"Higher End"/"Exotic" rifle choices...

Trumpet · Jul 14, 2014

I believe it has to do with stock size, one being more suitable for youth. I'm very likely wrong though. As much as I would LOVE a Russkie toggle action, the lack of support and parts availability is starting to make me eliminate them off my list.

ducrider45 · Jul 14, 2014

Im considering a PWS build. But I'm only doing it to build something different.

Tito · Jul 14, 2014

I'm to broke to pay attention. :-)

00 Del · Jul 15, 2014

Sako Quad

I am a tremendous fan of the Sako Quad (http://www.sako.fi/sakoquad.php). They are switch-barrel rimfires and when I was a Missouri resident I bought mine for about 400 bones at Wittakers (http://www.whittakerguns.com/). They bought a pallet of them and I bought mine off the pallet. There is a guy on Gunbroker who does great trigger jobs on them for $40. Now one is lucky to find one for double that. However, if one can find a Quad for a decent price Lilja makes drop in barrels for them at Lilja prices (http://www.riflebarrels.com/products/rimfire_lilja_rifle_barrels.htm). Buy one rifle and either the .22LR mags or the .22 WMR mags and you have a rifle that will shoot and shoot any common rimfire.

rico903 · Jul 15, 2014

JoeRinMD said:
When he was younger, my son was involved in NRA through AAF&G's Junior Rifle Program. He started with a CZ-452 Scout that I modified to add an aperture rear sight and a globe front sight, along with a sling swivel. For such a tiny gun and short barrel, that gun was a real tack-driver. And, the only plastic on the gun was the mag well liner. Other than that it was blued steel and hardwood. The other benefit of the Scout was that it came with a single-shot adapter, but all standard CZ mags can be used if a repeater is needed or desired. I don't hunt, but that rifle would be an absolutely great woods squirrel rifle.

When he outgrew the CZ, I bought him a Izmash CM-2 Cadet, that he used for a couple of years. Like most Russian items, it was relatively crudely finished, but functioned perfectly. For example, the barrel showed the spiral marks from the hammer-forging process that were never machined/polished away. Unfortunately, he outgrew that rifle relatively quickly.

And finally when he was big enough to need an adult-sized rifle, I bought a Anschutz 1407 from Mac Tilton. This rifle uses the 54 action, and with a barrel and stock combination that was designed for 3/4 position shooting. The gun was quite old, the barrel dated from 1976, but was in very good shape and the price was quite reasonable for the package including sights. The trigger is what's most impressive about that rifle. It's set for a few ounces and it's perfectly consistent, while still being safe at such a low release weight. He still loves to take the Annie out for a session and is capable of putting multiple shots into a tight cloverleaf with it.

One of these days I'll transfer all of them to him for his children to learn on and enjoy.

For myself, I'd love to have a toggle-action rifle just for the fun of something completely different. Stupidly, I passed on a Izmash Biathlon 7-3 or 7-4 that they were selling at Bay Country Guns a few years ago. I've been tempted by the Biathlon Basic, but the stock design leaves me cold, and no one has yet started to make after-market stocks to fit it. Right now, I'm thinking about a Primary Weapons Systems T-3, which is an adaptation of the Ruger 10-22 receiver into a toggle-action. That could be a fun project, just to buy the receiver and bolt, piecing it together with 10-22 parts.

JoeR

Just an FYI, you can get a full sized stock for the Scout as kids grow and it's also still a nice compact woods gun CZ is hard to beat. Especially for the money.

rico903 · Jul 15, 2014

Trumpet said:
I've heard that when buying just the Summit receiver and building the rifle, it can be finnicky (but manageable). I've not seen those reports on the complete PWS rifles though.

As to the CZ's....I know, I know.., as I said earlier I bought a 452 Varmint back in '97. Love it. I'd love to find a 453 varmint. I know when the 455 was introduced a LOT of CZ owners were skeptical thinking it was cutting corners and wouldn't be as good as the 452. Since that was a couple years ago, what is the consensus now?

I MAY have a 453 Varmint in .17 fluted barrel going up for sale. As for the 455, perusing RFC it seems that they have proven them selves. CZ did it to make things more compatible between models. People say the finish of the metal is better and the wood is better and it seems they are just as accurate. The 452s still are much sought after and bring a premium, especially the open site models as CZ's new sites suck.

rico903 · Jul 15, 2014

00 Del said:
I am a tremendous fan of the Sako Quad (http://www.sako.fi/sakoquad.php). They are switch-barrel rimfires and when I was a Missouri resident I bought mine for about 400 bones at Wittakers (http://www.whittakerguns.com/). They bought a pallet of them and I bought mine off the pallet. There is a guy on Gunbroker who does great trigger jobs on them for $40. Now one is lucky to find one for double that. However, if one can find a Quad for a decent price Lilja makes drop in barrels for them at Lilja prices (http://www.riflebarrels.com/products/rimfire_lilja_rifle_barrels.htm). Buy one rifle and either the .22LR mags or the .22 WMR mags and you have a rifle that will shoot and shoot any common rimfire.

I'm lucky enough to have a Quad set and an extra set of barrels to have cut down and threaded. Is the guy on GB Larry Gish? I bought a heavy threaded barrel from him and it is excellent. The Quads are excellent rifles and I would tell anyone to buy one if they have a chance.

JoeRinMD · Jul 15, 2014

Yes, I've thought about getting an adult-sized stock for it, but I want to give it to him for his own kids someday.

Trumpet · Jul 15, 2014

If I could get a quad for what you paid, I'd be all over it/them like stink on a monkey.

rico903 · Jul 16, 2014

00 Del said:
I am a tremendous fan of the Sako Quad (http://www.sako.fi/sakoquad.php). They are switch-barrel rimfires and when I was a Missouri resident I bought mine for about 400 bones at Wittakers (http://www.whittakerguns.com/). They bought a pallet of them and I bought mine off the pallet. There is a guy on Gunbroker who does great trigger jobs on them for $40. Now one is lucky to find one for double that. However, if one can find a Quad for a decent price Lilja makes drop in barrels for them at Lilja prices (http://www.riflebarrels.com/products/rimfire_lilja_rifle_barrels.htm). Buy one rifle and either the .22LR mags or the .22 WMR mags and you have a rifle that will shoot and shoot any common rimfire.

Are you saying you bought the whole set for that price or a single caliber gun? I got my set from Whittakers also and it was over 1k.

Trumpet · Jul 16, 2014

Heck the single gun is over $1k

BuildnBurn · Jul 16, 2014

I picked up a Kimber of Oregon M82 Sporter last year for under $900- last year and it is scary accurate with Ely Rifle Match ammo

rico903 · Jul 17, 2014

Trumpet said:
Heck the single gun is over $1k

Yeah, I think I paid about $1300 for the 4 barrel set 3 years ago. Have no regrets.

00 Del · Jul 24, 2014

Affirmative, Larry Gish did my trigger job. My father was an aficionado of cheap trigger jobs on .22's and I grew up with a .22 that would fire if one closed the bolt too hard. That is not optimal on the range and downright dangerous in the field, so when I received my trigger back from Larry I spent some quality time with the rifle and a dead blow hammer. Even at its lowest setting I could not make the rifle fire without pulling the trigger. If one is skiddish about Larry's setting the trigger can be adjusted for a heavier break.

Glad to know I don't own the only Quad in Maryland. Whittakers is also a great source for Coopers and other quality rifles.

rico903 said:
I'm lucky enough to have a Quad set and an extra set of barrels to have cut down and threaded. Is the guy on GB Larry Gish? I bought a heavy threaded barrel from him and it is excellent. The Quads are excellent rifles and I would tell anyone to buy one if they have a chance.

00 Del · Jul 24, 2014

I bought a 22 WMR quad for that price and a an additional magazine for a song. The .17 HMR Lilja barrel is on my to-do list.

rico903 said:
Are you saying you bought the whole set for that price or a single caliber gun? I got my set from Whittakers also and it was over 1k.

rico903 · Jul 24, 2014

Reading this makes me realize I have to get it in gear and find someone to cut down and thread my barrels at a decent price. When I talked to Larry a couple of years ago he would do them for about $50 which is almost too cheap. He's getting on in age so I don't know how much he is doing. His thread protectors are the best I've seen, almost totally invisible except for the flat on either side to grip. I've heard very good things abut his trigger jobs, but to light for some people. I actually like mine as it came.

afree1 · Jul 24, 2014

I have a really nice Remington 541-T, Voelker Match, which is an excellent shooting repeater, that I will probably put on the market soon.
All of the Annie 1700 series guns that I have owned are excellent shooters, from the 1700 featherweight up to the 1710 DHB. The Sako Finnfire P94S is an extremely accurate, nice handling sporter as well. Although it doeesn't switch barrels like the quad, they often have some pretty nice wood, instead of the quad's composite stock. There are a lot of good options out there!

rico903 · Jul 25, 2014

I agree with the Annies. Like my 1710 DKL. As far as my Quad I', lucky enough to have a synthetic and wood stock set.

Maverick0313 · Jul 25, 2014

I have a couple different models of CZ .22WMRs, and a CZ .17HMR. Love all of them.

rico903 · Jul 26, 2014

Maverick0313 said:
I have a couple different models of CZ .22WMRs, and a CZ .17HMR. Love all of them.

Have about a dozen, some CF included. Can't beat them for price, quality and accuracy :thumbsup:

"Higher End"/"Exotic" rifle choices...

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