Patented Floating Action Sleeve Delivers Outstanding Accuracy
Larry Crow of Competitive Edge Gunworks in Missouri has created a new, patented, full-floating action sleeve for benchrest and tactical rifles. This is an innovative, new design unlike previous action sleeves or barrel-block systems. The barrel is attached conventionally to the receiver and does not touch the stock or sleeve. The sleeve wraps around the action and mates with the stock. This design allows the entire barreled action to float free above the stock. The system greatly simplifies stock inletting and bedding.
Initial bench testing with a 6.5-284 Light Gun and a .338 Lapua tactical rifle have been extremely promising, showing that the new system is capable of exceptional accuracy. The 6.5-284, fitted with a Broughton 1:8″ twist barrel, produced multiple 5-shot groups, at 100 yards, under 0.20″ in size (Note: this is not a competition aggregate; some groups were larger, but the typical group, in good conditions, was well under 1/4 MOA.). That is remarkable for a fast-twist barrel shooting long, boat-tail bullets. At longer ranges, the 6.5-284 displayed extremely low vertical spreads. A 12-twist .308 Win rifle fitted with the floating action sleeve was recently tested by U.S. Army shooters using factory ammo. Larry Crow reports that his Army testers said the gun “was the most accurate rifle they’ve ever tested using factory loads”. The Army also tested a .338 Lapua with the sleeve system, and it shot a 4″ group at 1000 yards. Larry also notes that a respected 1000-yard shooter is building a rifle with the new action-mounting system to use in IBS registered competition this season. It will be interesting to see how it performs against more conventional designs.
Tim North of Broughton Barrels was very impressed with how the .338 Lapua performed with the new action sleeve design. “Those who have tried the .338 Lapuas at 1000 yards have traditionally had trouble keeping vertical under control. The bullets have great BC so your horizontal is good, but the vertical would get you. I think Larry Crow is really on to something here. His .338s are showing greater consistency with much reduced vertical spreads for full 10-shot strings. His invention may be a major step forward for the big calibers.”
For more information, contact Larry Crow at Competitive Edge Gunworks, (660) 731-5124.
