Old school rifle build

B

ballpowder

Member
Hello. I have begun an old style benchrest rifle build and am now stuck on the stock. When I say old school I mean like 70's-80's. I must first say that I'm only 34 so I definetly was not "there". First I had a set of 222 1/2 reamers ground. Next I ordered a Lilias 1-14" barrel. This week I got a Haverkamp right-right action coming. I like how this action has a 40XBR look to them also. I plan to get a Wholeness trigger too.
Now the stock. At first I fully intended to get a wood stock like the West BR2000. Now I flaking a bit thinking a Brown Precision fiberglass stock might better express the revolution that occurred in the early 70's. Either one would make a great gun but kind of torn.
What would you all do???
Thanks. Tim
 
Ya George I realize it is not a museum piece. I considered sleeeving a Remington but decided that I didn't want an old gun but rather one that just looked like it. Plus, I believe that once I get cases made from 223 Lapua brass that the chambering will have a chance at showing what it can do.
It will be a 10.5# rifle. Forget I mentioned it. I'll figure something out
 
Boyd Allen said:
Put it in an older style McMillan stock. What is a "Wholeness trigger"?
Click to expand...

I agree with Boyd, put it the original style McMillan benchrest stock. That's what my first benchrest rifle had on it in 1982. Still have one rifle in a later made McMillan stock. If you want it to be original style, have them make it without any color besides the natural fiberglass color. That's how the stock for my original rifle came. I had to be painted to look good.
 
Boyd, you don't know what a wholeness trigger is? Me either. I type this on a kindle "fire" and it has thar word recognition crap. It changed Shilen to wholeness because they are so close. So, I also have an old Hart two oz that I could put on it for a little more authentic feel.
I thought about the old style Mcmillan also, which I believe they still make. Would the aluminum butt plate be appropriate on this stock and if so where do I get one of those? I have also been wondering what a Bruno/Mcmillan is???
I plan to use a B&L 4000 scope which is more like 90's era oh well. Sure is a fine unit though, man!
As far as the barrel, well its a 3 groove Lilja. You cant see inside of it and there is something I need to see about these three groovers so I'M trying it on this one. I have a 1-15" Hart shooting great on my 22-100 and I want to see how it compares at equal muzzle velocities.

Tim
 
How about a sleeved remington action a wood stock and a remington trigger thats been reworked?
A california taper for a LV rifle. That would be a classic.
Not sure wich one of the 222 1/2 you are makeing. Bother were made from 222mag cases
One is about .100 short the other is longer. Make sure the 223 brass will form up, it may be too short,
early ones were also convex in the forend after a rule change they became flat.
 
This is old school:

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Rifles owned by an associate.

More photos, a couple are different views of the above post. Cool stuff!




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Bottom action above is a Remington M700. Center is a BAT. Top is? You veterans take a guess.

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Ball -

Howdy !


You might try contacting Tom Meredith and perhaps even Fred Sinclair about potential " old-school" BR rifle stocks.
Tom is in Ft. Wayne, IN. Fred operated out of New Haven, IN.... and perhaps still does ?

I was " there" in the mid -70s ( exposed to -70's benchrest rifles ). There were McMillens and stuff from Lee Six, fer sher.
At the time, wood stocks were already well on the way out; for NBRSA-type 100yd BR work.

A converted Ken Burns ( Rem ) trigger, would be a period-appropriate addition.

With regards,
.357Mag
 
There were plenty of wood stocked rifle on the line in the 70's Remington 40XBr and Harts along with others.
The late 70.s brought out the lee six stock, and boy were they rough.
 
I was reading a story in the "Benchrest Primer" written by Chet Brown. He says he devoloped the first fiberglass stock he knew of. Told Lee Six about it while on vacation with family to Disney World. Six moved to where Brown lived and started Brown Precision. 6-8 years later Brown retired from utility company and the two split. Somewhere in that time the Macmillan's jumped on the fiberglass rollercoaster and the three were off to the races. He also tells of the early Goerge Kelbly fiberglass stocks. Brown feels that originally having a stock that equaled the weight of optics balanced the weight above and below the centerline of bore. Sound thinking to me.
Also, anybody know what makes a Bruno/Mcmillan different from a Mcmillan?
 
GerryM said:
There were plenty of wood stocked rifle on the line in the 70's Remington 40XBr and Harts along with others.
The late 70.s brought out the lee six stock, and boy were they rough.
Click to expand...

One of Lee's last stocks:

ry%3D400
 
GerryM said:
There were plenty of wood stocked rifle on the line in the 70's Remington 40XBr and Harts along with others.
The late 70.s brought out the lee six stock, and boy were they rough.
Click to expand...

Fresh off the duplicator. Rough sanded, no finish. The wood butt extension is to prevent splintering of the butt by the cutters, it will be removed prior to pad installation. Pacific Big Lear Maple from the Elwha Valley. Goes on my 222 40X.

So, anyone wanting to build a "old school wood stock", just find a guy with a duplicator and a stash of big thick wood. Might be an impossible task.

40xstockgrain013.jpg



40xstockgrain010.jpg



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Lester can probably answer that better then I can I Think its the butt stock design and weight.
The flat on the butt stock is what i'm thinking of. I have 2 on different actions.
Thinking of the brown precision stock, pretty rough blanks trying to sand one and fill for paint prep was a real work out. The cloth was very close to the top , when yoou wet sanded it you got quite a few air bubbles
that sanded thru. They were a lot of work but worth the effort, they were stable compaired to the wood stocks.
 
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The action on one if not both of the rifles with the Unertl's and barrel blocks look like they are Benchmaster actions made by Charlie Williams. The Bruno McMillan stock is a stock designed by Lester Bruno built by McMillan. It took some of the features of the SG&Y McMillan stock which Lester also owns now and made some changes to it to make it a little more aesthetically pleasing, not quite as clubby as the original. What it amounts to Lester owns the molds, McMillan makes the stocks. Also, means that you can't call McMillan and order a Bruno McMillan stock. You have to get it from Bruno's which is only right.
 
I think Mike is right on the actions, the Hart #4 is the same as the Williams big action except for the shape of the port and the bolt handle.
 
Mike,
I thought that the Bruno/McMillan came about because he and Gary Ocock were not particularly fond of the styling of the EDGE stock. I believe that it shares some of the same structural features.
Boyd
 
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