Craters may look interesting on the moon, but you don’t want to see them on your primers. Certain mechanical issues that cause primer craters can also cause primer piercing — a serious safety problem that needs to be addressed. If you have a gun that is cratering primers (even at moderate pressure levels), there is a solution that works with many rifles — send your bolt to Greg Tannel to have the firing pin hole bushed.
Shooters who convert factory actions to run 6BRs, 6PPCs or other high-pressure cartridges should consider having the firing pin bushed. These modern cartridges like to run at high pressures. When running stout loads, you can get cratering caused by primer flow around the firing pin hole in the bolt face. The reason is a little complicated, but basically the larger the hole, the less hydraulic pressure is required to crater the primer.
A limited amount of cratering is normally not a big issue, but you can reduce the problem significantly by having a smith fit a bushing in the firing pin hole. In addition to reduced cratering, bushing the firing pin often produces more consistent ignition.
This is a highly recommended procedure that our editors have had done to their own rifles. Greg Tannel (Gre-Tan Rifles) is an expert at this procedure, and he does excellent work on a wide variety of bolts. Current price for a bushing job, which includes turning the firing pin to .062″, is $92.00, or $100.00 with USPS Priority Mail return shipping.
If you have a factory rifle, a bushed firing pin is the way to go if you are shooting the high-pressure cartridges such as 6PPC, 6BR, 6-6.5×47 and 6.5×47. This is one of the most cost-effective and beneficial upgrades you can do to your factory rifle. For more info on the Firing Pin Bushing process, visit GreTanRifles.com, or email greg [at] gretanrifles.com. After clicking the link for GreTanRifles.com, Click on “Services” > “Shop Services” and you’ll see a listing for “Bush Firing Pin Hole & Turn Pin”. CLICK that Box.
Firing Pin Hole Bushing by Greg Tannel
Work Done: Bush firing pin hole and turn pin
Functions: Fixes your cratering and piercing problems
Price: $92.00 + $8.00 return shipping Total Price: $100.00
Actions for which Bushing is Offered: Remington, Winchester, Savage multi-piece pin, Sako, Kimber, Nesika, Stiller, BAT Machine, Kelbly, Lawton, Surgeon, Borden, Wichita, Hall, Ruger, Howa, Weatherby, Dakota, Pacific Tool, Phoenix, and Defiant bolt action rifle or pistol.
Actions for which Bushing is NOT Available: Case hardened receivers, ARs, Accuracy International (AI), Barnard, Big Horn, Cooper, Desert Tactical Arms, Kimber, Rosenthal, New Savage single piece pin, Rim fires, Falling block, Break open, Lever, Pump rifles, 1903-A3, CZ, Mauser.
How to send your bolt in to be bushed:
Send your bolt and firing pin assembly via snail mail, priority mail, or UPS. Please do not use FEDEX as it sometimes has delivery delays.Include your name, phone number, and return shipping address, and a note as to what you want done. Pack your bolt carefully and ship to: Gre’-Tan Rifles, 24005 Hwy. 13, Rifle CO 81650.
Due to the high volume of work, turn-around time for bolt bushing jobs can be 12 weeks (though it usually is faster). Customers can pay by check, money order, or credit card. For more information visit GretanRifles.com.
Gunsmith/stockmaker Doan Trevor created a lovely, one-of-a-kind silhouette stock for an Anschutz rimfire action. Built as a true custom design, this stock combines ideal standing position ergonomics with light weight — the entire stock weighs a mere two pounds. This project really showcases Doan’s remarkable skills with wood. Read the full story about this project (with more photos) at DoanTrever.com.
Doan explains his design process: “A customer came to me wanting to know if I could build a silhouette stock that was 2 pounds or less. I used the Koa wood because it is a lower specific gravity than Walnut (which makes it lighter) and stronger. I was still able to use pillar bedding and keep the weight down. The fore-end could be shortened to reduce the weight even more.
Since the drops on a silhouette rifle are different than a prone rifle, I kept the pistol grip from the prone rifle which is comfortable and tried to come up with a higher cheek piece and more drop to the buttplate. All of this required lots of hand carving.”
Impressive engraving by Jesse Kaufmann. Note how the scope rings have been engraved to perfectly match the engraving pattern on the Remington 547 action.
Who says fine craftsmanship is dead? There’s a fellow up in South Dakota, Jesse Kaufmann, who produces some of the most handsome engraving we’ve seen. Jesse, who operates Black Hills Gunstocks and Engraving LLC, is a true master at metal engraving and he also does superb stock checkering. Here are some examples of Jesse’s engraving work:
About Jesse Kaufmann, Master Engraver
Jesse Kaufmann was a professional stockmaker for Dakota Arms for over a decade. In 2009, he was inducted in the American Custom Gunmakers Guild as a checkering specialist. In January 2017, Jesse was awarded his Master Engraver certification by the Firearms Engravers Guild of America. With his broad skill set, Jesse is able to offer his clients a unique and complete package of stock work, finish, checkering, and engraving for a custom package that is all completed under one roof by his own hands.
Jesse Kaufmann’s work has been featured in American Rifleman, American Hunter, FEGA’s The Engraver, Sports Afield, Waidmannsheil Journal of German Gun Collectors Assn., Gun Digest 71st Edition, Modern Custom Guns Volume 2, Dangerous Game Rifles 2d. Edition. For more info, visit BlackHillsgunstocksandengraving.com, email blackhillsgunstocks [at] gmail.com, or call Jesse at (605) 499-9090.
Need a new barrel for your Rem-actioned hunting or tactical rifle? Here’s a great DIY option for riflemen. McRee’s Precision offers complete, no-gunsmithing re-barreling kits for Remington and Rem-clone actions. These feature a high-quality, pre-chambered “PRE-FIT” stainless barrel from Criterion, a Savage-style barrel nut, a recoil lug, and a special barrel-nut wrench. Most of the Pre-Fit barrels are 24″ long and threaded at the muzzle. CLICK Here for all Pre-Fit barrel specs.
With this system you can easily re-barrel your favorite Remington rifle yourself in less than an hour. You don’t need to pay gunsmithing fees, or wait weeks (or months) for a busy smith to do the job. And the price is under $500.00. Kits are currently available for these chamberings: 6.5 Creedmoor, 6mm Creedmoor, .243 Win, .308 Win, .308 Winchester Magnum. You can buy with confidence — McRee’s Precision offers a Half-MOA Accuracy Guarantee with its pre-fitted barrel kits.
The stainless steel Barrel Nut is set up for 1 1/16 x 16 barrel threads, while the stainless steel recoil lug has a 1/8 inch removable locator pin and is set up for 1.0625 dia barrel threads.
McRee’s Precision sells Rem-action Pre-Fit barrel packages (complete with barrel nut, recoil lug, and wrench) starting at $489.52. Choose from five chamberings: 6.5 Creedmoor, 6mm Creedmoor, .243 Win, .308 Win, and .300 Win Mag. These Pre-Fit barrel kits come ready-to-install. All you need to do is remove your current barrel, place the recoil lug, spin on the new tube, follow the instructions for setting head-space with standard go/no-go gauges, then torque the barrel nut against the lug. NOTE: You may require a barrel vise and action wrench to remove the original barrel. Chambering-specific headspace gauges required. Minor inletting changes may be needed forward of the action.
The folks at McRee’s Precision say their Pre-Fit system offers many advantages: “Remington Pre-Fitted Barrel Kits have become popular over the years. If Savage can do it, why not for our Remingtons? Our [Criterion-supplied] barrels are spec’d to the McRee standard of performance. There are several places to get the tools required to remove your factory barrel correctly. Once you have your barrel removed all you have to do is follow the normal Savage procedure to install your new barrel. We recommend that you contact your local gunsmith for the install. Feel free to call us with any questions.”
Product Tip from Ed LongRange. We welcome readers’ submissions.
The 6mm Creedmoor has become one of the most popular cartridges for PRS/NRL competition, and it also works great in the varmint fields. There are many 6mm Creedmoor factory rifle options now, such as the Savage Model 10 in GRS stock and the Ruger Precision Rifle (6mm Creedmoor).
Do-It-Yourself 6mm Creedmoor Rifle Project — UltimateReloader.com
Another cost-effective option for 6mm Creedmoor fans is to build your own rifle, starting with a Howa barreled action. The Howa 1500 is a mag-fed, flat-bottomed bolt action that ships with the excellent HACT 2-stage trigger. Howa barreled actions are available with a variety of barrel lengths and contours, starting at about $430.00 at Brownells. There are quite a few good stocks/chassis systems now offered for Howa 1500 actions, including the excellent KRG Bravo Chassis, which features an ergonomic composite outer shell over a precision-machined inner chassis.
Gavin Gear fitted a KRG enclosed fore-end and Mystic Precision MPOD to his 6mm Creedmoor rifle.
Our friend Gavin Gear of UltimateReloader.com has built a nice 6mm Creedmoor rifle using a Howa 1500 heavy-barreled action and KRG Bravo Chassis. This project has proven very successful. The rifle has shown impressive accuracy and outstanding reliability. Gavin hopes to use this rifle in practical/tactical competitions later this year.
In this video, Gavin fits KRG’s enclosed fore-end to the KRG Bravo chassis. This accessory fore-end features a top Picatinny rail and various attachment options on the sides and lower section. Here you can see the enclosed fore-end (upper right) next to the factory forend included with the KRG Bravo (lower left):
Gavin then fits a Mystic Precision MPod from EGW. This stable, wide-base bipod uses a T-Slot rail for rifle attachment, and has legs that adjust independently for height. The video shows the rifle coming together step-by-step. This is something the average guy can do with simple tools — no gunsmithing is required, because the Howa barreled action is pre-chambered for the 6mm Creedmoor cartridge.
In the video above Gavin unboxes his Howa 1500 barreled action from Brownells. He then mounts the barreled action to the KRG Bravo stock, checking the torque levels. Next Gavin borescopes the hammer-forged barrel (5:55) noting: “What I saw I liked — there are practically no tooling marks. The finish on the lands and grooves looks really good”. Lastly, Gavin tested the trigger with his TriggerScan TS-11 (6:24), confirming a two-stage pull weight of about 2.25 pounds out of the box.
Here is something shiny and new for the guy who has to have the latest hardware. Ryan Pierce of “PiercisionRifles.com makes very effective muzzle brakes (aka “Muscle Brakes) that have a clever “self-timing” feature, that allows them to be fitted to multiple rifle barrels. Most of Ryan’s Muscle Brakes are crafted from steel, but he just introduced a slick 5-Port Self-Timing Titanium Brake. Ryan says the self-timing feature of this design allows the buyer to use the same brake on all rifles with the same thread pitch on the muzzle. Check it out:
Ryan reports: “Got the new TITANIUM self-timing 5-port ‘Muscle’ brake spun up on a 300 Norma improved I chambered this morning. The barrel and brake weighs 3.0 pounds total. At just 3.5 ounces, the titanium brake is 3 ounces lighter than the steel version. The Titanium Muscle brake is available in 5/8×24 and 3/4×24 threads. I have some ready to ship in 3/4×24 threads. I’ll have another batch ready to ship in a week or so in 5/8×24 threads.”
Who needs a Titanium brake? Well if you’re putting together a high-tech ultralight hunting rig, this is a nice finishing touch. When shooting off-hand, less weight on the end of the barrel really makes a difference. And if you’ve gone to the expense of fitting a lightweight carbon fiber-wrapped barrel, it may make sense to finish it off with an ultralight titanium brake.
How well does it work? Ryan says with this brake on his 10-lb .300 Norma Improved rifle he can see bullet impacts at 400 yards. That’s with 230-grain bullets launched at 3000+ FPS.
NOTE: Currently these brakes are sold in a 5-port version only. Ryan offers 3-port brakes in steel, but says the weight savings would be only 1 ounce with a Titanium 3-port.
Do you own a Springfield M1A (or wish you did)? Then you should watch this 5-minute video from the American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI). This video shows the basics of the operation of the popular M1A rifle, the civilian version of the military M14. In this video, gunsmith John Bush field-strips the M1A and shows how the bolt, op rod, and trigger group fits together and operates. This video contains excerpts from the M1A Rifle Armorer’s Course, AGI Course #1584. The full Armorer’s Course is available on DVD from www.AmericanGunsmith.com.
Watch Highlights of AGI M1A Rifle Armorer’s Course:
2019 CMP Springfield M1A Match at Camp Perry
The 13th annual Springfield Armory M1A Match will take place during the 2019 CMP National Rifle Matches. The CMP will host the event on Sunday, August 4, 2019, the day after the John C. Garand Match. Competitors of all experience levels are encouraged to bring their M1A rifles to Camp Perry and compete. Online Registration is still possible. The match is open to all individuals ages 12 and above. For more information contact the CMP at competitions@thecmp.org or call 419-635-2141 ext. 724 or 714.
The Springfield Armory M1A match began with one man’s idea and passion. Springfield Armory’s Mike Doy witnessed the waning of classic M1 Garand and M1A rifles from the competitive High Power firing lines. “I really wanted to get those M1A rifles out of safes and closets and back out onto the field. So 11 years ago, I promoted the idea of running an M1A-specific match at Camp Perry. That first year we had over 600 competitors and spectators.” Now the match offers some of the biggest pay-outs at Camp Perry. In recent years, Springfield Armory has donated over $25,000 worth of cash and prizes, including a $2,000 cash award to the overall winner.
Project by Shiraz Balolia, President of Grizzly Industrial
The lowboy stock you see above started as an experiment. I had an extra Masterclass F-Class stock that had gone through two actions, four beddings, and multiple modifications over the years. I figured that there was nothing to lose if the experiment did not work out.
After deciding on the design, the stock was carefully leveled in every direction and milled to the precise dimensions for attaching the side pieces, which would be glued to the original stock.
Curly Maple and Bubinga wood were laminated to get the exact thickness of the side pieces so that the total width of the fore-end would be just under the total width allowed for F-Open stocks.
Two guide pins made of Bubinga were drilled through each side so that the sides would not move when glued to the milled stock.
Once the sides were glued to the blank, the stock was once again trued on the mill so it was perfectly flat and square with the back (see below).
The stock was then sent to Keith Weill at KW Precision who did an incredible bedding job on the new BAT M action. The stock was then sent out for spraying a clear finish. Normally I spray my own stocks, but I did not have time for this stock, so that part was subbed-out. The finger grooves and “Shiraz” inlay had been done by me a few years prior during the old stock’s heyday.
Modified Stock Has Significantly Lower Center of Gravity
The rifle was then assembled, a March 10-60x56mm High Master scope was installed, and break-in was completed on the new barrel. At the range, the stock performed great. The stock rides one-half-inch lower in the front bag and really feels good.
Bartlein Barrel Is Chambered in .300 WSM
I was pleased to find that the Bartlein barrel I have on this gun cleaned up very well during barrel break-in and this “experiment” may turn into this being one of my best-performing guns. All of my F-Open match guns are .300 WSM (Winchester Short Magnum), and so is this one.
Own a Ruger Precision Rifle (RPR)? Looking for the single best hardware upgrade that will improve inherent accuracy and shot-to-shot consistency? Here’s your answer. Krieger Barrels is now producing Pre-Fit barrels for the RPR in seven popular chamberings: 6XC, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, .243 Win, 6.5 PRC, .308 Winchester, and .300 Win Mag. These $550.00 “Drop-In Ready” barrels come finish-chambered and threaded to fit the Ruger action. The Ruger barrel attachment system allows correct headspace with a pre-chambered barrel. Krieger explains: “Thanks to Ruger’s proprietary barrel nut design, a competent gunsmith will be able to swap out your barrel using an AR15 barrel wrench and proper headspace gauges.”
Kreiger’s 6.5 Creedmoor RPR barrel is an 1:8″-twist with 26″ finished length, 0.750″ at muzzle. The .308 Win RPR barrel is a 1:10″-twist with 24″ finished length, also 0.750″ at muzzle. Both these Krieger RPR Pre-Fits feature muzzles with factory-spec thread so you can re-install the factory muzzle brake.
Product Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
Brownells has been running a big Prime Time Blowout Sale this week, July 15-19, 2019. For 5 days, Monday through Friday, Brownells will give away a new rifle away each day. More importantly (since the chances of winning are slim), Brownells is offering huge savings on guns, barreled actions, tools, ammo and more. Here are just a few of the great deals. If you’re looking for some great bargains, head over to Brownells.com before 11:59 PM on Friday July 19, 2019.
Craters may look interesting on the moon, but you don’t want to see them on your primers. Certain mechanical issues that cause primer craters can also cause primer piercing — a serious safety problem that needs to be addressed. If you have a gun that is cratering primers (even at moderate pressure levels), there is a solution that works with many rifles — send your bolt to Greg Tannel to have the firing pin hole bushed.Firing Pin Hole Bushing by Greg Tannel
About Jesse Kaufmann, Master Engraver
