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Original MB Precision 40X Repeater Conversion

RAVAGE88

Angled Spade Tech
Commercial Supporter
Full Member
Minuteman
  • Feb 13, 2017
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    Look up.
    Glad to see the New/Old Hide is back! I've been asked if it was possible to move the "Rem 40X Repeater Conversion and the Shop of Your Choice" thread to this site, but the only option is to cut and paste. Since the concept of the project has evolved away from the "Shop of Your Choice" part, I decided to start a modified version of the old thread. As some of you already know, I'm in the process of re-locating my Lab to the North East and the only other shop that has been involved with performing my conversion is Modacam Custom Rifles (Jonathan Elrod). I expect my shop to be fully functional soon; machines starting to arrive next week (snow permitting).

    This venture has certainly grown and has been very well accepted and supported, especially by the "40X Mafia" in Colorado. Magazines are plentiful and easily obtained and as a lot of you already know, the conversion design/process is rock solid. The path forward from here is a good one for the serious rimfire shooter and I'll keep everyone updated as the new Lab comes online.

    rjnz3t.jpg


    MB
     
    I'm glad to see the New/Old hide is back:cool: I've been away for a while, but is your new shop up and running.
     
    It's getting there Bildoe. The snow slowed me down a bit, while it was falling and after, as it clogged things up a bit. I'm applying epoxy paint to the floor this week, which has held up machine delivery. I should have three phase dropping in soon, air compressor will be here within a week or so and will get it plumbed. Once everything is on the floor, it'll come together pretty quickly.

    MB
     
    I suppose I'll help kick this thread off with a few pictures of the 40x Mike built for me.

    Groups were shot from 100 yards.
     

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    • Like
    Reactions: RAVAGE88
    Thanks Ravage. I'm still scouting selecting my bank heist location to fund my remmy chassis. J/K. Then I'm all in.
     
    I suppose I'll help kick this thread off with a few pictures of the 40x Mike built for me.

    Groups were shot from 100 yards.

    Thanks Stephen, very nice groups....looks like you and Josh could have a little friendly competition going.

    MB
     
    Hey OP I am new to this site and the precision rifle game can you please break it down for me this is a super tricked out 22?
     
    Hey OP I am new to this site and the precision rifle game can you please break it down for me this is a super tricked out 22?

    These rifles start life as a Remington 40X Single Shot; they're converted to a repeater and use a magazine that is designed around the AICS form factor. The sky is the limit when it comes to how you set the rifle up.

    MB
     
    • Like
    Reactions: HogsLife
    Elrod has mine right now can't wait to get it back and run it thru the paces.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
    Elrod has mine right now can't wait to get it back and run it thru the paces.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    Very nice, be sure to post pics when you have it all together.

    MB
     
    Every time I get satisfied with my single shot 40x these threads keep popping up. Damn. I got out of touch with the smith that I had chosen to do the work so I may end up sending it off. To whom is the question?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
    Every time I get satisfied with my single shot 40x these threads keep popping up. Damn. I got out of touch with the smith that I had chosen to do the work so I may end up sending it off. To whom is the question?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    BLC, Modacam Custom (Jonathan Elrod) has been handling the MBPE 40X conversions since I'm relocating my shop. I should be back up and running within another month or so.

    MB
     
    • Like
    Reactions: blcouch
    I've answered quite a few PMs and emails about magazine availability....Lots and lots in inventory....

    MB
     
    [IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i1364.photobucket.com\/albums\/r740\/Karlslovenski\/Mobile%20Uploads\/2017-03\/C2DE7DC5-D834-4EA0-953B-7DB1EA75E400_zpskjz0vixa.jpg"}[/IMG2]
    I was lucky enough to find this here on the Hide. I'm amazed with the fit and the work Mike has done with this rifle. So far me and my 10 year old son have over 200 rounds with a out a problem. The accuracy we are getting is very good. I have some better ammo on order. Then we will shoot some groups and see what we can do.
     
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    Very nice NA, glad you were able to grab that one, it was one of my favorite builds. Let me know if you have any questions or need anything....

    MB
     
    I am set for now with other rifles and have a couple local shops looking for donor rifles for me. I will resort to gunbroker when I am fully ready for the plunge.
    This would make an excellent gift for myself and be a blast to work on over next winter.
    I really love that one in the MCS T stock.
     
    There are two in the MCS T (my favorite stock), with quite a few more things in the works....

    MB
     
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    Just got mine back from Jelrod runs buttery smooth so far. I see a lot of 22 ammo burnt in my future.
     
    How much does it cost to buy a 40x and get it converted to a repeater?
     
    Speaking higher level here, but typically, the cost of a donor rifle is $900 to $1400 and the conversion will run somewhere between $700 and $1500, depending on the level of work desired.

    MB
     
    Floor is finished, machines are in place, benches are built, will start plumbing air this weekend and need to get electrical finished. It's starting to look like a new shop....

    MB
     
    Mike,
    I pulled the OEM bbl on my 40XB, trued the receiver face & chased/single-pointed threads (as it turned out, they were near perfect & didn't need any work), then fitted & chambered a Lilja tite bore bbl. Had just a little time to shoot it as a single shot before needing to get on the tractor & into the field to plant spring crops. Have a Krieger blank in the lathe, dialed-in & ready to chamber, but my pilot bushings were either too small or too large, so have been stymied while waiting on a selection of 'in-between' sized bushings. Tracking shows they'll be here by Monday, 22 May, so perhaps I can finish that bbl & have time to test the two bbls against each other before sending it off to Jelrod for the repeater conversion.

    This 22RF stuff has turned into a serious addiction - there are three new CF Bighorn rifles sitting in the safe awaiting some attention from me, along with a new Howa Mini with a Bartlein lt Palma bbl chambered in 6RAT in a nice new McMillan Sako Varmint stock....and all I really want to do is get the 40XB out on a day with good conditions to test various lot samples at 100yds. Will probably be wanting at least a couple more magazines from you for the 40XB.
     
    The new R&D Shop, still a lot of work to do....boxes to unpack, shelves/storage to deal with, air lines, electrical. Will be putting in a new four axis as well....
    2s60xo7.jpg


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    A LOT of cool new stuff in the works....

    MB
     
    Last edited:
    Mike,
    I pulled the OEM bbl on my 40XB, trued the receiver face & chased/single-pointed threads (as it turned out, they were near perfect & didn't need any work), then fitted & chambered a Lilja tite bore bbl. Had just a little time to shoot it as a single shot before needing to get on the tractor & into the field to plant spring crops. Have a Krieger blank in the lathe, dialed-in & ready to chamber, but my pilot bushings were either too small or too large, so have been stymied while waiting on a selection of 'in-between' sized bushings. Tracking shows they'll be here by Monday, 22 May, so perhaps I can finish that bbl & have time to test the two bbls against each other before sending it off to Jelrod for the repeater conversion.

    This 22RF stuff has turned into a serious addiction - there are three new CF Bighorn rifles sitting in the safe awaiting some attention from me, along with a new Howa Mini with a Bartlein lt Palma bbl chambered in 6RAT in a nice new McMillan Sako Varmint stock....and all I really want to do is get the 40XB out on a day with good conditions to test various lot samples at 100yds. Will probably be wanting at least a couple more magazines from you for the 40XB.

    Flat,
    I've built and shot a lot of rifles, but nothing has been more addicting than designing, building and shooting these rimfires. I bought a new AI AT and have it set up to get to the range, but getting my shop online has been a major priority.

    I ordered bushing stock from JGS and made a mandrel to make my own bushings. No more projects held up by not having the correct size bushings.

    Let me know when you're ready for more magazines, always plenty on-hand....

    MB
     
    I occasionally get requests on where to find 40X 22RF actions from other shooters who've seen my 40X repeater. Aside from pointing them towards Gun Broker, there's not much I can say. Since Jerry Stiller kept the 22RF action part of his business when he sold the CF action portion off, it made me wonder what - if anything - he might have up his sleeve on the custom action front? As discussed previously on the old Scout Hide site, the 2500XR's magazine cut is in the wrong place to allow it to be modified for use with Mike's mags, and sending a new 2500X single shot action to him or Jelrod would make for a pretty expensive route to a repeater, and I'm not sure whether there would be other issues with one of those actions. I asked Russ about their older Lonestar action on the phone a couple of weeks ago, but all he said was that it'd been quite some time since they'd made any of them, and it didn't really sound like they had plans to make more.

    Looks to me as though there's a need for someone to start making a good custom 40X RF clone action, ideally, one that's already set up for Mike's magazines. I get a dealer discount from Stiller, and the 2500XR I bought from them last year still cost me almost $1300, w/25 MOA scope rail. Not that it wasn't worth it - mine ran really well with the Savage mags, and extraction/ejection was never an issue with it. Only reason I sold mine was to finance the repeater conversion of my 40XB, which will be going out to Jelrod as soon as I've finished testing the Lilja bbl against the Krieger.
     
    Looks to me as though there's a need for someone to start making a good custom 40X RF clone action, ideally, one that's already set up for Mike's magazines.

    A few people pimped Bighorn to make some actions, but they didn't seem interested.

    Maybe if enough people hit up Defiance...

     
    A few people pimped Bighorn to make some actions, but they didn't seem interested.

    Maybe if enough people hit up Defiance...

    There is a market for a repeater RF action.
    I have watched many 40x's sell recently and they are bringing the money, not US or USMC marked receivers.

    R
     
    Hmmmmmm.... sounds good to me! But makes my bank account get nervous...
     
    I'm a fan of Bighorn - have built six for myself & several others for customers. But considering how long it took to get the TL3-SA for my 6 Dasher build, even with the increase in production capacity the move to Zermatt's shop provided, I have to think they probably feel they have enough on their plate. That doesn't mean I wouldn't like to see what they could come up with...just that I doubt they've got the time or resources to attempt it.
     
    If you want to send me the AI-AT to work out the kinks for you, you know where I live.

    I might have to Tim, I have a few things to finish up within the next few weeks that'll certainly keep me from giving it the attention it needs....

    MB
     
    Will likely be spinning a new barrel onto my 40xrep and have 2 questions.

    1) what reamer has been working with the conversion? I know Mikes RAVAGE reamer does well, available from ptg/jgs/manson?
    2) anyone try a cone breach? How were the results?