Project 50

[brett1868]

Would it be rude to ask a ballpark figure of how much this endeavour will cost? I'm just curious what that rarified air costs to breath . I understand if you want to keep it under your hat, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one wondering though . I'm guessing 25k, am I even close ?

Not rude, I'm looking to encourage others to build this type of rifle. Cost so far is $12,530 to be exact for the bare rifle with the only unknowns being the shipping to / from QLD which couldn't be more then a few hundred. I'll get the full rig built ready to shoot for a fraction under $21k based on the below breakdown of costs.

Prices in AUD calculated at prevailing exchange rate on day of purchase.
Action - $3485
Barrel - $1190
U.S Brokerage - $665
Shipping / Packaging US-AUS $1702
AUS Brokerage / customs / duties / taxes - $897
NSW Dealer fees $200
Shipping to QLD ???
Gunsmith labour, Stock, Trigger, Brake - $4315
Shipping to NSW - ???
NSW Registration - $50
PTA - $30

Add another $2250 for Farley front rest / rear bag and you're at $15k ready to compete with the exception of scope / base / ammo

I will be fitting a S&B PMII 12-50x56 $3490 rec retail & Era-Tac base $675 - $4165 - Purchased a while back on special and currently sitting under my desk at home.
Cost of first 100 rounds - $1700 then $8 per shot thereafter to reload.

Might seem like a lot of money but considering a Barrett M95 costs $12,100 compared to my $12,500 for bare rifle it's a no brainer for me. The costs have been spread over 12 months so it's not a massive single hit to the wallet. The Barrett M95 is awesome to shoot and capable of reasonable accuracy but my custom will make the Barrett its bitch when it comes to precision

[NukeBOMB88]

Holy sh!t Brett! That's gonna be a freaking sick rifle!

[Apollo]

SEB (Sebastian Lambang (SEB Engineering)) himself with his own designed stock (wide forend) to counter against torque twist. With his SEB Max in the background.

[brett1868]

Been a long time between updates but finally the finish line is in sight. Stock is finished and should arrive from MacMillan mid next week ready for final fitting prior to shipping. Phil has kindly made me a custom action wrench and barrel clamp so I can screw it back together when it arrives in Sydney as it's too big for shipping and even disassembled he's knocking up a custom shipping case for me.

Can anyone recommend a good place for Cerakote in Sydney with a quick turn around time?

5 feet of crotch hardening barreled action

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The brake, not sure if its resemblance to a sex toy was on purpose or the smith expressing a wicked sense of humor.

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Next FCSA Australian competition is in Mildura on the 1st of April....Appropriate date, Clown debuts huge cannon on April Fools...

Next update with pictures and maybe video once I get it home in a few weeks

[simmo]

Brett that thing is magnificent. Have really enjoyed reading through the journey of getting this thing built. A Very impressive project.

[bigfellascott]

Nice on Brett, if you get it together soon enough you might be able to win that trip to the US I've been hearing about.

[Noisydad]

Sounds like it would be easier to pass through a brick wall by osmosis than get this project up and running! Looking forward to seeing the fruits of your frustration though! You'll need to design a safe big enough to house it too I reckon.

[<<Genesis93>>]

That brake is a little embarrassing..... a smidge phallic ..

But I'd possibly make the trip to Mildura to watch you shoot it... What should i bring? I dont have anything bigger than a 45cal though...

[brett1868]

That brake is a little embarrassing..... a smidge phallic ..

But I'd possibly make the trip to Mildura to watch you shoot it... What should i bring? I dont have anything bigger than a 45cal though...

So you see it as well....Since the stock will be grey I might do a grey camo cerakote job on it and name the rifle "50 Shades"

[Wylie27]

But if you went darker on the barrel you could call it 50 shades darker.....

[Title_II]

Extremely cool. But if I spend that kind of scratch I want a belt hanging out of it

I was going to say looking forward to the next one, but now I am not sure which is more cool!

[Wylie27]

Title remember we are the convict nation who can't be trusted with belts!

Not trying to hijack... but this is what we are dealing with here..

A gun shop was importing Ruger magazines and they were told they filled in the wrong form as it was for a restricted category. They have 30 days to submit the correct form or the goods will be destroyed.

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[Title_II]

Ugh... Yeah.

Back to Brett's project.

[<<Genesis93>>]

Brett... you might need a Rabbi to do the um... barrel work...

[brett1868]

Bit of an update on progress.
I felt a bit guilty about fitting a S&B PMII 12-50x56 on this rifle as my theme was to use the best of the best on the market. While the S&B is an awesome bit of glass and capable of doing the job it wasn't quiet the "Best" on the market for this class of rifle. I bit the bullet so to speak and purchased a March 8-80x56 tactical with MTR-1 reticule and the clarity blew me away. I set the zoom to 80x and had no difficulty reading parking signs out around 1200m, could probably go much further if I wasn't holding it in my hand.
The final big dollar item was a proper rest and I chose the SEB Max coaxial joystick because it'll handle the mass of the rifle with ease. I unboxed the unit on Saturday afternoon only to discover a part was missing. There's a shaft with a set of counter weights on it to balance out the joystick movement when using >25kg rifles. I called the supplier this morning and was promised a call back in 10 mins, 4 hours later I called them. Apparently I have to wait till they check with the manufacturer to see if that part should be included. They checked a few other boxes and the counter weight is there, it's clearly stated as included in the manual and the advertisement so I fail to see why it's now my problem that it's missing.
The SEB rest is a work of machining artwork, pure precision and right up there with the best of the best of F-Class rifle rests. I have to wait till tomorrow now to see what the boss has to say so hopefully he'll put the customer first and send me one from another box. Worse case is they dick me around and i'm up for a long wait for the manufacturer to sort it out.
Finally, the stock is in the country and the smith has filed the paperwork to get it released from customs. I'm hoping for it to be released in the next day or so and the final work can be done before shipping back to Sydney next week.

Photo's....cause we all know it's B.S without pictures

SEB Max Coaxial Joy stick rest

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What's in the box - Scope, Flip up covers. Mirage hood, Manual and cleaning cloth.

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Mount just temp fitted till I get the rifle as I'll need to set proper eye relief.

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Yep...80x which is better then my 60x spotting scope

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[on_one_wheel]

What an amazing bit of kit!

[Supaduke]

Sigh, very jealous. Well done sir. Great looking bits of kit

[brett1868]

The closer it gets the more impatient I become....Currently contemplating having to cut the top outta an existing safe or make one along with a custom transport case. I'm giving serious consideration to buying a coffin at Costco as it'll be the right size, plenty of lifting points, just needs a little extra padding and I think locks are included. The looks on peoples faces as I drive to the range with a coffin strapped to the roof rack of the .204 Rattler would be worth it. Costco even have a "Brass Urn" so maybe one of them for the fired rounds...Thinking of rifle names..."50 Shades of Death" might be fun

Project 50 Custom Case

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Spent rounds container

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[deye243]

The closer it gets the more impatient I become....Currently contemplating having to cut the top outta an existing safe or make one along with a custom transport case. I'm giving serious consideration to buying a coffin at Costco as it'll be the right size, plenty of lifting points, just needs a little extra padding and I think locks are included. The looks on peoples faces as I drive to the range with a coffin strapped to the roof rack of the .204 Rattler would be worth it. Costco even have a "Brass Urn" so maybe one of them for the fired rounds...Thinking of rifle names..."50 Shades of Death" might be fun

Coffin.jpg

SilverOakBrassUrn.jpg

bwaaahahahahahahaha

this just made the hole thread even more worth reading thanks Brett you have a cracker sense of humour

[Gamerancher]

Trouble with the coffin as a case is that you'll need at least three mates to help you take it anywhere. Never seen any less than 4 pall bearers.

[darwindingo]

Trouble with the coffin as a case is that you'll need at least three mates to help you take it anywhere. Never seen any less than 4 pall bearers.

I call shotgun (regarding volunteering) to help Brett lug the coffin around and having a shot when I'm in the area... I think the hardest part would be keeping up enough supply of ammo to give each of the (many) hardworking coffin lugging volunteers a shot May be best to limit it to "if you cant carry it on ya own then ya cant have a shot"

[on_one_wheel]

Buying a coffin and a hearse is going to add significant cost to the project, but they'll know you mean businesses when you roll into the club carpark.

[Gamerancher]

I tried to buy a genuine "pine-box" coffin years ago at a clearance sale to use as a toolbox for the back of my ute. I reckoned it would scare off any potential thieves.

[brett1868]

Slight delay in shipping but will be delivered on Monday. I'm currently up bush to test some brand new Australian made CNC copper 800gr projectiles. Here's the beast in all it's 1700mm glory.

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[Rgo]

That looks sooo cool !!!

[Supaduke]

Few more pics from various angles would be appreciated Brett. Looks very nice , well done sir.

[brett1868]

Few more pics from various angles would be appreciated Brett. Looks very nice , well done sir.

More pictures and video coming soon and then some action video from FCSA comp in Mildura 1st of April. It's built in such a way that I can remove the barrel without too much effort so at this stage it'll fit in one of my existing safes but I'll build a safe anyway so I'm not having to assemble it. Less typing, I've got 50 rounds to chrono

[scaredyet]

What's the latest with this. Can you post what the project cost all up

[Mongrel]

Slight delay in shipping but will be delivered on Monday. I'm currently up bush to test some brand new Australian made CNC copper 800gr projectiles. Here's the beast in all it's 1700mm glory.

IMG_3015.JPG

Now thats a nice looking gun

[brett1868]

What's the latest with this. Can you post what the project cost all up

An update is in order on the topic of costs...

Prices in AUD calculated at prevailing exchange rate on day of purchase Inc GST.
Action - $3485
Barrel - $1190
Reamers $1090
U.S Brokerage - $665
Shipping / Packaging US-AUS $1702
AUS Brokerage / customs / duties / taxes - $897
Gunsmith labour, Stock, Trigger, Brake - $4658
NSW Dealer fees $200
Shipping to QLD $80
Shipping to NSW - $238.18
March Tactical MTR1 8-80x56 $4048
SEB Max Coaxial $2200
NSW Registration - $40
PTA - $30

For a grand total of $20,224.00 AUD

I went $224 over my budget and haven't included any ammunition costs. I already shoot and reload 50BMG so no additional funds were required to tool up for reloading. The SEB rest is awesome and I'm considering some other BR type comps to get involved in now that I've got it.

A breakdown of the gun smithing costs Inc GST
McMillan Super50 BR - Urban Spectre $2085
Fit, Chamber & Crown $450
Full custom brake, and fit $485
Supply / Install "Flavio 1.5oz BR" trigger $595
Bedding / Gluing / Inletting $538
Profile Barrel $75
Fit / Epoxy Rail $45
Tools (Barrel clamp & Action Wrench) $285
Packaging $100

Comments
Gun Smith - I know that its a difficult job to machine a barrel this long, diameter and weight but the quality of workmanship exceeded my expectations which were quite high. Looking at the throat through a bore scope shows no signs of tool marks, jagged edges or swarf. The chamber is flawless as is the turning and threading of the Tenon. The gaps around the barrel to stock are uniform and precise as is the bedding. It was decided at the outset to bed the action then to epoxy it to the stock permanently due to the length and mass of the barrel which meant extra work was required to make the trigger removable.

The Stock is very well made and the extra work required to allow the trigger to be removed with the action glued in is much appreciated and an insightful addition by the smith. The trigger is a problem for me cause now that I've felt the best all my other rifles have crap triggers in comparison . I've cocked the bolt and dropped the rifle on it's butt several times, tapped around the action and stock with a rubber mallet and as yet haven't been able to make it misfire even though it's a 1.5oz hair trigger. I'll have to relearn trigger control for this one.

Projectiles
I've been working with a company in QLD (sort of getting into bed with the enemy ) to develop a 800gr solid copper CNC projectile locally. Initial testing has been done with 20 rounds fired through the "Flinch Master 50" with very promising results. Pricing will be half what I currently pay for an equivalent product and other lovers of the half inch Browning in Australia can share in the savings in the very near future.

Perspective on the cost
$20k is roughly 20 months of beer and cigarette money for a pack a day / case a week person. Considering I've been building this for 20 months I've spent the same amount and have more to show for the money spent

Pictures
Sorry, none yet as it's still not screwed together. ItsMe was over on the weekend and had a fondle of it (the rifle, not my package). I'll be fitting the barrel this weekend with the help of a friend and will get pictures then.