Wanting to build something from the ground up.

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Dom08

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What is involved in building a bolt action from the ground up?

Are we just talking an action, barrel, stock, trigger?
I am trying to find some company online but am having a hard time. Looking for a Wylde barrel if this helps

Any guidance is good!
 
Dom08 said:
What is involved in building a bolt action from the ground up?

Are we just talking an action, barrel, stock, trigger?
I am trying to find some company online but am having a hard time. Looking for a Wylde barrel if this helps

Any guidance is good!
Click to expand...
Since ATRS is no more, the only Canadian companies building actions that pop into my head are KS Arms in Edmonton, Cadex in Quebec or IBI in B.C.
Maybe give them an email.
They are all great outfits.
Cat
 
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As mentioned above, KS arms (I own one), IBI & Cadex are canadian action makers.

Pristine actions are another affordable cdn made option, and now that MDT owns lone peak you can order one of those actions from MDT.

For cdn barrels.. IBI, KS arms, JC custom, Bob Jury.. i'm sure there's a couple of others i'm missing.

Triggertech triggers are cdn
 
Dom08 said:
What is involved in building a bolt action from the ground up?

Are we just talking an action, barrel, stock, trigger?
I am trying to find some company online but am having a hard time. Looking for a Wylde barrel if this helps
Click to expand...
This isn't "building". What you are talking about is assembling a rifle. That is hardly what I'd call, "from the ground up". :rolleyes:

You want to BUILD a rifle, "from the ground up" then you need to start with a couple of chunks of round bar and at most a profiled barrel blank. Machine and mill the action and then thread and chamber the barrel. 🤷‍♂️
 
^^^I don't really agree with the above statement^^^
When building a custom rifle you get to choose all the parts that go into it. You choose to action, and what configuration. Lots to choose from in this, right bolt, right port. Right bolt, left port. Left bolt, right port ect. Single shot action, mag feed action.
Barrels, calibre, chamber, twist, length, profile, fluting, straight taper, Palma profile, the list goes on and on.
Traditional stock, prone stock, F-Class stock, hunting stock, chassis?
Triggers, lots to choose from, even with a TT you have the choice of a flat shoe, curved shoe, and set up for different weights, with or without safety,with or without bolt release.
By choosing different parts to build your custom rifle you are building a unique rifle to your specs, rearly will you find another one exactly the same.
The one problem building a custom rifle is that you are building it to your specs. And when it comes time that you want to move it along, you will never get the price that you put into it.
 
End use goals
Budget
What bits and parts you like with an eye that the parts play nice together.

Build it

As said in the other post, with the 223, pay attention to your bullet(s) and ammo. Unless you really want to use long heavy bullets, a long throated chamber is not your friend.

Why I keep bringing it up is simply because almost every barrel that has crapped the bed, has had the same problem.... throat got too long for the bullet. The Wylde chamber is essential a 'worn out' barrel if shooting light bullets.

If you really need to shoot up a bunch of 5.56 ammo, why not grab a Ruger American in 5.56 and blast away. Or maybe one of the straight pulls or a semi?

Just because you shoot that bulk ammo in a custom rifle with a long throat, isn't going to lead to match accuracy.

But that goes back to the very top line in this post... if all you want is to invest a bunch of money into a pretty rifle to shoot blasting ammo with blasting ammo results, you are definitely heading in the right direction.

Enjoy

Jerry
 
maynard said:
^^^I don't really agree with the above statement^^^
When building a custom rifle you get to choose all the parts that go into it. You choose to action, and what configuration. Lots to choose from in this, right bolt, right port. Right bolt, left port. Left bolt, right port ect. Single shot action, mag feed action.
Barrels, calibre, chamber, twist, length, profile, fluting, straight taper, Palma profile, the list goes on and on.
Traditional stock, prone stock, F-Class stock, hunting stock, chassis?
Triggers, lots to choose from, even with a TT you have the choice of a flat shoe, curved shoe, and set up for different weights, with or without safety,with or without bolt release.
By choosing different parts to build your custom rifle you are building a unique rifle to your specs, rearly will you find another one exactly the same.
The one problem building a custom rifle is that you are building it to your specs. And when it comes time that you want to move it along, you will never get the price that you put into it.
Click to expand...
No. You are assembling a custom rifle. YOU didn't BUILD a single one of those parts. 🤷‍♂️

Buying parts to assemble is hardly what I'd call, "building from the ground up".
 
Mysticprecision said:
The Wylde chamber is essential a 'worn out' barrel if shooting light bullets.
Click to expand...
LOL. That's an excellent way to explain it.

I find that most people making such choices, are only doing it because they heard it on the internets. Most people haven't got the first clue what they are talking about when it comes to this stuff. But it's trendy so they want it. :rolleyes:


Mysticprecision said:
If you really need to shoot up a bunch of 5.56 ammo, why not grab a Ruger American in 5.56 and blast away. Or maybe one of the straight pulls or a semi?

Just because you shoot that bulk ammo in a custom rifle with a long throat, isn't going to lead to match accuracy.
Click to expand...
LOL I made nearly the exact same comment to another guy who wants a custom built rifle to shoot 556 through. The problem is these kinds of people just don't understand the effects of different ammo and chamber specs. They heard people say it was the best or some other nonsense and now they want that.
 
I Dont Care About You said:
No. You are assembling a custom rifle. YOU didn't BUILD a single one of those parts. 🤷‍♂️

Buying parts to assemble is hardly what I'd call, "building from the ground up".
Click to expand...
So you're saying the fellow who "builds" his/her home with lumber purchased from a distributor, is just "assembling" the home?????
 
If you have a bit of mechanical aptitude you can do most things yourself. Some actions offer prefit barrels and others like a stock remington/savage/tikkka will need to be done by a gunsmith and be headspaced. The biggest thing you need to know is what pieces work with what. If you get a gunsmith to do everything than it’ll just work when you get it(hopefully). I’m betting both ks arms and ibi would sell you a barrellled action with trigger installed for a reasonable price. Then you just have to bolt it into the chassis of your choice and install a scope.

I will say I had one rifle where I bought the pieces from one store and had a different shop build it. It had an issue and both places were pointing the finger at each other trying to shift blame. That experience cost me alot of money and time so if you’re getting a shop to do it than consider getting everything in one spot.

I’m building a 223 rem right now. I have a tikka action and a heavy contour barrel from bob jury. I haven’t decided who’s going to chamber it, but I plan on putting it in an mdt xrs when I find one.
 
Bustercluck said:
If you have a bit of mechanical aptitude you can do most things yourself. Some actions offer prefit barrels and others like a stock remington/savage/tikkka will need to be done by a gunsmith and be headspaced. The biggest thing you need to know is what pieces work with what. If you get a gunsmith to do everything than it’ll just work when you get it(hopefully). I’m betting both ks arms and ibi would sell you a barrellled action with trigger installed for a reasonable price. Then you just have to bolt it into the chassis of your choice and install a scope.

I will say I had one rifle where I bought the pieces from one store and had a different shop build it. It had an issue and both places were pointing the finger at each other trying to shift blame. That experience cost me alot of money and time so if you’re getting a shop to do it than consider getting everything in one spot.

I’m building a 223 rem right now. I have a tikka action and a heavy contour barrel from bob jury. I haven’t decided who’s going to chamber it, but I plan on putting it in an mdt xrs when I find one.
Click to expand...
I believe Bob Jury is now retired, so your decision will be easier now? 😬
 
bearhunter said:
So you're saying the fellow who "builds" his/her home with lumber purchased from a distributor, is just "assembling" the home?????
Click to expand...
Well I cut my own logs, ran them through a mill and a planer.
Does that count from the ground up? To me it don’t as that was the easy part.
Putting it all together was the difficult part
 
OP, buy all the parts , you’ll also need go- no go gages.
An action wrench/vise is helpful but not necessary.
Also a torque wrench.
It’s not that difficult.
Buy an Action,barrel,stock,trigger and screw it all together.
Use your gages and torque wrench.
It’s not as difficult as some on here make it out to be.
 
Dom08 said:
What is involved in building a bolt action from the ground up?

Are we just talking an action, barrel, stock, trigger?
I am trying to find some company online but am having a hard time. Looking for a Wylde barrel if this helps

Any guidance is good!
Click to expand...
When you start looking into this, you can have a smith put things together, and chamber the barrel,

Or

You can get prefit actions, barrels, and assemble things on your own at home without special tools. If you get a chassis there is no need to bed the action to the stock, just screw things together.

Just make sure that you order the barrel with the tenon threads cut to your action. My first "build" I had the barrel 3 months before the action. Just had to make sure the barrel I ordered was for the action I wanted to get.

I'm now on the 3rd or 4th "build" and loving it everytime!
 
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