[Rickashay1]

I am the proud owner of a Heinz 57 M-14 Rifle. The receiver is Polytech,The barrel is Criterion,Bolt TRW. Sedlak op.guide & spring, Sedlak tin gas piston, Welded gas tube. I use two triggers 1: A Chinese frame with TRW hammer & Trigger, after market coil spring. Brakes at 3 1/2lb. Use this only bench shooting ( single shot). 2 : GI. stock SA. trigger, brakes at 5 lb.
used with magazine. Have a Nikon 4X16 Duplex Scope mounted. On trying to get the best accuracy from the bench at 100yds,experimented with three stocks I have. One GI stock from Fred`s walnut full of color , shoots 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 with various loads,Have a GI.fiberglass stock, shoots about the same.Last the Chinese board plank. Where am I going with this ? The last groups shot were with the board plank. 5 shots of 168 Federal comp ammo into a .316 group center to center, shot 5 more of the same into a .635 group.don`t want to use this ugly stock, but shows the rifle will shoot. I want to get my ( refinished ) walnut stock glass bedded, so the rifle will shoot & still look good. Can you shooters recommend a good M-14 Rifle Smith close to SW. Pa, Fulton Armory is in Md. but don`t know if they fool with a $ 200.00 + job. Thanks, Rickashay

 

[82nd ABN]

Don't know anyone in the area. I used derrik Martin from accuracy speaks for my last two bedding jobs. You may also want to consider using full canopy armory. I have seen his work and it is impeccable, a lot of tlc and attention to detail.
Turn times are pretty quick with both and they are very reasonably priced. Either way you look at it you will benefiting it in the mail. Food for thought.

 

[Rickashay1]

82nd. ABN

Thank You for the two shops you recommend, I Googled up their sites & everything looked first class. The only draw back is the Arizona address.Just in the last six weeks I have had a problem with shipping. Bought another M 14, A Springfield NM stainless bbl. from a dealer in Ga. It was in a heavy cardboard outer container, then bubble wrapped in Springfield box. Shipped USPS priority mail. You can see the fork lift marks before the rip in box. Front handguard smashed on this new rifle.Called dealer : Make claim with USPS. Yea !! Got new hand guard from Brownells. Then my son bought me a nice rifle case.Cabella`s. He lives in Vegas so they dropped shipped me one from their warehouse. VIA UPS. Gouge in outter box, side has hole in case about the size of a guarter.Will drive 40 miles ( one way ) tomorrow to Cabella`s in WVA.to exchange it. Would like to find a Smith a little closer to home. Thanks Again, Rickashay

 

[fidel877]

I live in FL. @ would appreciate a GOOD smith too!

 

[talk2me7.62]

m1a stock bedding

I am also in need of a gunsmith in the SoCal area of California to do steel bedding to M1a rifles...will drive 100 miles rather than ship...thanks for any help...talk2me7.62

 

[Rickashay1]

Fellow Shooters, I found a m-14 Riflesmith in Wiscasset,Me. by the name of Gus Norcross.Sent him my M-14 with the Criterian barrel & Sedlack this & that. Rifle shot around 1 1/4 or so with handloads. After Gus bedded rifle , no DIFFERENCE at all. Shot the same. Got good & mad, this rifle will shoot or else. Bought a med. wt. Krieger barrel.Gus is going to fit this to my M-14. If the rifle won`t shoot 1in. at 100yds. You might see it on Gun Broker. Ha Ha !
Got smart, used the USPS Priority Mail two times with no busted box or any problems. Cost about $ 10.00 dollars more, but what the h-ll
have a $ 2,000 + rifle. Rickashay

 

[Ivan1GFP]

Hi Rickashay1,

I would suggest that you retest the rifle with a known quantity such as Federal 168 Match ammunition before condemning the gun. Also do it with a telescope if possible. Try to eliminate ammunition and operator variables if possible.

Too many variables otherwise.

- Ivan.

 

[Rickashay1]

Hi Ivan,
I agree with you 100% about scope. That is the reason i`m discouraged with the accuracy on my M-14. I am using a Nikon 6x18 scope. Bench Rest loading routine. Yes Fed Gold Match shot well, but still 1 1/4 or a little more. Varget & H-335 shot well with Sierra 168 Match bullets. Still I think this rifle should shoot constant 1in or better.
I have several rifles ( BR TYPE ) that I shoot in the 2`s & on good day high 1`s at 100 yds. What I am getting at, it`s the rifle, not my shooting. It will be least a month before Gus has my M-14 ready to run. Will post the outcome. Thanks, Rickashay

 

[takedown]

Common sense sir If it ain't broke don't fix it. That gun with the ugly stock shoots as well as an expensive bed job. Look to paint it there is paint that has texture and can cover blemishes, pitts, ect. use that as filler then paint over it with black or any color. It will look like the krinkle finish. A hell of a lot cheaper and you know what you got and if someone laughs take them to the range and shoot for pink slips in this case (guns) or you can paint it like the heinz 57 bottle. Improvise adapt overcome ! Keep the stock it will grow on you.

 

[Ivan1GFP]

Hi Rickashay1,

Sorry I had not been following this thread for a while.

I don't happen to shoot Benchrest, but I usta hang around with a couple benchrest shooters. I shot a couple guns that easily stayed in the 2's. The funny thing about your comment that I believe there is STILL a pretty good chance that it IS your shooting!

Benchrest guns are heavy bolt actions that are built to be shot off bags. You barely touch the gun and the trigger pull is measured in ounces. The bullets are light and only moderately fast. The guns typically free recoil and there really isn't much recoil at all.

The M14 is a fairly light rifle that fires a fairly heavy bullet. The trigger is typically around 5 pounds and if you hold it wrong, it will kick you hard. There is a lot of stuff moving around as the gun goes off.

From my own experience, there is a noticeable difference in accuracy perhaps as much as 1/4 inch in group size depending on how you hold the gun. Pull it HARD into your shoulder. Use a bag in the rear to stabilise. Use a rest of some kind in front also, but get into the sling. It will help you hold harder. Put your hand between the stock and the front rest. Make sure your cheek weld is consistent. Don't worry if you see a slight wobble of the cross hairs. A little wobble with a hard hold is better than loose with no wobble.

See if that helps.

Another thing to check out is the scope mount you are using. I use a B-Square but it took me a while before I figured out how it was screwing up. They are good mounts but you need to set them up a bit weird. The scope I use isn't very different from yours. It is a 6.5-20X EFR Target Leupold.

Also, I take it you are full length sizing and NOT neck turning as a departure from the standard BR routine? Best load I have used to date has been pretty much a copy of Federal GMM: 43.2-43.4 grains IMR 4064. Federal 210M. 2.825 inch COAL. Adjust charge to get around 2575-2650 fps. I try to average around 2620 fps or so. My SD is around 15 fps.

How far are you from the MD/VA Border?

- Ivan.

 

[Bolt2bounce]

I had a fed ord with a Chinese barrel and stock I bedded it with accuglass and it would shoot 1" five shot groups with 168 Gr SMK. I usually loaded about 40 gr 4985.. works well.. The rifle stock didn't look all that good but it shot like a house afire.. I'd post a black 1" sticky square @ 100 yards.. and let some friend watch through the spotting scope and I'd put all five rounds into the black square after I fired the last shot, I look over and see their mouth hanging open.. like clock work.. it was classic.. I probably put about 20000 rounds through that gun .. and I finally sold it.. after I rebarreled it to a friend and it soldiers on, he took a nice deer with it last year.. them guns will shoot.. I did a similar act with a super match.. one time.. and got a couple guys in the gun club to invest in those fine rifles as well.. but of those two guys are gone now.. passed on.. Sad.. time marches on... B2B

 

[Rickashay1]

Thanks Ivan 1,
When I get the rifle back ( Gus is working on it now ) First thing I will do, as you advise, is hold the rifle tighter. With some cheek contact.Will post thread after I shoot the rifle.
The other day I went to local gun shop. They just got in a original 30/40 Krag rifle. Everything marked properly. Anyway I bought a box of Winchester 180 gr. bullets. Took it to the range & fired a 3 shot 3 1/2 group through the v notch at 50 yards. Next I raised the rear sight up & discovered a peep sight that flips up. Put one of those stickum black" see more" targets up at 100 yds. Holding at a 6 oclock hold, this rifle printed 3 shots dead center, four in. high. Could not believe the group. Got home & checked. .700 from a 111 year old rifle. Factory Ammo. A keeper.
Rickashay1
PS. I live in Washington, Pa. 27 miles South West Of Pittsburgh, Pa.

 

[Ivan1GFP]

Sounds like you got the rifle back. Did holding it differently help?

- Ivan.

 

[Surveillancemike]

Rickashy1,

I refinish guns with Duracoat commercially, if you want i will refinish that ugly stock for you STUPID cheap in anything you want, PM me if interested

 

[Rickashay1]

Ivan, I ran into a cluster F. of problems when I got the M-14 back. Sorry for not responding sooner. Check my other posting, will will get a idea. Pictures there also. Rifle shot terriable 2 1/2 to 3 in groups something very wrong. Took rifle apart. The opp. rod not lined up with gas piston. Opp. rod rubbing on barrel channel about 1 1/2 in. Fixed this stuff. Went to range, while sighting in scope the entire B-SQUARE mount fell on bench. Center screw broke. Target frame still at 25yds. Shot three shots with Iron Sights. A little high but cutting each other. Moved target to 80 yds. ( can`t see any further.)Rifle shot 5 shots of 44gr. Varget, 168MK. 210prim. into a 1 1/2 group. This is on one of those sighting in targets with the red center diamond

Ivan, Have a two screw mount for scope now. Headed for range tomorrow ( Tuesday 26th )Will see what is what. Oh, by the way, the gunsmith gave me a removeable cheek piece to shoot with.

 

[Ivan1GFP]

Hi Rickashay1,

I saw your other thread which is what prompted me to resume this one.

Funny thing about the B-Square Mount. I rather like mine. The attachment knobs are a bit on the soft side which is why I have a spare. The big issue is that without some kind of index mark, I had a tendency to over tighten and with the large knob, it is easy to strip the threads. Hasn't happened again since I put the white nail polish as an index mark.

I would buy another if I needed one.

- Ivan.

 

[Rickashay1]

Ivan, I guess i`m talking in two serarate threads about the same thing ??Duha !The Weaver knock off scope mount was a piece of S--T. Ran out of adj. at 50 yds. As in other thread. Buying a Sedlack. Cannot get to range till next week.