Building a 404 J

[Jefferry404]

Thats a fine looking 404, but no recoil pad? Doable but seems to me a bit uncomfortable?

Wiebe steel buttplate. His is a bit wider and the curve, he says, reduces the felt recoil.. SInce a nice piece of wood, wanted as much of it as I could get and more so, the steel plate shoulders quickly, without any grab.
My load is 400gn RN at 2100fps. On a shooting table, standing, not bad.

Actually, my favorite, is 416 Rigby. But the Jeffery long sloping shoulder grew on me.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

My metal finally came back from bluing. Just finished reassembling. Turned out nice.
Before:
View attachment 564163

And after bluing.
View attachment 564164

I did the work adjusting feeding rails. It cycles like glass flawlessly.

Better photo in natural light.

Ran it through the dangerous game rifle test yesterday. It cycled a full magazine of dummy rounds without a problem ... more than twenty times. Then I cycled and fired a full magazine as fast as I could work the bolt a half dozen more times. Slick as snot. It snaps over on rounds dropped in the chamber no problem.

Bottom left target is 404 @100 meters (center target is my 30-06 Springfield).

She is ready for work!

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

Just a query for Ontario hunter, was there a particular reason for putting the quick release leavers on that side? My gunsmith friend told me to put them on the left side as I shouldn’t have anything that could interfere with the action of using the bolt, ie: gloves catching etc. Just an enquiring mind here, always asking questions.......much to the wife’s annoyance
gumpy

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Just a query for Ontario hunter, was there a particular reason for putting the quick release leavers on that side? My gunsmith friend told me to put them on the left side as I shouldn’t have anything that could interfere with the action of using the bolt, ie: gloves catching etc. Just an enquiring mind here, always asking questions.......much to the wife’s annoyance
gumpy

Glad you asked. Most guys think the same way, i.e. that the levers would somehow get in the way of loading the rifle. Most of those guys rethink their thinking the first time they sling the rifle in shirt sleeves and the left side QD levers poke them in the kidney ... or old age love handles. Even wearing a coat can be a problem as levers on that side of the gun can get caught on jacket pockets. Note the position of my scope's fully adjustable right side QD levers. They are pointed up and towards the scope's elevation turret. That keeps them out of the way of loading and the turret provides some protection against brush or clothing getting caught on the levers.

Last night I ran my 404 through the dangerous game rifle test, firing and cycling full magazines of dummy rounds through more than twenty repetitions. As a final test I did a half dozen reps loading the gun with eyes closed! No problem whatsoever. Would I be able to reload the gun with gloves on? I have been hunting big game with a similar 30-06 Springfield for just short of sixty years in all kinds of weather, often subzero F. I don't think I've ever attempted loading my Springfield's magazine with gloves on. That's a good way to find oneself on a 30-06 treasure hunt in knee deep snow! I cannot imagine that I will ever be wearing gloves hunting dangerous game in Africa with my 404 Jeffery, not even in the frigid August depths of a RSA winter.

I should quantify: In 59 years of hunting I can only recall having to reload my rifle once in the field. That bull moose soaked up five 180 gr bullets (+ one shot missed). Only lost maybe two pounds of meat. But that's another story.