Gunsmithing Custom Action Question

[Little Z28]

I've been reading high and low looking for an answer this and I haven't located anything conclusive so I figured I'd ask here.

If a fellow was to purchase a brand new custom action from a reputable manufacturer such as Stiller, Bighorn, Surgeon, Defiance or any others, should he expect a gunsmith to have to inspect and true it potentially prior to building on it? All my rebarrelled rifles are on trued factory 700 actions. After all the headache locating a good donor and having them trued you end up with alot of money invested.

So to the gunsmiths out there, if someone sent you a new custom would you check it over? Charge for any truing or touchups that need done? Or does the arrival of a new custom action mean all you have to do is thread, chamber, crown and install?

Thanks for the help fellows...

 

[holy cow]

Re: Custom Action Question

I have had well over a dozen custom actions thrue the years built on with no problem. If i had a smith tell me something needed to be done to correct it, the action would be going back to it,s maker to be fixed or replaced.

 

[Little Z28]

Re: Custom Action Question

Thanks Dan, that's the response I'm hoping for. I hope some more folks have similar experiences and share them because I'm considering just going with a new action over a trued factory action for my next build.

Only trouble seems to be availability still, but I'll try to locate something.

 

[varmint slayer]

Re: Custom Action Question

Yeah buying a custom action and paying top dollar for one and having to have it trued would be pointless. If it needed trued it would be going back to the manufacturer for replacement.

 

[jonaddis84]

Re: Custom Action Question

The real question here is how many builders actually check these top dollar custom actions to see how good they really are? You would hope that paying that money means you dont need to touch them, but I dont think that is necessarily the case, they are still semi mass produced just like factory actions.

This isnt to say that you should have to pay your gunsmith to true a custom action if its out, but sending one back for a new one may not net you any better results.

 

[Aeon1]

Re: Custom Action Question

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Little Z28</div><div class="ubbcode-body">So to the gunsmiths out there, if someone sent you a new custom would you check it over? Charge for any truing or touchups that need done? Or does the arrival of a new custom action mean all you have to do is thread, chamber, crown and install?

Thanks for the help fellows... </div></div>

I would definitely look it over or expect my gunsmith to look it over. I look over and check every action closely. I have learned no one or anything is perfect 100% of the time and problems do crop up now and then. Some issues are simple and can be taken care of quickly others not. Over time I have had 3 custom actions where things were not right and I felt the manufacturer should fix it rather than I. In each case the action manufacturer was happy to take care of the issues and did so promptly. Out of the 3 one could not be fixed properly and a new one was sent. No, they were not all the same manufacturer. On that note I think the actions being delivered today on average are better than they have been in the past. Some have been great all along, others have stepped up their game and new ones have to live up to those good ones we've had for a long time.

 

[bohem]

Re: Custom Action Question

The best gun builders out there realize that no matter what "should be" there's a need to inspect every single action that comes through the shop and leaves with their name on it. Some manufacturers are nicer than others about dealing with a crooked action. I called up one maker and when I verbatim said the following:

"Hi I have an action from your shop, SNxxxxxx, and upon inspecting it I've found that the tenon is out of true by a shade under 0.005" concentricity and a touch of angular runout on the threads too.

You must've measured it wrong.

**CLICK**"

I called back, "I think we got disconnected"

"Yeah, that happens when I hang up on you"

I'm not mentioning names but I won't own another one of their receivers.

 

[Little Z28]

Re: Custom Action Question

Sounds like I need to locate a short action magnum bolt faced action to start a build on. Thanks for the help everyone. I assumed that most reputable gunsmiths would inspect any action they built on, I just didn't know if the burden of any required work was on you or if they just worked with the manufacturer. Makes me feel a little better now!