Gunsmithing Custom Actions: Work required?

[Hoyt7mm]

So I'm toying with the idea of doing a home build...likely a switch barrel Bugnut rig. I understand the work it takes to properly true a factory Remington 700. My question is, what work is required (or perhaps suggested) for finish, fit, and function of custom actions like Defiance and Surgeon? At least, to optimize potential accuracy and consistency? I have heard of smiths polishing raceways, lapping lugs, and truing lug abatements. Just wondering what steps are still required and what have been taken care of by starting with a custom action.
Thanks!

 

[GottMitUns]

Inspect the action as soon as it arrives to make sure you got what you ordered and that all of the parts and pins are in the box and everything fits together. If the action is not stainless and you handle it any get some oil on it fast !

 

[Supersubes]

You shouldnt need to do anything to a custom action.


Look into the bighorn tl3. Id take one over the ones you listed in a heartbeat. They’re offering free nitriding at the moment too.

 

[Ledzep]

No. Even most factory actions don't really need truing for accuracy reasons.

 

[Iamero]

There are smiths on here that have their preferred actions. Some who live and breath Bighorn actions will say that they constantly have Defiance or Stiller actions that need to be worked on. Some people say they have 10,000 rounds on a Defiance with no issues and others say they don't like them. It's all preference.

Any custom action will be fine for you to build that setup on. I've built some stupid accurate guns on pretty crappy Savage actions, and those are far from the quality of any aftermarket action.

 

[LRI]

Your money invested into an aftermarket receiver should mean it is assembly ready. Your "gun plumber" of choice should have literally nothing to do other than stab a barrel and fit it to the stock. For years there's been this mythical idea that somewhere deep lies some sort of hocus pocus whatever that means the difference between shooting in the teens or minute of bill board sign. Here's the secret: Buy good parts and have the fit up done by a reputable shop. It's really that simple. Gun work at its core is very much fundamental machine work. Round, square, parallel, concentric, and good surface finish. Stick to that and 90% of this is licked. Complex organic shapes that require the latest in sophistication just aren't present in this industry.

The actions made today do a good job of adhering to those principles. Actions that are exceptional in today's world are a relatively small crowd. These are the folks who've gone a step further to improve the interface with the user. Better PE, better geometry with the bolt, more robust extraction, material selection, coatings, etc. The thing to take from this is, if you get to go shooting and all your doing is shooting...then you got a good piece. Look left, look right. The guys with a black cloud of expletives following them around are the ones who didn't fair as well.