Neilsen actions

I have had a Neilsen MN300 for quite a number of years.
What do you want to know?

Lloyd Neilsen (now deceased) was making adapters so that Sportco 44 rifles could be fitted with a barrel of other than Sportco manufacture. The Sportco has locking lug seats machined into the breech of the barrel; makes barrel changing easy, just screw the old one out, screw the new one in. But only Sportco barrels worked. The Neilsen adapter had the locking seats, and threaded into the Sportco receiver. A barrel was then threaded and fitted to the adapter.
From making this receiver adapter, it was obvious enough to make a receiver. The front end is a separate piece, permanently fitted to the longer rear tubular section. A Sportco three lug head was used. The bolt body is a tube, the head pinned in at the front, a bolt handle at the rear. A bolt plug screws into the bolt body. Bolt rotation is controlled by a stud through the left treceiver wall running in a slot in the bolt body. A trigger mechanism is attached to the bottom with one screw.
The action works very well for target shooting. The receiver is stiff. Lots of bedding surface.
If someone wanted to scratch build a target rifle action, the Neilsen would be one to emulate. It is a good design that is reduced to a rather simple level from the manufacturing standpoint.
Mine is stocked up in an early Robertson stock. After the original barrel was used up, I fitted a new Schneider.
There was also a 556 action.
 
Thanks tiriaq, that was pretty much exactly what I wanted to know. I had read about this "adaptor" but couldn't find an explanation as to what it was adapting!! The history regarding Sportco was also extremely helpful. I have found an MN300 chambered in .308. I am toying with the idea of converting it to .223. From what I have read it should be a fairly simple operation. Remove old bolt head and firing pin. Install .223 bolt head and firing pin. Remove .308 tube, replace with .223 tube, head space, good to go?? Parts are available from Total Solutions Engineering, formerly MAB, formerly Sportco, who are still manufacturing the M44.

I am just getting set up in F Class, and just finished gathering up all the stuff I need for .223 when along comes this rifle in .308. I would like to continue down the .223 path for now, so it looks like it may be a possibility.

One last question, do the Neilsen actions deal well with higher pressures?? Some of the posts I found on Australian F Class forums, seemed to indicate that the Omark (M44) was a less stout platform than some of the newer actions out there. Is this true, and does it translate at all over to the Neilsen actions??

Once again thanks for the help.
 
That would work just fine for making up a .223.
I have thousands of rounds through mine. All 46 or 47gr of Varget with every make of 154/155 bullet I could find. Velocity right in the "sweet spot" of 2950 - 3000fps. With moly'd Amaxes, 3050fps. was reached. Lapua and Winchester brass, FGM primers. No pressure problems. I would not worry about durability of the Neilsen. With a .223, there is substantially less backthrust, and more steel around the chamber.
I eventually upgraded to a Musgrave - not because of any problem with the Neilsen, but because I was able to buy a brand new Musgrave action and a TrueFlight barrel for prices I could not refuse. This one is set up in a purpose built Robertson stock.
 
One last question,..... The MN 600 was built as a one piece action without the adapter. I have read some reports of two versions of the MN 300 having been made, one with and one without the adapter. Can you confirm or deny?? Thanks.
 
Mine has a two piece receiver. The lug seat and barrel thread portion are one piece, the main receiver tube is another. It isn't a Sportco adapter fitted to a tube. The only way you can tell is that there is a colour difference in the bluing because of different heat treatment.
I was unaware of one peice receivers. They would likely be among the last made.
I believe that Paul Reibin, Range Sports Unlimited, was the importer. Mine has serial BC001.
 
Neilsen MN600XL

Here's a couple of pics of the MN600XL one piece model (I use for Palma TR). I have 223 and 308 versions. They have Ron Smith's barrels. They shoot better than I do. They're very stout & the XL model has extra length for barrel threads. (didn't know they were made in a 2 piece model ... learn something new here every day... Tx)

A friend knew Lloyd & recommended the actions when I went looking for new stuff (before Lloyd died). I bought from Paul Reiben.

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A friend just bought one from Paul Reiben at the Kamloops gun show. Absolutely beautiful target rifle. One difference from the pictures above is that my friend's rifle is not a flat top, it is rounded but has a scope rail screwed to it as well as having aperature sights.
 
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