Mausingfield or Impact?

Jeremy45 · Jun 22, 2020

What would be your Pro/Con list for each action as a training/field match rifle?

I'm not PRS focused and am looking for something that I can shoot positional in all conditions and also be comfortable carrying... so it won't be a 20lb rifle ;-)

Tweedycarcass23jonb · Jun 22, 2020

You get control round feed with the arc. 83 vs 90 degree bolt throw. Arc is a little lighter than the impact.
Both proven reliable products by now. So many are happy with impact including myself. I don’t feel those added benefits are worth an extra $210 and a current lead time of 2-12 weeks. That’s a very broad estimate.
No wait on buying the impact 737 if that matters.

Ledzep · Jun 23, 2020

Get your hands on both and try them out. Fwiw, I have had mausingfield #00029 since 2015. 15-20 thousand rounds. I like it enough that I don't pay any mind to free/discounted action certs on prize tables.

NewsShooter · Jun 23, 2020

Haven't played with an ARC but I love my Impact action. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the aftermarket actions these days.

ThePretzel · Jun 23, 2020

I had an Impact, and ended up eventually selling it and buying a Mausingfield.

I really liked the Impact quite a bit, but ultimately I like the Mausingfield a bit more. The controlled round feed is nice, particularly for picky rounds like BR/Dasher, and I like the mechanical ejection as well as the cocking profile. The Impact is designed to have some cock on close, so closing the bolt always has some resistance and your triggers are limited in the pull-weight they can achieve because you're partially cocking the action against the sear. The benefit of that is you get a very light bolt lift, the best I've felt, but I personally prefer a slightly heavier bolt lift in exchange for no cock on close. It makes it easier to set up dies to size your brass (no need to remove the firing pin spring so you can actually feel if the brass is sized enough) and it's just personal preference that I like to feel an easy-closing bolt as peace of mind that the brass isn't tight in the chamber. I also, admittedly, just really like the old knurled barbell that all ARC actions used to have. It feels really nice in my hand, it looks good, and just overall it adds up to be my favorite feel for any action.

Between the two at brand-new prices I would probably buy the Impact again. I like the Mausingfield better, but not several hundred dollars better and I strongly prefer the old knurled ARC bolt knob to the new smooth barbell anyways. I bought my Mausingfield used though, so it actually cost me less than my Impact did and that's why I went with it over the Impact even though my preference for the Mausingfield is only small.

You should be happy with either action, but which you will like best depends on your personal preferences. Impact will have a lighter overall bolt lift, but a little bit of cock on close. The Mausingfield will have a slightly heavier bolt lift with no cock on close. The Impact will eject every piece of brass into the same small pile, the Mausingfield will let you control how far you want to eject it (but be warned - if you get excited running the bolt it's going to go a LONG ways). The Impact is a push-feed, the Mausingfield is controlled round feed. All of that is good and well on paper, but none of us can tell you which of those features does or doesn't appeal to you personally.

Jeremy45 · Jun 23, 2020

Ledzep said:
Get your hands on both and try them out. Fwiw, I have had mausingfield #00029 since 2015. 15-20 thousand rounds. I like it enough that I don't pay any mind to free/discounted action certs on prize tables.

That's a glowing endorsement for sure! What calibers do you run?

Jeremy45 · Jun 23, 2020

ThePretzel said:
I had an Impact, and ended up eventually selling it and buying a Mausingfield.

I really liked the Impact quite a bit, but ultimately I like the Mausingfield a bit more. The controlled round feed is nice, particularly for picky rounds like BR/Dasher, and I like the mechanical ejection as well as the cocking profile. The Impact is designed to have some cock on close, so closing the bolt always has some resistance and your triggers are limited in the pull-weight they can achieve because you're partially cocking the action against the sear. The benefit of that is you get a very light bolt lift, the best I've felt, but I personally prefer a slightly heavier bolt lift in exchange for no cock on close. It makes it easier to set up dies to size your brass (no need to remove the firing pin spring so you can actually feel if the brass is sized enough) and it's just personal preference that I like to feel an easy-closing bolt as peace of mind that the brass isn't tight in the chamber. I also, admittedly, just really like the old knurled barbell that all ARC actions used to have. It feels really nice in my hand, it looks good, and just overall it adds up to be my favorite feel for any action.

Between the two at brand-new prices I would probably buy the Impact again. I like the Mausingfield better, but not several hundred dollars better and I strongly prefer the old knurled ARC bolt knob to the new smooth barbell anyways. I bought my Mausingfield used though, so it actually cost me less than my Impact did and that's why I went with it over the Impact even though my preference for the Mausingfield is only small.

You should be happy with either action, but which you will like best depends on your personal preferences. Impact will have a lighter overall bolt lift, but a little bit of cock on close. The Mausingfield will have a slightly heavier bolt lift with no cock on close. The Impact will eject every piece of brass into the same small pile, the Mausingfield will let you control how far you want to eject it (but be warned - if you get excited running the bolt it's going to go a LONG ways). The Impact is a push-feed, the Mausingfield is controlled round feed. All of that is good and well on paper, but none of us can tell you which of those features does or doesn't appeal to you personally.

It hadn't crossed my mind that no cock on close would help you feel tight rounds. I just thought it made it smooth. With the ARC tuned to no cock on close can you still get full .220-.230 firing pin fall or is it reduced?

Ledzep · Jun 23, 2020

First was a 6mm Competition match. Was not a fan (had to fireform, use drop tubes and bullet coatings to get velocity performance), but was ~~working~~ donating time at long rifles inc before I found how bad dixon was screwing me.. A whole 'nother story... Got about 800 rounds on that barrel and gave it back to dixon when I left the shop. I fully burned down a .260 barrel, a 6.5 SAUM barrel, 2x 6.5 Creedmoor barrels, put about 1000 rounds on a .308 barrel, tried out a 6 creed (~500 rounds) but will most likely be turning it into a 6 ARC barrel for a friend, and now I've gravitated back to another 6.5 Creedmoor barrel that's got about 2k rounds on it. Too easy to shoot, load, get ammo, spot impacts, kill big game, etc... I think I'm going to stick with 6.5 Creed.

Jeremy45 · Jun 24, 2020

Ledzep said:
First was a 6mm Competition match. Was not a fan (had to fireform, use drop tubes and bullet coatings to get velocity performance), but was ~~working~~ donating time at long rifles inc before I found how bad dixon was screwing me.. A whole 'nother story... Got about 800 rounds on that barrel and gave it back to dixon when I left the shop. I fully burned down a .260 barrel, a 6.5 SAUM barrel, 2x 6.5 Creedmoor barrels, put about 1000 rounds on a .308 barrel, tried out a 6 creed (~500 rounds) but will most likely be turning it into a 6 ARC barrel for a friend, and now I've gravitated back to another 6.5 Creedmoor barrel that's got about 2k rounds on it. Too easy to shoot, load, get ammo, spot impacts, kill big game, etc... I think I'm going to stick with 6.5 Creed.

Awesome. My hunting rifle is a 6.5 creed, I was thinking about building this in the same caliber just because it'll be easy to keep up with. May try a 6br later on (I've always wanted one). You shoot a ton! Who do you have spin up all your barrels?

Steel head · Jun 24, 2020

Jeremy45 said:
Awesome. My hunting rifle is a 6.5 creed, I was thinking about building this in the same caliber just because it'll be easy to keep up with. May try a 6br later on (I've always wanted one). You shoot a ton! Who do you have spin up all your barrels?

He spins his own barrels I believe.

Jeremy45 · Jun 24, 2020

Steel head said:
He spins his own barrels I believe.

That would definitely make life easier!!

Ledzep · Jun 24, 2020

Yeah, I have access to lathes at work. I have had great results with Area 419 and Bugholes in the past though. That's who did the 6.5 SAUM and .260 barrels.

kthomas · Jun 24, 2020

I went through this exact debate myself.

I ended up with the Mausingfield (the M5 version), and I'm really happy with my decision, zero regrets. With a properly tuned BnA Tacsport trigger, there's hardly any force to open the bolt, and as others have pointed out, there's no cock on close which I love. CRF is a nice feature, and helps mitigate any double feeds if you decide to run it like an orangutan under the clock. It's nice to be able to control where the brass lands, some stages where you are shooting off a high arial platform or off a cliff, it's nice to be able to let the brass drop just below the ejection port.

I don't like the stock bolt handle, but LRI makes an awesome one. I've never handled the newer M7, though I would like to. Impact of course is a decent action, with a different feature set.

LRI · Jun 24, 2020

Jeremy45 said:
What would be your Pro/Con list for each action as a training/field match rifle?

I'm not PRS focused and am looking for something that I can shoot positional in all conditions and also be comfortable carrying... so it won't be a 20lb rifle ;-)

I deal in ARC stuff almost exclusively and I talk to Ted often. So, I'm jaded. I like to think there's a reason for it. In all the years of farting around with this stuff, I've never met anyone as committed to solving problems as he is. The evolution of the M5 over the last 5 or so years has been fun to watch and be a part of. An outsider might look at this and think that the design must be flawed if its been changed as often as it has. My counter to that would be cars today resemble the 1940's only in that they still have 4 tires touching the road.

Making a lot of something makes you better at it and things get noticed. ARC is one of the few companies that embraces that reality with open arms.

Materials, hardness, and "tolerances" (I hate that word) are pretty spot on. The action does a number of things very well and its about as robust as a person could ever ask. I've had one of the "1.0" Mausingfields now for over half a decade and it has been treated like a foster home kid. It still runs the number to this day.

I don't get too worked up over "X" number of degrees of bolt lift simply because that alone isn't a topic that makes or breaks you. The action is plenty smooth enough and I've never walked away from a stage thinking "man if only I had "Y" fewer degrees of bolt lift like the guy who just crushed me on that stage has..."

What I do subscribe to though is the fundamentals. Taking 3 basic designs with long pedigrees (decades and centuries worth) and "morphoditing" them into a single unit. That checks a whole lot of boxes.

LIke I said, I'm jaded. Hope this helps and good luck.

C.

Jeremy45 · Jun 24, 2020

LongRifles Inc. said:
I deal in ARC stuff almost exclusively and I talk to Ted often. So, I'm jaded. I like to think there's a reason for it. In all the years of farting around with this stuff, I've never met anyone as committed to solving problems as he is. The evolution of the M5 over the last 5 or so years has been fun to watch and be a part of. An outsider might look at this and think that the design must be flawed if its been changed as often as it has. My counter to that would be cars today resemble the 1940's only in that they still have 4 tires touching the road.

Making a lot of something makes you better at it and things get noticed. ARC is one of the few companies that embraces that reality with open arms.

Materials, hardness, and "tolerances" (I hate that word) are pretty spot on. The action does a number of things very well and its about as robust as a person could ever ask. I've had one of the "1.0" Mausingfields now for over half a decade and it has been treated like a foster home kid. It still runs the number to this day.

I don't get too worked up over "X" number of degrees of bolt lift simply because that alone isn't a topic that makes or breaks you. The action is plenty smooth enough and I've never walked away from a stage thinking "man if only I had "Y" fewer degrees of bolt lift like the guy who just crushed me on that stage has..."

What I do subscribe to though is the fundamentals. Taking 3 basic designs with long pedigrees (decades and centuries worth) and "morphoditing" them into a single unit. That checks a whole lot of boxes.

LIke I said, I'm jaded. Hope this helps and good luck.

C.

Thank you sir! I have to be honest, I was in the camp of not understanding all the revision to 1 action. I completely understand the major update but a lot of small ones leaves me wondering if I will get a "good" action or a "old" action when I order. But the perspective of not being happy to leave something where it is when you can make an improvement, makes a lot of sense.

LRI · Jun 24, 2020

Jeremy45 said:
Thank you sir! I have to be honest, I was in the camp of not understanding all the revision to 1 action. I completely understand the major update but a lot of small ones leaves me wondering if I will get a "good" action or a "old" action when I order. But the perspective of not being happy to leave something where it is when you can make an improvement, makes a lot of sense.

Take "old" and "new" and put it into the proper context. In the beginning, there was Mausingfield and that was it. So, from the business/logistical side of things, you have "A" product and all of its relevant parts. Later, the Nucleus and Archimedes are brought into the lineup. When those two products were conceived they were pursued with an independent thought path. Soon after they were cut loose to the public an epiphany was made: I now have 3 different products with three different categories of parts to make, track, inventory, etc...

For a large company that is a handful, for a small shop with less than 10 people its a nightmare.

So evolution. . . You start looking at things with a magnifying glass and realize "Hey if I make this hole a little different in size, all three actions can now use a common screw/pin." No different than a Chevy, GMC, truck/Camaro/Corvette using the same alternator, belt tensioner, whatever.

It's just smart to do this because it means now you only have one part to keep tabs on. This is the bulk of the revision work that's taken place with the ARC lineup of stuff. So, buy with confidence. You are not "losing" anything and ARC still maintains an inventory of parts for the legacy versions. If you look at M700 clones, by and large, the design never changes regardless of application. If we had a magic wand we could stretch a short and turn it into a LA magnum. Mausingfield, Nucleus, and Archimedes all operate very differently from one another and that meant the consolidation of small parts took considerably more work to accomplish.

Hope this helps.

Jeremy45 · Jun 24, 2020

LongRifles Inc. said:
Take "old" and "new" and put it into the proper context. In the beginning, there was Mausingfield and that was it. So, from the business/logistical side of things, you have "A" product and all of its relevant parts. Later, the Nucleus and Archimedes are brought into the lineup. When those two products were conceived they were pursued with an independent thought path. Soon after they were cut loose to the public an epiphany was made: I now have 3 different products with three different categories of parts to make, track, inventory, etc...

For a large company that is a handful, for a small shop with less than 10 people its a nightmare.

So evolution. . . You start looking at things with a magnifying glass and realize "Hey if I make this hole a little different in size, all three actions can now use a common screw/pin." No different than a Chevy, GMC, truck/Camaro/Corvette using the same alternator, belt tensioner, whatever.

It's just smart to do this because it means now you only have one part to keep tabs on. This is the bulk of the revision work that's taken place with the ARC lineup of stuff. So, buy with confidence. You are not "losing" anything and ARC still maintains an inventory of parts for the legacy versions. If you look at M700 clones, by and large, the design never changes regardless of application. If we had a magic wand we could stretch a short and turn it into a LA magnum. Mausingfield, Nucleus, and Archimedes all operate very differently from one another and that meant the consolidation of small parts took considerably more work to accomplish.

Hope this helps.

That helps a ton! Thank you!!

Steel head · Jun 24, 2020

I’d be perfectly happy with any Mausingfield

Krob95 · Jun 24, 2020

I bought the pretzels Impact in 6BR as my first custom action. I haven’t messed with the ARC actions but I must say I’ve been thoroughly impressed with the Impact. Feeds 6BR flawlessly with the MDT BR mags (haven’t tried with standard 308 mags as this is the only centerfire Fire I have), bolt throw is super slick, and has give me zero issues in adverse conditions in northern Colorado.

The trigger pull with my Diamond is not as light as my vudoo due to the cock on close but it’s close enough that it doesn’t bother me. The other thing is with the trigger hanger, some stocks and chassis’s will need a little relief in the trigger area so that the hanger clears but it only takes 5 minutes with a dremal to get everything to clear.

The next centerfire I build will also be on an Impact as I feel spoilt every time I take it out to shoot and couldn’t imagine it getting much better. YMMV but you’ll be hard pressed to beat the Impact for the price and lack of lead time (unless you’re a wrong handed shooter)

chrome · Jun 24, 2020

Never handled an impact, yet.

But own two Nukes for all the reasons mentioned above. 200% satisfied.

Huge fan of ARC and their approach to business, shooting, and customer service.

ThePretzel · Jun 25, 2020

Jeremy45 said:
It hadn't crossed my mind that no cock on close would help you feel tight rounds. I just thought it made it smooth. With the ARC tuned to no cock on close can you still get full .220-.230 firing pin fall or is it reduced?

The M5 Mausingfield (I've got one of the early ones) was designed from the start to have a 105/-5 cocking profile, so it achieves that with adequate firing pin fall. I believe their current actions have their cocking pieces designed around a Triggertech Diamond, or at least I was told the TT Diamond was their testing trigger when I had my Nucleus. My Diamond at least worked excellently in the Nucleus and works equally well in the Mausingfield.

As far as cock on close helping me feel tight rounds, it's more that I tend to run my brass with as minimal of a resizing as possible and I prefer to shoulder bump only until I can observe that the base needs resized as well. In the Impact I'd estimate that, based on visible firing pin travel, you're doing somewhere between 20 and 40% of the cocking when you close the bolt. That just makes it harder to notice the small feel of a case that is barely getting tight since you're already used to resistance when closing the bolt. If the bolt usually feels like it slightly pops itself closed (like any 105/-5 action does), then it's easy to notice when there's even just a little resistance.

To clarify though, that's not a big deal at all really. I just started checking for snug cases when reloading rather than observing while shooting. I just would take out the firing pin assembly and run 10-20 cases through the action with just the empty bolt body to feel if any were tight. If you like to find the lands of the rifle by feel the Impact is actually probably better than the Mausingfield, because you can run the bolt without any firing pin assembly. If you try to do that in a Mausingfield you'll usually have to gather up and reassemble the pieces of your bolt several times through the process, because the firing pin is what keeps the bolt head retaining pin from just dropping straight out of the bolt body. You could remove the firing pin spring and get the same effect that way, but removing that spring is a massive PITA (it once took me 2 days to get a 25 pound spring into my Nucleus) so I just use a modified cartridge with the Hornady OAL gauge instead.

Like I said before, both of them are great actions that have their own individual quirks, features, pros, and cons. I love both of those actions for different reasons. The only reason I sold the Impact instead of keeping it was because I didn't/don't have the funds or desire to build out a second complete rifle right now, but the cash from the barreled action let me put together a nice rimfire build for cheaper/easier practice and training. Some days I really regret selling it, other days I'm perfectly satisfied with my choice - the actions are both that good and that comparable to one another. I just want to share all the small little details I can about both actions so you can decide which one you think suits you best, because the little details are really the only differences between these two fantastic options and they're 100% about personal preference.

nbutze · Jun 25, 2020

Impact for sure.

Shootnwrench · Jun 25, 2020

Mausingfield

It shares 700 foot print for aftermarket options but the mechanics have the heart and soul of battle proven rifle designs. That’s not by mistake.

tihz_on · Jun 28, 2020

Shot the Mausingfield for 3 years in matches. It has never failed me. It is a smooth action, but on the heavy side in regards to bolt lift. Ran it in dusty matches without issues. And never had any issues with different brass brands, although i have heard of folks having issues with the claw and certain brass brands. But everyone I know who had an issue, it got fixed by Ted quickly.

Pros: Ability to run Savage prefits ; Smooth even in dusty conditions, Beefy Extractor,
Cons: Bolt Lift. Also the amount of tiny parts on that thing. ie. the bolt stop. Just hope that tiny hex screw in the rear never falls out on you.
The amount of Revision's out kinda makes you feel like a beta tester. Honestly don't know off the top what the latest revision is, and what all the differences are over the years. But buying the nucleus 1.0 and having a revision come out after waiting over a year for that thing was a little annoying.

For Impact Actions, I bought my first one late 2018. Wanted to have another action to shoot while gunsmith had the Mausingfield. I heard about how smooth it was and that Prefits were avail, so I went for it. After about 100 rounds or so on it, i was pretty much sold on it. Light bolt lift, and i knew it would only get smoother with more rounds and cycles. The Bolt Lift thing might not mean much to most folks but for me, that is less time i spend having to ensure my rifle is level between shots shooting off barricades/objects at matches. A couple barrels later, and Its really the only action I shoot now. I've gone thru multiple matches and only wiped down the bolt, and went to the next.

Pros: Smooth in dusty conditions. Light bolt lift. Prefits readily available from reputable gunsmiths; no downtime. Trigger Hanger; I have a spare trigger on a hanger ready to go in my match pack, just in case. Ability to just buy a bolt, and run 223 or Magnum.
Cons: maybe Cock on close might bother you , but that means nothing to me. Not much bolt Knob options, but that is minor.

I still love my Mausingfield, but at the end of the day i know which action Im picking up to bring to a match. Im still keeping my mausingfield for personal reasons and also being able to shoot cheap savage prefits with it using the Barloc. The Impact just hits more checkboxes for me and I feel super comfortable behind it now. Also, another pro to me is that IMpact actually supports the PRS/NRL matches. They put items on prize tables, and host matches.

Jeremy45 · Jun 28, 2020

tihz_on said:
Shot the Mausingfield for 3 years in matches. It has never failed me. It is a smooth action, but on the heavy side in regards to bolt lift. Ran it in dusty matches without issues. And never had any issues with different brass brands, although i have heard of folks having issues with the claw and certain brass brands. But everyone I know who had an issue, it got fixed by Ted quickly.

Pros: Ability to run Savage prefits ; Smooth even in dusty conditions, Beefy Extractor,
Cons: Bolt Lift. Also the amount of tiny parts on that thing. ie. the bolt stop. Just hope that tiny hex screw in the rear never falls out on you.
The amount of Revision's out kinda makes you feel like a beta tester. Honestly don't know off the top what the latest revision is, and what all the differences are over the years. But buying the nucleus 1.0 and having a revision come out after waiting over a year for that thing was a little annoying.

For Impact Actions, I bought my first one late 2018. Wanted to have another action to shoot while gunsmith had the Mausingfield. I heard about how smooth it was and that Prefits were avail, so I went for it. After about 100 rounds or so on it, i was pretty much sold on it. Light bolt lift, and i knew it would only get smoother with more rounds and cycles. The Bolt Lift thing might not mean much to most folks but for me, that is less time i spend having to ensure my rifle is level between shots shooting off barricades/objects at matches. A couple barrels later, and Its really the only action I shoot now. I've gone thru multiple matches and only wiped down the bolt, and went to the next.

Pros: Smooth in dusty conditions. Light bolt lift. Prefits readily available from reputable gunsmiths; no downtime. Trigger Hanger; I have a spare trigger on a hanger ready to go in my match pack, just in case. Ability to just buy a bolt, and run 223 or Magnum.
Cons: maybe Cock on close might bother you , but that means nothing to me. Not much bolt Knob options, but that is minor.

I still love my Mausingfield, but at the end of the day i know which action Im picking up to bring to a match. Im still keeping my mausingfield for personal reasons and also being able to shoot cheap savage prefits with it using the Barloc. The Impact just hits more checkboxes for me and I feel super comfortable behind it now. Also, another pro to me is that IMpact actually supports the PRS/NRL matches. They put items on prize tables, and host matches.

Great comparison. Gives me a lot of info.

Between what you are saying and LRI it seems like the revisions bother you or not based on mindset. They are constant improvement but it little improvements or having to wrench on something isn't your cup of tea it may bother you. If youbliel building things, working on cars etc, you may enjoy that Ted doesn't leave it alone and makes it better or solves an issue immediately.

I really appreciate everyone's input and thoughts. It was really helpful. I'd like to get both and play with them but that's not financially possible right now. I pulled the trigger on an Impact and should have it in the next few days. The beta tester "feeling" bothers me because I'm not an early adopter/beta tester on any product. We'll see how the impact goes this year!

Stoweit · Jun 28, 2020

I was in the same quandary , Impact or Archimedes. Found a new Archimedes for $300 off retail and couldn’t resist. I had LRI spin up a barrel, and it’s been flawless so far. I like that Ted seems to be this mad scientist. Although that Impact seems to be perfect, and I bet you will love it. Good time to be buying an action.

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