The Phoenix rifle

Started by branxhunter, December 13, 2016, 12:28:43 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

branxhunter

Remember this one?

[/URL]

An old L461 varmint .223 I bought cheap for a donor action for my .20-222 project. Part of the attraction was the beautifully light trigger, the Hillver bridge mount and 30mm rings, and that poor bashed up stock which I would have no qualms in modifying.

Two seperate gunsmiths looked at the action and declared it was beyond saving due to very worn bolt lugs. What to do?

Well first thing was to find another donor, which was done with a sporter .222 in much better shape found in the LGS.

While the worn barrelled action (did I mention that the barrel has no rifling for the first 1-2 inches) languished in the safe that poor old stock was sent away to a couple of stock duplicators (inc Cameron Hatcher) to allow them to cut a pattern.

Once the stock I shot a few groups with the worn out .223 barrel, and the equally poor sporter .222 barrel from donor #2. Both shot just over an inch at 100m which I found extraordinary given their condition. The mental cogs got turning- perhaps with even a half decent barrel this thing might shoot OK?

Marcus

branxhunter

I posted on another forum looking for second hand barrel ptions and Was offered a Tobler HV stainless fluted barrel chambered in .223 and threaded for a L461 for $50 - the deal was done.

I screwed the barrel in, checked the headspace (had to created a false shoulder on the cases using a 6mm sizing button followed by a .22 button), and added a Hillver bridge mount, rings and Tasco World Class PLUS 3-9x44 from the parts box.

[ATTACH]14779[/ATTACH]

Marcus

branxhunter

#2
Next I loaded some cases with 25.0, 25.5 and 26.0gn of AR2206h and 55gn Sierra SPs - the groups at 100m were all less than 0.6", including this one for the 26.0gn charge:






Happy days!  Worth putting a some time into this thing, even just for a bash around lender rifle.

Marcus

branxhunter

#3
I had polished the action, bolt and floorplate for rebluing but didn't want to sink money into a gunsmith reblueing job. A tube of Birchwood Casey liquid blue was bought and used over a couple of nights, with pleasing results.








Marcus

gitano

Clicking on the attachment produces an error message, Marcus. I'm going to assume the groups were impressive. :D

Paul
Be nicer than necessary.

branxhunter

[ATTACH]14783[/ATTACH]

Marcus

branxhunter

#6
Meanwhile I spent some time refinishing the stock.



I'm happy with how it turned out, and that this old rifle has "risen from the ashes".

Marcus

gitano

Those last two work. I wonder what the problem is with the first ones?

Excellent 'recovery'!

Paul
Be nicer than necessary.

sakorick

I love old Sakos. I have never heard of the lugs going bad....ever! Possibly a bad batch of steel from the Bofors boogie man!
Talk to yourself. There are times you need expert advice.

branxhunter

Quote from: gitano;146682Clicking on the attachment produces an error message, Marcus. I'm going to assume the groups were impressive. :D

Paul

Ever since I switched to an iPad I have had all sorts of trouble posting photos - I can't see the images in my threads, I can only upload one image per post etc. I might email the pics through to you Paul and you can upload.

Marcus

gitano

Be nicer than necessary.

branxhunter

#11
Quote from: sakorick;146686I love old Sakos. I have never heard of the lugs going bad....ever! Possibly a bad batch of steel from the Bofors boogie man!

More likely an action that has done a LOT of work Rick. Apparently it was owned by a roo shooter. When I bought it had alraedy been rebarrelled with a stainless barrel, which had been shot so much that it had no rifling left in the throat. Who knows how many barrels it has had on it. One gunsmith thought that the bolt lug wear might be indicative of neck size reloading over many years, with cases being forced to chamber and the bolt forced into battery as the body dimension grew.

The cocking cam on the bolt head is also worn so there is a fair bit of slop in the bolt handle once fired, which would also indicate a lot of work done.

Marcus

gitano

Old rifles like this that are clearly "shot out" that can be made to shoot well - .6 MoA - are what makes me very skeptical about all the "fine tuning" voodoo that so many arm-chair 'experts' AND bench-shooters DEMAND. It just 'doesn't compute'.

Paul
Be nicer than necessary.

branxhunter

Quote from: gitano;146688Works for me.

Paul

The sending of photos to you, or the use of an iPad to upload photos?

If the latter might I suggest that, based on post count, perhaps you have had a lot more practice than me :D

Marcus

recoil junky

788's are a prime example of loose bolt lugs contributing to poor accuracy.

RJ
When you go afield, take the kids and please......................................wear your seatbelts.
Northwest Colorado.............Where the wapiti roam and deer and antelope run amuck. :undecided:  
Proud father of a soldier medic in The 82nd Airborne 325th AIR White Falcons :army:

Tags: