What some of the non standard calibers that you have seen ran on accuracy international rifles?
22 creedmoor is one
22 creedmoor is one
Accuracy international out of pocket calibers
- Thread starter Mj30wilson900
- Start date
To my knowledge I cut the first barrels for AI's in the following calibers:
6 Dasher, 6 BR, 6BRA in that order. The Dasher (2016ish) in fact, was taken to a match where several members of Team AI NA were in attendance and told the owner "That won't work, it won't feed". The owner then proceeded to win the match. Within 6 months he was wearing a Team AI NA shirt and I got several requests for mag kits and one of the Team members ordered a barrel from me.
That same owner also ordered a 450 Bushmaster from me and used it to great effect in a straight-wall regs area of his home state to clobber a bunch of deer.
I've also done a 458 Win Mag AI barrel for a guy in Ohio and a a 338-300 PRC Ackley for the same guy because he didn't want to deal with the Lapua for some reason.
6 Dasher, 6 BR, 6BRA in that order. The Dasher (2016ish) in fact, was taken to a match where several members of Team AI NA were in attendance and told the owner "That won't work, it won't feed". The owner then proceeded to win the match. Within 6 months he was wearing a Team AI NA shirt and I got several requests for mag kits and one of the Team members ordered a barrel from me.
That same owner also ordered a 450 Bushmaster from me and used it to great effect in a straight-wall regs area of his home state to clobber a bunch of deer.
I've also done a 458 Win Mag AI barrel for a guy in Ohio and a a 338-300 PRC Ackley for the same guy because he didn't want to deal with the Lapua for some reason.
I had a 6PPC barrel from the 90s. It does sound unusual, but it was actually a standard factory offering. I doubt many were made.
Despite the "rarity", I turned it into a 6BR as it wasn't even the right twist for 6PPC anyway.
Despite the "rarity", I turned it into a 6BR as it wasn't even the right twist for 6PPC anyway.
Wade Stuteville made a 6 dasher barrel for my AI back around 2014/2015, but I cheated and used it on my AIAE Mk3 as I knew I could easily get it to run and feed from the single stack AICS magazines used by the AE... I tested feeding with dasher dummy rounds feeding into a 6.5cm barrel as proof of concept before I gave him the go ahead on the barrel. Pretty sure someone else had tried BR or dasher in an AI before I did because I remember asking about trying BR or dasher before I had the barrel done and was warned primer cratering might be an issue. The issue was AIs at that time had large firing pins which didn't play nice with small rifle primers, luckily Wade was one of the only ones offering bolt bushing and turning down firing pins for AIs at that time.
This was also before anyone was offering BR/dasher spacers and followers for the double stack AW mags. (Josh, I did use your AICS mag spacers in my 6 dasher AE and they worked great.)
As far as weird calibers in an AI, for a couple years I had one of Gilbert and Enriques 223 conversions in my AX...not very common. I think they also did a one off 6 Valkyrie conversion for Frank.
AI themselves offered some oddball cartridges in the very rare AW Varminter in the late 90s... they offered 223, 22br, 22-250, 22 middlested, 243, 6br, and possibly 22ppc and 6ppc, so I suppose AI themselves were likely the first to offer AI barrels in the BR family-- although in very, very limited quantities.
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You are right. AI did offer a lot of the BR calibres in the 90s, but mainly with the Coopermatch Series target rifles. The Varminters do not really count.
Digressing off topic here, apologies.
AI had been advertising 223 AWs (unrelated to the Varminter) in printed material as if they were immediately available off the shelf from around 1997 to maybe 2001. A catalogue I have calls it the Varmintmaster, rather than Varminter, in line with Palmamaster, Swissmaster, CISMmaster, and the Perrymaster, all from the Coopermatch Series. Later AI catalogues refer to these as the Master Series of rifles, including the Varmintmaster.
I also have a Gunsite advert which mentions 223 AWs.
A 1996 review of the Coopermatch Series target rifle mentions the offered calibres range from 22PPC up to 338LM, but these being single shot target/palma/300m/benchrest rifles, I guess they do not count - no different to taking a brand new action off the shelf and getting your favourite gunsmith to fit whatever calibre.
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I vaguely recall 6mm and 6.5mm Super LR being tried out on an AI.
I was interested in these wildcats at one point, but later felt they really didn't bring much to the table...
I was interested in these wildcats at one point, but later felt they really didn't bring much to the table...
I have been shooting a 6 Comp Match for about the past 20-25 years.
I cant remember what year, but I was 3rd at the Snipers Hide Cup with that combo.
I cant remember what year, but I was 3rd at the Snipers Hide Cup with that combo.
I just had a 22-250 made for my late model AT. Fun caliber for a dude who doesn’t reload and likes to shoot varmints. Feeds fine out of stock AW mags (8, maybe 9 rounds, can’t quite remember.
Also weirdly feeds fine out of my Grey Ops BR mag. Gotta kinda sideways roll the rounds in when loading. Can’t remember how many fit…maybe seven or eight.
Also weirdly feeds fine out of my Grey Ops BR mag. Gotta kinda sideways roll the rounds in when loading. Can’t remember how many fit…maybe seven or eight.
That is super cool you have some of those original brochures. Back around 2013ish a member here said he had one of the 223 AW Varminters that he purchased in the late 90s, but he declined to sell when I inquired or even send me pictures of it as I really wanted to see the bolt and magazines.
I'd love to know how many AW Varminters were made and also sold in the US, specifically the 223 versions since they required a special bolt and magazines. I've heard various numbers given, some said less than 20, others less than 10, and some people say a few made it here but never left the possession of AINA. When I talked with Tom Irwin around 2013-2014 regarding a possible 223 bolt and I brought up the AW Varminter in the older catalogs he said they still had a 223 AW Varminter around the AINA offices but they weren't 100% satisfied with the reliability which is why we still don't have an official AI 223 conversion for the AT or ATX.
Interesting, good to know. I knew Wade was doing some stuff after starting the shop. The barrel was an easy job, getting the mags to run was more difficult. Thanks for the info!
Very cool that you have those old magazines!
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