My New (to me) 40X

KAZ · Post by **KAZ** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 10:38 pm

I've been wanting a Remington 40X rimfire for quite a while and I stumbled on to one within driving distance that I could shoot first. Gun Smithing was done by Bill Calfee and combines a 40X action,Calfee barrel and tuner,McMillan stock, Jewell trigger. It is a sweet shooter and I'm looking forward to spending some range time with it. Only bad news is that it loves Eley Match, so it is not a cheap date

bearandoldman · Post by **bearandoldman** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 5:40 am

Nice looking gun, and just how much searching did you have to do to trip over it? Stock looks neat, but us old guys prefer brown wood and blued steel, just my opinion. But if it shot well and the price was right, I would have given it a new home also.

greener · Post by **greener** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 7:13 am

Very nice.

KAZ · Post by **KAZ** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 8:23 am

Thanks guys, not only does this rifle satisfy my quest for a 40X rimfire, it also is a fine example of the craftsmanship of one of America's best Smiths. Bill Calfee holds many rimfire records and has been building for some 34 years. He does a lot of his work by hand/eye on an lathe built in 1929. This is a link to the process of building one rifle.http://benchrest.com/forums/showthread. ... ght=CALFEE
bearandoldman, I love the fine wood/blue metal as well, however, when you go to the lengths Calfee does in his build you want a stock that does not change the point of impact of the round just because a front is coming in the same day as your match. Regards

bearandoldman · Post by **bearandoldman** » Sat Jul 25, 2009 8:38 am

KAZ wrote:Thanks guys, not only does this rifle satisfy my quest for a 40X rimfire, it also is a fine example of the craftsmanship of one of America's best Smiths. Bill Calfee holds many rimfire records and has been building for some 34 years. He does a lot of his work by hand/eye on an lathe built in 1929. This is a link to the process of building one rifle.http://benchrest.com/forums/showthread. ... ght=CALFEE
bearandoldman, I love the fine wood/blue metal as well, however, when you go to the lengths Calfee does in his build you want a stock that does not change the point of impact of the round just because a front is coming in the same day as your match. Regards

Right you are, the nicest looing walnut will do many strange things with humidity variations, no matter how well you think it is sealed.

KAZ · Post by **KAZ** » Sun Jul 26, 2009 11:48 am

Bullseye, as you can see the only thing left on this Calfee is the 40X rimfire action. In your archives I wondered if you had any information on bolt maintenance. This being a rimfire it has the center locking lugs. This is an old action with serial # 093* so, some say the early actions are a 721(or something like that) as opposed to using a 700 action. I don't know if that makes any difference in the bolt maintenance. I just want to be able to replace the firing pin and spring and extractors if it ever is required. So far it is flawless with excellent primer strike and zero fails to extract. Thanks

Yleefox · Post by **Yleefox** » Sun Jul 26, 2009 9:23 pm

Kaz

Very nice benchrest rimfire. Dates with a pretty face as seldom a cheap date.

Y

Post by **Bullseye** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 9:54 am

Kaz,

Very nice rifle. I'm on a road trip right now, I'll search my records when I return for bolt maintenance tips.

R,
Bullseye

greener · Post by **greener** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 6:50 am

Finally got around to reading the link. Great story and very impressive.

KAZ · Post by **KAZ** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 3:35 pm

I'm told that true to genius form Bill Calfee is difficult(on the benchrest forum) for some to get along with, especially if one wants to debate his methods. However they feel about his bedside manner, no one disputes his talent. I'm very lucky to have acquired one of his rifles, even though it is somewhat like my taking delivery of a NASCAR racer

Glad that you enjoyed the link, makes me understand that there is much more to cutting a barrel down that just a square cut, and good crown. It explains why some rifles lost accuracy when the barrel were cut without slugging to find the sweet spot. Regards

greener · Post by **greener** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 6:55 pm

The guy who owns the land and manages the our shooting association ranges is a benchrest shooter who also builds rifles. His idea of a worn out barrel is about my idea of one that is just broken in. Of course, I'd be pleased as punch with one of his terrible days.

KAZ · Post by **KAZ** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 5:20 pm

A 50 yard 5 shot group using SK Match on a rare calm day. That is the 10 ring on a USBR target. Regards

bearandoldman · Post by **bearandoldman** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 5:36 pm

Jim, you got one good shooter ther my friend. Them targets are not so big, Been looking a a left hand bolt gun in 22LR. My shop has a Savage MarkIIGL in stock and the price is not bad. Has the Acutrigger, don't know much about that.

KAZ · Post by **KAZ** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 6:57 pm

bearandoldman, I don't have one of those Savage MII but some of my pals do. They are shooters, and I have tried out that accutrigger on a Savage 308. It is a great trigger. In, fact that model with the accutrigger is the one to get. If, I hadn't ran into this 40X I had it in mind to try a MII. Regards

bearandoldman · Post by **bearandoldman** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 8:27 pm

KAZ wrote:bearandoldman, I don't have one of those Savage MII but some of my pals do. They are shooters, and I have tried out that accutrigger on a Savage 308. It is a great trigger. In, fact that model with the accutrigger is the one to get. If, I hadn't ran into this 40X I had it in mind to try a MII. Regards

My local guy has a new one for 185.00 AND IN LEFT HAND JUST FOR ME.
Really shoul sell of my birch stock damn near new carbine, when I bought it I had no idea that I would ever find a 4 digit walnut Overton stocked carbine like used very little for $60.00, did not really need it but how can you turn it down?

GunTalk-Online.com

My New (to me) 40X

My New (to me) 40X

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