Learning to build a rifle

[CB1]

I see a lot of great results from people building rifles. Curious as to where you got the information to do this when you started. Obviously there are many types of rifles but specifically thinking bolt action. There are machining aspects I see as well, but not all builds require it. I guess you could debate if that is a build or just putting parts together.

Are there certain setups that are easier to start with?

I’m interested in eventually doing this and would like to learn more about it and would guess there are others.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Start simple. Pick a fairly common bolt rifle in your safe and find a complete tear-down, clean and reassembly video on Youtube. Go through the process. It will give you a foundation sense of the relevant parts. Pick a part, like the stock or trigger group, of a current rifle that you would like to have improved. Research the options - do the upgrade yourself. This all gets you comfortable with working with the gun and what parts/features are important to you. There are lots of small improvement projects one can do oneself to upgrade your current inventory.

Do the same with an AR platform rifle in your safe (if that is something you have an interest in).

When you feel like you are ready to build a full rifle from scratch you just need to make all the "build choices". From there, the assembly of both bolt and AR rifles is simple (except for joining the barrel and the action - you may want to buy a barreled action as a component or have a gunsmith do this part for you).


By way of example, here is a build list for a Rem700 platform bolt rifle I am dabbling with:

Custom Build Choices:
Action Type: Bolt
Chambering: 280AI
Barrel Length: 24"
Barrel Contour: Heavy Sporter
Muzzel Threading: 5/8" + knurled thread cover
Stock shape: classic hunter not "weatherby swell"
Stock maker: B&C, H&S or MacMillan
Stock mounts: sling studs + bipod picatiny base
Action footprint: Rem700/clone
Action maker: Defiant Tenacity or Blueprinted Rem700 - pinned recoil lug
Metal: stainless steel
End of Muzzle: self-timing 5/8" directional break + 5/8"hunting-style suppressor
Magazine type: BDL
Barrel Maker: Bartlein
Trigger Maker: TriggerTech Special no bolt release curved trigger
Metal Finish: beaded stainless satin
BDL Maker: ________
Additional Parts: Follower, spring, box, and action screws

 

[Ben Lamb]

It depends on what you mean by "building." If you mean assembling prefit items like barrels to actions, running a finish reamer and then bedding it to a prefit stock, that's significantly different than assembling an AR or building a blueprinted rifle from basic parts.

Savage seems to be the easiest with the barrel nut that allows for easier change ups on the bbl. The Remington 700 has an entire industry behind it in terms of accessories and parts, etc.

Some folks get a donor action and have a barrel installed, or are able to chamber, time and mate it to the action themselves. Others can have a rifle reamed out to a different cartridge, etc. Stocks are the same - lots of 99% stock makers out there who can ship you a stock that requires minor inletting along with finishing.

For me, I prefer to have a smith perform the metal work and I'll do the stock finishing, as I don't trust myself with that. I have installed barrels on two AR build's I've done and they've worked flawlessly, so there's a vote for the barrel nut system in terms of ease of use.

 

[brockel]

Savage seems to be the easiest with the barrel nut that allows for easier change ups on the bbl. The Remington 700 has an entire industry behind it in terms of accessories and parts, etc.

There’s actually prefits with the savage barrel nut for head spacing for almost all popular actions now days.

 

[CB1]

Thanks for the info. Have a Rem 700 adl in 270 I could use as a donor action. Some part upgrades would help build some confidence.

Sounds like snagging a cheap savage could be a good entry into this. Is one easier or cheaper than the other?

Maybe do one or two of these before doing a full custom build.

 

[Dougfirtree]

There’s actually prefits with the savage barrel nut for head spacing for almost all popular actions now days.

I don't really speak Rifle Building. Are you saying you can attach something to the action of a Remington, or a Browning that would allow you to put a savage barrel on it yourself? Can you attach this nut yourself?

 

[brockel]

I don't really speak Rifle Building. Are you saying you can attach something to the action of a Remington, or a Browning that would allow you to put a savage barrel on it yourself? Can you attach this nut yourself?

They will do a prefit barrel on a Remington they are called a remage barrel now which is threaded for a Remington action. You’d get the nut. You will need and action wrench, a barrel nut wrench, and headspacing gauges. You use the no go and go gauge head spacing gauges to set your headspace then you tighten down the barrel nut

 

[kiwi hunter]

get a hagn falling block action then just follow your nose, look forward to the result

 

[VikingsGuy]

get a hagn falling block action then just follow your nose, look forward to the result

Do @Ben Lamb or @BrentD have a new HT username

 

[Ben Lamb]

Do @Ben Lamb or @BrentD have a new HT username

The gentlemen & gentlewomen of New Zealand & Australia are known for their hunting prowess & good taste. And their devastatingly winsome looks.

Good company to be in.

 

[Gila]

Viking has some good suggestions. Start out with something small to upgrade a firearm that you may already have if you can. Pull that puppy apart. The whole idea is so you can figure out the relationship between the stock, barreled action, trigger assembly, and bottom metal. I don’t have a safe full of firearms and am retired with a fixed income so I need to come up with a build budget. The cost of the scope is part of my build budget. I don’t have any interest in putting an AR together. I am strictly into building a bolt gun for hunting.

Google is your best friend for figuring out the build process. Be careful of some really stupid YouTube video ideas though. My goal is to build a rifle without a gunsmith to do any of the work. A truly DIY project is what I have in mind. I am at the stage now to save up some cash to order the parts for the design. Get your requirements down on paper. The first thing to do is to figure out which cartridge you want. That will drive the action you select. The action you select must be able to accept the type of bottom metal that you want. And you will need to select a stock that can accept the action you select. The action will also drive the trigger assembly selection.

Finding a rem 700 action to true up is really difficult right now. Remington Arms was sold off and action production doesn’t seem to be on their priority list. Nonetheless, even if you do find an action to true up, it will end up costing about as much as a vastly superior custom action that will couple a prefit barrel. A good custom action will cost at least 900-1000 on the low end and the average tier is 1300-1700. The Bighorn Origin, Defiancé Tenacity and ARC Nucleus are 900-1000 but availability is a problem. A savage action isn’t even on my RADAR.

Could be months wait time for an action. A Tikka action is a possibility, you can get an action for 650-900 depending on the options you want. But with a Tikka Action your choices for a stock and prefit barrel are somewhat limited.

There are barrel makers out there that will “deep” chamber, give you whatever free bore and rifling you want. You can select your barrel contour, have a choice between different fluting designs. They will also thread the muzzle and/or give you whatever crown you want. The sky is the limit for barrel options these days. I am going to get a prefit, shouldered barrel and twist it on myself. I don’t care much for a barrel nut but the advantage to a “variable” shouldered prefit is that you can set the headspeace yourself without relying on the barrel maker to get it right with a “fixed” shoulder prefit.

This thread will be a long one as there is a lot going on in the process...

 

[Gila]

They will do a prefit barrel on a Remington they are called a remage barrel now which is threaded for a Remington action. You’d get the nut. You will need and action wrench, a barrel nut wrench, and headspacing gauges. You use the no go and go gauge head spacing gauges to set your headspace then you tighten down the barrel nut

The “remage” is the old way of doing things. Barrel makers can match the tenon threads for quite a few different actions these days. Some action makers like ARC have come up with quick change barrel systems for bolt guns. The barrel nut is still a good concept for head-spacing, but no longer need a barrel with small shank savage threads. Hence the prefit concept.

 

[brockel]

The “remage” is the old way of doing things. Barrel makers can match the tenon threads for quite a few different actions these days. Some action makers like ARC have come up with quick change barrel systems for bolt guns. The barrel nut is still a good concept for head-spacing, but no longer need a barrel with small shank savage threads. Hence the prefit concept.

For your higher end actions yes like your defiance and such. For your Remingtons, Rugers, savages no. Tolerance isn’t as good on the mass produced actions

 

[BrentD]

Do @Ben Lamb or @BrentD have a new HT username

Asleep at the wheel I'm afraid.

I don't know much about bolt rifles. I do own one - a Krag, but it's sorta modern technology for me.

I do like to build guns. But I build them like you might build houses - sort of. I think of myself as the General Contractor. I list all of the steps that I will do myself and all of those that I want done by my "subs". I generally have a particular "sub" in mind for each specialized job. Then I list the steps in order that they need to be done and farm out the parts as needed. My Winchester 1885 .22 had 15 people involved in some part of it when I last counted years ago. Since then, others have been recruited for special tasks. Kind of fun to have a rifle that "takes a village".

I have learned to do some inletting and bending. I'm handy with wood finishing (but not checkering - yet), and I can polish and rust blue with the best of them. So those are the parts that I do most of the time. And anything I can do anyone can do, if they want to give it an honest try.

I have some slabs of black walnut up in the loft awaiting the next spec job. I have a couple of actions and other parts that I have accumulated to with them. I'm about due.

If you don't have a mill and a lathe, and the skills to use them well, somethings just aren't pragmatically doable.

Now, if you were going to build a Winchester 1885, or an English Creedmoor, or maybe a vintage Marlin lever gun of some sort, I could say a lot more about each of those steps...

 

[morgaj1]

I have a Rem 700 build, Weatherby Vanguard build and Tikka build. The Tikka is my favorite. Action is true from the factory and only requires a $10 trigger spring to have a stellar trigger. Some consider fewer stock manufacturers as a downside. I have found that I can get the Tikka stock that I want from AG composites, Mesa Precision or McMillan.

 

[p_ham]

Asleep at the wheel I'm afraid.

I don't know much about bolt rifles. I do own one - a Krag, but it's sorta modern technology for me.

I do like to build guns. But I build them like you might build houses - sort of. I think of myself as the General Contractor. I list all of the steps that I will do myself and all of those that I want done by my "subs". I generally have a particular "sub" in mind for each specialized job. Then I list the steps in order that they need to be done and farm out the parts as needed. My Winchester 1885 .22 had 15 people involved in some part of it when I last counted years ago. Since then, others have been recruited for special tasks. Kind of fun to have a rifle that "takes a village".

I have learned to do some inletting and bending. I'm handy with wood finishing (but not checkering - yet), and I can polish and rust blue with the best of them. So those are the parts that I do most of the time. And anything I can do anyone can do, if they want to give it an honest try.

I have some slabs of black walnut up in the loft awaiting the next spec job. I have a couple of actions and other parts that I have accumulated to with them. I'm about due.

If you don't have a mill and a lathe, and the skills to use them well, somethings just aren't pragmatically doable.

Now, if you were going to build a Winchester 1885, or an English Creedmoor, or maybe a vintage Marlin lever gun of some sort, I could say a lot more about each of those steps...

I REALLY want to build a single shot from scratch. Probably pistol caliber, either an 1885 or a rolling block.

 

[BrentD]

I REALLY want to build a single shot from scratch. Probably pistol caliber, either an 1885 or a rolling block.

Build what YOU want and ignore all othersi, ncluding me, when they say things like - "you really should reconsider and build a rifle caliber because it's so much more versitile."

I ignored most people, but not everyone. The notable, Pete Mink said to me when I was building my first custom cartridge rifle - make it a gun you will use the most.

And right there I switched from a centerfire to a rimfire. And I'm sure glad I did. Of course, I did come back later and build a few centerfires too. And some (more) muzzleloaders. But if you think you are going to do this once, make it a gun that will get used a bunch. (feel free to ignore this too).

 

[p_ham]

Build what YOU want and ignore all othersi, ncluding me, when they say things like - "you really should reconsider and build a rifle caliber because it's so much more versitile."

I ignored most people, but not everyone. The notable, Pete Mink said to me when I was building my first custom cartridge rifle - make it a gun you will use the most.

And right there I switched from a centerfire to a rimfire. And I'm sure glad I did. Of course, I did come back later and build a few centerfires too. And some (more) muzzleloaders. But if you think you are going to do this once, make it a gun that will get used a bunch. (feel free to ignore this too).

Beautiful rifle, and that photo makes me really miss squirrel hunting.
I don't know if it will just be one or not, I want to do a pistol cal first because when I say "from scratch" I mean a block of steel. I need to learn more about the proper heat treat or just send it out for rifle stuff. I could stick with black powder and be fine though.
A 45-110 or 40-65 will be in my collection at some point.

 

[BrentD]

Beautiful rifle, and that photo makes me really miss squirrel hunting.
I don't know if it will just be one or not, I want to do a pistol cal first because when I say "from scratch" I mean a block of steel. I need to learn more about the proper heat treat or just send it out for rifle stuff. I could stick with black powder and be fine though.
A 45-110 or 40-65 will be in my collection at some point.

I have a friend that built a Hepburn .45-70 from a block of steel. Took him a few years. He did buy the barrel though. He was a professional machinist and owned his own shop. That sorta helps...

 

[p_ham]

I have a friend that built a Hepburn .45-70 from a block of steel. Took him a few years. He did buy the barrel though. He was a professional machinist and owned his own shop. That sorta helps...

Those side levers are cool guns too! I too would be buying a barrel.
I've got the equipment, time is always an issue. I guess if I put it on the list, it'll eventually make it to the top, right?