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Coup De Grâce, New Action from American Rifle Company, $899 WOW!

Also, if you think "coo-d-gra" is too long of a name, but have no problem with "ar-che-mee-dees" you're probably the same jack ass using "lima charlie" instead of "loud and clear" on the net because you think it makes you sound bad ass ;-).
Reminds me of out of unhealthily overweight / deconditioned people building ultra light rifles claiming “ounces equals pounds and pounds equals pain.”

-Stan
 
CDG will always be Charles de Gaul for many of us... and that acronym shall never pass my lips in reference to anything else. ;-)

Also, if you think "coo-d-gra" is too long of a name, but have no problem with "ar-che-mee-dees" you're probably the same jack ass using "lima charlie" instead of "loud and clear" on the net because you think it makes you sound bad ass ;-).
I knew a guy in the military named Roger Wilco who wouldn’t follow proper radio procedure either!🤣
 
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Mesa Precision used a HEX pattern on some of thier earlier actions, it felt like a cheese gratter as the bolt would contact the edge of the bolt raceway and transition from a bearing surface that was perpendicular to direction of travel to parallel. This feature was removed in later actions.
I would hate to say but the dimples may have the same effect.
Perpendicular/90 deg. = bad idea.. The pic. I posted doesn’t do justice to what I was envisioning.. The depth and spacing of dimples can be infinitely adjusted just like fluting, down to a point where the angle of interaction (so to speak) becomes a none-issue. I think a good starting point, as far as depth, would be the lower 1/3 of a ~3 or 4mm dia. sphere(?). But what the hell do I know, I haven’t been employed as an engineer since 2006.. 🤪
 
My opinion: having flutes as an offering would sell more actions. I think there’s a bling factor that goes along with building a precision rifle.

When I’m at my local range (with people of all skill levels) the rifles with a little more “bling” get asked about more than a standard rifle. Barrel and action fluting turns more heads than non fluted components. I think the colored accents will also turn some heads and gain more interest from guys that may want to look into their first custom rifle.

I think it’s the same reason the vortex razors are that purple-ish color. It turns heads and gets asked about by the guys that are newer to shooting and at a match you know what it is from a mile away.
 
Were all the English names taken? I like you Ted and the products you make, I own a lot of them but if hipsters started naming gun parts this is what they’d be.

Gun guys don’t talk like that, no gun guy wants to say “coup de grace” or any other French term when they get asked the name of their action, they’re just going to say CDG to avoid it. Translating to “kill shot” would be much more fitting.
I was expecting a Greek name, like he did with the Xylo.. Like maybe Madusa or Hydra. Since the oldest bronze artifacts of the Hydra had six heads, sorta relates to CDG having six bolt faces and maybe more to come (sorta compares to the myth: cut off one of the heads and two grows back).. At least that’s my 2 cents worth..👍🏻
 
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I also think fluting would sell more actions.

Picture someone that is looking to purchase their first custom action they have narrowed it down to 2, fluting may be that little difference that sways them into making the purchase.

Many of the buyers will not have the chance to handle both the actions to directly compare, so it boils down to features vs performance or feel.

If you were to blindfold the average person that buys the actions, would they be able to tell you which is which?
 
A simple Google search of fluted barrels reveals there are lots of options when it comes to flutes. I have faith that Ted and the team will be able to come up with something both functional and asthetically pleasing and if Not scrap the whole flute idea.
 
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Thread Timing

The Coup De Grâce will have a timed barrel thread. However, that does not mean that pre-fit barrels will time to within a degree or two. We cut a 1.0625-20 UN 2B female thread into the receivers. Accordingly we also specify a 1.0625-20 UN 2A male thread for the barrel. For those of you that are unfamiliar with thread specifications, the 2A and 2B denote the tolerance class of the thread, A for male and B for the female. Class 1 has the loosest tolerance, class 3 has the tightest, and class 2, you guessed it, is somewhere in between and is the most commonly used class in industrial and commercial applications.

The tolerance applies to the pitch diameter of each thread, which is the average of the major and minor diameters of the thread form when drawing with sharp roots and crests. Actual threads have truncated roots and crests for durability. For the specified barrel thread, the pitch diameters male and female threads can be as much as 0.0105 inches apart above the nominal clearance between the two. And since these are v-threads with a 60° included angle, the axial movement necessary to move the threads through the tolerance and into contact with one another is just the 0.0105" max tolerance x tangent of 30° = 0.006 inches. Given that there are 20 threads per inch, the barrel will move axially by 0.050" for every revolution, we can see now that an axial move of 0.006" requires .006/.050 = .12 revolutions = about 43 degrees. I'll bet that's more than most of you thought it would be. I know it surprised me the first time I looked into this.

So yes, we time the threads. But the thread mill used to cut the thread is constantly wearing out and therefore the pitch diameter of the thread within the receiver will be somewhere between the high and low limits of the tolerance which introduces considerable variability in the final position of the barrel's orientation with respect to the receiver. We try to hold the pitch diameter closer to the high limit simply because we want barrels to screw on every time, but we use most of the tolerance. Likewise, I think the barrel should be held closer to the low limit for the same reason. Clearance is good, especially in threads. There is no accuracy advantage to running tight threads. The 60° thread angle of both loose threads and tight threads both centralize the male within the female extremely well, and so long as the barrel is properly torqued, at least 100 lb-ft, the barrel will not move with respect to the receiver. I know, lots of people running lower torques, but I don't like do so.

I hope that helps.

Ted
 
Of my last several custom rifle orders for clients, I tried in vain to get them to use a Nuke or an Archimedes in their builds. Even after feeling several different rifles and preferring the ARCs, they chose a different action solely because of the flutes.

It’s nearly impossible to educate the ignorant if they aren’t willing to accept information. However, of my clients who are willing to listen, the majority of them go with an ARC.

That being said, if you could get the action to function in a way you’re happy with, I would prefer flutes for the sole reason that I know I could sell more of your actions.

Thanks for crowd sourcing and I can’t wait until the release!
I think you're right and I think we can.

Ted
 
Shot Show

I'm flying to Shot Show as I type this. For those of you at the show, there will be a Coup De Grâce action branded Vudoo Gunworks, model Morphius in the Vudoo both just as soon as I can get it there, probably around noon today.

I promised Paul and Jill, owners of Vudoo, that I would deliver an action to them for the Show. Timing is a little weird, I know, because I was hoping to announce the action months ago but a promise is a promise and it wasn't until last night that I finally felt an action that I was satisfied with.

So come by and have a look if you're at Shot.

Ted
 
Perpendicular/90 deg. = bad idea.. The pic. I posted doesn’t do justice to what I was envisioning.. The depth and spacing of dimples can be infinitely adjusted just like fluting, down to a point where the angle of interaction (so to speak) becomes a none-issue. I think a good starting point, as far as depth, would be the lower 1/3 of a ~3 or 4mm dia. sphere(?). But what the hell do I know, I haven’t been employed as an engineer since 2006.. 🤪
haha this is always the problem when 2 engineers get in a room.... theres always a better way
 
Shot Show

I'm flying to Shot Show as I type this. For those of you at the show, there will be a Coup De Grâce action branded Vudoo Gunworks, model Morphius in the Vudoo both just as soon as I can get it there, probably around noon today.

I promised Paul and Jill, owners of Vudoo, that I would deliver an action to them for the Show. Timing is a little weird, I know, because I was hoping to announce the action months ago but a promise is a promise and it wasn't until last night that I finally felt an action that I was satisfied with.

So come by and have a look if you're at Shot.

Ted
Hell yes.
 
I would say make the fluted bolt an option for this action as well as the lighter weight hunting action you mentioned earlier. If all other parts interchange and just the bolt body is fluted, would it be that hard to do both?

I hadn't thought about the weight of the actual bolt being hard on the bolt stop before. That's a good engineering reason to go lighter.
 
With the adjustable trigger hanger we are able to have zero cock on close for an absolutely smooth bolt cycle. You can adjust the trigger to where you have some cock on close if you choose to do so.
Sweet, what’s pin travel as it comes. If I understand correctly as one removes cock on close you will be removing pin fall as well?
 
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1C6C3944-55A9-40F5-9A4E-C5D7C3169FA6.jpeg
 
You’re the man RFUTCH! Now I’m really excited about this action! Do you have any experience with the Archimedes? If so how did it compare in bolt lift and cycling smoothness? Binding?
 
You’re the man RFUTCH! Now I’m really excited about this action! Do you have any experience with the Archimedes? If so how did it compare in bolt lift and cycling smoothness? Binding?
I don’t, just the Nuke. I would say it’s like a Nuke with a light bolt lift.
 
Fluted Bolts

Sorry about my recent absence. I've been busy finalizing design so that we can get these into the wild sooner than later. I'll try to get back here again in the coming days to answer more questions, especially those regarding magazines. But for now, I want to focus on fluted bolts.

How do you guys feel about fluted bolts? Flutes were obviously depicted in the renderings at the start of this thread but I'm liking them less and less. We've prototyped with and without flutes and the flute-less bolts are certainly more tolerant of shooters with poor bolt-cycling form. And remember, even good shooters sometime get a little sloppy with their form so this may apply to them as well.

The reason for that is that bolt flutes have edges that interact with receiver edges adjacent to the bolt bore. This is obviously true for any bolt action. I can run a bolt from muscle memory alone so for me, the interacting edges really don't present a problem. But if I deliberately run the bolt improperly by applying adverse torques and lateral forces, the effects of the edges become noticeable.

That said, flutes are not without benefits. They function as reservoirs for dirt and grime that, if tightly squeezed between bolt and receiver, might adversely affect the bolt cycle. They also reduce the mass of the bolt which is a very good thing for the bolt stop.

Not sure what the right answer is on this one. Tomorrow we'll be making bolts with fewer and shorter flutes positioned to avoid interaction with certain receiver edges. That might be the right balance.

Also, this post should make evident that during development, we scrutinize every detail no matter how subtle its effect may be. So please, if you end up purchasing a Coup De Grâce action from us, be very careful about making alterations to it. We are aware that cool looking features help us sell actions, but sometimes, as in the case of fluted bolts, adding such features may result in diminished performance.

Ted
What about dimples as opposed to flutes like the old kac-ball milled barrels? just enough that it would help open an icy action, only where needed.
 
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For me, reliability is of paramount importance! When the weather goes to sh*t while on a hunt or etc., i.e. dust storm out west, freezing rain (yes, that occasionally happens even here in Alabama), or frost build-up from getting in and out of a vehicle or tent in sub-freezing temperatures, I want to be damned sure that it’ll work even if I’m wearing oversized oven mitts.
So, I think a few shallow widely spaced flutes would be in order.
Or, I just had this (possibly crazy as hell) idea: Does anybody remember the dimpled barrels on Knights Armament barrels from back in the day? (similar to the attached pic.) I think some shallow dimples (maybe about half as many as pic) would allow more bearing surface between bolt/receiver interface while still allowing somewhere for dust/fine sand to go WITHOUT providing a “fast-track/tunnel” for wind driven debris to find its way into action (while not being worked) like deep continuous flutes would(?)View attachment 8050762
hah just saw this post after posting the same... i gotta catch up
 
I don’t, just the Nuke. I would say it’s like a Nuke with a light bolt lift.
I understand bolt lift concerns, but among my 90° actions I find a fair bit of difference in the closing (and cock on close). Got any Defiance experience? My Ruckus snaps shut, but my Bighorn TL3 even with a new/timed FP assembly shows some heaviness (cock on close). Before I throw it in the trash and buy another Defiance I’m curious about this, but didn’t like the Gen 1 Nuke.
 
Not a lot of defiance experience. Best I can say on bolt close is very similar to Gen 2 Nuke, almost closes itself. Noticeably lighter close than my 2 origins.
 
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I appreciate the rapid responses I was not suggesting that this was a problem of that I need help in understand an action that I and others at ARC have painstakingly scrutinized and refined over the past several months. My intention was to garner opinions relating to one's desire for flutes. But perhaps I should have asked the question in a different way, and in hind sight, I'm not sure the questions was fair considering that a proper reply requires the context of having held and cycled one of these actions. Nevertheless, some of your comments are interesting and helpful, particularly those regarding the fast lead (high pitch, think screws) and straight fluting. We have considered straight flute and flutes with a much large pitch than those depicted in the renderings and both have been successfully implemented by other manufactures for years.

But the comment that resonated with me most of all was from Stanley White and his emphasis on function in adverse conditions. Stanley wrote, "Reliability under imperfect operator and operating conditions take priority for me. As such, I would prefer no flutes."

I think Stanley rightfully reminds us of what's important, and that is constant, reliable, forgiving functionality.

I'll post pics of out final bolt as soon as the decision is finalized.

Thanks for your inputs and I'll try to get back here sooner than later. Until then, keep the stream of consciousness flowing.

Ted
Don't get rid of the flutes .
 
I understand bolt lift concerns, but among my 90° actions I find a fair bit of difference in the closing (and cock on close). Got any Defiance experience? My Ruckus snaps shut, but my Bighorn TL3 even with a new/timed FP assembly shows some heaviness (cock on close). Before I throw it in the trash and buy another Defiance I’m curious about this, but didn’t like the Gen 1 Nuke.
There is a very noticeable difference between the Gen1 Nuke & the Gen 1.2/2. I never owned the Gen 1 Nuke. I've got 1500 rounds on a Gen 1.2 SA Nuke in 6.5 C with a TT Primary set about 1.7lb. The only change I made was to put a 19# striker spring in it. Never had a jam or light strike. Never bound it, smooth as glass. Really not trying to exaggerate, the 1.2 is smooth. I hear comments from the peanut gallery behind me when shooting matches & multiple times the comments have been damn that action looks smooth.

So I took Frank & Marks class in PA this past October and the guy from the range who was taking care of steel etc (excellent job he did) had a Gen 1 that started life as a John Hancock with the 16# spring still in it. Said he had well north of 5000 rounds.
I offered him to try a few rounds from mine. His response was holly shit, it doesn't feel like the same action. I ran his bolt and completely agree. Yuge difference. To be fair He said he's never run a newer version & loved his Nuke. You don't know what you haven't experienced. Likewise I would not be happy with the Gen 1 now. The difference between them was so noticeable, there was a lot of head scratching. We tried putting his bolt in mine & vise versa....nope! Bolt throw is different so bolt would only go in 2/3rds or so. He was considering a Big Horn or Defiance before running my Nuke. Pretty sure he changed his mind.

I've run Gen 1.2, Archimedes, & Mausingfield M7 in matches. Of the 3, the Archimedes ever so slightly gets the edge IMO. It's just a touch faster then the Nuke. The only down side is stripping the bolt on the Archimedes & Ted solved that with this new CDG.
Just built a 223 on a Gen 2 Nuke (I swapped to the 19# spring) and it feels excellent. First rounds go down range this weekend. Going to run that in some matches this year (Tac class).

Edit: To clarify a little for those that haven't followed the evolution closely.
Gen1 Nuke was 72 degree lift, Gen 1.1, 1.2, & 2 are 80 degree lift. Starting with Gen 1.1 bayonet style striker assemblies & slight overcock on opening to prevent cocking cam from dropping at hand off to trigger sear = no cock on close. Gen 1.1 & 1.2 have the turn style bolt stop, Gen 2 is the lever on the right side. Gen 1.2 & Gen 2 have more rear support for the bolt to reduce the possibility of binding. I think this is all accurate.

Ted has also made improvements to the Gen 2 Nuke that He's done quietly. He doesn't make a big stink about it or jack the price for each little change. The changes/evolution on these has served 2 purposes. 1. Is production efficiency less parts across actions. 2. Is performance. There is not a single change I've seen in this evolution that has not been an improvement to performance. The Gen 2 originally had a keyed pick rail + recoil lug. The Gen 2 I just built now has an integral recoil lug.
 
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I understand bolt lift concerns, but among my 90° actions I find a fair bit of difference in the closing (and cock on close). Got any Defiance experience? My Ruckus snaps shut, but my Bighorn TL3 even with a new/timed FP assembly shows some heaviness (cock on close). Before I throw it in the trash and buy another Defiance I’m curious about this, but didn’t like the Gen 1 Nuke.
With the adjustable trigger hanger you will be able easily and precisely tune this action to have zero cock on close. This will give you a super smooth bolt close. This was a point of emphasis with the design of this action. Through our experience with our other actions we found that the variations in sear position of trigger manufacture designs made it nearly impossible have a one size fits all cocking piece. Like all manufactured parts there is acceptable tolerances that are held, but when you have so many components combined in an assembly you have a stack up of these deviations and if they all go in the wrong direction that is when things can go awry. Now toss in multiple manufactures and you can see how this becomes challenging. This designs solves that problem with a turn of a screw you can have the perfectly timed action, zero cock on close and nearly zero reduction in pin fall. I am confident if you give this action a try you will be very happy with the bolt cycle.