Project 50

Bolt action rifles, lever action, pump action, self loading rifles and other miscellaneous longarms.

Project 50

Post by brett1868 » 20 Sep 2016, 10:27 pm

Anyone who reads my posts may have seen me casually mention "Project 50" and now I'm able to share a few more details.

Being a fan of the larger calibers and already owning 3 off the shelf fifty's I was happy with their accuracy but not their precision. I have a Barrett M95, McMillan Tac-50 and a DTA HTI 50 but all share the same chambering which is primarily designed for high reliability machine gun use rather then precision target shooting. Around this time last year I started researching precision 50Cal rifles of the type used in 1000yd competitions in the Fifty Cal Shooters Association Competitions (F.C.S.A) in the U.S of A and all of the competitors at the pointy end of the Unlimited Class field use custom built rifles. I decided I was going to have myself built a precision benchrest 50, Cool I thought but it's been anything but simple. It has taken almost a year now to reach todays milestone of receiving the barrel and action from the U.S of A.

Based on a lot of reading, several calls to the U.S and real world results I chose the following components to build an "Unlimited Class" 50Cal BR Rifle:-

BAT Machine EX Action - Right hand bolt, Left Side Load and Has to be seen to appreciate the shear size of it and how perfect the machining is. Yes there are bigger names in actions for the smaller calibers but when it comes to the big stuff this is the best on the market bar none.
http://www.batmachine.com/batactions/model-ex/

Un-Named profile 50Cal barrel blank in 416 S/S 2"' diameter & 43" long. Yep, friggen massive :)
No Link - Cause I'm keeping the manufacturer a secret for now.

Pacific Tool & Gauge Reamers in HSS Resizer & Finisher with removable pilots + Go/No Go gauges (Confidential profile for now). Since I was only looking to cut a handful of chambers I opted for the cheaper HSS rather then the very expensive carbide versions.
http://pacifictoolandgauge.com/446-50-cal-500-cal-nopix-showcart-

McMillan Super 50BR Stock with 5" fore-end - Factory supports the chosen action barrel combination so it comes already inlet from factory ready to go.
https://mcmillanusa.com/mcmillan-rifle-stocks/competition-stock-super-50-br-gunstock/

Flavio Fare Trigger
No Link yet - Refer to Google

Muzzle Brake
Custom Made 2" Dia S/S

Scope
S&B PMII 12-50x56 0.25cm per click (40 clicks to the Mil) - May change to a March but the S&B is under my desk so I'll try it first.
http://www.schmidtundbender.de/en/products/police-and-military-forces/12-50x56-pm-iip.html

Base / Rings
Era-Tac 0-70 MOA Adjustable giving a total of 90 moa from the base and 17.5 Mil at the reticle.
http://era-tac.de/index.php/en/products/one-piece-mounts/adjustable-inclination-mounts

With the shopping list completed the real "fun" :sarcasm: began. First up was to locate the action as they have a lead time up to 12 months or more, I spoke to Daryle Thom at BAT Machine who informed me they had 1 coming out of production in 2 months time for Bruno Shooter's Supply. I contacted them and was told it was for stock and hadn't been sold so I nailed it on the spot...woohoo 1st challenge completed, too easy :)

Next on the list was the barrel, I had decided on the 2" x 43" X brand S/S blank and after 2 months of frustration swapping emails with the manufacturer I gave up and wrote them off. Their reason for not wanting to sell me a 50cal blank was based on ITAR restrictions that were several years out of date and had been lifted but I couldn't convince them of that despite sending them links to the U.S State Department proving that particular restriction had been lifted. In parallel to this I had a talk to Andrew at Magnum Sports who recommended SANS-NOM in Tacoma Washington to handle all the export paperwork and shipping.
I called and spoke to Pierre at SANS-NOM and told him of my frustration with the barrel maker. I was told that if I can get the B709 approved to import then they can get the export permit, I like their style :clap: . I organised a 3rd party in the U.S to purchase the barrel and ship to the exporter, problem solved and screw you barrel maker.
Once the action was at the exporter and the barrel ordered I spoke to Lea Coleman at the NSW Firearms Registry. Lea was absolutely fantastic to deal with and after a discussion around what I was looking to achieve I submitted the B709 which was promptly processed, approved and sent to Magnum Sports. Months passed while waiting for the barrel to be made so I got busy talking to several well known and highly recommended gunsmiths in Australia. No point importing a blank if the smith can't machine it. I could find only 1 business in Australia that was both capable and willing to machine the monster barrel but they happened to be in the banana republic where 50cal is strictly verboten. The smith, liking a challenge and wanting to build the first and possibly only 50Cal BR Rifle in the country contacted the QLD firearms branch and got clearance to do the work (I'm as shocked as anyone this was approved).
The rest of the bits fell into place fairly easily, the barrel, action and reamers ship to QLD tomorrow or Thursday. I already have the scope and base, the trigger is in stock and the McMillan BR stock has been ordered and around 4-6 weeks away.
Hopefully the smith will have the barrel chambered, threaded, crowned and brake fitted by the time the stock arrives which should already be %90 in-letted. It'll get a proper in-letting, bedding and gluing to world class benchrest standards before being shipped back to Magnums ready for me to present my PTA and take formal ownership. November / December should see the first load development shots fired, 14 months after the decision to build.

Only things left to work out are the front rest, a custom case and H.T.F am I going to fit it in the safe....

Like any thread making claims, it's all BS without pictures :)
That's a 50BMG round I used to show scale :)

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Action 1
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Action 2
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10.5" of bolt
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Action 3
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Action 4
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This is a monster and just on 15kg on its own.
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Barrel next to Tikka T3 for scale
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Me, next to barrel - No face so as not to offend any lady readers :)
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Human bipod with barrel
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Difficult to locate much detail on the trigger other then it has 5 bearings and is considered the Ferrari of triggers.
1Flavio Fare Trigger adj.jpg
Best pic I could find of the trigger
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My colour choice was Urban Spectre, not the blue in the picture.I'm not sure if I'll Cerakote the barrel or action light grey to match yet.
super-50-br-3000.jpg
Photo from McMillan site
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Why do this? Easy, cause it's cool, I can and I want to make a serious attempt in this class of competition.
Last edited by brett1868 on 20 Sep 2016, 10:57 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Project 50

Post by scaredyet » 20 Sep 2016, 10:47 pm

:thumbsup: Cool story bro
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Re: Project 50

Post by darwindingo » 21 Sep 2016, 12:15 am

Damn, that is going to be a sweeeeeeeet addition to the collection Brett !!!!!! :thumbsup:

:drinks:

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Re: Project 50

Post by Gwion » 21 Sep 2016, 7:16 am

Coming along better than my wildcat project after 18months!
Nice work!

So, does the action get glue to the stock like the AIs???
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Re: Project 50

Post by on_one_wheel » 21 Sep 2016, 3:05 pm

:shock:

That's some serious bit of kit, what an achievement to be possibility the first owner of that rifle in the country.

No doubt it's going to keep you occupied for quite some time. :thumbsup:
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Re: Project 50

Post by tom604 » 21 Sep 2016, 3:20 pm

your going to need a limbsaver to fire that big boy!! scares me just looking at it :thumbsup: very cool :thumbsup:
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Re: Project 50

Post by wade06 » 21 Sep 2016, 3:33 pm

Ha ha that's cool Brett, whats the weight of that barrel and action? :shock:
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Re: Project 50

Post by <<Genesis93>> » 21 Sep 2016, 4:21 pm

YOU are a fine figured fellow brett... ri riiiw 8-)

You'll have to configure to a switch barrel, easy removal to fit in safe..

Cant wait to have a go :P

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Re: Project 50

Post by Apollo » 21 Sep 2016, 4:42 pm

Is it going to have a Barrel Block and is it going to be supported by just one, just the action and/or both.
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Re: Project 50

Post by brett1868 » 21 Sep 2016, 6:52 pm

Gwion wrote:Coming along better than my wildcat project after 18months!
Nice work!

So, does the action get glue to the stock like the AIs???


Yes the action will get glued in with Ultra Strength Araldite by me when it comes back. He's going to setup the trigger so it can be removed without first removing the stock because once glued it's a major job to pull apart. It needs to be out of the stock for shipping back due to length limitations which is why the work will be done locally.
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Re: Project 50

Post by brett1868 » 21 Sep 2016, 6:59 pm

wade06 wrote:Ha ha that's cool Brett, whats the weight of that barrel and action? :shock:


It's around 23kg just for those 2 bits with a finished goal weight of under 30kg once completed. For the cost of the shipping, I could have flown to the U.S and brought it back in my luggage for less but unfortunately that wasn't an option :(
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Re: Project 50

Post by Wm.Traynor » 21 Sep 2016, 7:10 pm

All the Best brett :thumbsup:
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Re: Project 50

Post by AusTac » 21 Sep 2016, 7:34 pm

That beast of an action makes the 5 oh look tiny lol
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Re: Project 50

Post by brett1868 » 21 Sep 2016, 7:51 pm

Apollo wrote:Is it going to have a Barrel Block and is it going to be supported by just one, just the action and/or both.


A good question and I'll answer with a question.....What's a barrel block?

The smith involved builds rifles for Annie & Stuart so I'm trusting his judgement on how best to bolt it together.
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Re: Project 50

Post by Gwion » 21 Sep 2016, 8:03 pm

That much barrel hanging off the action is bound to create some stresses. But, as you say, an experience custom comp level smith should be able to steer you right.
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Re: Project 50

Post by Apollo » 21 Sep 2016, 8:09 pm

brett1868 wrote:
Apollo wrote:Is it going to have a Barrel Block and is it going to be supported by just one, just the action and/or both.


A good question and I'll answer with a question.....What's a barrel block?

The smith involved builds rifles for Annie & Stuart so I'm trusting his judgement on how best to bolt it together.


I'll explain when I catch up with you on the phone to find out which current smith we are talikng about. I can name three...??

Will have to find your email address and I'll send you some photo's of big guns with barrel blocks that might just have come from the same smith.

You could also have him mount everything then just remove the barrel for you to put back in if you have the gear, bit easier on transport length. Barrel Vice and Action Wrench is what we carry.
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Re: Project 50

Post by darwindingo » 21 Sep 2016, 8:15 pm

Hey, Brett if you ever get sick of it :wtf:

I'll buy it for twice what ya told the misses it cost... :P :twisted:

:drinks:

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Re: Project 50

Post by Strikey » 21 Sep 2016, 9:25 pm

brett1868 wrote:
Apollo wrote:Is it going to have a Barrel Block and is it going to be supported by just one, just the action and/or both.


A good question and I'll answer with a question.....What's a barrel block?

The smith involved builds rifles for Annie & Stuart so I'm trusting his judgement on how best to bolt it together.


Reckon I might know this gunsmith, does some good work,Apollo could be onto something as that is a fair lump of barrel to be hanging off an action even it is a Bat built for the big 50, would be worth talking to your smith if this could be a better option than just glueing into the stock :thumbsup:
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Re: Project 50

Post by brett1868 » 21 Sep 2016, 9:52 pm

Should be similar to this but in a grey stock and different brake, not to mention a substantially less attractive trigger jockey. I'll give Stuart a call tomorrow and put him on a mission to supply the front / rear rests in case they take a month or 2 to get.

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Re: Project 50

Post by wade06 » 21 Sep 2016, 9:53 pm

brett1868 wrote:It's around 23kg just for those 2 bits with a finished goal weight of under 30kg once completed. For the cost of the shipping, I could have flown to the U.S and brought it back in my luggage for less but unfortunately that wasn't an option :(


:lol: cool.
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Re: Project 50

Post by Apollo » 21 Sep 2016, 10:04 pm

I thought you might have a clue "Strikey" and I'm not going to say anything. Brett has confirmed and I'll would prefer to talk with Brett and pass on a contact who is my own Smith and has 2-3 times more experience in the business but these days rejects in general new customers.

The person who Brett is talking about has made a few mistakes in the past and has built a custom rifle for me which had a rather serious mistake and some minor one's so enough said at this point.
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Re: Project 50

Post by Apollo » 21 Sep 2016, 10:12 pm

Brett, I'm sure the young lady in the photo is not only a lot prettier than you, a lot younger plus probably a lot smaller in build.

The SEB I mentioned in the PM I think is a SEB MAX and not even sure if Stuart is even dealing with him these days, certainly the normal SEB has been dropped from contention. However....

https://www.q-store.com.au/products/seb ... front-rest

And that's not much different in price to what a new Farley costs like I use.

I'm thinking of needing something to counter the torque rotation and that you may at some stage think of needing an offset wide forend plate, up to 8" wide and a rifle weight of 110lbs..

Oh BTW.

If you have never used a coxial joystick rest for precision shooting then it's about time you had a play. Beats the heck out of anything else.
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Re: Project 50

Post by <<Genesis93>> » 21 Sep 2016, 10:26 pm

Gwion wrote:That much barrel hanging off the action is bound to create some stresses. But, as you say, an experience custom comp level smith should be able to steer you right.


So hang the action off the barrel :thumbsup:
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Re: Project 50

Post by Apollo » 21 Sep 2016, 10:27 pm

<<Genesis93>> wrote:
Gwion wrote:That much barrel hanging off the action is bound to create some stresses. But, as you say, an experience custom comp level smith should be able to steer you right.


So hang the action off the barrel :thumbsup:


You got it in one... :thumbsup:

Same idea but this is a Rail Gun, take away the frame and sub a stock. The barrel block isn't quite as big, like half this used in a benchrest stock.
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Re: Project 50

Post by Apollo » 21 Sep 2016, 10:37 pm

Another version but still not what I have in mind, I'll find a typical Benchrest Rifle with Barrel Block at some stage. This one I believe was used at a 500m Fly Shoot, Heavy Gun at Canberra.
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Re: Project 50

Post by brett1868 » 21 Sep 2016, 10:46 pm

A note on the choice of Gunsmith...I had only 1 choice due to the fact that none of the other 10+ gunsmiths around Australia I spoke to had the machinery to do the barrel. I'm aware of some issues with work my choice of smith has done in the past along with many glowing recommendations of his successes so I'm reasonably confident in his abilities. My initial plan was to have it machined in the U.S but that adds a new level of complexity with ITAR compliance, Import requirements, Taxes, Duties, Shipping and handling costs because it ceases to be components and becomes a firearm once chambered / Assembled so I decided to get it built locally. There's been 12 months of research, phone calls and emails to get this far along with a massive amount of my time / cash. If you think you know a gunsmith who's better qualified, by all means call them and ask if they can precision chamber, crown and fit to action a 43" x 2" 16kg 416 S/S barrel along with making a 2" diameter 416 S/S brake. They must also reside in either NSW, VIC or have firearms registry approval in their state to handle 50Cal rifles. If they're able and willing I'd be happy to talk to them.
One of my other goals with this particular project is to increase awareness of the FCSA and their competitions in Australia. I took part in a committee meeting in Mildura and there's a good chance we'll get a NSW branch along with a new purpose built police approved 1000yd range for 50Cal within a couple hours drive of Sydney in the not too distant future. Grow the sport, increase our numbers and just maybe we can change some of the misperceptions joe public has about shooting as a legitimate sport / leisure activity / conservation option.
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Re: Project 50

Post by Apollo » 21 Sep 2016, 10:56 pm

Wow, it wasn't a dig at your choice nor anything else.

I'll leave the topic alone.
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Re: Project 50

Post by brett1868 » 22 Sep 2016, 12:02 am

Apollo wrote:Wow, it wasn't a dig at your choice nor anything else.

I'll leave the topic alone.


Nah mate, never saw it as a dig. I'm actually genuinely wanting to get recommendations for quality gunsmiths as I've got a couple more projects in the works for next year. Doing the due diligence at the moment to see if its feasible before I approach the registry to get the import permits approved. I am heading to the U.S again early next year to talk to a manufacturer and that's all I'll say at this stage.
Thanks for the pics of the barrel block setup, I've seen that configuration but wasn't aware of the name. I thought about going down that path early on but the added expense and lack of high end local knowledge put me off plus I wanted a more traditional looking rifle. I had to draw a line somewhere that balanced out cost verses practicality.
Will make a start on a case possibly this weekend, thinking to construct something from form ply then laminate with aluminium checker plate, decent hinges and a few locking points. I'll drill 4 holes in the bottom so I can stand it up against the wall and secure it with dynabolts. That'll satisfy the Police on safe storage and when I want to shoot I can open the door, undo the bolts, shut the door and hit the range. A handle on the top and some removable wheels on the bottom should make moving it around a piece of piss. Seen similar setups in the U.S for this sized firearm which seem to work well. It's not a massive weight to move but I'm getting old so need to use brains rather then brawn to transport it.

Check this high tech rig out....hydraulically actuated trigger and built on its own trailer...Not sure about the rest of it but it certainly looks impressive.
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Re: Project 50

Post by Gamerancher » 22 Sep 2016, 8:16 am

Hole saw through the top of gunsafe and poke the barrel out. :sarcasm:
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Re: Project 50

Post by Supaduke » 22 Sep 2016, 10:22 am

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 ?
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