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Making a Remington 700 Action?

Halcohead

Stainless
Joined
Apr 10, 2005
Location
Bay Area, Ca
Hey guys,

I'd like to make a Remington 700 action "from scratch". The point of this project is to learn about gunsmithing, and eventually end up with a rifle that I can display, and maybe take to a range once. I understand that if I wanted a rifle fast, it would be both cheaper and easier to just go out to a gun store and select a rifle.

By "from scratch" I mean machine every part of the action from stock. For safety reasons, and due to a lack of tooling, I would send the action out for all heat-treating and blueing operations.

On a related note, does anyone know where I can find drawings of a Remington 700 action? The best I can find is exploded parts diagrams, and obviously I need dimensioned and toleranced prints, which also call out heat-treats.

My question is, is it a fool's task to try make a bolt action from scratch? If not, might there be any good reference books as a guide for starting? I recognize that I neither have the means nor the interest in making my own barrel or stock. In terms of tools, I either own or have access to a full complement of machine (cnc and manual) and measuring tools, however no special gunsmithing tools. I would be willing to purchase or make any special gauges (headspace gauges come to mind) or reamers needed, of course.

I have never done any specific gunsmithing, however I have 4 years' experience working in manual and cnc machine shops, and work under the supervision of a journeyman toolmaker.

I'm sorry if this has already been addressed, but I have looked around online and searched here, and the best information I've found is people who "blueprint" premade actions from Remmington. Nobody seems to have complete drawings or any documentation of the making of an action from scratch.
 
Several "scratch builders" here, some more skilled than others, but a wealth of information nonetheless.
www.homegunsmith.com
If you subscribe, you get access to the Library, which includes CAD drawings of the Remington 700 receiver, as well as lots of other drawings, info, etc. on numerous other firearms.
 
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Go to the US Patent Office and prints should be there. Most of the people that I know make a clone that is similar, but a little better. An Aussie has been doing a receiver on BR.Com in the gunsmithing forum. You might do a search.
http://benchrest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59368
Hopefully this is it. Most stainless receivers are 416 or 17-4. I believe that 4140 is most used for CM receivers. The hardest thing is cutting the raceways[EDM] is best and cutting the camming for the bolt on the lug abuttments.
Butch
 
When the WWW got going in 1995, there were some pictures of a guy making his own 50BMG receiver. From the pics, it looked like what Butch said about the angle of the cam on the lug abuttement being the hard part.

The book "Bolt Action Rifles" 4th edition by De Haas have convinced me that the Rem700 action would be the simplest and cheapest action to make.

There are 100 bolt action action in that book, and the Mauser would be the hardest to make. All other bolt actions fall on spectrum somewhere in between.

I would make at least 2 and probably 10 of them.
It would not cost much more or take longer.
It might take less time.
Serial #1 would be scrap in the end with my mistake rate.

I would probably not use Remington drawings, but use a Rem700 factory action as a pattern, and make my own sketches as I went along.
 
Thanks for the links and encouragement, guys. I actually found that article on the Mauser receiver about 2 hours after I posted this thread. Go figure.

I really like the look and design of the receiver in the linked thread. I might just have to copy it. One of the parts that seems nice is that if there were ever any gases escaping out towards the bolt, they would be automatically vented away from the shooter's face. I also don't really want to deal with EDM or complicated broaching op's (although a buddy does have an edm machine, I guess).

I was also rather intimidated by concerns of safety of the action, but after looking through the linked thread and the article on the Mauser action, I am pretty sure I could design a safe action myself, using an old Rem or Mauser action as a pattern.

I like the advice for making multiples. I was thinking I would make three at a time, one righty single shot, one righty with a 4-shot clip, and then one lefty with a 4-shot clip. The reason being I am right handed, but my left eye is dominant. Having a lefty receiver would make switching quite a bit easier. If I scrapped one of them, it wouldn't be the end of the world...

I don't plan on using any exotic steels (I don't even know where I'd source Maraging steel). I'll be using a steel between 36 and 39 HRC for the receiver, and 40 HRC for the bolt. Possibly 4340, or E52100, if I can find it.
 
"I don't even know where I'd source Maraging steel"

Maraging steel is easier for the terrorists in Iran to get than for us to get.

However, it is a damned fine alloy for this purpose ... well, it really isn't "steel" as another element replaces the carbon in the iron matrix, in what would otherwise be called "steel" ... as it is strong enough to make ultracentrifuges for the enrichment of uranium into the "bomb grade" product.
 
The best source of detailed info on lots of bolt actions as well as the 700 is Stuart Ottesons' "The Bolt Action: A Design Analysis ". It is an encyclopedic reference with cutaway dwgs and a host of mechanical data and measurements taken from a real action. There are also fabrication details and facts as well. There is nothing else like it available. It is a little expensive, but well worth it.

http://www.amazon.com/Bolt-Action-D...r_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240599432&sr=1-10
 
Several "scratch builders" here, some more skilled than others, but a wealth of information nonetheless.
www.homegunsmith.com
If you subscribe, you get access to the Library, which includes CAD drawings of the Remington 700 receiver, as well as lots of other drawings, info, etc. on numerous other firearms.

Hello;
New guy here.
Re: the homegunsmith forum, does their library include working drawings? Not just line drawings for parts ID.
Thanks,
Ken
 
Hello;
New guy here.
Re: the homegunsmith forum, does their library include working drawings? Not just line drawings for parts ID.
Thanks,
Ken

I just went into their "Library" to look at the Rem. 700 drawings (I had never opened those specific files), those are incomplete. Its a CAD dwg. that a machinist / homebuilder did on his own.
There's a few dim's for the receiver, but not complete by any means.
 
I just went into their "Library" to look at the Rem. 700 drawings (I had never opened those specific files), those are incomplete. Its a CAD dwg. that a machinist / homebuilder did on his own.
There's a few dim's for the receiver, but not complete by any means.

Thanks. Does anyone know where a real set can be had?
Ken
 
Make some of the improvements in your design

The Remington 700 action has been copied and improved upon for years.

Look at what Jim borden, Jerry Stiller, Barney Lawton, John Pierce, and Glen Harrison have done. Incorporate the good and delete the bad. There is always room for improvement.

Nat Lambeth
 
Help

Was anyone able to find good drawings for the receiver? If so can you point me in the right direction? I would also like to design one in solidworks and autocad and make some modifications to it.

Ben
 
I would like a "Remington 500" action with a .500" diameter bolt for smaller head diameter cartridges like .223 Rem, 222 Rem etc. Does this exist already or would it need to be made?
 
bolt gun

there is a book by bill holmes --the master gunmakers guide to building bolt action rifles,i have read it good stuff,he had a class 2 FFL and made plenty of different guns.
 








 
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