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Phoenix Custom Rifles pics, reviews, lead times

Short wait times right now guys. Got past the hunting rifle rush and doing mostly PRS rifle rebarreling for guys getting ready for the next season.

With all parts in hand, full builds can be as short as 1-2 weeks.
Single service jobs like brake installs, Cerakote, bedding, etc. are about 1 week.

Thanks everyone. We got started here on the hide in 2009 and without Snipershide, meaning you guys, we wouldn’t have been able to do what we do. So a big and sincere THANK YOU.

Keith, 4804678090
Phoenix Custom Rifles
 
I’m loving the 6.5 CM you built for me last year. I have all the parts for my .338 LM project except still waiting on the Defiance action (going on 7 months now) and AXSR chassis. (If anyone has an Elite Sand right-hand they want to unload…). As soon as the action is in, I’ll give you a call. Planning to cerakote this one.

I’ll try to do my part to keep you busy if supply chains can hook me up. Given how long it’s taken for parts to arrive, I’m already planning my “next next” project. Thinking of a light “short mag” in 6.5 PRC or .300 WSM.
 
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Very glad to hear it and eager to build you another rifle. It’s a bummer it’s so hard to get actions right now.

I’m very interested to see what changes, if anything, hearing that Defiance was sold to the same new owner of Mcmillan. I use a lot of McMillan stocks and they have always been my preferred stock maker, and I can’t say I disagree with any of the changes I’ve noticed there since it was sold.
 
I'm told my .338 action (Deviant Tactical) should be "any day now". We'll see. The chassis is another story. They were in stock this spring and I should have just bought one. Now I'm hearing it could be another 6+ months for the next shipment from AI. So I might change plans & go the stock route with something like a McMillan U10-7. We'll see. Need to figure that out before I Cerakote the barreled action though.

For the lightweight short mag, I was thinking of a Defiance AntiX but with current availability (not sure if they're taking new orders), I'm starting to look at other options. The Impact NBK looks interesting but I'm not sure I want to go 3-lug 60 deg throw.
 
Mentioning the McMillan thing, I want to make a couple comments… which are just my opinion so, please, no one get their feelings hurt.

McMillan doesn’t do Savage or Browning inlets anymore. They’ll still mold the stock, but won’t do the inlet work. I assume they’ll soon stop offering stocks for those brands, and some others, all together.
I agree with this decision. The more products a company offers, the more difficult quality control must be. Just look at PTG as an example for that.

Now the part that may hurt some feelings…. Savages are designed like toys and some aftermarket parts for them are incompatible with other aftermarket parts made for them. I don’t like working on them, because I like to be proud of my work, and I can’t blame McMillan for no longer making stocks for them.

To hurt some more feelings with my opinions…
Factory actions all together, with the exception of Tikkas, aren’t really worth using anymore. The cost difference between two nearly identical rifles with the only difference being the action, let’s say one uses a Rem700 and the other a Defiance Tenacity, is a few hundred dollars. Remember the Rem700 gets trued, gets a new lug, needs a quality scope rail, maybe a bolt knob, a side bolt stop or 8-40 scope base holes if you really want to splurge… add all that up and when all is said n done, the 700 build didn’t save much money, if any, over the aftermarket action build.
The quality difference between a reworked 700 action and a Tenacity is huge. Not even comparable.

Back when aftermarket actions were fewer, rifle standards were lower, and ammo didn’t cost a fortune, hell ya it made sense to build off factory actions. But times have changed. Ammo costs a fortune. Gas costs more now and most of us have to drive an hour or more to go shoot. Is saving a couple hundred bucks on your rifle, when it vastly changes the end product, really worth it?

In conclusion, depending on your budget, either build a full blown custom rifle(with a good aftermarket action) or just go buy a Tikka and add to it over time. A Tikka in a Mcmillan stock is hard to beat.
 
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McMillan Game Warden bedded, with a cabron cross-bolt, and painted/sealed inside.

The cross-bolt is in front of the trigger/behind the mag area. And the “paint” used to seal and beautify the inside of the stock is C series Cerakote.
 

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Not sure if I ever posted this, probably did, but here it is as a reminder we build them.... 375 CheyTac. ...with a custom made extractor that actually works(the Stiller extractor was too thin or was incredibly soft for some reason. You could bend it by looking at it).

I dont have a Cheytac, but what is the extractor made from ?
 
I dont have a Cheytac, but what is the extractor made from ?
If you mean the extractor I made, it’s been a while since I made it but I used tool steel and can’t remember which kind. I didn’t heat treat it after machining, I’ll admit, but I tested the shit out of it and I’m pretty sure it would’ve towed my truck. It was overkill strong but after bending 3 or 4 extractors form stiller I decided to make it as strong as possible.

If you’re asking what the stiller extractor was made of I have no idea. I’m not a metallurgist but they were soft.
 
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Here’s a 788 we built up pretty nice. Had to fully inlet a flat top Mcmillan game warden for it. Then did our camp pattern on it.
I should’ve gotten better pictures of it. It’s gotta be one of the nicest 788s in the world lol. BRUX barrel chambered in 6.5creedmoor. Feeds like the magazines were made for 6.5creed. Came out great. There are some concerns I have about those 788 actions but I think this one will be sweet rifle.
 

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I’m trying to make a list of great actions around the $1000 mark to suggest to customers. I used to just tell everyone to get a Tenacity. Prices are going up but the Zermatt Origin can still be had for $1000 last I saw and hopefully a couple others stay around that price mark.

Anyone have any action suggestions that still cost around $1000 and are top notch?
 
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I’m trying to make a list of great actions around the $1000 mark to suggest to customers. I used to just tell everyone to get a Tenacity. Prices are going up but the Zermatt Origin can still be had for $1000 last I saw and hopefully a couple others stay around that price mark.

Anyone have any action suggestions that still cost around $1000 and are top notch?
Not in the wild but looked at the ARC CDG yet?
 
If you mean the extractor I made, it’s been a while since I made it but I used tool steel and can’t remember which kind. I didn’t heat treat it after machining, I’ll admit, but I tested the shit out of it and I’m pretty sure it would’ve towed my truck. It was overkill strong but after bending 3 or 4 extractors form stiller I decided to make it as strong as possible.

If you’re asking what the stiller extractor was made of I have no idea. I’m not a metallurgist but they were soft.

I had asked because I had considered making an extractor for the 700 I had and my shop has a good amount of A2 lying around.