Guns, Bows, Shooting Sports, and Hunting Surgeon XL Monster action!!!

[HHhuntitall]

Had this awhile, finally got the money put aside for the barrel a while back, got it ordered today from Kreiger. 1 1/8" x 16 TPI... it's a monster. This is it next to a Short action Remington 700, with loaded 300 Win mag, and 338 Laupa brass. What to blue it with, though? Teflon coat? Phosphate?

 

[ktb]

Looks nice, did you consider a BAT? What lead you to going with a Surgeon?

 

[ktb]

If you haven't had it coated or blued yet and the handle isn't soldered on you could look into getting melonited. Makes the surface really hard, you get the corrosive resistance and makes the action operate smoother. Comes out flat black both stainless and cromoly.

 

[SRay]

Nice pieces! poachers, watch out!

 

[GHarman]

Wow!!!

HH, Thats a Crew served VARMINT Rifle!!!:-laf! What is the diameter of the barrel blank at the breach? With a 1. 125" diameter barrel tenon! How long a barrel and what rifling twist? Will you install a muzzle brake? GregH

 

[HHhuntitall]

Looks nice, did you consider a BAT? What lead you to going with a Surgeon?

I've got a BAT MB oct with 20MOA rail I've got a . 284 barrel on. I like it. It's a beast, too! And I enjoyed visiting with the guys up there before I comitted to buying it. Bruce Thoms builds a nice action, no doubt. But I'm in Texas, and Surgeon is in Prague, Ok. Preston Pritchard comes to the shoots with us at Tulsa and OKC. And holding a Surgeon in my hand made me want one, and with service so close, it's hard to turn down. The runout on these things is as perfect as the BAT's, too! I've got several other Surgeon target actions I use pretty regular, and they work great. The target actions basically fit where a Remington will, but they have the lug made on the front of the action, and a 20 MOA rail made into them. They'll fit right into Remington stocks with very little work..... a bonus when you already have several McMillan stocks for Remington actions.....



I ordered a barrel, but with a 1. 2 blank, I was concerned the threads wouldn't come out right, so..... I finally got money for another barrel, and awaaaaay we go!

If you haven't had it coated or blued yet and the handle isn't soldered on you could look into getting melonited. Makes the surface really hard, you get the corrosive resistance and makes the action operate smoother. Comes out flat black both stainless and cromoly.

Actually, the bolt handle is threaded on, and the bolt is already hot-salt treated. The action is my concern. I've consided something similar to the melonite/tenefir coating..... Super hard and virtually rust proof. But the shoulder where the barrel meets up will need to be left alone to prevent galling and so it can be turned if it ever needs to be trued up.....

Nice pieces! poachers, watch out!

Thanks, obviously, I'm too proud!! Do they make AP rounds in 338? Barnes has a nice looking monolithic solid.....

 

[HHhuntitall]

HH, Thats a Crew served VARMINT Rifle!!!:-laf! What is the diameter of the barrel blank at the breach? With a 1. 125" diameter barrel tenon! How long a barrel and what rifling twist? Will you install a muzzle brake? GregH

GHarm, I ordered a Rem Varmint Contour, 1-10" twist, 28" finish, 1. 3" Dia shank, 3. 5" long, then going down into the Varmint contour, finishing around 1" muzzle. I hadn't planned on a muzzle brake with such a heavy rifle. I've got a McMillan A-5 for it, which should take a lot of the bite out of it. Don't worry, I'll work up a target load so you can play with it when I come up!! I had a Broughton straight taper, down to 1" muzzle, but after he squared it to bore, it ended up being 1. 2" OD... . I was worried there wasn't enough shoulder to engage the action face, so it's now a 338 Win Mag, which shot a 1/2" group when I was breaking in the barrel, cleaning between shots!! It doesn't have any recoil as heavy as it is. I'm shooting 250gr SMKs in it, no real load work or chrony info, yet, just fireforming brass and breaking in the barrel... .....



I don't really like muzzle brakes (breaks!!). I had one (KDF) on a 264WM I had, and it would just deafen you, and bystanders hated to be around me when I shot it!! I shot the barrel out, and it went back to a standard bolt as a 280Imp. !! Much nicer!!



Oh, and it came with an Accuracy Int. 338 5rnd magazine!! Happiness is not always belt fed!!

 

[SRay]

HHhuntitall: I can see through the screen that you're proud of your stuff.



I've only handled a few shotguns, and a rifle but never owned one. They're fun to shoot in a shooting range. Especially a 10 ga shotgun.



shawn

 

[ktb]

Sounds like it will be a nice rifle, the reason i mentioned BAT is because i have worked there since fall of 99. We have 2 models that are baced off of the rem. 700 also with the features you mention. Glad you got the action you wanted and are happy with it.
As far as the face of the action galling i don't think i've ever seen that be a problem be for. The threads, thats a diff. thing, but if things are fitted right and kept clean galling shouldn't be a consern.
I have a 3LL that i had melonited and it is amazing how much diff. it makes. It is a little fuzzy when if first came back but didn't take long to clean that off. I have a couple 6-284 barrels that i plan on getting done also to help barrel life.
On a side note after 10 yrs an 2 ford powerstrokes Bruce finally saw the light he now has a 2011 3500 HO mega cab dually and it pulls his 5th better then his last Ford did with billet rods hybred injectors twin high pressure oil pumps a big turbo an a fance transmission to handle all that "power". He dose like his new truck.

 

[HHhuntitall]

HHhuntitall: I can see through the screen that you're proud of your stuff.



I've only handled a few shotguns, and a rifle but never owned one. They're fun to shoot in a shooting range. Especially a 10 ga shotgun.



shawn

... . I find your definition of "fun" a bit odd... I never found a 10ga to be "fun. " :-laf I always thought of it as punishment for something I had done in a former life!! I borrowed one from my cousin to shoot geese with, and after one morning's hunt, I handed it back and got my 12ga out..... of course, you might say the same thing with the 338 Lapua... ... but I'm gonna make it a nice shooter. And they're all way more fun to shoot when you're not at the range. That's a bonus of the big land note. :-laf then :{ then... ... ... :gonehuntin':



ktb, don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of the BAT!! But it's so convenient to go to Preston's. The Surgeon's, IMHO, are just as good, but I can get up early in the morning, run up there, be there by 9 (in time for cofee... . not that I drink it... ) and be back before 5 if I don't go by anywhere else. And these are the guys I shoot with in NRA HP, so I really like to support my locals, if I can. I'm not gonna buy a POS just to help a guy out, but when it's a good quality product, I think that's a win/win. And if I need a spare bolt, it's just a phone call and it's in the mail the next day, and I'll mail 'em a check or pay 'em at the next shoot (if I can get off to go!! ) I've got two bolts for one of my early pre-591SS actions, a 223 and standard bolt face, with several barrels for it. I've just about got the . 243 barrel done in, so I don't play with it much. I've got a fresh 6mm barrel, and I think I'm gonna build a 6mmBR to experiment with... ... got the reamer ordered this week from Mr. Kiff. Kinda a community project. Dad's paying for the barrel and stock, I have the action, the scope's my cousin's... .



And the BAT is about to go to David Manners for a new stock. I ordered a McMillan MBR, but their CNC program is FUBAR!!! #@$%! I spent 4 hours inletting it, and then another 4 hours to re-bed and install a new front pillar, which was off . 250", and then, after that hardened, I finally got to install the action!! It turned out ok, but now the stock has too much drop in it for where the scope needs to be, and Dad's high cheeckbones don't help..... I've been gonna cut it for an adj cheekpiece, but Dad just wants to order a new stock, so..... need a slightly modified McMillan stock for a BAT MB Oct?!?!



6mmx284!?! Wow, what degree throat you have cut in it? How's the erosion? I had one on a sporter years ago, and it finally quit shooting after about 6-700 rnds. It was used when I got it..... It was a deer/coyote killing sum-buck!! Also cleared brush well... .



As for the galling, I was referring to the front of the reciever being rough after the ionic salt bath... . that roughness would gather the softer SS from the barrel crushing into it, kinda like a file... . the threads, too, which I presume they won't quench to prevent erosion. It'd probably be ok if you didn't switch barrels regular... ... have you looked at that?

 

[The patriot]

Nice!!!!!

I'd double check all tolerances, lap the lugs and have it done in one of the nitrate QPQ finishes. It's a melonite/tennifer type thing.

It makes the surface hardness 90 C rockwell (or around that)

Just be sure you have all machining done before the finish.

I'd also have the barrel and the bolt done the same way.

I'm pretty sure a barreled action can be done at the same time assembled.

JM. 02

 

[The patriot]

What boltface?

 

[HHhuntitall]

What boltface?

. 588 for 338 Laupa. But any bolt can be ordered. The bolts are already ion nitrided, similar to Tennifer, only an ionic superheated gas is used, versus an ionic salt bath, which is technically liquid nitrocarburizing, the most common in the firearm industry. Chemical bath at 500-600*C. That surface is only around 65RC, I believe, on the Surgeon bolt... . 90 would be dang hard!! Industrial diamonds are only 70RC!!



That type of coating is pretty nice. The problem is it actually penetrates the surface . 0015-. 002 and if you ever need to square it for some reason, it won't be fun and then it won't be protected!! Hopefully, that never happens, but..... maybe I'm overthinking it, too.



Gaseous Ionizing, vacuum nitrocarburizing ,or controlled nitrocarburizing, as it can be called, is a little more controlled rate of application, as I understand it. Less chance of contamination, quicker, and less cleanup/waste.



Plasma or Ion Nitriding is the most effective, where the work pieces are not as hot as the above, which reduces the chances of distortion. Typically, pure Nitrogen gas is superheated to diffuse into the metal, being superheated it is in a plasma state, hence the name.



I've helped do some liquid nitrocarburizing, but never had any experience with the others, except the finished product. I can say we screwed up some and the results were still good using the salt bath process. Made for a very interesting day!!

 

[Dl5treez]

I had Robar do some coating on my foul weather rifle... turned out pretty good.

 

[The patriot]

Robar's PN3 is a GOOD coating, but unless they do the newer processes, theyre quite different.

JM. 02

 

[Dl5treez]

Robar's PN3 is a GOOD coating, but unless they do the newer processes, theyre quite different.

JM. 02

They put the NP3 Plus on it.



I don't know much about other types of coatings, went with Robar on a recommendation from a buddy who had some guns done.



Not meaning to hijack.

 

[HHhuntitall]

No hijack. It's here for discussion.



I'm thinking the nitrocarbeurizing at the moment. I've got a friend still at Tulsa, who should be able to get it done. The gunsmith I was learning from was good friends with him, and he said call him if I ever needed anything... ... we'll see if he was being nice or if he meant it.