Shuggy

After trying just about all the fancy products over the years, I have finally settled on plain old Ballistol for bolts and raceways. I also use the Putoline Ceramic grease, but only for moderator threads and bearing surfaces. I have never felt the need to put anything on triggers.

As has been pointed out by others, all of this is entirely related to the planned introduction of the L129A2. Once the safety modelling has been completed and the range templates have been updated, I am sure that all will be well.

Section 57 of the firearms act defines cartridges as ‘ammunition for any firearm’, so primed cases are not required to be locked away.

It’s very handy and great for positional shooting. But the varmint profile barrel is also quite capable of coping with extended shot strings for target shooting.

I had an old Remington 700 VS, with a burnt out barrel, that was sitting in the cabinet doing nothing, and I had a similar itch for a ‘shorty’ that channelled the look of the DARPA XM-3 sniper rifle. I asked Neil McKillop to work his usual magic and this was the result. The first time out on the range, I think that I was annoying my spotter, as I kept hitting the spotting disc. Calibre is 0.308 and barrel length is 18”. Moderator is an Ase Utra BoreLock SL5i.

I have had a Tipton Gun Vise for years and they are great. However, chassis style stocks such as my AX308 do not fit well. I have recently bought a ‘pattern makers vice’ to replace the Tipton. These have the advantage of soft jaws, the ability to grip ‘tapers, round or odd shapes’ and the ability to swivel to any orientation. Plus the price is only £148, which I think is very reasonable. https://www.axminstertools.com/axminster-trade-vices-pattern-makers-vice-107038?queryID=43682989aa623abd93274522cd48abbd

This just showed up in my Facebook feed: Press release – 31st October 2022 The Phoenix Barrel Company Ltd We are pleased to announce the formation of a new UK rifle barrel manufacturing company by a group of international target rifle shooters and experienced barrel makers. With over 150 years of target shooting experience amongst the shareholders and the expertise of highly regarded barrel makers, it is our strong desire to quickly become the leading rifle barrel manufacturer in the UK marketplace. The company has purchased the machinery and equipment and other assets of the barrel making division of Sassen Engineering Ltd in Birmingham (in liquidation), and is preparing to commence production in early November 2022 to satisfy a healthy and growing order book. For more information, please contact us on info@phoenixbarrels.com

Another alternative is the Klarig muzzle brake from Germany: https://muendungsbremsen.de/en/borelock-brake.html This is compatible with the Ase Utra Borelock system, but is much more compact and neater looking than the Finnish made brakes. However, fair warning, Klarig does not accept credit card payments, insisting on the SEPA bank transfer system. I found this pretty complex and managed to mess it up. However, the quality of the brake itself is top notch, with excellent machining and a Nitride surface finish.

A 32 ft lb CB Long is also safe around habitation. You have to compare apples with apples. One of the joys of a tube magazine rimfire is that it will feed pretty much any length of ammunition. I am certainly not dissing FAC airguns. Choice is good and the engineering shown above is amazing. I’m just pointing out that there are other options available.

Well said by VarmLR. The shooting community has always been pretty good at weeding out the tiny few that wilfully conduct illegal acts. It does no one any good to look the other way.

That does make sense. The same flexibility also exists to a degree with rimfire. You can go from CB Longs at ~10 ft lbs, all the way up to CCI Stingers at ~140 ft lbs. But maybe not with the same fantastic consistency as you are getting.

Aggy, thank you, I think that’s an amazing rifle. However, I must admit that I have never quite ‘got’ FAC air rifles. If one is going to go to the trouble of obtaining an FAC, what advantages does an air rifle confer over a rimfire? if you take something like this 22 Henry lever action: this will hold 16 rounds of 22 Short, each delivering about 70 ft lbs. It weighs something like 6 lbs; handles like a magic wand; holds minute-of-bunny head comfortably at 50 yards; is almost silent when fitted with a moderator; and can be picked up for around £700. What am I missing?

It’s very interesting to read the scammer’s post history. He clearly took some effort to post just enough apparently knowledgeable posts to appear plausible. Please take care everyone!

A hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel, such as you will find on an SA80 will typically last 10-20,000 rounds. A non-chrome lined barrel would probably last a bit less. But there is a big difference between service rifle accuracy standards and civilian ‘match’ accuracy. I am guessing that a stainless 0.223 match barrel would probably give good accuracy for 5-6,000 rounds? Good barrel life is one of the joys of using standard ‘underbore’ cartridges such as 0.223 and 0.308.

I believe that the CZ527 is a basic Mauser action, so any decent ‘smith should be able to improve its accuracy by fitting a stainless match barrel instead of the hammer forged one that it comes with. May as well get it glass bedded while you are at it.