"custom" Rifles

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keano44

New member
Just curious; how many of you are likely, at least once in your lifetime, to purchase a custom rifle. Sure there are some great factory rifles available for good prices off-the-shelf. But can you see yourself spending $3-10K for a full custom or some variation of full custom rifle, where you get to specify every detail, and get exactly what you want? Is this something you see in your future?
Have you already done it? Will you do it again?
What do you think about http://www.serengetirifles.com
 
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Kreyzhorse

New member
My father had one built for him back in the 70's by a local gunsmith. While it is not a engraved rifle nor was it built over the top, it was built to his specs and it's a beatiful gun. It is a .308 and rifle is scary accurate and I had a couple of offers to buy it on the spot at the gun club. I wouldn't part with it for any amount of money however.

Knowing what I know about his custom built, I'd still pass having one built for myself. There are some very good off the shelf rifles and I'm content that any one of those will suit my needs just as well as a 3K rifle. It may not have been built for me, but that doesn't make it any more or less of a rifle.
 
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Gulland

New member
I once had a custom rifle built. It was a Sako action, Douglas air gaged barrel, McMillan stock, in .280. I have never shot a more accurate gun. You can save thousands by going with a good synthetic stock and adding a beautiful wood stock later if you feel you want it.

All the fancy engraving and fine woods do nothing for me. I like a gun that shoots accurately and consistently. A good gunsmith can put the pieces together with great precision, and bed, tune and polish an action and trigger to near perfection.

Stock guns can be greatly improved by a good once over by a talented gunsmith, but real accuracy comes from building one from the ground up with very high quality components.

I'd love to have another custom gun built. Twice in my life wouldn't be too much to handle. Heck, I could probably handle it 3 or 4 times.

I prefer to have a few really good guns and learn how to use them very well rather than have a safe full of strangers.

Gulland
 
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CraigC

Moderator
Eventually. At this point, I'm more interested in custom revolvers. I've got four now and three more in the planning stages so it will be a while before I'll get to do a rifle. Whatever I do, it will almost surely be a levergun.
 
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Jimro

New member
Well I have a m98 action at the smith right now being fitted for 9.3x62 barrel....

But I'll do all the stock work myself, so it's not a "true" custom because of that, and the fact that it is using a milsurp action instead of something like a Montana 99 action.

If you want a good rifle in a standard caliber there is no reason to go the custom route. If you want a slightly oddball caliber on a custom action, well then that narrows it down a bit.

I could have bought a CZ in 9.3x62, but after having iron sights put on it the cost difference between new and custom was very very slim.

Jimro
 
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Ulrice

New member
I have a p17 that has already been worked over by BSA. It is at the smith getting a new barrel in 338-06, a new trigger, and a hing added to the floor plate. All told that should cost me about $1k. I'm working on a new stock myself. I can see myself spending more on a custom later in life.
 
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shooter_john

New member
I also agree with the "custom" AR comment... I have built 2 both for exactly what I needed/ wanted, and both well under $1K.

I also built a 6.5x47 Lapua on a Savage action, and it is my most prized "custom" rifle, and it rann me less than $800. Savage's are great for a custom on a 'poorman's budget'. Lots of accessories and aftermarket bit and pieces, and tons of customs barrels.

As for doing it again, my Dad and I are building an 'heirloom' rifle on a Savage action as we speak. It'll be a 260 Rem sporter with a custom stock when it grows up, and when we both have some extra cash around, it's going to the engraver.
 
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MontanaRifleman

New member
I have to totally agree with Gulland.

{All the fancy engraving and fine woods do nothing for me. I like a gun that shoots accurately and consistently. A good gunsmith can put the pieces together with great precision, and bed, tune and polish an action and trigger to near perfection.}

My next rifle will be built by a good gunsmith with a Lilja barrel (Montana made), a Montana Rifle action and a McMillan or HS Precision stock and will cost well less than $2K. I realistically expect it to shoot .25 MOA or better. Lilja barrels are arguably some of the best barrels in the world.

Also, I just ordered a Cooper 270 Win. Cooper Firearms of Montana (Montana made) makes custom quality rifles for well less than $2K and you can order barrel length, fluted or not, synthetic or wood, stainless or chrome moly, etc. you can also get the fancy engraving etc, which can drive the cost up over $3K. Cooper guarantees .5 MOA out of the box. The only other gunmaker with a .5 MOA guarantee that I know of is HS Precision and they start at $2500.
 
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fisherman66

New member
I like to have a Swede Mauser takedown rifle in it's original chambering, but with a new barrel with a full length high grade English walnut American sportster style stock. Action, gripcap and buttplate case-colored; barrel and front/leaf sights and bottom metal high blue; takedown pin nitre blued. Tip off scope mounts. All in a leather bound solid wood case packaged with a handpress.
 
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boltgun71

New member
I'm planning on purchasing a custom Remington Rolling Block Silouhette rifle in .45-70 from the Remington Factory Custom Shop in the next few years. Its going to cost between $2,000-3,000.

As for custom AR's, I have built two myself to my specs. They are a great build for the money, you can spend as little or as much as you want.
 
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Mike50

New member
I had a full custom rifle built 8 years ago. Never had so much fun in my life. Every detail on the gun was built to my desire. The final price was around $4500.

The wood blank, while AAA Selection Grade, didn't turn out as well as it appeared that it would. The accuracy of the rifle is also rather mediocre, even after a second Douglas premium barrel was installed.

I never intend to sell the rifle, yet I'm deeply annoyed by the realization that if I did, the resale value would be very little greater than if it were a factory rifle. It seems that people aren't willing to pay for someone else's dream rifle, even when everything about it is full-on classic.

The harder you work to make your rifle perfect, the more the tiniest flaw is irritating. So your satisfaction level becomes very demanding.

I enjoy carrying and using the rifle. In fact, I may do it again in the near future. One more attempt to get it perfect. But I will do it realizing that but for my own use, I'm throwing a lot of money away.
 
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skydiver3346

New member
"Custom" Rifle?

Speaking of custom rifles, I have a Alpha Arms "Custom" rifle in .308 and was thinking about selling it. It is a beautiful, accurate and well built rifle and was wondering if anyone out there knows anything about the Alpha Arms company? I understand they are no longer making rifles?
Thanks
 
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CPTMurdoc30

New member
I have one custom rifle right now. I plan on have at least 4 to 5 more made in the future. If my kids are still into shooting when they grad from college I might have them each one made esp for that day. Then you can't leave the wife out and thing dad needs more than the kids and the wife.

I ain't savin no money by disgracing a custom built rifle with a over priced plastic stock on it. Wood all the way on my rifles.
 
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taylorce1

New member
To me a custom rifle is just making it what you want, I tend to agree with this statement though.
I ain't savin no money by disgracing a custom built rifle with a over priced plastic stock on it. Wood all the way on my rifles.
Click to expand...

However it all depends on what I want to do with the rifle. If I was hunting coastal AK around salt water I probably would have a synthetic stocked custom. I do prefer the looks of wood and bluing of all other flavors of customs.

I have a full blown custom in the works right now, .25-06 on a Charles Daly action with double set triggers. I went with a 26" stainless steel #5 contour Lija barrel. A KG GunKote matte finish on the action and barrel, since I couldn't blue it. It is going into a AAA grade Carlo walnut stock of Monte Carlo design with a roll over cheek piece. Haven't decided on the scope yet but I'm thinking along the lines of a Swarovski AV scope around 2.5-10. This is going to be my long range pronghorn rifle. Cost total on this rifle without scope will be around $2500.
 
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Bogie

New member
I've got several custom jobbies...

They're purpose-built benchrest rifles.

#1 thing to do is find -the- gunsmith who does the kind of rifle you want. You do NOT want to buy $1,500-2,000 worth of stuff, and hand it to Bubba's Gunsmithing... Be prepared to deal with ordering and mailing stuff, and waiting...
 
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Scorch

New member
For folks who are impressed with Savage, Remington, or Browning rifles, and would never part with $1000 for a rifle, that is your thing. For folks who want a one-of-a-kind rifle, or a super-accurate rifle, of a real jaw-dropper with gorgeous wood, there is room for you here, too.

I like custom rifles, when they're done right. But when you lay down big bucks for a custom rifle, whether it is a milsurp rebuild or a full custom, you have the right to expect certain things:
1- The rifle should be flawless. It is not a production rifle, so you have the right to expect it to be flawless.
2- It should be mind-bogglingly accurate with at least a couple of loads (sorry about your rifle Mike50).
3- It should not look like a factory rifle, either in the metal finish or the wood finish (if you wanted a factory rifle, you could have bought one with the money you spent on the custom rifle).
4- And most importantly, it should fit you and have all the features you want in a rifle.

IMO, people who see no value in a custom rifle are depriving themselves of one of the great pleasures of life.
 
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