Rem 40-X ?

I own 3 40xs A CMP 22 A Wood stocked singleshot 222 & a synthetic 223 repeater. NONE are benchrest rifles all shoot pretty good Just like the semi custom Coopers I have , I LIKE EM & WONT GET RID OF THEM. BOUGHT THEM KNOWING WHAT THEY WERE BEFORE I BOUGHT THEM. I also own a couple of single shot savages 1/2 price double ugly shoots about the same , Id trade both for another 40x or Cooper
 
I have a 40xbr, 22-250, hart barrel(barreled by hart), 2 oz rem trigger. If you do your part will about put five in same hole at 100 yds. It shoots better than I can shoot it. For ever day varmit hunting, I use my savage vlp 22-250.
 
Remington 40X

I believe there was an article in Precision Shooting several years ago that measured two brand new 40X actions. The actions were separated from the barrels and measurements taken. One of the action faces was out of square by approx. .006 and the other by a bit more. The lugs did not equally engage on both actions. The bottom line was they would not meet 'today's' benchrest standards.

I have a 40X single shot and a 700 repeater. Both actions have been blueprinted, bolts bushed & sleeved, threads re-cut, etc. Knowing what I know now, I would buy a custom action right from the beginning. It took as much money to get those two actions 'right' as it would to buy a custom action.

Lou Baccino
 
chino69 said:
I believe there was an article in Precision Shooting several years ago that measured two brand new 40X actions. The actions were separated from the barrels and measurements taken. One of the action faces was out of square by approx. .006 and the other by a bit more. The lugs did not equally engage on both actions. The bottom line was they would not meet 'today's' benchrest standards.

I have a 40X single shot and a 700 repeater. Both actions have been blueprinted, bolts bushed & sleeved, threads re-cut, etc. Knowing what I know now, I would buy a custom action right from the beginning. It took as much money to get those two actions 'right' as it would to buy a custom action.

Lou Baccino
Click to expand...
Absolutely true, its a matter of economcs. Given a 40X with a worn out
barrel, you can give it away or upgrade it. IT will never have the resale
value of a custom. Done well, they will compete. Selling the old bolt
for $100 and buying one from Pacific, that can be fitted is not going
to break anyone. Trueing the action and timing it, providing you can
do the work yourself makes all this quite feasable. You can make it
as good as you want it. An action is only a piece of metal, how it
is fitted together and functions is everything.
 
A matter of economics

Bob Kingsbury said:
Absolutely true, its a matter of economcs. Given a 40X with a worn out
barrel, you can give it away or upgrade it. IT will never have the resale
value of a custom. Done well, they will compete. Selling the old bolt
for $100 and buying one from Pacific, that can be fitted is not going
to break anyone. Trueing the action and timing it, providing you can
do the work yourself makes all this quite feasable. You can make it
as good as you want it. An action is only a piece of metal, how it
is fitted together and functions is everything.
Click to expand...

Bob,
In my case economics played a large part. As my knowledge grew, I was able to increase the accuracy level of my rifles in increments. Many people point to the futility of spending money to bring a 40X or 700 action up a higher accuracy level versus the upfront cost of a custom action. Many of us do not have the initial $1200 +/- for the upfront cost of a custom action so we get there in stages as the budget dictates.

Lou Baccino
 
right on

German,
Well said. That is the point I was trying to make with my photo but not so eloquently. Today I shot a Winchester 69 that I found under my bed at Christmas when I was a boy back in 1956. It wont out shoot much but I love it.
 
The 40xbr that I talked about in previous post, belonged to my dad who died at the age of 76. He used the rifle to hunt groundhogs and after he died I looked in the dash of his chev truck and found a little book that he had recorded his kills for the past year. He had recorded 205 groundhogs, 5 hawks, 2-3 red foxes, not bad for a man on dialaysis 3 days a week. This is why this rifle is special to me, it had done this several years previously. He died in 1991, rifle mfg in 84, I think. he had some custom made stuff before that he put together. He loaded and built 22-250 rifles when they were wildcat calibers, back into the 1950's.
 
I respectfully will have to disagree with a statement that a Remington 40X is more expensive due to name. Intent is not to start a Holy war here.

To my knowledge a Remington 40X years ago were all special order. Now days that may not be the case.

First one I bought in 1993 - 1994 time frame was ordered through a distributor who in turn placed order with Remington Custom Shop, and was an 11 month delivery. This being said, traditionally any thing that is not standard production is going to cost more whether it be a Remington 700 or a Remington 40X.

My idea of buying a Remington 40X was a single shot action, a stainless barrel, and a 2 ounce trigger, as an alternative to a Remington 700 heavy barreled varminter that were offered at the time.

I am going to hazard a guess that it is more common place since Remington has offered stainless actions and barrels on a 700, that more Remington 700's are being trued. In addition with quality and availability of custom barrels, triggers, and gunsmiths to do the work, people are opting for a Remington 700for a more immediate finished product that has superior accuracy to factory Remington 40X.

Old - and - Crazy Cob
 
P Corncob Bob, did you recieve the PM I sent you about my green 40-XBBR stock ?
 
corncob

Years ago, the only scource for a 40x was Remingtons custom
shop. As Time went on, various dealers and wholesalers began
stocking them. Connecting with the right place and you could buy one
in short order. R.W.Hart in nescopeck had them on hand for sale in
the late 70's. The dealer had to wait, so you didn't have to.
 
P Corncob Bob said:
Yo Gstick:

I did not receive it.

Old Cob
Click to expand...

Last Sunday, I unbolted a 40-XBBR barreled action from the original green, 3" wide, flatbottom forend stock, and lo and behold, the McMillan name is stamped, or molded into the barrel channel. This is the original stock that came with this 40-XBBR.
 
Howdy!
A long time ago I was told by a shooter who would know, that if I wanted a good rifle to buy an OLD 40xb. This was in the context of an across the course or prone gun. He specifically said that the guys that used to work in the custom shop a long time ago were more particular about their work and accuracy back then. He told me this in about 1991. He was talking about looking for one that would have been considered old then.

I was able to get and old one in 1997. It is in the 34,000 serial number range. I have talked to people at Remington twice. One time they looked it up and said it was made in 1968. Today, they looked it up and said 1969. I did not ask about the discrepancy.

The guy I am talking about told me his 40xb was made in 1967, and it had a 37,000 serial number. I absolutely remember what he said. Perhaps he recalled incorrectly. Or perhaps he would get a different answer if he called Remington. But I digress.

At least by serial number, my rifle is older than his, and his was made in the "good" time period as he defined it. I have read that when Mike Walker ran the custom shop that they were better. In another thread the name Jim Steckel (sp?) was mentioned for the same time period. Pardon my ignorance, I understand that Mike Walker was important to helping benchrest in the early years, and that he designed the 700. I am too new at this to know who Steckel is.

1. When did Walker run the custom shop?

2. When he ran it, did they actually true/blueprint actions properly?

3. When did they stop doing it properly, if indeed there was a time they did?

4. Is it true that the older ones are much better than the newer ones?

I am not asking these questions to start/further an argument. I want to learn. My 40xb is not a benchrest rifle. It is chambered in 7.62 Nato and is built, as I said earlier, as a prone rifle. The kind that German Salazar spoke well of in a previous, excellent post. The rifle I have is in near 100% condition, I am almost afraid to take it out for fear of scratching it. It seems like a good example of craftmanship, and I enjoy it. I just want to learn more about it!

Thanks!
Greg
 
Well, all this discussion has brought back.........

memories for me. I bought my first 40-X from Ron Prachyl when he was stationed in Maryland, and it shot very well(.22-250)with RE-11. Then 2-3 yrs later, I bought another in 6MM Rem. with a 12" twist, it shot great at 1-200, but at 300 my 700VS outshot it(9") so that started the everlasting quest of the tinkerer. I'm thinking of a new action(custom) next year. Still got both, the '250 has had two barrels on it, due for another. I'll probably put a new 6 or 6 Imp. on the 6MM, but, I don't know........:D;)
 
I think tha Bob Peace ? in Texas used to be a distributor of them in early 80's.
 
Gstick:

Hopefully you still have your 40XBBR KS unbolted.

I would assume this casting name would be in same location on all similar stocks.

Could you tell me distance casting name is in relationship to recoil lug recess?

I have unbolted my 40XBBR KS and I can only see alpha letter M. It is 3-3/16" (nominally measured) in front of recoil lug recess front edge. (edge closest to muzzle)

M appears upwrite when stock is laid on side opposite to bolt handle recess, and stock has a black rubber Pachmayr recoil pad.

I am not original owner of this rifle, thus previous non-factory bedding work could have been done, or manufacturer identification casting was not reproduced well originally.

Old Cob
 
404tbang said:
I have read that when Mike Walker ran the custom shop that they were better. In another thread the name Jim Steckel (sp?) was mentioned for the same time period. Pardon my ignorance, I understand that Mike Walker was important to helping benchrest in the early years, and that he designed the 700. I am too new at this to know who Steckel is.
Click to expand...

Jim Stekl was in charge of the Remington Custom Shop for quite a few years. And he trued Remington actions and installed non-factory (e.g. Hart) barrels and bedded the barreled actions for better accuracy. These were not sold as 40x rifles, nor factory rifles. I believe he did this on the side. He and Mike Walker are generally credited with originating the 6mm BR cartridge.
 
P Corncob Bob said:
Gstick:

Hopefully you still have your 40XBBR KS unbolted.

I would assume this casting name would be in same location on all similar stocks.

Could you tell me distance casting name is in relationship to recoil lug recess?

I have unbolted my 40XBBR KS and I can only see alpha letter M. It is 3-3/16" (nominally measured) in front of recoil lug recess front edge. (edge closest to muzzle)

M appears upwrite when stock is laid on side opposite to bolt handle recess, and stock has a black rubber Pachmayr recoil pad.

I am not original owner of this rifle, thus previous non-factory bedding work could have been done, or manufacturer identification casting was not reproduced well originally.

Old Cob
Click to expand...




The McMillan name is in the barrel channel up near the muzzle end of the stock. (a couple of inches from the end) If you layed the stock on the bolt side (right hand bolt), and the bbl channel was facing you, then the McMillan name will be upright if the stock were laying on a table.
 
Gstick:

My stock channel close to muzzle appears to have bedding material added, thus any manufacturer cast has been covered.

I am convinced now this is a McMillan stock.

As I mentioned on another thread originated by Birddogjake that still appears, I attempted to gather all needed parts in 2008 to build a 40XBBR KS prior to finding one.

Looking back I apparently spoke with an order taker at both McMillan and Bell & Carlson (order taker being a person that does not have information that can reverse engineer a description to arrive at a correct model)

I thought I heard the 40XBBR KS has now been discontinued. With that said and if true, I wonder if this stock is now available directly from McMillan.

Old Cob
 
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