Riflesmith Southern England

Ferryman

Well-Known Member
With simple 1-4-1 variations taking up to 5 months I am looking for recommendations for a riflesmith to convert 2 Left Handed Remington 700 SPS heavy barreled varmint rifles to sporters.

One is .308 the other .223.

I reckon it will mean re profile barrel and reproof plus replacement stocks, they are both already fitted with Huber Roller Triggers.

I know cost wise it would probably be less expensive to buy 2 new rifles but I do not want to wait 5 months for the variation.
 
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I know they are well booked up, but my thinking is to book them in and when the smith is ready to do the work he can have the rifles.
In the mean time I still have the use of my rifles.
 
Trouble is you're not going to be far off a re barrel cost after the work is done. You also run the risk of affecting stress relieving of the barrel and or possible bending the barrel during the process.

Also, the material being removed will then need to be accounted for with the swamp of barrel at the chamber end on the barrel OD.

Just a thought.
 
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I know they are well booked up, but my thinking is to book them in and when the smith is ready to do the work he can have the rifles.
In the mean time I still have the use of my rifles.
So why not put in for a second 308 and a second 223 you will still have use of your rifles
 
It may take longer than 5 months to get a 'smith to do the work for you........
Well one of my rifles was handed to a smith to rebarrel at the November Newark ''kelso'' stalkers fair and I got it back after a lot of phone calls and badgering the following June !!!
The next one I had done was handed to a smith and received back 14 days later completed !!!
So much variation in smiths
Regards
Jimmy.
 
Well one of my rifles was handed to a smith to rebarrel at the November Newark ''kelso'' stalkers fair and I got it back after a lot of phone calls and badgering the following June !!!
The next one I had done was handed to a smith and received back 14 days later completed !!!
So much variation in smiths
Regards
Jimmy.

Not that I want to hijack the original post but yes there are a lot of variations Jimmy I'm sure.


Many Gun plumbers work part time and have another job, some have staff to answer phones, emails and pick up odd jobs to lend a hand.
Some work from garages and garden sheds with zero overheads, no business rates etc. And some can turn work around at the drop of a hat because they don't have much on so a two week turn around is achievable.

On the weekend you dropped off your Tikka, I had 9 rebarrels to take back. That's without any other work I get from coating, trade threading work and everything I offer.

This is the reality I'm afraid but onwards and upwards.
 
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Not that I want to hijack the original post but yes there are a lot of variations Jimmy I'm sure.


Many Gun plumbers work part time and have another job, some have staff to answer phones, emails and pick up odd jobs to lend a hand.
Some work from garages and garden sheds with zero overheads, no business rates etc. And some can turn work around at the drop of a hat because they don't have much on so a two week turn around is achievable.

On the weekend you dropped off your Tikka, I had 9 rebarrels to take back. That's without any other work I get from coating, trade threading work and everything I offer.

This is the reality I'm afraid but onwards and upwards.

Touchy.....

Anyway to answer the OP thread - I recommend you start with Neil McKillop in Basingstoke (or thereabouts)
 
Mik at Dolphin rifles. His work is outstanding and turns it around quickly. Just send them off with your local rfd.
 
It may take longer than 5 months to get a 'smith to do the work for you........

No it won't - Neil McKillop and Steve Kershaw are both capable of giving a deadline and sticking to it. Neither suffer fools gladly though, especially Neil! :)
Steve generally turns things round in 6 weeks or less, though it depends on availability of parts, and he doesn't take on more work than he can handle so he might not accept the job.
Neil will probably tell you to show up on a certain day, be absolutely certain what you want, and be prepared to wait all day if he agrees to let you wait whilst he does it - obviously depends on what needs doing though.
Both are superb rifle smiths. I've personally used Steve dozens of time when I worked in the trade, and two of my close friends have used Neil for approx. 12 rifle builds & re-barrels.
 
Thanks Beardy Steve Kershaw sorted my .300 Win Mag out after another company screwed it up.

Neil McKillop is local to me (well reasonably local)
 
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