Any/Any Iron-Palma Build thread

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NesikaChad

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Latest build:

A "supa bling" Palma/Prone rifle. Switch barrel in 6mm CM and 308 Gamboa.

We have ourselves a very nice piece of rail road tie here. XXX English.

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Barnard action ( From New Zealand, a bit "simple" to some, but a very good platforms for this kind of rifle. Action is a 3 lug and quite "robust")



Bartlein barrel being wrinkled and the breech chewed on.

boring the cone breech:

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Chambering:

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Inspection:

Yesser, that's .00005" TIR at the shoulder/neck and .00015" at the web. I swear on my bag of North End Parmesan&Herb Wheat Thins I'm not fudging this-I was quite surprised as well as I've never had one quite that good.

For the nay sayers: Brown and Sharp DOES offer a .00005" resolution indicator with a long stylus.

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Shoulder/case body junction TIR:
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Finally getting back to this bugger. Stock work begins today. I'll more updates as things progress along.

Layout and computer work all done, now onto setting the machine up. Have to pull the 4th axis (Ugh!) to get the fixture on. I need a bigger machine!

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Establishing the Z axis height with my "franken fixture/tool holder".

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Setting the X/Y zero positions with a "wiggler".

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Inspection of the stock blank showed a slight twist along the length at the show line. Not a problem. I indexed the stock off the imaginary vertical line of the buttstock and took a .03" skim pass off the top to get everything square. Makes life much easier for later operations.

Here we are wizzing away with a monster 1.25 3 flute cutter.

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A quick post inspection shows that I'm parallel with the stock showline to within .0015". The action sits "a smidge" higher up by the recoil lug. Not bad for a dumb farm kid.

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Ultimately what I'm after is along these lines. This is my Palma rifle built 6 years ago. The Nesika logo up front is a pewter inlay. (and it mother _ _ ked me the whole time too as it was the first time I'd ever done it) The hardware is all stuff I make in house. Notice the lack of screws in the rail. I've yet to use an accessory rail that didn't snag the handstop/bi pod on the screw countersinks. SO I did away with mounting it from the bottom. Come in from the top and the problem is solved.

Much cleaner presentation and better function I think.

Adjustable cheekpiece is a quick detach that retains the setting. Nice for palma as a "safe gun" is one with the bolt removed when moving to and from the firing line. Most likely not very practical for a Tac rifle though. I'm kinda bummed about the fit in the stock. When I did it the fit was 1:1 but three years in the middle east (I was a security contractor from 06-09) meant no one to maintenance this thing. the stock shrunk a bit and as a result there's a big ol fat gap now between the hardware and the stock. Sucks!

This rifle will get the same treatment only everything is going to be in steel and case colored afterward, including the action and small parts. Probably go with a titanium tactical blue falcon coat on the barrel.

Bling Bling!

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Chad a nice piece of work. Always enoy your posts.

Lowell
 
Nice build:).
I had bench rest rifle built on the smaller barnard S action last year,only just broke the barrel in.
So i've got a soft spot for barnards,i was lucky enough to meet Mac last year the US agent while on holiday.
Such a nice old guy,could have stopped in the shop all day.
Keep up the good work,and keep posting the pictures.

Ade

PS

I'm going to Mt Rushmore this summer for my holiday,who know's i might pay you visit:eek:.
 
HUGE problem with that gun...you have removed all issues with the rifle. You now only have yourself to blame. I prefer a cheaper gun so I can always say it was not me it was:
the barrel being shot out
the sights coming loose
The stock being too slippery in hot weather
The stock being too sticky in cold weather
The trigger developing creep
...I got a million of them. On the other hand I am ALWAYS perfect :)

-Chip-
 
Chad,
You aren't a 'smith, you're an artist! These posts do well for marketing your skills. Keep up the awesome work.
 
Latest build:

A "supa bling" Palma/Prone rifle. Switch barrel in 6mm CM and 308 Gamboa.

What is a .308 Gamboa?

I know Bob Gamboa, and I know the .308, but I don't know the two paired up except when Bob shoots (extremely capably, BTW) a .308 in Palma matches.

Is it a cartridge variation of the venerable .308? If so, would it be legal for Palma matches overseas?
 
Bob and I know each other also. I first got to know him in 2003 with the Palma team. I was a "wet behind the ears" greenhorn then and briefly worked as an armorer for the team.:D

The Gamboa reamer is a (yet another) version of the 308. To my knowledge its legal for the individual portion but I don't think it'll pass for the team events. I'd have to look in the print book to be sure though. If considering an international gun its well worth the effort to check before hand because if a rifle doesn't gauge properly they will literally cram a reamer down your chamber and ream it out by hand. (sometimes not so nice about it too) It's a funny/fussy rule the other countries have.

I have that reamer, the (Mid) Tompkins version, the Bisley "radway green" (blech!), and the 95 Palma.
 
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I don't like it, I love it

I go to the Gunsmiths Corner just to see if you have posted. What a gift you have, thanks so much for sharing. Maybe someday
 
Chad unbelievable talent, i also look for your post! Thanks for the time you take to post pics. It takes talent to build and set up tools like you do then talent to work with them. Do ever sleep, lol?? How long does it take from start to chips on programming the stock? Dodo just bedding jobs?

I cannot afford to be a customer but i wish i had the coins for you to build me something. I know it's not polite to ask but how about a ballpark figure, you receive all the parts for a rifle and you give the customer back a finished gun.
 
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