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Impact vs Archimedes

Hondo1

Sergeant USMC
Supporter
Full Member
Minuteman
  • Jun 2, 2014
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    Colorado
    Looking for first hand experiences between the Impact and the Archimedes. I have an Impact and like it well enough but part of me thinks I’m missing out by not having an Archimedes.
    Would I be disappointed if I turned loose of the Impact and got an Archimedes or is the Archimedes going to change my life and forever be my favorite action. All opinions are welcome. Thanks
     
    The arch is just a clever/interesting take on a modern bolt action. If clever/i interesting matters, get one. The target wont know the difference.
     
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    I have an Impact 737R. While I appreciate its tolerances allowing for a wide range of available prefits, reported ability to work in just about any environmental condition (unlike some others), and their customer service, the normal "hitch" in the bolt lift/close pushes me to another option for my next rifle and one of the top 3 options for me is the Archimedes. I'll just wait and cross my fingers there's another Black Friday sale on them.

    The Impact and Archimedes attached to an equal barrel aren't going to be any more or less accurate than each other.
     
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    I purchased an Archimedes during the Black Friday sale and ordered a barrel at that time as well from a different vendor. The barrel was screwed up and has to be remade resetting the 3-4 month clock. I looked around for other prefits and vendors to see if I could find what I wanted and it seemed like the options were more limited for the Archimedes. Maybe spec out a barrel or two and try to find them for both actions.
     
    I have an Impact 737R. While I appreciate its tolerances allowing for a wide range of available prefits, reported ability to work in just about any environmental condition (unlike some others), and their customer service, the normal "hitch" in the bolt lift/close pushes me to another option for my next rifle and one of the top 3 options for me is the Archimedes. I'll just wait and cross my fingers there's another Black Friday sale on them.

    The Impact and Archimedes attached to an equal barrel aren't going to be any more or less accurate than each other.

    Thankfully there's lots of actions being built now that are pretty resilient to debris and adverse conditions, based on my experience with my Mausingfield, I imagine the Archimedes fits that bill.

    To the OP, while I don't have either action, I personally find it more fun to have a mix of actions rather than a stable full of the exact same actions. Maybe I'm weird that way. But I vote you try something new.
     
    The Archimedes is a wonderful action and the fact you can just change out the bolt heads for different calibers makes it a very versatile action.
     
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    You’ll notice a hitch on the Archimedes as well, unless you run it fast. It’s not the type of action that closes itself. I have one and love it, but if the hitch in your Impact bothers you, it may still bother you in an Archimedes.
     
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    I know I am guilty of this but we tend to get hung up on finding the next best thing. See if you can find someone local who has one to shoot and compare them. If you have funds buy one and shoot them both for a while.
     
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    I know I am guilty of this but we tend to get hung up on finding the next best thing. See if you can find someone local who has one to shoot and compare them. If you have funds buy one and shoot them both for a while.
    Bingo I’m like a raccoon, I like shiny shit and the next best thing. I think I get bored to easily.
     
    I would keep both. I happen to own both and really like the Impact... With that being said I love the feel of the Arch. The only issue I have had thus far is it is a little harder to get a prefit for the Arch. Impact I have found several vendors with them waiting on the shelf. My mistake was ordering only one barrel when I should have ordered multiple.
     
    I wasn’t sure about the ARC initially but now own a Nuke 1.1 and a 2.0. My next action will be a Archimedes.
     
    From the perspective of doing prefits or rebarrels the ARCs like the Zermatt's are just simpler. They're a flat breech, no counterbore, which I think is simply obsolete. The Archimedes' bolt handle moves which absorbs some of the rearward movement and makes the bolt feel smoother. I personally like receiver mounted ejectors. They're both premium actions that I wouldn't hesitate to use myself.
     
    I just got a Kelbly's Atlas Tactical... kind of their older action (new one being Prometheus or something like that). Smooth operation... like it.
     
    I don’t think anything compares to the Archimedes at the moment but they are both very different so I think it comes down to more how you like to run an action and how you like an action to feel than anything.

    Impacts are obviously a solid and proven performer, good bolt lift, very reliable, feed well but they bind and have cock on close which I find annoying and they’re not the fastest to run. Falkors new action seems to be nicer in pretty much every way to the impacts, granted I’ve only run two so far, they were hardly broken in and close in serial numbers (so not exactly a large sample size) but they were easily the nicest actions I’ve felt other than the Archimedes, incredibly smooth actions. If I was going to get a Remington clone two lug action because I liked that style of an action, it would be that falkor.

    The Archimedes has a very unique feel because of the way the extraction and cocking of the trigger is split but as long as you have an open mind and can spend some time learning how to run the action that still suits you and your style, then you’ll become a convert and enjoys if benefits like no sticky bolt lift and mechanical ejection. Really no point pinching the bolt handle with your thumb and pointer finger and running the bolt, it just feels weird. But if you blade the bolt knob up, flick it rearward and then push it forward and down to close it it’ll be the quickest, smoothest thing you’ve ever felt. People always laugh and comment on how fast and smooth I run the bolt at matches and because of the mechanical ejection how far the brass goes. I’m really not trying to run it hard or fast at all, it’s just very effortless when you get the timing right from dry fire, it becomes a bras throwing sewing machine.

    Get some time behind one back to back and see if it suits your style.

    03B8C417-676E-4F6E-8B6F-5405C1E504D6.jpeg
     
    I don’t think anything compares to the Archimedes at the moment but they are both very different so I think it comes down to more how you like to run an action and how you like an action to feel than anything.

    Impacts are obviously a solid and proven performer, good bolt lift, very reliable, feed well but they bind and have cock on close which I find annoying and they’re not the fastest to run. Falkors new action seems to be nicer in pretty much every way to the impacts, granted I’ve only run two so far, they were hardly broken in and close in serial numbers (so not exactly a large sample size) but they were easily the nicest actions I’ve felt other than the Archimedes, incredibly smooth actions. If I was going to get a Remington clone two lug action because I liked that style of an action, it would be that falkor.

    The Archimedes has a very unique feel because of the way the extraction and cocking of the trigger is split but as long as you have an open mind and can spend some time learning how to run the action that still suits you and your style, then you’ll become a convert and enjoys if benefits like no sticky bolt lift and mechanical ejection. Really no point pinching the bolt handle with your thumb and pointer finger and running the bolt, it just feels weird. But if you blade the bolt knob up, flick it rearward and then push it forward and down to close it it’ll be the quickest, smoothest thing you’ve ever felt. People always laugh and comment on how fast and smooth I run the bolt at matches and because of the mechanical ejection how far the brass goes. I’m really not trying to run it hard or fast at all, it’s just very effortless when you get the timing right from dry fire, it becomes a bras throwing sewing machine.

    Get some time behind one back to back and see if it suits your style.

    View attachment 7819581
    This x1000. I constantly get comments about the brass ejection with mine. The action is just so easy to run fast and takes zero effort to flick the bolt back and launch the brass to the next zip code 😂
     
    This weekend I’ll have it out. I put a 6mm Creedmoor barrel on and have a .223ai barrel expedited through PVA that will hopefully be here this week.
     
    Awesome. I was worried you were going to frown upon the, “hitch” on close. Having never shot an Impact, I don’t know how it compares.
     
    Awesome. I was worried you were going to frown upon the, “hitch” on close. Having never shot an Impact, I don’t know how it compares.
    Haha the Impact is nice and I have no complaints but I like the bolt head flexibility of the Arc. Also to me the Arc just feels better and more familiar. I have a Mausingfield as well.
     
    There’s a little bit of a hitch on my 1.1 Nuke but the 2.0 Nuke is smoother. Not sure if it’s a fluke but I might sell the 1.1 Nuke and get an Archimedes it’s just that right now it’s doing better than 1/2 moa and I don’t want to jinx it.
     
    I really like Ted. A lot of people think he's a bit on the weird or "out there" side. He certainly does seem to march to his own drummer. But I worked in very high tech telecom for decades and I'm kind of use to MIT and Oxford, weird as shit, but luminously brilliant, PhD's....use to them to the point that I finally understood and appreciated how brilliant they really were and how NOT brilliant am I.

    Good as a wing man out on a Sat night cruising...prob not (but Ted may be an exception haha). But very interesting and challenging people and the way they think just engages me. I do like Ted.

    And, I have never heard Ted NOT have a solid and explainable reason for some of the very different design aspects of his products. He's deliberate and intentional...sort of what you want in a design engineer, right? Seems like a lot of rifle component design is driven by tradition and customer's attachment to "the way it was". Ted does not seem to be constrained in that way. The ARC screw in/out bolt stop is just a small example of doing it better even if it is different.

    The Arch is indeed a very interesting action and perhaps I'll own one one day. It is intriguing.

    With that said, that has to be the fuggliest bolt handle knob I have ever seen. To my eyes, it looks like the legs my grandmother had on her couch. LOL Hey, maybe that's where Ted got the idea. haha

    @Hondo1 - do report back to us after you have had it in the field. Let us know what you think, please.
     
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    I jumped in the arc train with an M5 mausingfield that is wonderful, i run that bolt with a bladed hand using that hour glass bolt knob,

    I just got my kids an archimedes 223 (PVA barrel) and me and my 7 year old did the assembly from trigger instal, area 419 adapter, barrel, chassis, and scope mounting in about 1.5 hours including mounting the barrel vise. Running the bolt on the archimedes is amazing. Gonna shoot it Saturday but holy crap it’s fast, and I thought my M5 was fast and smooth!
    “Mechanical” Ejection is awesome but I’ve lost a few pieces of brass because of it, when you run the bolt fast, like it’s supposed to, it ejects like an Ak-47

    It’s bad but I will struggle to ever buy a non ARC action because I am a huge fan of the actions and really appreciate the approach and thought that goes into making them
     
    I really like Ted. A lot of people think he's a bit on the weird or "out there" side. He certainly does seem to march to his own drummer. But I worked in very high tech telecom for decades and I'm kind of use to MIT and Oxford, weird as shit, but luminously brilliant, PhD's....use to them to the point that I finally understood and appreciated how brilliant they really were and how NOT brilliant am I.

    Good as a wing man out on a Sat night cruising...nope. But very interesting and challenging people and the way they think just engages me. I do like Ted.

    And, I have never heard Ted NOT have a solid and explainable reason for some of the very different design aspects of his products. He's deliberate and intentional...sort of what you want in a design engineer, right? Seems like a lot of rifle component design is driven by tradition and customer's attachment to "they way it was". Ted does not seem to be constrained in that way. The ARC screw in/out bolt stop is just an example of doing it better even if it is different.

    The Arch is indeed a very interesting action and perhaps I'll own one one day. It is intriguing.

    With that said, that has to be the fuggliest bolt handle knob I have ever seen. To my eyes, it looks like the legs my grandmother had on her couch. LOL Hey, maybe that's where Ted got the idea. haha

    @Hondo1 - do report back to us after you have had it in the field. Let us know what you think, please.
    It does look strange but it’s the best feeling and most functional knob I’ve ever used and every action that doesn’t have one needs one.
     
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    yeah the new big dumbbell knob on the Nuke 2.0 is the best bolt knob I’ve ever had and if I could, I’d change all my knobs to that. I like it way better than the Area419
     
    They get smoother as you shoot. my 2yr ol nuke is much slicker than my new Arch. get good with ejection and you can catch the brass with the same hand you pull the bolt back with.
     
    Looking for first hand experiences between the Impact and the Archimedes. I have an Impact and like it well enough but part of me thinks I’m missing out by not having an Archimedes.
    Would I be disappointed if I turned loose of the Impact and got an Archimedes or is the Archimedes going to change my life and forever be my favorite action. All opinions are welcome. Thanks
    Just out of curiosity. What trigger are you using with the impact?
     
    only thing I dislike about the ARC actions is the that little knurled knob bolt stop. why they couldn't just make that a push button is beyond me.
     
    only thing I dislike about the ARC actions is the that little knurled knob bolt stop. why they couldn't just make that a push button is beyond me.

    They make two other actions besides the Archimedes that don't have the knurled circular knob.
     
    Right, as am I. The Mausingfield and Nucleus don't have that.
    both my Nuke and Arch have it. it's annoying. hard to trun in normal conditions but try turning it with gloves or cold fingers and you'll be cursing Ted.
     
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    both my Nuke and Arch have it. it's annoying. try turning it with gloves or cold fingers and you'll be cursing Ted.
    Copy, yeah those early Nukes have it. I agree with ya as I used a torx bit or something to avoid hand-turning it.
     
    Fine tuning your action timing with your impact may improve the hitch your feeling. Other triggers might aide in that. Without feeling the action i don’t know how much of a hitch you are feeling.
     
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    only thing I dislike about the ARC actions is the that little knurled knob bolt stop. why they couldn't just make that a push button is beyond me.

    I don’t doubt it’s very strong and won’t break or wear out like other bolt stops (I’ve broken a Curtis bolt stop) but fuck me it’s a pain in the ass and hard to turn.
     
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    I got the Archimedes in hand Saturday and have already fallen in love with it.

    I had a Defiance Mutant (tube gun) and several different Bighorn TL3's. They were all fantastic actions and put the bullet right where I pointed the gun. After I tried a Mausingfield I spoke to the guys at ARC ....about what I liked, what I didn't and they suggested I try the then new Archimedes.

    Now I have three different Archimedes and all the others have been sold (wish I would have kept one of the TL3's).
    They are just so fast in rapids, and so smooth, that I don't disturb my position nearly as much as I did with the others.

    You can learn to be proficient with any of them....just practice.....but my Archimedes won't be getting sent down the road anytime soon.

    Good Luck and enjoy!
     
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