Dusty barreled action - project hunting gun?

[kthomas]

I have a barreled Defiance Rebel action with a 24" MTU benchmark barrel in 6.5 creedmoor, sitting on the closet floor collecting dust. It once belonged to an earlier generation GAP Crusader, my very first rifle.

Debating about what to do with it, even considering turning it into a hunting rig as I don't really have a hunting rifle, and I want to get more into hunting and put meat in my freezer. Another thought is to sell it and build a more purposeful hunting rifle off of say a Bighorn Origin.

Here are my considerations and challenges:

- old barreled action, probably not going to sell for much at all. May not even be worth selling. Doubt many people want an old Rebel action with all the great and more modern actions available today. I've also had to get the lugs lapped from previous galling, so another hit on resale value.

- it's the old version Rebel action with the long tennon, so it's not a regular R700 footprint. Will require custom work to fit in a stock or chassis. .

- Brand new MTU barrel on it, less then 100 rounds down the pipe. It's a damn good barrel and a good shooter, would hate to give it up. Obviously heavy for a hunting rig, maybe chop it down to 16.5"? Flute it?

- I don't want to dump a bunch of money into it, as I'll be in a career "transition" soon with no income.

What the hell would you guys do if you had this Dusty Defiance barreled action? It would be nice if I could do something with it, repurpose my very first precision rifle. Not being an R700 footprint is annoying as I would otherwise just put it in a KRG Bravo and be done.

 

[stello1001]

You're onto something. I was going to suggest chopping it down to 18.5" but if you don't mind going down to 16.5" then it'll be even more handy and a tad bit less heavy. You should be able to run 127 LRX at decent speeds or maybe even a 120 or 123 ELDM...

 

[kthomas]

I said in my original post that it's a Benchmark barrel, but I actually believe it's a 1:7 twist Hawkhill barrel.

That fast twist may be a blessing in disguise if I chop it down to a really short length.

 

[Jowens]

Chop, flute, drop into a light weight stock.

 

[Supersubes]

Hock it here, and do something purpose built.

 

[Millron]

You could pull the barrel and send it off to be turned down to a lighter contour. 18" mtu would be heavier than id want to lug around, but turning it down to a heavier sporter or light palma might be doable. I guess there is always the possibility of residual stress in the barrel but if your not turning down to a pencil contour id think it would be fine, especially for a hunting rifle.

 

[kthomas]

Hock it here, and do something purpose built.

This may be the smartest and easiest thing to do, as long as someone wants to buy a old Defiance action with a non-standard R700 foot print and previously galled lugs.

Not sure how much of a market there is for that, especially with all the quality actions available today for low prices.

I just need to figure out what's more cost effective. Selling and taking a big hit or dumping money into an old setup.

 

[kthomas]

You could pull the barrel and send it off to be turned down to a lighter contour. 18" mtu would be heavier than id want to lug around, but turning it down to a heavier sporter or light palma might be doable. I guess there is always the possibility of residual stress in the barrel but if your not turning down to a pencil contour id think it would be fine, especially for a hunting rifle.

Curious how many people have had a barrel recontoured, how it turned out, how much it costs and what gunsmiths provide this service.

Sounds expensive, and from some of the recontouring I've seen by a big gunsmith on here, some of the results weren't very impressive.

 

[kthomas]

Chop, flute, drop into a light weight stock.

The new @LongRifles Inc. fluting would look pretty badass and do a good job of getting the weight down I imagine...

 

[mi223]

I will vote for the 16.5 and some deap flutes. Mostly because that is what i want to do but dont ever get around to it. It may not be a high altitude lug around all week long rifle. But probably be a handy rifle for most any other types of hunting or target shooting.

 

[Supersubes]

Some barrel manufactures won’t recontour finished blanks. I know Krieger is this way. In a cut rifled barrel, there should be no issue with it though, provided it’s done correctly.


Kthomas, what caused the lugs to gall in the first place? Guys have brought me a number of action types that I find are galled when I remove the barrels. People who neck size only suffer this most often, as they fail bump shoulder often enough. Lack of lube, a little grit, and a lifetime of hard closing cases will do it on any action. What I’m getting at is was it the actions fault or your treatment of the action? If it was you and it’s been repaired, who cares.

Lots of neat actions out now days in the $750-$850 range. Put a pencil barrel on it in your caliber of choice, and drop it in a bravo (2.9lbs), or a higher end carbon stock (~2 lbs). Always seems like a better long term plan to make exactly what you want, instead of pressing something into service that isn’t ideal.

 

[kthomas]

Action is galled because it used to see some really shitty conditions in TX, OK, the PNW, etc as it was my first PRS rifle. The action is tight, especially with the coat of cerakote on it, and I pretty much had to run it dry to keep it from attracting dust and binding.

For a hunting where it won't get a whole lot of rounds down it in bad conditions, I'm not too worried about it. But it definitely suffered as a PRS gun when the conditions were shitty and I had to put a bunch of rounds through it over a weekend.

 

[kthomas]

@Supersubes I'm also debating about selling it, and building off of a Bighorn Origin with a lighter barrel and dropping it in a KRG Bravo.

 

[Supersubes]

I saw that, not a bad way to go at all. I like my origin a bunch, and would buy another in a heartbeat. Defiance just updated their tenacity to add an integral lug with no cost increase, if you’re partial to them at all. Within a few bucks of the Origin in price. Also, PVA stocks their rock creek button barrels in what they call a #4. Almost identical to a Bartlein #3. Cost effective prefit for an Origin. Here’s one at 22” next to a Krieger #2. You can see it’s a little heavier in the neck taper, and .050 heavier at the 22” mark. I’ll hack off some of the cylinder(red line) before I use it. You can order these longer than 22”

 

[kthomas]

I saw that, not a bad way to go at all. I like my origin a bunch, and would buy another in a heartbeat. Defiance just updated their tenacity to add an integral lug with no cost increase, if you’re partial to them at all. Within a few bucks of the Origin in price. Also, PVA stocks their rock creek button barrels in what they call a #4. Almost identical to a Bartlein #3. Cost effective prefit for an Origin. Here’s one at 22” next to a Krieger #2. You can see it’s a little heavier in the neck taper, and .050 heavier at the 22” mark. I’ll hack off some of the cylinder(red line) before I use it. You can order these longer than 22” View attachment 7228354

Yeah the Tenacity is another action that is on my short list if I was to go the dedicated build route.

Do those barrels have enough meat on the end of them to provide enough shoulder for a suppressor?

I plan on suppressing this build as well, so that would be a consideration.

Appreciate all the ideas!

 

[6brshooter]

If it's a hawk hill, so cut rifled, I wouldn't be scared to cut it down and re-contour or have deep flutes in it. Button rifled, ud have a different opinion.

 

[Supersubes]

Do you run a DT can, or a tomb/mount of some sort? I run the area 419 system, so I’m screwing the cans to the their universal adapters, and could use that pva blank(.710). If it was a Dt application, it would probably be a little too small imo. Not much shoulder there for repeated installs.

 

[6brshooter]

Origin is a nice action, plus bolt head swaps is nice for trying out something different without throwing down 450.00 for a new bolt. My origin didnt play very nice with 6.5prc.

 

[6brshooter]

Do you run a DT can, or a tomb/mount of some sort? I run the area 419 system, so I’m screwing the cans to the their universal adapters, and could use that pva blank(.710). If it was a Dt application, it would probably be a little too small imo. Not much shoulder there for repeated installs.

Doesnt someone make shoulder/adapter that could screw on to a skinny barrel, semi permanent, and provide a bigger shoulder for dt cans?

 

[kthomas]

Do you run a DT can, or a tomb/mount of some sort? I run the area 419 system, so I’m screwing the cans to the their universal adapters, and could use that pva blank(.710). If it was a Dt application, it would probably be a little too small imo. Not much shoulder there for repeated installs.

Direct thread

 

[Supersubes]

Custom blank then. Most of the makers will make contour it any way you like for no charge. Have them taper it out to a large diameter at the muzzle. You could also do a proof prefit.

 

[6brshooter]

I had a brux HV deep fluted. I got it from sin arms and they ordered the wrong contour, waited 10mo for it and when it showed up it was a pig. They had brux deep flute it. I worked up a load before hand and it shot just as good after fluting as before. It had flutes that were as deep as what's on the fn a3g rifles, almost hide a pencil in them.

 

[kthomas]

I had a brux HV deep fluted. I got it from sin arms and they ordered the wrong contour, waited 10mo for it and when it showed up it was a pig. They had brux deep flute it. I worked up a load before hand and it shot just as good after fluting as before. It had flutes that were as deep as what's on the fn a3g rifles, almost hide a pencil in them.

If I was to keep this barreled action, deep spiral fluting is probably what I would do, along with chopping the barrel right down.

Something like the attached image.

 

[Supersubes]

Bravo with a Pmag

Manners EH4

Gunwerks ClymR with their hinged floorplate. Note the full length bedding block. Also has an aluminum pic rail at the tip of the forend.

Manners EH2. This has a long R700 inlet, which is why it’s slightly heavier than the eh4.

 

[6brshooter]

Kampfeld still does fluting, correct? I always loved his work

 

[moosemeat]

Chop it to 18", flutr the crap out of it and put it in a lighter stock with a lighter scope. Could end up down around 12 pounds all dressed. Feel like you wont get much selling it with tha gailing issue. Maybe look into having the bolt nitride or NP3ed.

 

[6brshooter]

Just for sake of info: I've got a 20" proof steel 6.5creed that sends 147 eldm@2725, a 17.8" bart that shoots 140eldm at 2650

 

[kthomas]

Chop it to 18", flutr the crap out of it and put it in a lighter stock with a lighter scope. Could end up down around 12 pounds all dressed. Feel like you wont get much selling it with tha gailing issue. Maybe look into having the bolt nitride or NP3ed.

Those are my thoughts as well. It's not going to be a high altitude sheep gun, so 12 lbs is workable.

 

[goosed]

Everyone has their own preferences, but I would keep the action since you seem to still like it yet I wouldn't drop a dime on your current barrel. It should be less than $500 between fluting and cutting back vs just having a new barrel spun up.

With that in mind my opinion for what it's worth, is with a low round count hunting barrel you might as well get exactly what you want as you may never wear that barrel out. Buy once, cry once, spend the rest of your days happy.

For reference, my 18" K&P barrel in 3B contour weighs 2lb 10oz without flutes and still had enough meat for 5/8-24 threads.

 

[Millron]

If your trying to keep the cost down, another option would be to send it off the Keystone accuracy. John will install a GM button barrel in your choice of caliber and contour and have it back to you in a few weeks. He turns the barrels down himself so you can choose contour. For around $500 bucks you can have a new stainless barrel. Id guess fluting/chopping your existing barrel would run about 200. Throw your old barrel in the classified and your not far apart at all. I had Keystone do up a 6 Creed for me a few months ago and its a great shooter. Wasnt going to be my primary hunting rifle, so i didnt want to drop a big pile of cash. He will also do up a Krieger for a little more scratch.

Another option he can do for you since you mentioned suppressing in the future is flaring out the muzzle threads. He did this for me. We used a #2 sporter contour, but towards the end of the muzzle it flares back up to about .75"" to allow a nice shoulder with 5/8 muzzle thread for a can. Looks seemless and works great.

 

[m6z]

Sell it and start over.