Who makes bolt action pistols in rifle calibers?

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gadgetguy1288

New member
I keep looking cause i know ruger made one but i cant remember the name.


but who else makes em?

Im looking for something new for primarily a range toy but quite possibly hunting, in the near future.
 
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Sevens

New member
You may be thinking not of Ruger, but of Remington's XP-100 pistol. Good for hunting and metallic silhouette competition. I don't think ever made a bolt action handgun in any caliber.

The Remington XO-100 is, I think, a custom shop order these days if it's made at all. You can find them used, but I don't think any of them are in heavy calibers. I know Anschutz made one, but I think all of their bolt handguns were .22LR match only, and likely very expensive.

Your best bet for a single shot handgun in a rifle caliber is not a bolt action, but a break open Contender or Encore, made by Thompson/Center. Cailbers are almost limitless.
 
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jfrey123

New member
I'm a lil' bit confused by the op... Did you mean to say bolt action RIFLE in PISTOL caliber? I've just never heard of a bolt pistol, and the closest I could imagine would be the single shot Thompsons.

Now, a bolt rifle in .45acp or .50ae or something would be sweet!
 
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Sevens

New member
Primarily for range toy, but possibly hunting? As I said, the calibers are almost without limit. But there are four VERY common calibers in the Contender where barrels are everywhere and easy to find. (the basic frame takes a barrel in almost any caliber, that's why they are so popular)

For range fun, any caliber is great. For hunting, the four that are perhaps most common in the Contender are:
.223, .44 Mag, .30-30, and .35 Rem.

The .223 is scary accurate and nice and flat shooting with almost no real recoil. For hunting, it's a great varmint rig on small animals out beyond 100 yards. 200 yards is reasonable. 300 yards is possible, but optimistic.

The .44 mag is not a real rifle round, but it's popular in some rifles and popular in hunting handguns. With a Contender in .44, you don't get 4 or 5 follow up quick shots as you do with a revolver, but you do get a very accurate platform, a relatively light handgun (good for carrying in the field, bad for recoil!) and you get a great handgun for scope use. With a 10, 12, or 14 inch barrel, you also get every little drop of performance out of any .44 Mag round. It's a great round for deer at or under 100 yards in this setup, and also for anything smaller.

The .30-30 round is also a decent choice for deer, but I don't have a lot of help with this one. T/C has been making and selling them for years and years. Unlike a .30-30 lever action, you can load it with any .308 bullet you can find without limits. It can be quite versatile if you are a handloader.

For a larger, heavier bullet there is the .35 Remington. Another I don't know a heap about but I think it's safe to say that if you want something out of a single shot hunting handgun with more punch than a .30-30, look to the .35 Rem.

I mention those four calibers because there are heaps of these barrels to be had out there on the market. But you can really have almost any caliber you can dream up between the factory and the custom barrel makers and even more if you know a competent shop that can chamber on for you. The Contender is the classic platform, the Encore is newer and can handle heavier rounds.

If you buy a Contender in one caliber, you can then go out and buy barrels in other calibers and they'll work with the frame you already own. You can find used barrels starting around $100, new ones starting around $225.
 
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gadgetguy1288

New member
Stevens you had it right, thats what i was thinking of, but im positive that another company made them within the past few years but for the life of me i cant remember what it is.


EDIT: Savage was the other company i was thinking of, Theirs was called the Striker
 
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Stevie-Ray

New member
The Savage Stryker was the latest and greatest. I'd still like to have one in .308 Win. I know a guy that has one in .308, and it's scary accurate. I passed up a Remington XP-100 from the custom shop in .308, and have been kicking myself ever since. Also check into the Thompson Center Encore for the heavier calibers. I have a Contender in .30-30 and .45-70, myself.
 
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Sevens

New member
I must be living under a rock-- I've never heard of the Savage Stryker. I'll have to look in to that one.

In other single shot handguns, there have been a few tried, many of them back in the 80s. There was the SASS (I think that's what they called it?), it was Springfield Armory's attempt... interchangeable barrels, single shot and mounted to your 1911 frame!

There was one by, I think, Wyoming Arms? I think it almost looked like a lever action handgun. Kind of odd, and it wasn't popular.

Magnum Research (the Desert Eagle guys) made one that had this massive rear action lock on it that looked like a bank vault. Can't recall the name of this one.

The Remington XP-100 probably owns the best reputation for all-out accuracy and fine build quality, but nothing ever made on this planet can claim anywhere near the success of the Thompson/Center Contender.
 
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Stevie-Ray

New member
In other single shot handguns, there have been a few tried, many of them back in the 80s. There was the SASS (I think that's what they called it?), it was Springfield Armory's attempt... interchangeable barrels, single shot and mounted to your 1911 frame!
Click to expand...
Maybe a copy of the Pachmayr Dominator? I remember when the SASS was out, but I don't quite remember the action.
 
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steveno

New member
Wichita Arms made bolt action pistols. they were popular in IHMSA shooting. I'm not sure if they still make them or if they are even in business now. they were well made but expensive for the day. I think that Weatherby still makes a bolt action pistol
 
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K.W.

New member
Anschutz makes left hand bolt lock action pistols for right hand shooters. Calibers, I think only .22LR and .22Hornet. I have .22LR. Like to have .22Hornet too.
 
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eastbank

New member
i have two contenders-22 hornet 14" and a 30-30 win.14"and they are great but i love my xp-100R in 260 rem. with a 2.5x8 leupold on it. quarters at 200yds. eastbank.
 
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Ranger61

New member
The first bolt action pistol was the Remington XP-100 it was available in 221 Fireball only. That was in the early 1960's. 'Course the 221 wasn't a rifle caliber back then. Then in the late 70's and early 80's shilouette shooting really took off and Remington introduced the xp-100 in 7mm Benchrest and several other manufacturers to include Wichita, Weatherby, Ultra Light Arms, Kimber, Anschutz, and most recently Savage. However to the best of my knowledge they are all out of production at the moment. Probably the easiest to find with the largest group of calibers are the Savage Strikers. The center fires I have seen are in 22-250, 243, 260, 7mm- 08, and 308. I have a 308 and as stated its very accurate but also quite heavy.
 
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Doyle

New member
I've been wanting one. I really want the Savage instead of of the Remington because the Savage has a left-handed bolt. That enables a right handed person to maintain his grip while cycling the bolt.

The Savage model is nothing more than a left-handed 110 (a tried and true rifle) action with a short barrel and a pistol grip.
 
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tulsamal

New member
The Remington XO-100 is, I think, a custom shop order these days if it's made at all. You can find them used, but I don't think any of them are in heavy calibers.
Click to expand...

One of the calibers they were produced in was .350 Remington Magnum. As the owner of a Remington 700 in that caliber, I would classify it as a "heavy caliber!" I always thought it would be cool to have a custom XP-100 in .350 RM but other cool stuff always came up first.

And, as was mentioned, the Encore can handle just about any standard length rifle cartridge. 30/06, 338-06 AI, .257 Roberts, etc.

Gregg
 
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Hook686

New member
from: http://www.remington.com/library/history/firearm_models/centerfire/xp-100.asp


xp100[1].jpg



Model XP-100™
Description: High power, long-range bolt-action pistol for target shooting and hunting
Introduction Year: 1963
Year Discontinued: 1994
Total Production: N/A
Designer/Inventor: Remington Arms Company
Action Type: Bolt Action
Caliber/Gauge: 221 Remington Fireball (1963 -1985)
22-250 Remington (1992-1994) Custom Shop only
223 Remington (1986-1994)
250 Savage (1990-1991) Custom Shop only
6mm BR Remington (1990-1991) Custom Shop only
7mm BR Remington (1980-1985)
7mm-08 Remington (1993-1994)
308 Win (1992-1994) Custom Shop only
35 Remington (1986-1994)
Serial Number Blocks: Starting: N/A
Ending: N/A
Variations: XP-100 (1963-1985)
XP-100 Varmint Special (1986-1992)
XP-100 Silhouette (1980-1994)
XP-100 Hunter (1993-1994)
XP-100 Custom (1986-1994)
Click to expand...



The XP-100 looks like a petty interesting firearm. I wonder at what ranges it excells. Anybody ever shoot one., say 6mm Remington ?

I see them on gunbroker in .223 at about $1,000.
 
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HKFan9

New member
A Friend of my Father had a XP-100 it uses the same action as my Remington model 600. They are amazing accurate at 100 yards. Pretty sure it was one of the original .221 fireballs. I was rather young but it shot a group Sub 1 inch thats for sure of 3 rounds. If I found one at a good price I would determinately pick it up. Seems the Remington model 600 I own is even sought after today it seems like a very nice action.
 
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rbb50

New member
I just make my own

I never could find anyone that makes a good high-powered bolt-action pistol so I just made my own.

This is the latest custom bolt-action pistol I made from a 7.7mm Model99 Japanese rifle and it came out very nice.

http://raybb.com/pistol14.jpg

I'm still working up loadings for it but today I had very good luck with some I had already worked up this weekend for the Sierra soft point 125, 150 and 180-grain bullets.

All had fantastic groups considering I'm shooting with open sights at 50 yards and better than some people with scopes at that range LOL

Ok so they were newbies I still shot better than them with my open sights than they did with scopes LOL

I use the H4831 only because I got 2 pounds of it for free from a friend but now I will work up some loads in accurate 4350 as I did for my 7.7mm Model 99 Japanese rifle I also customized into a rifle sported stock this year of which shoots one hole groups through the bulls-eye at 100 yards

Of course having a 4-16 power scope on the rifle sure helps with that also.

Someday I might invest in a long relief scope for my little custom pistol but for now just shooting a pistol that powerful was a whole lot of fun for me and everyone that got to take a look at it or shoot it while I was there today.

Next I'm thinking about building a 7mm magnum pistol, which I think will be even more fun. :D

Did I mention I have a really strong grip and these things are not for people with weak wrist?

Ok yeah now I did LOL

Guess I’m lucky I know how to make stuff like that because as far as I could tell no one else makes them at all besides Thompson contender of which they want an arm and a leg for.

Total cost to make my 7.7mm pistol was that I got the action and receiver for free at a garage sale, I got the bolt for $70 at the gun show, and the sights cost $18 at academy then of course about 2 months of work in my spare time added up to no telling how many hours that turned out to be well worth them all anyway.

I am probably the only person on earth that has a 7.7mm bolt-action pistol now and I’m sure if I make a 7mm magnum it may be the only one around also.

What ever happen to all of them old folks in the old gun magazines like Elmer Keith trying to develop the most powerful handgun loads??

Guess I will have to fill in for old Elmer for a while and make some of my own stuff to bring back some power in pistols the likes of which no one has ever seen before.

I’m even thinking about 7mm WSM and a 300 WSM version later on.

Nothing like having a powerful pistol and blowing holes through the bulls-eye at the rifle range on a weekend and having people gathering around saying stuff like, “Wow that is one cool pistol”.
 
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