Etronix Rifles

[SteveW]

Just having a naustalgic moment and thinking back on past rifles.

 

Many, many years ago I bought a Remington Etronix in 220 swift, being suckered in with talk of faster lock time, the non moving nature of the system etc etc.

 

I ordered the rifle, and 2000 of the electronic primers.

 

Well the rifle arrived with primers supposedly following shortly after, well after more than six months waiting and purchasing several hundred factory Etronix rounds. I cant recall the exact price of the electronic primer ammo, but hasten to say it was considerably more than standard.

 

The system was alledgedly water proof, which proved to be untrue. On one foxing trip in a favourite spot over looking a large valley, the heavens opened up. Being over half an hour from the truck I decided to stick it out, well after laying out in the rain for approximately 20 minutes, with no let up in the downpour, I decided to take a shot at a distant rabbit and then head home.

Well I dial in, squeeze the trigger and f..k all, on that long walk back I knew I had to get rid

The rifle had been sitting on the bipod with the butt down, water running the barrel and stock, and you guessed it, straight into the battery compartment located in the stock.

 

After countless calls to the dealer and Edgar Bros. the rifle was returned with a full refund given. The only reason they gave me the full refund was because at the time of order I had ordered the primers which Remington still couldn't supply, thus not being able to supply goods as per the original order.

 

Still got a few boxes left if anyone was as nuts as me, GOING FREE to good home.

 

Did anyone else buy one ???? Or have any other rifle horror stories ???

 

Steve

[Alycidon]

I had a well known European brand of 22.250. Best it would do with factory ammo was about 3 inches, patterned like a 12 bore, no consistancy at all. It went back, and came back to me with a note that said the caliber was a deer stalking caliber and as such 3 moa was acceptable. In fairness I did find an issue with the Apel swing off mounts which improoved things somewhat but a handfull of reloads borrowed from another user of the same caliber showed the way, they went into moa. I was then convinced I had to get into reloading.

 

A

[SteveW]

and came back to me with a note that said the caliber was a deer stalking caliber and as such 3 moa was acceptable.

A

 

Worrying comments, 3 MOA ??

 

Only ever heard good things about Apel's, what was the issue with them Geoff ??

I've always found the 22-250 quite a forgiving calibre to reload for, easy to please, but even with factory stuff I've never known it to be that inconsistent.

Do you still have the rifle ?? Are you prepared to name the manufacturer ???

 

Cheers Steve

[Alycidon]

The mounts were Apel swing offs.

 

http://www.eaw.de/eaw/index_uk.php/item/296

 

On the rear mount when you click the lower half of the scope mount into place it was loose. Yes loose on the mounting block.

 

I quiered this with the retailer and the importer who both said it was normal and when I clamped the scope into teh mount it would tighten up which in fairness it did. However the bloody thing shot awfully hence it went back.

 

When it arrived back here with a note saying go away Englander I sent it to a target riflesmith who kept it for six months and failed to find anything wrong with it other than how it shot.

 

So I had a play, now look at the pic in the link, it does not help being a reversed negative. Look at the rear of the rear base mount, you can just see another screw head!!. At the front of that mount there is another screw head opposite the one we are talking about.

 

I put the scope base into the mount, it flopped about as usual, I slackened off the rear screw, this allowed the front screw to turn further in thereby tightening up the scope mount, once tight use the rear screw to lock the whole job up and mount scope in old fashioned fixed mount way. Probem improved but not perfect, Waste of £250 for swing off mount when using them as a set of £100 fixed ones !!. Ordered a 6PPC at this point, I will have an accurate rifle !!

 

It was only when I borrowed some reloads that had been loaded long that things improved, once I mastered reloading I was loading at 2.531 oal to be 2 thou off the lands, Normal OAL in my books are around 2.35, so a 2d bus ride out using 55gr NBTs. It took the thick end of 3 years to get this far, then the PPc arrived and was putting groups in the .2 and .3s in. 22.250 was consigned to the depths of the cabinate.

 

It was a really good killer yes and once we had mastered how to load it and sort the mounts it was fine, I sold it with dies and reload info to a reloading stalker form Lancs who I met online and enjoyed a few days with both here and in Dumfries before his unfortunate and untimly death earlier this year. He used it on Roe to great effect and loved it. He did though also change the mounts for standard fixed ones.

 

So the issue was twofold, a, dont use Swing off mounts although I have used other Apel mounts on an Original 45 air rifle to great effect. B, check the throat length, 1 in 14 or so then 55s should have been about right, should have tried some heavies.

 

Make, I will pm you.

 

A