had available at one time. Bolt handle is a Holland that's been well timed with good mechanical camming. Barrel is twisted 1:15. It's likely a Hart as Gary used a lot of those. The chamber has a bit more free bore (.040) than we'd do now but nothing out of line. With my 1.00" 7 ogive 'Dakota B1 bullets', the base of the neck is right at the halfway point down the neck to the 'TP' (Touch Point) so that's all good. The chamber is a .330 neck and the chamber and barrel both look very good. While at Randy Robinett's one day working on a project, the muzzle got pulled back .250 and got a nice indicated and lapped crown. A .703 sleeve was also fitted to the bolt body for .001 bolt-receiver clearance to get ahead of any pesky vibration induced vertical that shows up with excessive bolt clearance.
The stock is laminated curly maple and walnut in the Shehane 'Baby Tracker' pattern. It had a lot of barrel movement when the front action screw was cracked loose...not good. In the mill, there was a definite high spot mid way along the length of the action.I milled the old bedding out, made new pillars and did a stress free bedding in Pro Bed 2000. While I was at it, I updated the bottom of the fore end with some carbon fiber.
Here's a couple pics...the bedding pic was right after the barrelled action came out, prior to any chamfering, radiusing, deburring or other clean up. The pad under the barrel shank was there from the original bedding job but since it wasn't contacting the shank, I left it. When I got it initially, there was .015-.016 of barrel movement when the front action screw was loosened. After the redo, it has right at .001 max. and the barrelled action falls right out...no binding anywhere.
Good shootin' -Al