j0e_bl0ggs guns

[gitano]

As most of you know, Alain, AKA j0e_bloggs here at THL, died last January. Also as most know, Great Britain has some onerous firearms ownership laws, (and they're getting worse. ) Alain had a significant, for GB, gun collection. Unfortunately, because of the gun laws, it's essentially impossible for any Brit to inherit the firearms of a deceased relative or friend. All the heirs can do is turn them over to a Registered Firearms Dealer (RFD - equivalent to our FFL), where they immediately incur a per firearm "transfer fee", and begin accruing "storage" fees. They then can be sold (usually to the RFD - funny how that "works" for RFDs), usually at significant discount. OR they can be "turned over to the police". Incredible. Almost. But, GB, at least the Powers That Be, HATE firearms in the hands of the public. New law will require you to have a "mental health status checkup" performed NOT by your regular doctor, but by one chosen by The State, before you can get a license, renew a license, or procure a new firearm.

At any rate, Alain's brother didn't want the police to get Alain's guns, and he didn't want to incur the costs associated with giving them to an RFD, so he asked me if I wanted them. I said "Yes". Tentatively. I didn't know what rigmarole I was going to have to put up with to get them to me, and, I didn't have a clue what the ultimate cost might end up being. (Consider this: If a Brit wants to go to Germany to hunt wild boar and he intends to fly to Germany, he has to hire a "firearms transportation company", (FTC), to take the firearms he intends to use in Germany, FROM HIS HOUSE TO THE AIRPORT. When he returns, he has to hire an FTC to take his firearm(s) TO HIS HOUSE FROM THE AIRPORT. Of course, this ain't "cheap".) As it turned out, I had to use an FTC to move the firearms from the RFD that 'received' them from Alain's brother, to the RFD/exporter that sent them to me. Not being sure of ALL of the costs associated with importing firearms from England, including shipping fees, I wasn't certain I wanted all of his firearms, so I just picked the ones I really wanted - a couple Alain had promised me plus a few others, and started "the process".

That process included finding an exporter WITH AN EXPORT LICENSE in England; getting the BATFE Form 6 "Importing Firearms" approved; and finding an FFL with the proper license for importing firearms. Skipping the gory details, I ended up paying the English exporter $1200+ to pack and ship the 7 rifles to Anchorage. When they arrived, the FFL and I went to Anchorage to pick them up. Silly us. We thought that was 'it'. Au contraire! If you import ANYTHING worth more than $2500, US Customs REQUIRES that you have a "broker". Guns had nothing to do with it. I knew there was going to be "import duty", but I also knew that it was going to be 3% of declared value. That meant about $250. I was fine with that. HOWEVER, the broker, for doing nothing more than filling out a Customs form, charged me $450, plus the $250 Duty. I feel so fortunate that the broker was there to 'help'. NO ONE, not one person, inspected the packages. They could have been full of cocaine for all Customs knew.

Nonetheless, THREE WEEKS after they arrived, (and another $500 to the FFL), I got 7 of Alain's rifles in my hands. They were worth the wait and the cash.  Here's a picture of them. I'll do better pictures when I start reloading for them.



Starting from the top, (or the "back"):
1&2) Tikka Model 595s - Two of them, both chambered in 17 Remington with the black plastic stocks. They're interestingly different. One has a "shiny" receiver and British Proof Marks on every pressure bearing part. The other has a "matt" receiver, and NO proof marks whatsoever.

3) Remington Model 700 chambered in .22-250 Remington. It has a factory bull barrel on it.

4) Custom made ("bespoke" in the Queen's English) by Norman Clarke Gunsmiths of Rugby, chambered in .444 Marlin. Alain had this gun made so he could hunt wild boar in Latvia, his father's homeland. The action is a Mauser - ala Parker Hales. Really nice engraving on the floorplate! Alain had been trying to figure out how to get this rifle to me for some time. Too bad he had to die for it to happen.

5) Steyr Classic Model II chambered in .223. This one I wanted. These have been discontinued, and they are classic Teutonic design and engineering. Wait til you see this one close up!

6) Anschutz Model 1422 (the desired model) chambered in .22 LR. Sweet rifle, as all the Anschutz's are.

7) Sauer Model 90 chambered in .270 Winchester. Any of you that know me know that I have a serious 'thing' for Sauer Model 90s! This one is a beaut! But then, they ALL are!

You'll notice they all have muzzle breaks on them. That's because ALL of Alain's rifles had suppressors on them. The Powers That Be in GB couldn't care less about suppressors, but we in the US, with the most liberal gun ownership laws in the world, are "evil, ne'er-do-wells" if we want a suppressor. Anyway, I certainly couldn't have any of Alain's suppressors, no matter how bad I wanted them. So, to protect the threaded muzzles, 'breaks' (or brake)were screwed on. As soon as I get thread protectors, I'll replace the breaks (brake).



I'm ready! (Almost. Waiting on .22-250 brass. ) More, close-up pictures when I start reloading for them.

Paul

PS - All have set triggers except the Tikkas and Norman Clarke. The Anschutz has double set trigger.

Paul

[Jamie.270]

Impressive!
Too bad about all the expensive red tape.  But what else can one expect when not one, but two government's bureaucracies get involved.

Looking forward to the details.

Again,...  RIP Alain.
Congrats Paul.

[gitano]

I took the 'breaks/brakes' off of the rifle's muzzles to measure the threads so I could get/make thread protectors instead of using these brakes. I'm certain these brakes will have an effect on barrel harmonics (OBT). Of course they were almost all different.    Nevertheless, all but one was "standard" threading, and none were metric. Which surprised me a bit. The Norman Clark might be 'custom'. The threads aren't metric, but the diameter of the threads at 0.602", is not standard. "Close" to 5/8ths (0.625") but not, and "close" to 9/16ths (0.5625") but not. I think a 5/8ths tap will be too sloppy. You might ask, "Why don't you just single-point cut them?" If it was cutting the threads in the muzzle - outside threads - I would. However, I don't have a tool that will fit inside a 5/8ths hole and cut inside threads - the threads needed for a thread protector. I may have to shoot that rifle with the 'thing' on the muzzle. (It's not really a brake, because it doesn't have any holes in it.)

Paul

PS - For completion's sake:
1) Norman Clark .444 Marlin 0.602 - 24
2) Remington .22-250 Remington 5/8 - 18
3) Anschutz .22LR 1/2 - 20
4) Sauer 90 .270 Winchester 1/2 - 28
5) Tikka 595 .17 Remington 1/2 - 20
6) Tikka 595 .17 Remington 1/2 - 26
7) Steyr Classic Model II 1/2 - 20

Paul

[gitano]

I was scrabbling around looking for .30-06 cases I could turn into .270 cases when I found a box of mixed cases and cartridges. I think this box came in a 'care package' of cases Hunterbug sent to me a couple of years ago.

There were some loaded .30 Remingtons, but there were also some  250 Savage; both loaded rounds, and just cases. If I remember correctly, there was a total of 20 of those 250 Savage cases. The .22-250 was originally made from necked down 250 Savage cases. As it turns out, I was able to neck one down without crushing the shoulder! Finally!

I took that necked down case and fire-formed it so I could get a good case capacity measurement. Now, I'll use that case to make a 'custom case' for the Stoney Point Chamber-All, and get a precise measurement of the chamber length. Armed with that info, I can commence loading rounds for the .22-250.

Oh yeah, I found the '06 cases too, and made some .270 cases. Now I have all the cases for Alain's rifles and can load for all of them. Except the .270. No bullets for it yet.  \(And, no reloading for the .22RF Anschutz of course.) God willin' and the creek don't rise, I'll  be able to get to the range in the next few days. Range reports to follow soon!

Paul

[gitano]

It occurs to me that I need to find scopes for these rifles, and mount them, before I can shoot them. Effectively, any way. I think only the Sauer has open sights.

Paul

[branxhunter]

Nice - I really like the Annie 22lr and the Sauer .270.

I wonder why Alain had duplicate .17Rems?

Marcus

[gitano]

I wondered about that too, Marcus. I haven't come up with an answer. He liked the .17 Rem, and one of them shot "little bug-holes". (I don't remember which one.  )  I haven' shot either of them yet. I do remember that his favorite load 1) used Vihtavouri powder, and 2) MV was under 4000 f/s. Maybe under 3800. I'm not too interested in a .17 bullet doing less than 4000, because 1) I know it's easy to get them going faster, and 2) if I have a 40-grain .22 bullet going 4000+ (from the .22-250), I don't really care about a 25-grain, .17 caliber bullet doing 3700. The .17 Remington that I have had from the early '80s has an average MV of 4112 with a 25-grain Hornady. It doesn't shoot as precisely as is reported on line for most .17 Rems - "only" 1-MoA at 100. (There's an interesting story associated with that.)

I'll shoot Alain's and see what I want to do with them after that. I do have two grandsons...

Paul

[branxhunter]

I wondered about that too, Marcus. I haven't come up with an answer. He liked the .17 Rem, and one of them shot "little bug-holes". (I don't remember which one.  )  I haven' shot either of them yet. I do remember that his favorite load 1) used Vihtavouri powder, and 2) MV was under 4000 f/s. Maybe under 3800. I'm not too interested in a .17 bullet doing less than 4000, because 1) I know it's easy to get them going faster, and 2) if I have a 40-grain .22 bullet going 4000+ (from the .22-250), I don't really care about a 25-grain, .17 caliber bullet doing 3700. The .17 Remington that I have had from the early '80s has an average MV of 4112 with a 25-grain Hornady. It doesn't shoot as precisely as is reported on line for most .17 Rems - "only" 1-MoA at 100. (There's an interesting story associated with that.)

I'll shoot Alain's and see what I want to do with them after that. I do have two grandsons...

Paul

Sounds like a good plan. My daughter loves the Sako .17-222 and has basically claimed it as hers.

Marcus