Actions options for an MDT ACC Elite Chassis (REM700/SA)

[eprom]

I recently got a pretty good deal on a MDT ACC Elite Chassis for a Remington SA 700 action. Now I need the action and the barrel that goes with it. Problem is, in my country we are pretty limited regarding parts availability, and both the actions and the barrels are controlled-items which require a license and registration .

I'm inclined to do some smith job on this build, but I want to keep the chassis as-is, without alterations.

So far I have found two options:
1) Get an Area 419 Barrelled Action on a Deviant Tenacity Action.
2) Get a Zermatt TLR3 with a Prefit Savage (Short Shank) Barrel.

I have contacted Area 419 about option 1 and they said that everything if fully compatible; the barrelled action should drop-in without issues. Later I have found out that some people report issues with the bolt-stop (which would require inletting), that are in fact larger than most rem 700's.

Option 2 is probably the most cost-effective option for me, even with the TLR3. What do you guys think about it? A savage prefit barrel will do or I miss something? That would be my first semi-custom "build", that's why I need the guidance.

 

[giumau1]

Been here before... ( I am in Italy so feeling almost the same pain as you if not more) I went with TL3 and no regrets. TL3, LP Fuzions and Impact 737 all open you the magic world of shouldered prefits, that even with the additional cost of Duties and EU burocracy are a far better kool-aid drink than anything else, provided that you would also get a barrel vise and the action wrench to do the barrel swap yourself.
Custom Actions are almost a lifetime investment and the US market is a pretty mature market where you can't really go wrong (or it's very hard to go wrong) if you stay with the 'big names' I mentioned before. If PRS is th intended use, make sure you have it AW-cut and not just AICS. Last tip, buy a decent set of spares (strikers, spring, bolt head if you would lik to add calibers to the standard .473 (.308) bolt face) just in case something breaks with use (never happened to me, but just in case it's a cheap insurance when in the field)
I have a TL3 and an ARC CDG in the making, and believe have all bases covered for present and future.
With a prefit-capable action you can then literally buy barrels from hundreds of smiths in the US, and factories like Proof for less than half the price of a chambered blank made in EU ( and my understanding CH isn't cheaper, btw)
Hope this helps

Post Scriptum: MDT Acc Elite here too, no fitting issues with either the TL3 or the CDG.

 

[eprom]

Been here before... ( I am in Italy so feeling almost the same pain as you if not more) I went with TL3 and no regrets. TL3, LP Fuzions and Impact 737 all open you the magic world of shouldered prefits, that even with the additional cost of Duties and EU burocracy are a far better kool-aid drink than anything else, provided that you would also get a barrel vise and the action wrench to do the barrel swap yourself.
Custom Actions are almost a lifetime investment and the US market is a pretty mature market where you can't really go wrong (or it's very hard to go wrong) if you stay with the 'big names' I mentioned before. If PRS is th intended use, make sure you have it AW-cut and not just AICS. Last tip, buy a decent set of spares (strikers, spring, bolt head if you would lik to add calibers to the standard .473 (.308) bolt face) just in case something breaks with use (never happened to me, but just in case it's a cheap insurance when in the field)
I have a TL3 and an ARC CDG in the making, and believe have all bases covered for present and future.
With a prefit-capable action you can then literally buy barrels from hundreds of smiths in the US, and factories like Proof for less than half the price of a chambered blank made in EU ( and my understanding CH isn't cheaper, btw)
Hope this helps

Post Scriptum: MDT Acc Elite here too, no fitting issues with either the TL3 or the CDG.

Thanks for the suggestions, especially regarding the AW cut. I can also get an Origin action, shaving off a few hundreds bucks, but I will have to install the recoil lug accordingly, which is an additional step over the TL3.

So if I understand correctly, regarding the barrels. I can use an Origin with a prefit barrel OR I can use a TLR3 with a shouldered barell (not a prefit) and torque it to spec, in let's say a SAC custom barrel vice. The later option would be 1000 USD more, which is not insignificant.

As for the intended use, as far as I know, we have no PRS type matches here, which is a shame. However, we are a few crazies here that regularly practice a mix of positional and precision/target shooting, mostly at 300 meters. That's not PRS or NRL for sure, but we have to start somewhere.

 

[eprom]

I just figured out that it would be an additional 1400 USD, simply to install a barrel. If that's is the case, I would go the Origin route instead and opt for a prefit.

 

[spife7980]

Origin can accept both the barrel nut prefit or a shouldered prefit, same as the tl3. With an origin you just have to put the recoil lug on the barrel before you screw it into the action and make sure it’s pin lines up, it’s super simple.

You can get by with a viper barrel vice for a fraction of the sac. just fine.

I dont think an aw cut is vital at all, if the action offers the option then by all means go for it but aics mags are just as good as aw mags, they are just half an inch taller because it’s a single stack vs a double stack like the aw.


But with it being a rem700 footprint chassis damn near any rem700 footprint action will work seamlessly.

 

[eprom]

Origin can accept both the barrel nut prefit or a shouldered prefit, same as the tl3. With an origin you just have to put the recoil lug on the barrel before you screw it into the action and make sure it’s pin lines up, it’s super simple.

You can get by with a viper barrel vice for a fraction of the sac. just fine.

I dont think an aw cut is vital at all, if the action offers the option then by all means go for it but aics mags are just as good as aw mags, they are just half an inch taller because it’s a single stack vs a double stack like the aw.


But with it being a rem700 footprint chassis damn near any rem700 footprint action will work seamlessly.

Good. So now it's down to the Origin vs TLR3 routes. I have both options open, but still wonder if the TLR3 is worth the additional cost. I would love to find spare bolt heads and parts, but that's not even available here. I have to spin up a room-temperature super-conductor mainframe to figure out what to do with all theses issues with parts availability. I don't even know how smith do to provide full custom to customers.

 

[spife7980]

The difference is an integral scope rail in a tl3 vs pinned and bolted with an origin, an integral lug in the tl3 vs a pinned in the origin and a straight bolt handle vs swept with an origin.
You can order the bolt head from zermatt directly. If you know what youre wanting Id get them to send you a spare one when you buy the action to have it all come in one shipment.

 

[4O6shootist]

Get an aw cut tl3. The bolt lift is a lil lighter in the TL3 VS origin as well. Nobody ever thinks back down the road "man I wish I'd sprung for the cheaper action".

 

[Baron23]

Later I have found out that some people report issues with the bolt-stop (which would require inletting), that are in fact larger than most rem 700's.

Ah....this is with the Defiance Tenacity? Source, please?

 

[eprom]

Ah....this is with the Defiance Tenacity? Source, please?

One source: https://www.area419.com/product/instockba/

– Remington style swept bolt handle to drop into 700 inlet stocks (side bolt release will need inletting)

 

[spife7980]

One source: https://www.area419.com/product/instockba/

Read it again. You aren’t using a stock. The acc is a chassis. It’ll clear by miles.

Pic stolen from Deep South tactical

 

[TheOE800]

The waterline of the ACC Elite chassis is very low and the bolt handle cutout is very roomy, any popular round bottom 700 clone should drop in.

 

[eprom]

Thanks for pointing that out I had a brain fart. So yea, here is a third options for the Area 419 barrelled action.

 

[eprom]

Another question for you guys. With AW cut actions, is there compatibility issues with AICS pattern mags? I have several of those, but no AW mags.

 

[Islander]

I have a Mack Bros. and a CDG, both accept AW and AICS just fine.

 

[TheOE800]

Another question for you guys. With AW cut actions, is there compatibility issues with AICS pattern mags? I have several of those, but no AW mags.

Not typically. ARC’s Coup de Grace is a notable exception in that it’s specifically engineered for AW mags over AICS, but feeds AICS without much issue in my ACC Elite.

 

[Baron23]

Another question for you guys. With AW cut actions, is there compatibility issues with AICS pattern mags? I have several of those, but no AW mags.

Shoot your AICS mags and don't give it another thought.

 

[eprom]

I almost finished my build. Here is what I finally did in my adventure.
- I had to cancel my order for the TL3 and buy an Origin instead due to the lack of stock in euroland.
- Ordered a pre-fit snowy mountain 6.5 creed barrel (no more .308 in stock) with a .170 freebore.

My license was about to expire, so I had to buy what was available at the time. I used a SAC modular barrel vise with great success, and installed that nice stainless steel heavy palma barrel at 80 ft/lbs. Didn't close on the NO-GO Gauge, Closed on the GO Gauge, all nice and goods.

I mounted my action on the MDT ACC Elite chassis without any issues. No interference of any kind, perfect.
Now the first "issue" I have found, seems to be related to the CRF operation. I had issues feeding some (reloaded) ammunition. I have figured out that the case was not caught high enough on the bolt face to chamber at a 0 degree angle. If there is even a slight angle (~3 degrees), the ammo doesn't feed; it's stuck in the chamber. Maybe it's related to the chamber dimensions, I don't know.

Most of my reloads for my 6.5CM Tikkas are at about 2.840-2.850 COAL. On new build, they can't feed properly and hit the land pretty quick. I tested with shorter dummy round at 2.677 COAL and they chamber properly. However, from time to time, I have issues with feeding. Accuracy mags seems to work better, especially if I load 6-7 rounds in them.

The only thing left and critical is pulling the trigger

 

[4O6shootist]

I almost finished my build. Here is what I finally did in my adventure.
- I had to cancel my order for the TL3 and buy an Origin instead due to the lack of stock in euroland.
- Ordered a pre-fit snowy mountain 6.5 creed barrel (no more .308 in stock) with a .170 freebore.

My license was about to expire, so I had to buy what was available at the time. I used a SAC modular barrel vise with great success, and installed that nice stainless steel heavy palma barrel at 80 ft/lbs. Didn't close on the NO-GO Gauge, Closed on the GO Gauge, all nice and goods.

I mounted my action on the MDT ACC Elite chassis without any issues. No interference of any kind, perfect.
Now the first "issue" I have found, seems to be related to the CRF operation. I had issues feeding some (reloaded) ammunition. I have figured out that the case was not caught high enough on the bolt face to chamber at a 0 degree angle. If there is even a slight angle (~3 degrees), the ammo doesn't feed; it's stuck in the chamber. Maybe it's related to the chamber dimensions, I don't know.

Most of my reloads for my 6.5CM Tikkas are at about 2.840-2.850 COAL. On new build, they can't feed properly and hit the land pretty quick. I tested with shorter dummy round at 2.677 COAL and they chamber properly. However, from time to time, I have issues with feeding. Accuracy mags seems to work better, especially if I load 6-7 rounds in them.

The only thing left and critical is pulling the trigger

0.170 freebore is fair bit shorter than saami, it's 0.199. I've had 3 Tikka 65cm in my possession, and all of them are much longer than saami, closer to 0.250.

 

[eprom]

Looks like it yes. The first ammo I tried to chamber litterally go stuck in the land. You can see the mark on the ogive. Hopefully, it was a dummy round, so no powder spilled into the chamber. Now, I have to carefully make two sets of ammunitions, one for the tikkas and one for the new build without mixing them. I didn't tested with factory ammo yet.