AW musing

[AHPP]

Fancy an AW. Half for the fact they just work and half for the iconism (almost one and the same).

 

What calibre? Well .308 is the obvious choice but can I bring myself to shoot such a piss poor long range round. .243 or .260 maybe. They feel a bit funny in an AW though.

 

Just thinking out loud...

 

 

 

Anyone shoot an AW not in .308 or .338?

[brown dog]

The answer to the question is yes; I’ve a couple of pals who use them in 243. Nice with a fast twist and 115DTACS; but limited round count unless you’re happy to get through barrels quite frequently.

 

But, in terms of peculiar timing; especially after all the McQueen's chat on the other thread; I’m musing as to whether to let my AW go in order to treat myself to a left-handed rifle.

 

Had this more than 6 years; re-barrelled 200rds ago and fitted with a Blaser brake (that, unlike the AI brake, actually works).

 

 

The new barrel will put Sako factory into less than 0.25MOA at 100m (independent witness: Varmartin (who shot such a group on his first go with the rifle).).

With virtually no load development puts a lapua scenar load into 0.3MOA at 600yds.

 

The trigger on the rifle is like no other AW you’ll ever handle; it’s single stage and breaks like a jewell at just under 2lbs.

 

The action is silk.

 

A couple of other extras too. Custom Accupod that goes twice as high as a 'factory' one & bipod cant lock.

 

 

 

This is the rifle I used at Bisley in 2007 to take gold whilst shooting the highest 200yd McQueen’s score ever shot there in competition.

 

(at the Phoenix; scored as 60, 10V [Go here; http://www.nra.org.uk/common/asp/content/content.asp?site=NRA&type=7 scroll straight to the bottom of the link and two column cells from the bottom you can download the 2007 Phoenix results pdf]).

 

Been shooting it all that time right-handed; but as I said; thinking of selling it in order to spoil myself by getting something that I can fire from my strong shoulder.

 

Please drop me a line if interested.

 

[AHPP]

Thanks very much. Will bear it in mind.

[LONG RANGE CAPT]

AHPP,

 

Just for your info, I have a .308 AE, .338 AW & 6.5x47 AE MK II.

 

I can recommend all of them it all depends on what your looking for and budget. (cost of rifle ? re-loading costs ? weight of rifle ? it's intended use ?)

 

If your after low recoil, tiny groups then 6.5x47.

 

However if your after very long range .338 AW

 

Alternatively .308 as BD mentioned previously the .308 is a great all round and having seen the rifle shoot, it shoots very well indeed.

 

If I can be of any further assistance, by all means ask.

 

 

Kind Regards

 

Rob

[AHPP]

Already shoot .308 and 6.5x47. Would be looking at .308 max for an easy licencing life. Keep thinking .243 to give 6mm a go. Not used one before. Plus when you say you shoot a .243 everyone expects a tatty farm rifle and a man who's never shot further than 150 yards. It'd be lovely to give the .243 the showcase (especially at 1000m ish) I reckon it deserves.

 

I feel bad enough considering a .243 (which at least makes the catalogue) or .260 (which, in an act of self justification, is based on a .308 case and is therefore "OK") in the iconic AW. Something as fancypants as 6.5x47 would just be too impure!

 

Would I want an AE or the MK2? Well it's not flat bottomed and not an AW.

Does that matter to function, accuracy, durabilty, anything? Barely. As close to "No" as makes no odds.

Does it matter to my perception? Yes.

AW please!

 

.338 is out at the moment so cost is all much of a muchness.

 

 

 

I'd like to hear what you think about the AE and the MK2 compared to the AW, especially with regard to rifle weight. In the style of the thread, just let your mind wander out loud.

[ChrisF]

Brown Dog ,

 

Just so you know , Badger make left hand versions of the Short Action , saw a US build using LH Badger M2008 .

 

RE; The AW verse the AE MKII , the 3 differences , I can think of off the top of my head , are

 

1 ) Magazines , AW uses a better mag , double feed , double stack , not single feed like the AE MKII , which uses the AICS mags desgned for the Rem700 actions .

 

2 ) The action is bonded to chassis , and has no seperate recoil lug to fall off , when doing barrel changes

 

3 ) The safety , AW has a 3 posn .

 

I like the AW much better , and thats what I own .

 

Cheers Chris

[ds1]

AHPP, if an AI floats your boat then I would go (and went)the whole hog and get an AW or AWP simly because that is the icon.

 

The AW series mags takes a shorter length COL than AICS mags, with 260 Rem, even with AICS mags I was close to seating 140 grain scenars into the case neck doughnut to fit them into the mag. Dont think It would work with an AW mag without seating past the doughnut, then if you use 123 grain scenars - may as well go 6.5x47.

 

If buying new I would buy an AWP in 6.5x47 or 243 win and a new 308 win take off barrel from Sporting Services for 250 quid - if he still has some. The barrel change kit need not be the AI rip-off one. Doing it the other way, buying 308 first and maybe later a 243 or 6.5x47 barrel would cost close on 600 quid for an AI factory barrel.

 

Going second hand, I know brown dogs rifle shoots excellently and has just had a new barrel otherwise I would factor in the cost of a new barrel if bought from a dealer / unknown source.

 

David.

[brown dog]

Brown Dog ,

 

Just so you know , Badger make left hand versions of the Short Action , saw a US build using LH Badger M2008 .

 

RE; The AW verse the AE MKII , the 3 differences , I can think of off the top of my head , are

 

1 ) Magazines , AW uses a better mag , double feed , double stack , not single feed like the AE MKII , which uses the AICS mags desgned for the Rem700 actions .

 

2 ) The action is bonded to chassis , and has no seperate recoil lug to fall off , when doing barrel changes

 

3 ) The safety , AW has a 3 posn .

 

I like the AW much better , and thats what I own .

 

Cheers Chris

 

Chris,

 

Thanks on the Badger; I think the trouble in UK is getting one here; I also have the feeling the l/h are like rocking horse sh't. The great shame too, is that they didn't copy the 3 position safety; but you're right - a great option.

 

I'd go along with your list of AW attributes. I'm always stunned at the length of AICS 10 rounders -look like FAL 20 rounders.

 

I think the action-chassis bonding is more important to absolute consistency than people realise; it's not just about barrel changing; it's about having a rifle that can never shifts. Never. A bit like irn-bru; it's made from girders

 

AHPP,

 

AW vs AE? You're right, it's the AW that's iconic, not the economy model.

[Ronin]

You could always consider an "iconic" Blaser Tac 2 thats in the For Sale section

[brown dog]

You could always consider an "iconic" Blaser Tac 2 thats in the For Sale section

 

 

A rare photo of Ronin being iconic:

 

[Elwood]

 

A rare photo of Ronin being iconic:

 

 

Lolololololololololololololololololololololololololololol, erm sorry, where was I, oh yeah back to my reloading.

[Ronin]

If only I looked like that :lol:

[AHPP]

You could always consider an "iconic" Blaser Tac 2 thats in the For Sale section

 

If I buy that rifle will I be able to shoot round corners and through buildings like the foreign chap on Spooks did?

[AHPP]

Back on topic (however vague it is), what's the longest you can get in an AW mag?

[Ronin]

2.900" with the spacer removed i recall, can measure later if necessary.

[AHPP]

2.900" with the spacer removed i recall, can measure later if necessary.

 

Cheers. No rush.

 

My 10 round AICS mag measures 2.88" ish with the spacer in and I reckon about 2.96" (by eye and ruler - battery gone on verniers) if the spacer went. I was expecting the AW to be shorter than 2.9". Looking forward to your more accurate measuring.

 

 

Current thinking is .243 with 105 A-MAX. My mind wanders...

[ds1]

Measured 3 AW mags, average 2.900"

[AHPP]

Cheers.

[foxing2night]

AI AW in 6.5x47

 

I would go with an AW!!!! AWESOME

 

Darrel

[AHPP]

Question to all:

What does the P in AWP mean specification-wise? From the Sporting Services website it looks like it just means black stocksides and a different 'standard' barrel. Seeing as both parts are interchangeable it seems like it's only done for marketing to the police.

[brown dog]

Question to all:

What does the P in AWP mean specification-wise? From the Sporting Services website it looks like it just means black stocksides and a different 'standard' barrel. Seeing as both parts are interchangeable it seems like it's only done for marketing to the police.

 

Correct on the barrel. Stocksides can be any colour. It means an AW with a 24" heavier profile barrel; originally these were 'select' barrels and a significantly higher accuracy guarantee was given than for the 26" standard barrel.

[AHPP]

Correct on the barrel. Stocksides can be any colour. It means an AW with a 24" heavier profile barrel; originally these were 'select' barrels and a significantly higher accuracy guarantee was given than for the 26" standard barrel.

 

AI seem to be quite arbitrary. Their blurb ( http://www.accuracyinternational.com/assets/assets/aw_brochure.pdf ) reckons 2 inches of barrel and a muzzle brake give you another 400 yards "effective range" with a .308 (of course with a suitable caveat)!

All acedemic though really. I'm sure configuarations are flexible (within reason).

 

 

In related humour, what colour stocksides do the Irish police have on their AWs?