Bargains Galore on “The List”

If you’re looking for a great deal on a “pre-owned” precision rifle, visit Bob White’s Shooter’s Corner website and check out “The List”. Bob maintains a wide selection of used benchrest, varmint, and precision rifles. In fact, Bob offers the largest inventory of used benchrest rifles and equipment in the USA. Along with complete rifles you’ll find accessories, rests, scopes, and reloading tools. Unfortunately “The List” hasn’t been updated recently, so you may want to call Bob White directly to find out the latest offerings: (973) 663-5159; email: shootcnr [@] optonline.net.

You can find exceptional deals on “The List”, with complete custom-action BR rifles for as little as $1300.00, and Varmint Rifles starting at $500.00. Here are some representative samples (all subject to prior sale):

B10. 6PPC Light Varmint, Borden TPE R/R action w/ejector; Hart 3-groove bbl w/.262 nk, 800 rnds; Jewell 2-oz. trigger; includes Kelbly scope bases; Gunsmith: Borden Accuracy; 99% cond. Former owner J. Borden’s own rifle & very accurate. $2295.

B44. 6PPC HV & Cruiser, R/L Panda action, Lilja HV and Cruiser, and Spencer cruiser bbls all w/.262 nk, 1100 rnds, McMillan F-glass glue-in stock, Jewell 2 oz. trigger, Gunsmith Spencer. Choice components w/bbls to practice & compete. Exc. cond, $1798. w/1 bbl; $150. ea. add’l bbl.

V15. 223 Ackley Cooper, Mod 21 varminter; factory SS bbl, less than 400 rnds; factory wood stock; factory crisp 1½ lb trig; includes scope mnts, 85 loaded ctgs & 40 once fired cases; 98% cond. Great caliber-Great gun-Great deal. Also used Redding dies @ $40. $950. (New value $1200.)

V25. 22 BR Carry Varminter, Rem 700 action, Shilen SS match bbl 24″ cryoed #4 contour w/.247 nk, 400 rnds, factory wood stock w/pillar glassbedding, factory Rem 2-lb trigger, includes Leupold scope mnts and 100 loaded ctgs, Gunsmith: Kelbly, Inc, exc condition. This 7¾ lb beauty gives 4100 fps w/40 grain bullets, $795.

Leatherman MICRA Multi-Tool — $9 Each (Two or More)

The Leatherman Micra is a versatile, ultra-compact Multi-tool. Not much bigger than a Swiss Army Knife when folded, the Micra may be the ultimate “urban survival tool”. Closed, it is only 2.5″ long, and it weighs just 1.75 ounces. It has knife blade, scissors, nail file, ruler, bottle opener, and both regular screw-driver and flat Phillips heads. You get all that utility in a package that will fit on a keychain! (Be careful though–you can’t carry the Micra on an airplane as it’s not TSA-approved)

Right now the Leatherman Micra is on sale at Wideners.com for just $12.00. Or, if you buy two or more, they are just $9 EACH. That’s a great deal. NOTE: These are surplus items, but they are in “like new condition” according to Wideners. We’ve checked extensively around the web. REI sells new Leatherman Micras for $25.95, and the cheapest price we could find (other than Wideners) was $19.00 per unit.

Here is a user review from REI.com: “I put it on my keyring that I carry with me just about everywhere. One place it can’t go is on commercial airlines, since it includes a sharp blade. Probably my favorite tool is the Phillips screwdriver–it works better than most dedicated screwdrivers. The knife and scissors do a great job for light cutting work as well.”

Truck-Vault for Secure Rifle Transport

A custom, high-end Benchrest, F-Class, or High Power rifle can cost upwards of $4000.00. Some of the latest scopes (March, Schmidt & Bender) cost $2000-$2800 by themselves. If you’re transporting three or four “ultimate rifles” with premium scopes to the range, you could be hauling $16,000 worth of firearms. Bring along a rangefinder, Co-Axial rest, spotting scope, and chronograph, and that could push the total closer to $20,000.

How do you safeguard that kind of investment (without driving around in a Brinks armored truck)? One of the best storage systems available is the Truck-Vault, built in Washington state. Truck-vaults are custom-fitted, locking storage cabinets that fit in a Pick-up truck bed, SUV, or station wagon. Various designs are available, including a waterproof “Extreme Series.” Both single-drawer and multi-draw layouts are offered with lengths up to 60″ overall, and top-load capacity of 2000 pounds. A variety of interior configurations are available.

For transporting scoped match rifles, we suggest Truck-Vault’s “Magnum Line”, which has two drawers with 10.5″ of vertical clearance. This offers two primary sliding compartments (on roller casters), plus smaller storage boxes where you can keep valuable gear securely out of sight.

Truck-Vaults carry a big price-tag. SUV models start at $1415, but expect to pay closer to $2000.00 for a unit with all the bells and whistles. That’s serious money, but you have to balance that against the cost of the firearms and accessories you are transporting. If you spend much time on the road with a pricey collection of guns, optics, and accessories, a Truck-Vault may be a wise investment. This editor first saw a Truck-Vault on a Chevy Suburban belonging to an Arizona gunsmith who does a lot of work for the military. It was not unusual for him to haul $50,000 worth of Class III weapons. For him, the Truck-Vault was an essential security feature. For more info, visit TruckVault.com or call (800) 967-8107.

CLICK HERE for Truck-Vault VIDEO DEMO

Custom Rifles on Forum Classifieds

This recent Forum Classifieds listing from member EdwinD drew our attention. This gives you a chance to pick up near-new precision rifles built by some of America’s most respected gunsmiths. If you’re looking for a custom rifle in the calibers offered, this is a very attractive “For Sale” list:

MATCHING PAIR of BATS built by the professor, Thomas “SPEEDY” Gonzalez:

(1) BAT 3-Lug, RB/LP/RE, Krieger 8-twist HV 28″ spiderweb barrel, Jewell trigger, Robertson LV “SGY” stock, polished butt plate, trigger guard, and action. Grey/silver stock. 6 BRX, .272.

(2) The other rifle is 14-twist, dark blue/pink stock. 6 BRX, .272.

Both rifles are chambered with a no-turn neck, .272, 6 BRX, PT&G gauge reamer. Both rifles are “glue ins” and have been shot less than 100 rounds. $3,000.00 each plus shipping to your FFL.

Ultimate F-Class Rifle by Speedy
Epitome of F-CLASS, Stiller “F-Class” SS #007 action, Krieger 1.25″ straight contour, 8-twist, 28″ spiderweb barrel, Robertson’s F-Class stock Red/Silver vented w/ adjustable comb and pad, glue in, chambered in 6 BRX with .272 no-turn neck. Rifle fired appr. 250 rounds. $3,700.00 plus shipping to your FFL.

Two Rifles built by Richard Franklin:

(1) First rifle is RFD, RB/LP, Douglas 1.25″ straight contour. Polished 10-twist barrel, Jewell trigger, Franklin 008 stock with butt pad beautifully clear coat finished and pillar bedded. Chambered with Richard’s no-turn neck, 6nn P.O. Ackley reamer. Rifle fired appr. 250 rounds

(2) Second rifle is Stiller “Diamondback”, RB/LP, Douglas 1.25″ straight contour, 14-twist polished barrel, Jewell trigger, Franklin “Lowrider” stock with butt pad. Beautifully clear coat finished and pillar-bedded. Chambered with Richard’s no-turn neck, 6mm P.O. Ackley reamer. Rifle fired appr. 310 rounds. $2,700.00 each plus shipping to your FFL.

Pair of rifles built by Jerry Simison/Tony Larson.
Jerry did gunsmithing, metal work, and Tony made and did stock work and finish.

(1) First rifle BAT 2-lug, RB/LP with action lug, Douglas HV. 8-twist barrel, Jewell trigger, Tony Larson Cedar/Carbon Fiber laminated long range stock, polished butt plate, glued in and clear coat finished by Tony. Jerry chambered this rifle with his 6 “COYOTE” reamer (similar to a 6XC). Rifle fired appr. 74 rounds.

(2) Second rifle is BAT 3-Lug, RB/LP/RE, Douglas HV. 8 twist barrel, Jewell trigger, Tony Larson Cedar/Carbon Fiber laminated long range stock, polished butt plate, glue in and clear coat finish by Tony. Jerry chambered this rifle in 6BR with .272″ no-turn neck. Rifle fired appr. 50 rounds. $3000.00 each plus shipping to your FFL.

CLICK HERE for PHOTOS of ALL GUNS

The seller, EdwinD, says: “ALL of these rifles are pristine and SHOOTERS.”

Tips for Using LEE Collet Dies

For those who prefer to neck-size their brass (rather than full-length-size), the LEE Collet Die is a popular, inexpensive option. It works by having collet tangs or “fingers” press the neck against a central mandrel. The benefit is that you get a very straight neck, which is sized consistently from top to bottom. Canadian shooter Jerry Teo explains: “LEE Collet Dies produce sized cases with very low runout (measured runout is under .001″ using a Sinclair concentricity gauge). You also don’t get the build-up of brass at the base of the neck, as can happen with bushing neck dies. The neck-shoulder junction stays nice and crisp.”

TIP ONE — Adjusting Tension
LEE Collet dies don’t have a specific mechanical adjustment for neck tension. But you CAN easily modify the die to provided more or less tension. If you want to adjust the neck tension using a Lee Collet die, you can simply chuck the mandrel in a drill and reduce the diameter with some sand-paper (to increase neck tension) or you can order a mandrel the next caliber larger and turn it to whatever diameter you want (the larger the mandrel diameter, the less the neck tension). You can also order custom mandrels from Lee sized to any diameter you want.

TIP TWO — Polish and Tune for Easy Case Removal
Some users have complained that their Collet Dies grab the case-neck too firmly, making the case hard to remove. There are solutions to this problem. First inspect the collet fingers and smooth the inner surface up a bit with polishing compound or an extra-fine sanding pad. Second, you can open up the fingers a little bit. LEE recommends that if your Collet Die is sticking, take a steel punch and tap the fingers apart a little bit so that the natural “unloaded” position is wider. Lastly, you should lightly lubricate the outside of the collet fingers (see arrows) before you re-assemble the die. This will ensure they slide smoothly. Also, to prevent the collet fingers from closing too tight, never load up the die with your press without putting a case in place first. Without a case neck between the collet fingers and the mandrel, the collet can clamp itself too tight as you raise the ram.

F-Class Spotting Scope Stand

Here’s a smart product from Ray-Vin.com that lets prone shooters mount their spotting scopes in the ideal viewing position. The $228.00 F-Stand is solid and sturdy, and “floats” the scope close to the shooter’s head without interfering with the placement of a front pedestal rest or ultra-wide bipod. The base can sit off the shooter’s mat.

The F-Stand is shown with Ray-Vin’s $85.00 Scope Head. This is a very nice unit that allows the shooter to adjust scope height, rotation (around the stand shaft), scope angular elevation, and eyepiece orientation, all with one control. Some other scope heads, though more expensive, require you to use multiple knobs or friction adjusters. Conveniently, most of the adjustments can be done easily with one hand, using the black adjusting handle. Smart engineering we’d say.

You can see that the F-Stand places the spotting scope right where the shooter wants it, yet the legs do not interfere with the shooting position. A heavy-duty milled metal bracket clamps the base stud and scope rod securely. The F-stand will hold even heavy 80mm spotting scopes without flexing.

Here are some comments from F-Stand Users:

“I bought your stand because of the one handed adjustments, not the mention the base itself stays off my mat. I’m very happy with my purchase.” — M.G., Puyallup, WA

“Used my stand all winter in practice… trip to Chilliwack, BC in August. I never felt so comfortable behind a scope before. Infinite adjustments and stability. Thanks for the greatest device….” — N.P., Chico, CA

Trigger Control for Service Rifle Shooters

The First Shot, the CMP’s Online magazine, has released a new article by Spc. Tyrel Cooper of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU). In his article, Straight to the Rear, Spc. Cooper describes proper trigger hand and finger positions and how to best “break the shot”.

Cooper explains: “Trigger control is one of the two main principles of shooting that we teach. You can have the best position in the world with perfect sight alignment, but if you have bad trigger control, you have wasted all that effort that you put into your position and sight alignment.”

This well-written article will help anyone who shoots off-hand, or who uses an AR or Spacegun-type rifle with a vertical pistol grip. Here are some more tips:

“Good trigger control begins with a good firing hand position. Place your firing hand high on the pistol grip, with a good firm grip. Grip tension should be like giving someone a hand shake or holding a child’s hand while walking across a street. A good firm grip [helps you] move your trigger finger without moving your other fingers. Try this, hold out your firing hand with fingers extended; now try moving your trigger finger to the rear as if you were pulling the trigger. Unless you concentrate very hard on moving just your trigger finger, other fingers will move. Now make a fist as if you were grabbing a pistol grip, now you can move your trigger finger freely without introducing movement in the other fingers.”

“I’m sure you have heard advice to place the tip or the pad of your finger on the trigger. This is true if you have short stubby fingers and that’s where the index finger naturally rests, but if you have long fingers like myself you want more of your finger around the trigger…. By placing your finger where it naturally rests on the trigger you are ensuring that you are pulling the trigger straight to the rear, and this also allows you to get more leverage on the trigger.”

CLICK to READ FULL ARTICLE

Forster Co-Ax Press on Sale

The Forster Co-Ax® Press is the “Cadillac” of reloading presses. If you have any doubts as to how the Co-Ax works, just “ask the man who owns one.” Ace shooter Jerry Tierney has a Forster Co-Ax and he’s found that it produces ammo with less run-out than many other conventional “O”-style presses for threaded dies. The Co-Ax’s spring-loaded shell holder jaws float with the die, allowing cases to correctly center in the die. Dies also snap easily in and out of the jaws so you can change dies in just a couple of seconds. We also like the primer ejection system on the Co-Ax. Primers pass straight down into a cup — no more primers and carbon on the carpet.

If you need power for case sizing, the Co-Ax delivers three times the mechanical advantage of some conventional presses. The Co-Ax’s dual parallel guide-rod design also ensures that the ram movement is straight and smooth throughout the power stroke. With a center-mounted handle, the Co-Ax works equally well for both right- and left-handed reloaders.

Right now the Forster Co-Ax is on sale at both Midsouth Shooters Supply and MidwayUSA for $199.99. That is $23.00 off MidwayUSA’s regular price. MidwayUSA has Co-Ax units in stock (item 265719) and the price is good through 1/31/2008. Midsouth has the units on order for a January delivery.

The standard Co-Ax press accepts any standard 7/8″x14 reloading die, and requires no expensive shell-holders. The standard “S” jaw set fits all common calibers except except: 22 Hornet, 378 Wby., 45-70, 256 Win. Mag., 44 S&W, 416 Rigby, 416 Rem., 45-90 and 348 Win. These calibers can be used if you purchase the optional “LS” Jaws.

Remington Acquires Marlin Firearms

Another legendary arms maker falls into the hands of private holding company Cerberus Capital Management. Remington Arms (owned by Cerberus), has announced that it will acquire Marlin Firearms. A major player in the cowboy action and hunting market, Marlin Firearms offers a varied line-up of popular rifles including rimfire and centerfire lever guns. This past year, Cerberus also acquired Bushmaster Firearms, and just last week Cerberus announced the acquisition of DPMS, another AR-platform rifle-maker.

Two Legendary Gun Brands Combine
The Remington-Marlin deal will create a company with an estimated half-billion dollars in total annual sales. Marlin currently employs 575 workers and generates revenues of about $28.3 million/year. The Marlin deal also includes H&R 1871 Inc., which was purchased by Marlin in 2000. H&R operates as New England Firearms. With its line of Harrington & Richardson rifles, and L.C. Smith shotguns, H&R 1871 is the leading seller of single-shot rifles and shotguns in the world.

The acquisition of Marlin by Remington is set to conclude by the end of January 2008. Remington’s CEO, Tommy Millner, declared: “I am pleased to announce that Marlin’s well-known brands… will join the Remington family. The opportunity to combine two historic U.S.-based companies with such storied and proud histories, is both challenging and exhilarating.” Millner added that Marlin President, Bob Behn, “will remain as president of Marlin, charting a course of further growth and operational improvement.”

Frank Kenna III, Marlin’s Chairman, had these comments: “Marlin has been a family-run business since 1924[.] We knew it was time to find the right partner for Marlin to ensure our brands maintain their leadership positions and move into the next century.”

COMMENT: Cerberus, named after the three-headed hell-hound of Greek mythology, seems relentless in its efforts to acquire and consolidate American arms manufacturers. There is a positive side to this. Affiliation with Cerberus provides improved marketing and distribution “clout” for acquired smaller players such as DPMS, which is probably a healthy thing. And we’ve already seen how Cerberus is folding together the product lines of its Bushmaster and Remington divisions. Rebranding Bushmaster AR15s as Remington Target/Varmint rifles is a smart marketing move.

Still, the acquisition of Marlin gives us pause. One wonders what comes next. Marlin has a legendary history and a strong following for its rimfire and lever action rifles. What does Remington (and its parent Cerberus) really plan to do with Marlin in the long-term? Should we worry about a “strip and flip” strategy? How is this going to affect parts supplies, warranty work, and customer service? Personally, I don’t want to have deal with Remington just to get a spare part for my Marlin 39A. And when should shooters and hunters start to worry about having so many brands owned by the same holding company? (Remember, “Monopoly” is not just a parlor game.) DPMS and Bushmaster used to be directly competitive. Now they are under the same umbrella. What’s next? Does Cerberus have eyes on Savage… or perhaps even Smith & Wesson?

Smith & Wesson has recently suffered major woes on Wall Street, losing 73% of its book value compared to summer 2007. Cerberus-owned companies currently make every type of firearm except one — handguns. It would seem logical for Cerberus to consider S&W if Cerberus’ goal is to be the #1 player in the firearms market. Right now Smith & Wesson is ripe for the picking….

End the Year with a Bang at Pala Range

Two varmint silhouette “fun” matches will be held at the Pala Range (near Temecula, CA) in the next two weekends. Join the fun at the year-end “Chili Shoot” on December 30th, and send out 2007 with a bang.

This Sunday, 12/30, Pala hosts a special end of year varmint shoot. Match organizer Harold will offer his famous Elk chili after the shoot. Feel free to bring a guest, and let John Adams (jadams009 [at] earthlink.net) know if you need a loaner rifle. As usual the range opens for sighters at 8 am, while the match starts at 9:15 am.

At Pala varmint shoots, max caliber is 6.5mm, to limit target damage. Typically you see a BR-style rifle, with a heavy, 28-30″ barrel, often using a muzzle brake. You need a very accurate chambering, so you’ll see 6BRs, Dashers, 6-284s, 6.5-284s, and a few 6mm Remingtons.

The first regularly-scheduled match of 2008 will be the next weekend, Sunday, January 6. It is rumored that BR ace Lou Murdica may show up and NBRSA 600-yard champ Don Nielson may also attend.

CLICK HERE for MORE INFO

Inspect Your Flash Holes on New Brass

Quite a few novice reloaders have recently started visiting our site. One common question is “What should I watch out for when inspecting new brass?” First, always check the cases for obvious defects such as split necks, defective case heads, or dimpled shoulders. But don’t toss a case merely because the neck may be slightly out of round. We recommend you run an expander down the necks to straighten them out before loading, and reduce neck tension slightly. That will take care of minor neck dents.

If you’re using the brass for competition, you may want to weight-sort your cases. You can also benefit by sorting the brass using a Neck Wall Thickness Gauge. Even if your rifle has a “no-turn” neck chamber, you’ll get enhanced accuracy and more consistent velocities if you cull the brass with extremely non-uniform neck-wall thickness.

You’ll want to inspect the flash holes carefully. With domestic brass, you may find flash holes that are slightly off-center, or that are not consistent in diameter. Segregate the brass with off-center holes, and you can uniform the flash holes with a variety of tools. Normally Lapua and Norma brass have very consistent flash holes. However, in some recent lots, we’ve seen a little crescent-shaped sliver of brass around the edge of the flash hole (see photo). This can cause inconsistent ignition and should be removed. You can clean up the edge of the flash hole with a flash hole uniforming tool or a small bit fitted to a pin vise.

Note to newbies–Lapua 220 Russian and 6BR brass has a small flash hole, specified at 1.5mm, about .059″, in diameter. Select a tool that will clean up the flash hole without increasing the flash hole significantly. Some tools will ream the flash hole to .067″ or larger and that is too much. But the actual diameter of your flash holes (whether .059, .062, .067) after reaming is not that critical–so long as all your cases end up with the same hole diameter. Uniformity is the key. With many lots of Lapua brass we’ve found that flash hole reaming is not necessary for 95+ cases out of a box of 100. But you should inspect every case before you load.