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September 29th, 2019

Sunday GunDay: Five “Frankenguns” from our Forum

Exo skeleton frankengun Shelley Davison Tinkertoy 30 BR spare parts

What’s a “Frankengun”? Well it’s a one-of-a-kind rifle that has been pieced together from a variety of different parts and components. It might be a little bit Bolt Gun mixed with a little bit AR-15. Or it might feature some home-made components unlike anything you’ve seen before.

We’ve selected these four Frankengun rifles from a current thread in our Shooters’ Forum.

Frankengun #1 — The EXO (as in Exo-Skeleton)

Exo skeleton frankengun Shelley Davison Tinkertoy 30 BR

Forum member jm850 calls this tube-framed wonder the EXO (as in “exo-skeleton”). He says: “This is a prototype I designed around a few core concepts that stick out to me on a traditional configuration. Eliminating stresses, lowering recoil moment, and improved barrel cooling. I’m really happy with it so far.”

The EXO is a very unique rifle. We’ve never seen anything like this since the late Shelley Davidson’s famous Tinkertoy Rifle, a brilliantly innovative 30BR that actually won matches. The Tinkertoy, shown below, was truely radical, but it worked ! Could this have been an inspiration for jrm850’s EXO rifle?

Shelley Davison Tinkertoy 30 BR

Frankengun #2 — Moosberg MVG in LSS Stock with BipodeXt

Exo skeleton biponeXt frankengun Shelley Davidson Tinkertoy 30 BR

Forum member BallisticXLR has created something very weird to say the least. It started out as a basic, bone-stock Mossberg MVP Varmint in .223 Rem. Then the transformation began: “I replaced everything except the receiver. It now has an LSS stock, PSG-1 grip from DPMS, XLR butt stock, PT&G lug and barrel nut, Columbia River Arms 26″ barrel with Sonoran coral snake Cerakote, A2 flash hider, Timney and Jard triggers (depending on what I’m doing), and a USO B17 which is now a USO 3.8-22×44.” That long extension tube under the chassis is a BipodeXt from Accuracy Solutions.

Frankengun #3 — A Chassis Rig in 25 Creedmoor

Exo skeleton frankengun Shelley Davidson Tinkertoy 30 BR

This Frankengun belongs to Forum member Geraldgee. This “black and blue” rig features a mag-fed Kelbly Atlas action in a McCree’s Precision G10 Chassis. The barrel is a Bartlein Rem Varmint Contour, 1:7.5″-twist 4 Groove, chambered for the 25 Creedmoor. There are some interesting .25-Cal bullets coming on the market now. You can make the brass by expanding 6mm Creedmoor, or necking down 6.5 Creedmoor.

Frankengun #4 — MDT Chassis, Fore-end Whittled by Spook

Exo skeleton frankengun Shelley Davidson Tinkertoy 30 BR

Here’s a real collection of odds and ends, but Forum member Spook says it shoots well, and is a great example of “Left-over parts made useful again”. This mix-n-match Frankengun features a Remington M7 action with PT&G bolt. The barrel is a stainless Pac-Nor chambered in 6mm SLR. The barreled action is carried in an MDT Chassis with rear folding buttstock. Up front is something unusual, a Delrin fore-end that owner Spook “whittled in the mill”.

Frankengun #5 — 6.5×47 in Accuracy Int’l Stock

6.5x57 Accuracy International Krieger barrel
CLICK photo for full-screen version.

Forum member CT10Ring kicked off the Frankengun thread with this rifle. It’s actually not that shocking, but you rarely see a BAT action in an Accuracy International stock. The BAT VR action is mated to an AI Mag and set up in an AI folding stock. On top is an “old school” Nightforce Benchrest scope. The barrel is a very heavy Krieger chambered for the 6.5×47 Lapua. CT10Ring say the barrel alone weighs about 9 pounds, and the gun “shoots better than [he] can”.

Post Pictures of Your Frankenguns in our Forum
So do you have a favorite Frankengun resting in your gun safe? If you do, visit our Shooters’ Forum and post a description and some photos in the Frankengun thread.

Exo skeleton frankengun Shelley Davison Tinkertoy 30 BR

Permalink Gear Review, Gunsmithing No Comments »
September 29th, 2019

Report from Precision Rifle EXPO in Georgia

Precision Rifle Expo Arena Blakely GA Georgia PRS NRL

The 2-day Precision Rifle EXPO wraps up today at the Arena Training Facility in Blakely, Georgia. Over 700 visitors have attended the two-day event. This year, manufacturers will be showing off actions, optics, ammo, reloading equipment, stocks, chassis, electronics, supporting equipment (bags and tripods), rifles, triggers, suppressors, and much more. There will be training sessions on precision handloading, wind reading, marksmanship, ballistic devices, and introduction to competition.

There was so much to see and do at the EXPO, with over 50 companies displaying their wares, including some exciting new products. As a teaser, here are three highlights from Sunday in Georgia.

1. Shooting .22 LR Rimfire Ammo at 625 and 850 Yards

.22 lr rimfire extreme long range Arena Facility Vudoo Gun works

David Lott was shooting his .22 LR Vudoo Gun Works Rifle at what can be called “Extreme Long Rang” — at least for a .22 LR rimfire cartridge. David achieved multiple hits on 18″ square targets at 650 yards and 850 yards. Note the TACOM HQ Charlie TARAC Prism on the front of the scope. This $1700 optical device allows David to see the target even with the rifle aimed at an extreme up-angle to compensate for huge bullet drop.

2. AMP Annealing Team — All the Way from New Zealand

Annealing Made Perfect load cell bullet seating

Alex Findlay and son Matt, creators of the impressive Annealing Made Perfect (AMP) Annealing Machines, traveled all the way from New Zealand to attend the EXPO. There the AMP team displayed the AMP Mark 2 Machine, plus a new servo-motor bullet seating machine.

Applied Ballistics Mobile Lab Bryan Litz

Alex reports: “The bullet seater has been putting in some work today. Having some fun playing around with a few variables and how they effect neck tension. So far the results are pretty fascinating!” Yes, that silver gadget is a new, prototype high-tech Load Cell Bullet Seating Press. This uses an electric servo motor to move a ram downwards on the Wilson seating die. A wealth of precise data is collected during the bullet seating process. Alex noted: “Thanks for Berger Bullets for supplying the bullets and the Lapua brass!”

Watch “Smart” Load Cell Seating Press in Action

This interesting video shows how the new, prototype Load Cell Bullet Seating Press with Auto-Drive works. (AMP plans a production version for 2020 or sooner). There’s never been a press like this before! Everything else is old technology.

3. Applied Ballistics Mobile Ballistics Lab

Applied Ballistics Mobile Lab Bryan Litz

Applied Ballistics Mobile Lab Bryan LitzApplied Ballistics brought its Mobile Ballistics Lab down to Georgia. To demonstrate its capabilities, the AB crew set up the big gray Doppler Radar unit for testing. LabRadars were set on ground level as well (see below). Applied Ballistics Guru Bryan Litz lamented that he was spending more time looking at computer screens than having fun shooting rifles on the impressive ranges at the Arena Training Facility.

The Mobile Lab carries both hardware and electronics. Bryan reports: “The Mobile Lab will transport most everything that’s in the main lab including the Doppler radar. This rig is new, so the load-outs will be somewhat flexible depending on the venue we are supporting.”

Applied Ballistics Mobile Lab Bryan Litz

Arena Training Facility — 2300 Acres with Ranges out to 2100m

arena training facility Georgia

The 2300-acre Arena Training Facility is a premier shooting facility with multiple shooting ranges from 50m to 2100m. Arena’s 1000-yard covered Known Distance range offers multiple benches, steel and paper targets out to 1000 yards. On Arena’s UKD (unknown distance) range shooters can engage steel out to 2300 yards. This 2100m UKD range boasts a 3-Story Shooting Tower, Air-Conditioned Shoot House, and multiple Positional Challenges.

At last year’s EXPO, Long-Range Clinics were held on the 1000-yard Range:
arena training facility Georgia Precision Rifle expo

Permalink - Videos, Gear Review, New Product No Comments »
September 29th, 2019

Road Warrior — Reloading Station Inside “Toy-Hauler” RV

Smart Car Toy Hauler
Smart Car Toy Hauler

It’s summer time. That means many of our readers are on the road (attending major shooting matches or enjoying summer vacations). How do you do your reloading chores while living like a gypsy for a few weeks? Here’s a solution from Forum member Dave Gray (U.S. Army Retired).

Dave is a self-declared “full-time RVer” who spends most of his time on the road. Behind his Ram 3500 pickup, Dave tows a huge 41-foot Heartland Cyclone toy hauler featuring a 12X8 foot garage in the rear. In the rear garage area, which holds a Smart Car, Dave has set up a removable reloading bench complete with RCBS Rockchucker single stage press and Dillon progressive press.

Smart Car Toy Hauler

Smart Car Toy HaulerReloading Bench Mounts to RV Wall with Brackets
Dave explains: “I used a 2″X6″X5′ board for the bench. It’s perfect for my needs, and is easy to disassemble. I made it this small so that I can park my Smart Car in the garage during travel to my destinations. The bench, attached to the wall frames, is very solid. The presses’ centers are 3″ and 6.5″ from the brackets. [There are] four bolts on the wall into aluminum wall frame and 3 bolts in the bench. If I ever have to replace the current board, I’ll do so with oak or birch or hickory. When I’m not reloading, I remove the presses and store them in a protected space. I can easily attach other equipment to the bench by using C-Clamps.” Dave’s “rolling reloading room” looks very well thought-out. We commend Dave for his inventiveness.

Smart Car Toy Hauler

Permalink - Articles, Reloading 1 Comment »