auquhollie Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Thinking of going for a custom long action for my next build and wanted some opinions on what one plus prices and availability. It will be for a light wait sporting rifle. I really like the sako actions with the flush drop mag and safety design but they fetch near to £800 for a donar stainless one. Surelly that must be close to the price of a custom action ?. So what action gives best value for money? and what price. Cheers Ads Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldie Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Chris had some new sako,s he got from Pete jackson a bit back, hasn,t he got any of them left ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auquhollie Posted March 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Northern Chris you mean ?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auquhollie Posted March 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Baldie, What prices are the surgeon actions that you sell ? and are they easy enough to get your hands on ?. Ads Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldie Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Yeah, Chris at Anglo.He had at least 5 i think, but i dont know what action size they were. The surgeons are around the £1000 mark, and we have all action sizes in stock. There are some Lawtons due next week, which are stainless, and lighter than the surgeon, and would suit a sporter better.Not sure exactly on price, but should be around the £800 mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auquhollie Posted March 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Yeah, Chris at Anglo.He had at least 5 i think, but i dont know what action size they were.The surgeons are around the £1000 mark, and we have all action sizes in stock. There are some Lawtons due next week, which are stainless, and lighter than the surgeon, and would suit a sporter better.Not sure exactly on price, but should be around the £800 mark. Cheers for that, Ill check out the lawton. Thats a good price as well, looking on guntrader a sako stainless L/A donar rifle would cost more than the lawton so it might be the way to go. Cheers again Ads Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mildot Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 The only benefit with a donnor rifle is you get the trigger and mag included, Im sure the custom action is gunna be plus trigger + mag system. Is this correct Baldie as i should have a bit of money coming to me sometime this year and this will hopefully cover a custom jobbie. So i will be interested to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
col48 Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 Hi get in contact with PRS Scotland and have a look at the alpine and the timberline actions,they are far better than any mentioned up to yet. defiantly be on my shopping list if i did not have a safe full of nesikas. Ian form of this site has one send him a pm he will tell you about them. ATB Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 I would be surprised if Callum would sell a Timberline or Alpine unless it were attached to a full build. I know he waited nearly a year for his delivery, although he did have a couple of Timberlines for sale a while back. The question of whats "better" for a sporter is really a question that can only be answered by the purchaser. If its for a sporter, then any of the custom actions will be more than ample for the job. Best budget wise action would be a Barnard SM (circa £550), but you are limited to HS or BDL style magazine (not that this would be n issue with a stalking rifle as they look just fine. The Barnards drop in to Rem 700 action inlets and accept any Rem trigger. IMHO the Surgeon is still the "best" action for a repeater build Just my 2p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
col48 Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 I would be surprised if Callum would sell a Timberline or Alpine unless it were attached to a full build. I know he waited nearly a year for his delivery, although he did have a couple of Timberlines for sale a while back. The question of whats "better" for a sporter is really a question that can only be answered by the purchaser. If its for a sporter, then any of the custom actions will be more than ample for the job. Best budget wise action would be a Barnard SM (circa £550), but you are limited to HS or BDL style magazine (not that this would be n issue with a stalking rifle as they look just fine. The Barnards drop in to Rem 700 action inlets and accept any Rem trigger. IMHO the Surgeon is still the "best" action for a repeater build Just my 2p spoke to him the other day delivery time is 5 month and they are £995 and he will get me as many as i like. surgeon IMHO are to heavy ATB Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 Nice one Colin the Bordens will make a lovely stalking rifle. There really isnt anything in it when you add a rail, a decent recoil lug and attach a lightweight / sporter barrel to the surgeon, the comparative weight difference would be ounces only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldie Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 Triggers etc are always extra on a custom action, whatever the type. I think if you take any of the custom actions, add a steel picatinney rail to it, then weigh it....you will find very little difference in any of them. The surgeon comes with a 20 moa rail built in, and obviously in the price. Factor at least another £120 on top of other actions for a quality rail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vermincinerator Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 Having compared my Borden Timberline to both a Surgeon and a Lawton i can easily say that the Borden is better quality. Ian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
col48 Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 Having compared my Borden Timberline to both a Surgeon and a Lawton i can easily say that the Borden is better quality. Ian. my sentiments to Ian. i think they are in a different league to stiller and Lawton.(the lawtons i got in where not finished off very well and i spent cash and time on every one before i let them out the door) the stiller's well i can not see y you have to have the bolt coated blue to stop them from galling,as non of the other action builders need to coat there bolt. not sure about the tolerances but i would say they will be second to none. wasn't it Borden who made the nesika actions and then left and started up his self? as my nesikas have Borden bumps on the bolt i all so heard that rifle craft rejected a shed load of lawton actions as the quality was piss poor, not sure if this is true but i heard that someone had brought them off lawton. it would be interesting to know who got them as i would not like a reject selling me. If this is true, anyone else hear anything like this? i would all so put on ally rings and bases. and i would not buy steel again. ATB Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldie Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 You,ve been misinformed Colin. There was indeed a batch of faulty lawtons, but it was a problem with the bolts, not the actions. Riflecraft never saw them . The replacements are on their way over with a large shipment of ours. Riflecraft are still selling lawtons, as are border, and Russel Gall, as well as several other top gunsmiths in the Uk. There is nothing whatsoever wrong with the quality of them. If we are talking about action faults, the most well known quality issue was with nesika not long ago. I would check yours over, you may have got some rejects. You,ve also done well to get some, i believe Steve Kershaw is STILL waiting for a huge batch he ordered, and paid for some time ago, and no one buys more Nesika,s than Steve. I think the main fault with both surgeon and Lawtons on here......is that we have the exclusive dealership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingbags Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 spoke to him the other day delivery time is 5 month and they are £995 and he will get me as many as i like. surgeon IMHO are to heavy ATB Colin Colin, Is £995.00 retail price or trade price? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TC Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 Chris did have some Sako actions in at a good price but they were all III's I believe - I've had him build me a 6BR on one. TC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
col48 Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 Colin, Is £995.00 retail price or trade price? Hi Gary the prices are retail and where right up to date, unless the $ has changed. ATB Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingbags Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 Hi Gary the prices are retail and where right up to date, unless the $ has changed. ATB Colin Thanks Colin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
col48 Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 You,ve been misinformed Colin.There was indeed a batch of faulty lawtons, but it was a problem with the bolts, not the actions. Riflecraft never saw them . The replacements are on their way over with a large shipment of ours. Riflecraft are still selling lawtons, as are border, and Russel Gall, as well as several other top gunsmiths in the Uk. There is nothing whatsoever wrong with the quality of them. If we are talking about action faults, the most well known quality issue was with nesika not long ago. I would check yours over, you may have got some rejects. You,ve also done well to get some, i believe Steve Kershaw is STILL waiting for a huge batch he ordered, and paid for some time ago, and no one buys more Nesika,s than Steve. I think the main fault with both surgeon and Lawtons on here......is that we have the exclusive dealership. so it appear i was right then there was a problem. but i new this as i was the first person to bring in the actions but i spent cash putting them right,i all so brought this to the attention of the manufactures,but they seem to have not taken this on board. but they did tell me they had sorted it. the finish on the bolts was dreadfully.and i would not buy another until this was sorted out. you have to ask your self if they are prepared to let the finish go what else have they let slip? as for my nesika well i have nothing to bother about them, if the action is faulty and they shoot this good maybe they should make them all this way all so you will have to ask steve who set him up bringing in nesikas as for for surgeon i fell they are just a bit to heavy, and all so i no a gun smith that is getting them direct,so you might want to see if you have the exclusive rights. now i have no problem how brings in what just don't hid problems as i know there is/was ATB Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maltbuck Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 RPA's - not as good, perhaps, as Bordens, but how do they compare to Lawtons, Stillers, and Surgeons in both single shot and repeaters? Regards Maltbuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 Have to admit that the finish of BAT and Bordens is very good, lovely in fact, would I like to take one ratching around in all sorts of xxtty conditions, well I wonder.... The RPA, Barnard, Stiller, Pierce, Surgeon, Lawton actions are also very very nice, and i'll bet a penny or two that if you made two rifles, one using a Borden / BAT and the other another chaper custom action and use the same componants (barrel, trigger and stock) there would be no difference in performance (accuracy) All down to budget and personal preferances really. Relatively easy to get a £100 battered Rem action to shoot as well as a top custom............. Then theres's Parker Hale, proven in veggie battles worldwide By the way Barney Lawton died less than a month ago, perhaps the QC issues presented themselves because he was too unwell to oversee final finish..I don't know, but every maker has suffered problems, ,,,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldie Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 Russ Gall has been bringing lawtons in for years Col. Do you want to tell who the gunsmith is who is bringing surgeons in direct then ? Or is it just another story. We Have the dealership, and its SOLE rights to the uk market. That doesn,t stop anyone bringing them in via a dealer in the states of course. The problem with the lawtons was simply that they had been supplied with the wrong grade of steel, and they were recalled whilst en route to customers. no guns were built on them, nor were they sold on to anyone....they were destroyed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
col48 Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 Russ Gall has been bringing lawtons in for years Col.Do you want to tell who the gunsmith is who is bringing surgeons in direct then ? Or is it just another story. We Have the dealership, and its SOLE rights to the uk market. That doesn,t stop anyone bringing them in via a dealer in the states of course. The problem with the lawtons was simply that they had been supplied with the wrong grade of steel, and they were recalled whilst en route to customers. no guns were built on them, nor were they sold on to anyone....they were destroyed. Hi Dave that was not the same issue as i had so they might have sorted the bolt finish out. (you will have to let use know when they land if the finish is OK on them) strange how i was told they had never exported any rifle actions before. but that matters very little really dose it. i can only go on what im told.and ill go buy what the manufacturer says. colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
varminter Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 Have to admit that the finish of BAT and Bordens is very good, lovely in fact, would I like to take one ratching around in all sorts of xxtty conditions, well I wonder.... The RPA, Barnard, Stiller, Pierce, Surgeon, Lawton actions are also very very nice, and i'll bet a penny or two that if you made two rifles, one using a Borden / BAT and the other another chaper custom action and use the same componants (barrel, trigger and stock) there would be no difference in performance (accuracy) All down to budget and personal preferances really. Relatively easy to get a £100 battered Rem action to shoot as well as a top custom............. Then theres's Parker Hale, proven in veggie battles worldwide By the way Barney Lawton died less than a month ago, perhaps the QC issues presented themselves because he was too unwell to oversee final finish..I don't know, but every maker has suffered problems, ,,,, ................................................................................ ......... Then theres's Parker Hale, proven in veggie battles worldwide smile. Really like that bit you added Ronin!!!! :lol: Thanks mate!! All the best..................... RAY...................................................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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