I’ve been talking to a few action companies about building a custom action to my specs.
I get 2-3 calls a week from folks asking what action l’d recommend for their first custom rifle build. Truth is-l usually don’t know how to answer that, because I’m just as undecided as everyone else.
Brand doesn’t mean much to me. I’m more of a function/feature and fit/finish guy.
Action Features:
60° or 75° bolt throw
Mechanical ejection (no spring-loaded plungers)
Vertical controlled round feed
Toolless bolt disassembly
Third lug orientation: Lug must point up. When it points down (like Aero’s), it removes too much material from the feed ramp-which causes long, skinny .22-cal bullets to slam into the breech
Construction Preferences:
Integrated recoil lug
Pinned scope rail with swappable MOA options (thermal hunters will appreciate this)
Headspace tight enough to support pre-fit barrels
Enlarged loading port for easy single-round top
One-piece bolt (floating heads tend to bind)
Bolt Face Sizes I Would Want Supported:
0.441″ (.22 ARC, 6mm ARC, Grendel)
0.378″ (.223 Rem)
0.473″ (6.5 Creedmoor / .308 Win)
0.532″ (.300 Win Mag)
Bolt Fluting:
If fluted, only flute the top ¾ of the bolt body in a spiral steep enough to maintain a fully round bearing surface.
Barrel Thread Preference:
- 1.0625″ x 20 TPI – solid standard and works well for barrel nut setups
If you’ve got thoughts or suggestions, I’m all ears.
