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August 4th, 2024

Ten Best Bolt-Action Rifles Ever — Do You Agree with This List?

Ten 10 best bolt action rifles shooter

A while back, RifleShooter online magazine published a list of the purported Ten Best Bolt-Action Rifles of All Time. Ten classic rifle designs (including the Remington 700, Winchester Model 70, Weatherby V, and Mauser 98) were featured with a paragraph or two explaining their notable features.

“Best” Lists Stir Controversy…
These Top 10 lists are always controversial. While most readers might approve of half the entries, there are always some items on the Top 10 list that some readers would challenge. Here is RifleShooter’s Top 10 list. What do you think? Are there some other bolt-actions that are more deserving?

1. Springfield M1903
2. Mauser 98
3. Winchester Model 70
4. Remington Model 700
5. Weatherby V

6. Sako L61/AV
7. Savage Model 110
8. Ruger M77
9. Tikka T3
10. Mannlicher-Schonauer

10bolt1402.

Permalink - Articles, Gear Review 1 Comment »
June 26th, 2024

Feds Approve Sale of Vista Outdoor Brands to Czechoslovak Group

Vista outdoor ammunition kinetic group sale CSG Czechoslovak group csg cfius treasury department approval

CFIUS Clears Sale of The Kinetic Group to CSG
Vista Outdoor Inc. (NYSE: VSTO) and Czechoslovak Group a.s. (“CSG”) have announced that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”) has cleared CSG’s proposed acquisition of Vista Outdoor’s The Kinetic Group business. CFIUS has concluded its investigation of the Transaction and has determined that there are no unresolved national security concerns. CFIUS clearance was the final regulatory approval required under the merger agreement with CSG. CFIUS is a U.S. government committee that reviews foreign investment transactions to determine their effect on U.S. national security.

The Shooting Wire reports: “Vista Outdoor Inc. cleared a major hurdle in its plans to sell off its ammunition segment, known as The Kinetic Group, to Czechoslovak Group, or CSG, after the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) cleared the proposed acquisition of The Kinetic Group business after the Committee determined ‘there are no unresolved national security concerns’. The closing of the transaction remains subject to receipt of the approval of Vista Outdoor’s stockholders[.] The Vista Board recommends stockholder approval based partly on a $2 billion purchase price, representing a $90 million increase from the original $1.91 billion purchase price.”

Michael Callahan, Chairman of the VSTO Board of Directors stated: “The CFIUS process involved a thorough review and investigation of the Transaction by numerous U.S. Government departments and agencies[.] We believe the end result supports our view that CSG — which has deep expertise in supply chain excellence and ammunition manufacturing and strong support for NATO and allied nations — will be an excellent owner of The Kinetic Group. CSG is fully committed to supporting our American workforce, American hunters, and domestic and allied military and law enforcement partners.”

The closing of the transaction remains subject to the approval of Vista Outdoor’s stockholders and other customary closing conditions. The special meeting of Vista Outdoor stockholders to vote on a proposal to adopt the merger agreement with CSG is scheduled to be held virtually on July 2, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. Central Time.

About Vista Outdoor Inc.
Vista Outdoor (NYSE: VSTO) is the parent company of more than three dozen renowned brands that design, manufacture and market sporting and outdoor products. Brands include Bushnell, CamelBak, Bushnell Golf, Foresight Sports, Fox Racing, Bell Helmets, Camp Chef, Giro, Simms Fishing, QuietKat, Stone Glacier, Federal Ammunition, Remington Ammunition and more. Our reporting segments, Outdoor Products (Revelyst) and Sporting Products (The Kinetic Group), provide consumers with a wide range of performance-driven, high-quality and innovative outdoor and sporting products. For news and information, visit our website at www.vistaoutdoor.com.

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February 22nd, 2024

Remington Closes Ilion, New York Factory after 200+ Years

remington 700 ilion new york factory closure 200 years

Remington is closing its Ilion, New York firearms factory after 208 years of operation — more than two centuries. Over 300 jobs have been lost with operations moved to Georgia. Get the full story from this Fox News video. Ilion’s Mayor, John Stephens, is interviewed. He notes that the factory closure will have a huge negative impact on the city’s tax base and budget and the “nostalgic and historic loss is a bigger burden to bear”. City, county, and state officials are now “actively working on a re-use for the facility”.

Founded in 1816, Remington Firearms remains one of the United States’ largest domestic producers of shotguns and rifles. Several of the company’s strategic products will be manufactured in Georgia. The new headquarters will also become home to an innovative research and development center.

Remington Has a Storied History
Founded in 1816 by Eliphalet Remington in New York, Remington is the oldest continuously-operating gun manufacturer in the United States. Prior to the re-organization, Remington sold more sporting rifles and shotguns than any other American company. Remington has developed more cartridges than any other U.S. company. And for decades Remington was the only American company that sells firearms AND ammunition under its own name. Now Remington ammo is produced in Arkansas, as a separate business. Remington’s ammunition business was acquired by Vista Outdoor, parent of CCI, Federal, RCBS and other major shooting/outdoor industry brands.

remington 700 ilion new york factory closure 200 years

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January 9th, 2024

How to Blueprint a Rem 700 Action — RifleShooter.com Report

Bill Marr Rifleshooter.com truing Remington Rem 700 action accurizing

Bill Marr Rifleshooter.com truing Remington Rem 700 action accurizingYou may have heard the phrase “blueprinting an action”, but do you know what that really means? Do you know what operations are done to an action during the blueprinting process? To help you understand, gunsmith Bill Marr of RifleShooter.com has created a helpful article showing a Rem 700 blueprinting job start to finish. This article spotlights how the procedures can be done with manual tools. Bill, who runs 782 Custom Gunworks Ltd., can also perform many of these operations with modern automated machinery. In fact, Bill has written a follow-up article on Truing a Rem 700 receiver with a Lathe.

READ Full Action Blueprinting Article HERE with 30+ Photos »

Bill explains: “Blue-printing, or truing a rifle action, ensures the receiver face, threads, lugs, bolt lugs, and bolt face are square to the center line of the receiver.” In Bill’s informative article, Bill shows how he blueprints a Remington 700 short action receiver with .308 Win bolt face. He covers the following procedures step by step:

Action Disassembly
Ream Minor Diameter of Receiver Threads
Square the Receiver Lugs
Square the Face of the Receiver
Lap the Bolt Lugs
Square the Bolt Face

Bill employed a variety of tools from Brownells to complete the blueprinting job, including: Remington 700 Armorer’s Kit; Manson Receiver Accurizing Kit; Bolt Lapping Kit; Bolt Face Truing Tool; Manson Receiver Ring Facing Cutter; Multi-Vise with Jaw Pads; Silicone Carbide Abrasive; and Do-Drill Cutting Oil.

Highlights from the Rifleshooter.com article:

1. Chasing the Threads

We use the bushings to guide the receiver tap. This chases the threads and ensures they are square.

Bill Marr Rifleshooter.com truing Remington Rem 700 action accurizing

2. Truing the Receiver Face

Using the receiver facing tool, the front of the receiver is trued. The tool is placed over the tap and turned by hand. We used Do Drill to lubricate it.

Bill Marr Rifleshooter.com truing Remington Rem 700 action accurizing

3. Lapping the Lugs

The bolt lapping tool screws into the front of the action and applies rearward pressure on the bolt face. A little bit of lapping compound is placed on the front of the receiver lugs. The bolt handle is then raised and lowered repeatedly. Note — it is critical that we do not get any lapping compound on any other surfaces.

Bill Marr Rifleshooter.com truing Remington Rem 700 action accurizing

4. Truing the Bolt Face

On this bolt, the central part of the bolt face was low. After the truing operation, this Rem 700 bolt face is now completely square to the action.

Bill Marr Rifleshooter.com truing Remington Rem 700 action accurizing

READ Blueprinting Rem 700 Action with Lathe Article HERE »

IMPORTANT: Rifleshooter.com states: “This article highlights our project and is presented for information purposes only. This provides an overview of the process and should not be attempted without the guidance and supervision of an experienced gunsmith“.

Permalink Gear Review, Gunsmithing, Tech Tip 3 Comments »
December 9th, 2023

Vista Outdoor Announces Ammo, Powder, Primers Price Hikes

Vista outdoor alliant remington cci federal speer ammo ammunition primers price increase inflation hike

Vista Outdoor has announced that it will be raising prices on ammunition, primers, and powder starting January 1, 2024. Last week, the Minnesota-based company sent a letter to commercial customers revealing across-the-board cost increases for ammunition, primers, and powder starting the first of the year. The price increases will range from one percent to ten percent, with projected 5% price hikes for primers. CCI/Federal/Remington .22 LR rimfire ammo will rise 1-5% while rifle ammo goes up 1-7%.

“Due to world events our suppliers have notified us of unprecedented demand for and an anticipated global shortage of gunpowder, and thus has increased our prices substantially,” Vice President of Sales, Sporting Products Brett Nelson said in the letter. “We must therefore raise our pricing to help offset those increases.”

Vista Outdoor Sporting Group entities that will increase prices include Alliant Powder, CCI, Federal, Remington, Speer, and HEVI-Shot. The projected increases are shown at right.

Projected Price Increases:

Primers: 5%
Alliant Powder: 10%
.22 LR/.22 Short: 1-5%
.22 WMR/HMR: 1-7%
Rifle Ammo: 1-7%
Handgun Ammo: 1-5%
Shotshells: 1-7%

Vista outdoor alliant remington cci federal speer ammo ammunition primers price increase inflation hike

Permalink Bullets, Brass, Ammo, News, Reloading No Comments »
October 17th, 2023

Czech Group Plans to Acquire Federal, CCI, Remington Ammo, Speer, HEVI-Shot from Vista Outdoor

vista outdoor remington speer federal cci factory ammunition business sale csg Czechoslovak group acquisition

Big news for the shooting world — Vista Outdoor (NYSE:VSTO) is planning on selling its outdoor sporting products business to Czechoslovak Group A.S. (“CSG”) for $1.91 billion. This will involve transfer of some of the biggest names in the shooting/reloading world including: Federal, CCI, Remington Ammo, Speer, and Hevi-Shot. The sale and take-over is expected to be completed in 2024. We believe Alliant Powder will also be sold but that was not mentioned in the news release.

This represents a big change for the United States. Soon America’s largest commercial powder and ammunition manufacturer will be controlled by a European enterprise. CSG had previously acquired Fiocchi in 2022, and soon it will hold a very large segment of the total global ammunition market with the $1.91 billion deal to take over Vista Outdoor’s ammunition enterprises. READ Official Transaction Report.

vista outdoor remington speer federal cci factory ammunition business sale csg Czechoslovak group acquisition

Vista Outdoor’s current Sporting Products CEO Jason Vanderbrink will continue to lead the Sporting Products business and the U.S. headquarters will remain in Anoka, Minnesota. Vanderbrink stated: “We are confident that CSG is a great home for our leading ammunition brands. The company is fully committed to our iconic American brands and expanding our legacy of U.S. manufacturing, support for military and law enforcement customers, and investments in conservation and our hunting and shooting heritage.”

We are told that the approximately 4,000 Vista Outdoor employees now employed at four American factories will continue to work at those facilities to produce CCI, Federal, HEVI-Shot, Remington, and Speer products. According to SGB Media: “To effect the transaction, Vista Outdoor will separate its Outdoor Products business from its Sporting Products business, and CSG will merge one of its subsidiaries with Vista Outdoor (holding only the Sporting Products business), with current public stockholders of Vista Outdoor receiving shares of Outdoor Products … and approximately $750 million in cash in the aggregate. The transaction will be treated as a taxable sale of a stockholder’s Vista Outdoor shares for the Outdoor Products shares and cash consideration they receive in the merger, allowing stockholders to recover tax basis and recognize built-in gain and loss in their Vista Outdoor shares.”

David Štěpán, Member of the CSG Board and Investment Director for CSG International Projects, stated: “Vista Outdoor’s Sporting Products business is vertically integrated, has excellent financial results and is well invested. Thanks to this acquisition, CSG will become one of the most important ammunition manufacturers in the world with a comprehensive portfolio across all calibers.”

According to the Business Wire: “The proposed transaction would be CSG’s largest acquisition to date after a long series of smaller acquisitions focused on the European market, including the acquisition of Fiocchi Munizioni in 2022. It also represents the largest acquisition in the history of the Czech defense industry. The transaction is expected to close in calendar year 2024, subject to shareholder approval, receipt of necessary regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Upon closing, Sporting Products will become a wholly owned subsidiary of CSG, operating as a private company. Jason Vanderbrink will remain CEO of the Sporting Products business and the U.S. headquarters will remain in Anoka, Minnesota.”

About Czechoslovak Group
Czechoslovak Group (CSG) is an international industrial technology holding company building on the tradition of the Czech and Slovak industry, owned by Michal Strnad. CSG supports the development of Czech and Slovak companies engaged in defense and civil industrial production and trade. More than 10,000 people are employed by CSG companies and affiliates. In 2022, the holding’s consolidated revenues reached 25 billion CZK. CSG operates across five strategic business segments covering aerospace, ammunition, defense, mobility and business projects.

About Vista Outdoor Inc.
Vista Outdoor (NYSE: VSTO) is the parent company of more than three dozen renowned brands that design, manufacture and market sporting and outdoor products. Brands include Bushnell, CamelBak, Bushnell Golf, Foresight Sports, Fox Racing, Bell Helmets, Camp Chef, Giro, Simms Fishing, QuietKat, Stone Glacier, Federal Ammunition, Remington Ammunition and more. Our reporting segments, Outdoor Products and Sporting Products, provide consumers with a wide range of performance-driven, high-quality and innovative outdoor and sporting products. For more information, visit www.VistaOutdoor.com.

Permalink Bullets, Brass, Ammo, News, Reloading 3 Comments »
October 15th, 2023

Engraving Showcase — The Artistry of Jesse Kaufmann

Jesse Kaufmann Black Hills engraving remington stock checkering
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 modern day engraving wizard 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:

Jesse Kaufmann Black Hills engraving remington stock checkering

Jesse Kaufmann Black Hills engraving remington stock checkering

This 14-minute video showcases dozens of Jesse Kaufmann’s Engraving examples:

CLICK HERE to see many more engraving examples »

Jesse Kaufmann Black Hills engraving remington stock checkering

Jesse Kaufmann Black Hills engraving remington stock checkering

Jesse Kaufmann Black Hills engraving remington stock checkering

Jesse Kaufmann engraving stock checkering black hillsAbout 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 after 5:00 pm. SEE Gallery of Work.

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August 11th, 2023

Vista Outdoor Sporting Products Will Become The Kinetic Group

The kinetic group cci speer remington federal ammo ammunition primers

The ammunition and reloading component producing divisions of Vista Outdoor will become a new separate company under the name “The Kenetic Group” with NYSE ticker symbol “HUNT”. The Kinetic Group enterprise will make and sell CCI, Federal, Remington (ammunition), Speer, and Hevi-Shot products. The establishment of The Kinetic Group will follow the planned spin-off of Vista Outdoor’s Outdoor Products operations. The Kinetic Group will continue Vista Outdoor’s Sporting Products sales and manufacturing.

Vista Outdoor Inc. (NYSE: VSTO), the parent company of 41 brands that design, manufacture and market sporting and outdoor lifestyle products worldwide, has announced its new name and identity that will be effective following the planned spinoff of Vista Outdoor’s Outdoor Products business.

“The Kinetic Group will be our name moving forward after the separation…” stated Sporting Products President and CEO Jason Vanderbrink. “To hunters and shooters, their favorite brand of ammunition will take center stage as it always has — they’ll look for CCI, Federal, HEVI-Shot, Remington, and Speer on the shelf, at events and online.”

Vista Outdoor will become The Kinetic Group, a name that represents the energy behind the company and its leading ammunition brands. The Kinetic Group will trade on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSO) under the stock ticker “HUNT”, and the brand will feature a North American ram logo. Sporting Products leaders unveiled The Kinetic Group’s branding this week at the CCI-Speer ammunition factory in Lewiston, Idaho.

The kinetic group cci speer remington federal ammo ammunition primers
The kinetic group cci speer remington federal ammo ammunition primers

“The performance of our products is so often measured in energy on target. Kinetic energy is the force behind our world-class brands and exhibits the spirit of the 4,500 American workers who represent our company,” said Vanderbrink, who will be a director on The Kinetic Group’s board of directors post-spin. Joining Vanderbrink on The Kinetic Group’s leadership team are Andy Keegan (CFO) and Jeff Ehrich (General Counsel and Corporate Secretary). Gary McArthur will continue as interim CEO of Vista Outdoor until the completion of the spinoff.

On the new TheKineticGroup.com website, the company explained its company mission:

“Energy is what propels us and inspires us. It defines our products, drives our purpose, and champions our freedoms. Our brands and products give us the ability to unlock freedom, harvest game, protect us, and unite us. Our thirst and our passion to capture and build upon this energy is never extinguished. We are America’s ammunition. We are The Kinetic Group.”

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March 4th, 2023

Saturday Movies: Inside Look at Modern Ammunition Factories

Lapua norma sellier bellot ammunition ammo factory germany finland sweden usa

While many AccurateShooter.com readers load their own competition centerfire rifle ammunition, we all still need factory ammo for our rimfire rifles in .17 and .22 calibers. And most of the 60+ million American handgun owners rely on factory-made ammunition for their pistols and revolvers.

Today’s video collection showcases state-of-the-art ammunition factories in Europe and the United States. You can see the extremely accurate Lapua .22 LR ammo being produced, as well as excellent centerfire ammunition being made by Norma, Remington, Sellier & Bellot and other makers.

From the creation of lead bullet cores to the final packing of ammunition, you can see it all in these videos. Watch primers being made, brass being annealed, bullets being jacketed, tips being inserted, and every phase of production. Weighing and testing procedures are also revealed.

Modern Ammo Production in Multiple Facilities

This 11.5-minute video shows highly automated bullet and ammunition production in multiple facilities in Europe and the USA. You can see bullets produced from start to finish beginning with lead smelting. Then watch pistol and rifle cartridges being made on modern, computer-controlled assembly lines. Watch from start to finish. Here are some notable highlights:

00:10 — Lead Melting Pots and Billet Caster
01:20 — Lead made into strings and then formed into bullets
01:50 — Brass alloy sheets fed into machine and then punched (2:10-2:35).
03:35 — Lead pistol cores being produced
04:15 — Pistol ammo being packaged
06:15 — Ammo loaded into belts
07:15 — Completed primers being shuttled then loaded into brass (Second factory)
07:20 — Bullets being seating into rifle ammunition
07:32 — Cartridge case-neck treatment
07:42 — Robot arm loads finishes cartridges into boxes
08:04 — Cups being pressed (Third Factory S&B)
08:45 — Cartridge case draw
09:06 — Priming pistol cases
09:20 — Bullet production and weight control (10:02)
10:08 — Cartridge assembly and cartridge sealing (10:38)
11:00 — Pistol ammo packaging

Lapua Rimfire Ammunition Production in Germany

This video shows Lapua rimfire ammo production in Schönebeck, Germany. The video shows quantities of the excellent X-ACT .22 LR ammunition being produced and packaged. Starting at the one-minute mark, you can see the ammo being inspected with advanced scanning machines. Then at 1:16 time-mark you can see the ammo accuracy-tested in a tunnel, with results displayed on a computer screen (1:27).

Norma Ammunition Production in Sweden

In this video, the RecoilTV team lead by EIC Iain Harrison ventures to Sweden to visit the Norma ammunition production plant in Huvudentré, Sweden. Demand for Norma ammo has risen dramatically. A Norma marketing manager notes that production has doubled in the last three years.

This second Norma ammunition video shows close-ups of the production process and the machinery used for centerfire ammo. This was filmed at the Norma factory in Åmotfors, Sweden, which has operated continuously for over 120 years. Among the many interesting highlight is a sequence showing how polymer bullet tips are inserted. See 6:50 time-mark.

Lapua norma sellier bellot ammunition ammo factory germany finland sweden usa

Sellier & Bellot Ammunition Factory in Czech Republic

In this video, Larry Vickers of Vickers Tactical tours a Sellier & Bellot ammunition plant in the Czech Republic. This video shows details of primer production as well as bullet-making, brass-making, and production-line cartridge manufacturing.

Remington Ammunition Plant Re-Opened by Vista Outdoors

This video shows ammo production at the re-opened Remington ammunition plant in Lonoke, Arkansas. “This is one of the largest ammunition manufacturing plants in the world” said Mark Keefe, NRA Publications editorial director. “It was set up in 1969 by DuPont, who owned Remington at the time. They do it all here. Cases, bullets, centerfire rifle, centerfire pistol, rimfire and shotshell.” It’s great to see this plant back in production after Remington Ammunition filed for bankruptcy in 2020 and the assets of the Remington conglomerate were auctioned off. Ultimately, Vista Outdoor, owner of Federal, CCI and Speer, purchased the assets of Remington Ammunition and got the Lonoke plant running again, better than ever.
This article is Copyright 2023 AccurateShooter.com. Republication on any other site gives rise to statutory penalties and compensatory damages.

Permalink - Videos, Bullets, Brass, Ammo, Gear Review, Tech Tip 1 Comment »
February 7th, 2023

Download Free Firearms Safety Resources

firearms Safety Gun Safety Rules Pamphlet manual Remington NSSF

Do you have a family member who has recently acquired his or her first firearm? Do you have friends or neighbors who keep firearms in a home with small children? It is important to know and practice the principles of firearms safety, ALL the time. Here are two well-written gun safety manuals in printable PDF format. All firearms owners, even experienced hunters and competitors, can benefit from reviewing these resources from time to time. And new gun owners, in particular, should take the time to read both these guides. The Remington Safety Manual includes the “Ten Commandments of Firearms Safety”. Here’s the First Commandment:

firearms Safety Gun Safety Rules Pamphlet manual Remington NSSF


Click Image to Download Printable PDF Versions:

firearms Safety Gun Safety Rules Pamphlet manual Remington NSSF firearms Safety Gun Safety Rules Pamphlet manual Remington NSSF
Permalink Hunting/Varminting, Shooting Skills No Comments »
January 28th, 2023

Engraving Artistry by Jesse Kaufmann Master Engraver

Jesse Kaufmann Black Hills engraving remington stock checkering
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 modern day engraving wizard 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:

Jesse Kaufmann Black Hills engraving remington stock checkering

Jesse Kaufmann Black Hills engraving remington stock checkering

This 14-minute video showcases dozens of Jesse Kaufmann’s Engraving examples:

CLICK HERE to see many more engraving examples »

Jesse Kaufmann Black Hills engraving remington stock checkering

Jesse Kaufmann Black Hills engraving remington stock checkering

Jesse Kaufmann Black Hills engraving remington stock checkering

Jesse Kaufmann engraving stock checkering black hillsAbout 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 after 5:00 pm. SEE Gallery of Work.

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August 31st, 2022

DIY DownUnder — Aussie Builds Rail Gun Including Action

Australia Benchrest Bulletin

We know some guys who make their own stocks, and others who do their own chambering. But consider this, Robert Carnell of Australia built his own state-of-the-art, water-cooled, tension-barrel Rail Gun, even including the action. That’s right, Robert designed and crafted his own precision action. This has got to be the ultimate home gunsmithing, do-it-yourself (DIY) project.

Carnell is an accomplished benchrest shooter and past Australian Sporter Class Champion. In 1993 he won a Silver Medal at the World Championships. But Carnell is far more than an ace trigger-puller. Robert is a skilled and creative “home gunsmith” who has crafted his own custom action and built his own railguns from scratch. Robert also runs the Austrialian Benchrest Bulletin website.

Home-Built Rail Gun — Aussie Innovation
Below are photos of one of Rob Carnell’s most amazing builds. This liquid-cooled, tension-barrel rail gun is a great example of self-reliant Aussie engineering. The barrel runs inside a coolent-filled, large-diameter sleeve, much like an old water-cooled machine gun. This is the fourth rail gun that Rob built, and the second fitted with a tensioned barrel.

Australia Benchrest Bulletin

Robert explains: “My railgun design has a 1.75″ barrel under tension inside an aluminium tube filled with radiator coolant. There is nearly a gallon of coolant, and the barrel stays cool no matter how many shots I seem to fire, or how quickly they are shot. The brass nut on the front rides on a nylon bearing and can be tightened to get the best accuracy. I am a believer in the ‘tuner’ idea and this seems to work for me. The main tube is thick-walled aluminium 600mm (24″) long. There is a flange at both ends. The flange at the back fits onto the barrel before the action is screwed on. The front flange is a press-fit into the tube, then there is a brass nut that fits over the barrel and screws against a nylon washer on the front flange. The Railgun’s base is aluminium and has the standard adjustments — windage, elevation and a sighter cam. In addition, there is a 1/10 thou dial indicator for windage. This allows me to zero the indicator and shoot my group. If I need to add a bit of windage for a condition, I can quickly get back to the original position if my condition comes back.”

Home-Built Action Uses Rem Bolt
Rob’s rail gun uses his own home-made stainless action, which features Panda-spec threads and a modified Remington 700 aftermarket bolt. Not bad for a do-it-yourself project we’d say! CLICK HERE to read how Rob designed and built the action.

Australia Benchrest Bulletin

Permalink Competition, Gear Review, Gunsmithing, Tech Tip No Comments »