Buy or build?

[ajvigs]

Simple, to the point, would you rather build a rifle to your specs or buy one straight out?

I am toying with the idea of putting together a rifle with various parts:
MRC 1999 action
Hart barrel
McMillan stock

Thoughts?

I may be needing a gunsmith in the near future if this is going to be my next toy...

 

[Guy Miner]

Figure out exactly what you'd like for the end results.

Weight. Power. Handling/balance. Weather resistance. Length of pull. Etc...

See if there's something available that matches. Or comes close.

See about building it.

Weigh it out. There are some AMAZING factory rifles available anymore. Of course a custom is a great way to get exactly what you want. Just be careful with the specs. I see a lot of guys spec a much heavier barrel than what they actually wanted, ending up with a varmint weight rifle, when what they wanted was a sporter weight hunting rifle...

I've had one built. It came out PERFECTLY.

I bought another one that someone else had built - and for the purpose it was excellent.

I was about to have a sporter weight .25-06 built 8 or 10 years ago. Remington introduced the 700 CDL. It was almost exactly what I wanted, so I bought it and have been extremely pleased ever since.

Think it through.

BTW - there's a .30-06 MRC at a local shop here. I like it. Impressive. Heavy. Unusually heavy. I was debating between it and the Rem 700 CDL in .30-06, and went with the Remington, mostly due to the weight of it vs the MRC rifle. Action weight? Barrel contour? Weight of the walnut stock? I don't know what the difference was, but the MRC didn't feel like a rifle I wanted to carry up a ridge for two hours.

Think it through.

Guy

 

[JD338]

I agree with Guy

JD338

 

[IdahoCTD]

Everyone deserves a custom gun (or 30 ). Most of the time it's the only way to get exactly what you want.

 

[ajvigs]

Guy,

I really like the MRC's...hence why I am thinking of using their action as a base point...but you raise a good point in the factory rifles being superb these days. For a factory rifle, my MRC is lights out.

I will indeed think this one through for a bit, no rush right now just a thought that came into my head

 

[SJB358]

Man, Guy just nailed it in his post. I've been pretty lucky as most all of my factory Sporters, Featherwights and the CDL have all fit me pretty well. I really don't think about building unless its a cartridge Winchester won't chamber.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I had my custom rifles built back in the 1970's when you could not always find what you wanted, especially in a specific caliber. Plus, my Model 70 custom was a reconstruct of a 1949 Super Grade rifle which had been ruined by its first and only previous owner. The rifle had to be repaired, reconstructed and restocked. Nowadays, unless you are building a benchrest or a long range rifle, you can probably find a factory or semi custom rifle setup pretty nearly setup the way that you want without buying a fully custom rifle. There are many factory semi-custom like the Nosler rifle line which are fine rifles and are available in nearly any caliber that most would want.

There is certainly nothing against building a custom rifle to do what you want in the caliber that you desire. I was just inferring that there are a lot of good choices out there In factory or semi custom rifles to chose from already. The world of choices in rifle styles and calibers of factory offerings has never been better in my memory than it is right now.