Has magnum action today, really become history?

[rookhawk]

Gents,
What are the factories still producing rifles in magnum length actions today?

Lets disregard for this topic, a subject of controlled round feed or push feed.
Also, lets disregard, shortened magnums (and 375 Ruger and other of similar concept).

So the question is, what factories still produce magnum length actions, regardless of type (CRF, or PF), for cartridges 375 H&H upwards?

One that comes to mind is Sako 85. What would be the others that you know about?

It might be easier to work back to the action type as one category, and then to mention the high-end makers that may opt to use that action for particular bespoke guns.

I don't know about the Sako 85 action type. Certainly there are remaining CZ550 Magnum actions in the white available even though discontinued. Weatherby has an action. Dakota has/had an action. Granite mountain has/had an action. Empire Rifles had the ability to use other's actions. I think Heym has their own proprietary action.

Then we go to the "true" magnum that founded them all. The single or double square bridge Mauser action. I believe three groups make them to Paul Mauser's blueprint. Prechtl, Reimer Johannsen, and Mauser. Manufacturers today like Rigby, Griffin & Howe, New England Custom Gun, and most of the "famous English firms" will procure one of those three square bridge magnums and build you a gun today for very large money. The actions in the white, run about $6000.

 

[Louis Toadvine]

Steyr (but you shouldn't buy from them)

Wait, you shouldn't buy from Steyr because... they legally supplied rifles to Iran, and some of those rifles ended up being used by Iraqi insurgents?

Yeah, who has ever heard of insurgents using milsurp from other nations or whatever they can scrounge up on the black market. And certainly no arms maker has ever sold guns to a country in the Middle East.

 

[sestoppelman]

Zastava

I think it was mentioned that the Zastava or Whitworth actions are not true magnum actions. They make the magazine box fit the round, and they remove metal from the feed ramp to add length inside.
Some consider this an unsafe procedure but my .375 has never suffered any ill effects from this and been shooting it since 1984.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

I think it was mentioned that the Zastava or Whitworth actions are not true magnum actions. They make the magazine box fit the round, and they remove metal from the feed ramp to add length inside.
Some consider this an unsafe procedure but my .375 has never suffered any ill effects from this and been shooting it since 1984.

I had one in .375 and another in 9.3x62 neither had any issues while I owned them. I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase another should the right deal arise.

 

[sestoppelman]

I have owned several and no problems with any. I still have my first, the .375 and then snagged that first year, very low number .458 Whitworth earlier this year.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

It might be easier to work back to the action type as one category, and then to mention the high-end makers that may opt to use that action for particular bespoke guns.

I don't know about the Sako 85 action type. Certainly there are remaining CZ550 Magnum actions in the white available even though discontinued. Weatherby has an action. Dakota has/had an action. Granite mountain has/had an action. Empire Rifles had the ability to use other's actions. I think Heym has their own proprietary action.

Then we go to the "true" magnum that founded them all. The single or double square bridge Mauser action. I believe three groups make them to Paul Mauser's blueprint. Prechtl, Reimer Johannsen, and Mauser. Manufacturers today like Rigby, Griffin & Howe, New England Custom Gun, and most of the "famous English firms" will procure one of those three square bridge magnums and build you a gun today for very large money. The actions in the white, run about $6000.

I was under the impression that Empire’s action was proprietary? Not sure if there’s any CZ 550 actions out there that are in the white. Granite mountain is still in business.

 

[baxterb]

I think it was mentioned that the Zastava or Whitworth actions are not true magnum actions. They make the magazine box fit the round, and they remove metal from the feed ramp to add length inside.
Some consider this an unsafe procedure but my .375 has never suffered any ill effects from this and been shooting it since 1984.

they have also produced .458s opened to 3.6” which is not optimal unless one loads long or wants to ream out to Lott. I don’t want to do either one so had to pass on an otherwise very nice one.

 

[rookhawk]

I was under the impression that Empire’s action was proprietary? Not sure if there’s any CZ 550 actions out there that are in the white. Granite mountain is still in business.

A year ago CZ USA had about 50-100 magnums left in the white (or blued, not sure, but just actions) and they had about 30 Lotts and 40 Rigbys left.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Just to define magnum action.
Just having a chambering in 375 H&H, does not mean it is magnum action.

For example, zastava or winchester m70, are standard medium actions.
458 win mag was designed to fit that action length (LOA cartridge 3.34'')
That size, with bit of adjusting can fit as well 375 H&H .(LOA 3.64'')
And those two are most common african calibers if available at all in standard medium length action factory rifles.

Another point is: magazine for magnum action is supposed to be wider, allowing for better capacity of cartridges.
Atached is photo of win m70 in 375 h&h and win m70 in 30-06. (same, but 375 is adjusted for longer casing extraction)
Thats why, for example zastava in 375 (medium action) will have capacity 3 rounds, while zkk 602 in same caliber capacity will be 6.

The bottom line, not all above listed are magnum actions, which brought me to make my opening post.
Magnum action is not that common.

View attachment 432598

Very true. With the Zastava, the bottom of the feed ramp was cut to allow the longer .375 to feed properly versus the shorter .458. I’ve never had a feeding issue with my Whitworth .375. In fact, it’s a smoother action than my CZs. A very underrated well built action and rifle as a whole.

 

[sestoppelman]

they have also produced .458s opened to 3.6” which is not optimal unless one loads long or wants to ream out to Lott. I don’t want to do either one so had to pass on an otherwise very nice one.

Opened up how? Just the mag box or the chamber?

 

[baxterb]

Opened up how? Just the mag box or the chamber?

Meaning the action and mag box are setup for a 375 h&h but with a 458 there is a big gap in the front. So the cartridge slops around. I have a pic somewhere.

 

[sestoppelman]

Oh OK, so opened up the mag box same as the .375. I looked at my Whitworth .458 and it has the std 3.45" box. Must have been a late model rifle or a custom job?

 

[mark-hunter]

What complete rifles are out there that are obtainable for the upper middle class?
Blaser and Heym?

@Aaron N
So, far, I think Mauser.

 

[Laniarius]

Coming to this late and seeing the first few entries showing a long list of manufacturers... kind of reminded me of the scene in Monte Python's Life of Brian "what have the Romans ever done for us?".

 

[mark-hunter]

We can add Ludwig Borovnik, from Ferlach to this list.
But it is not factory, it is elite workshop. Like some mentioned above.

Lets wait for few more entries, but I am getting to following conclusion:

We are getting to era, of great extinction of magnum actions, now reserved for reduced number of elite manufacturers.
In the same time, slowly but steadily we are finding ourselves in the new era of the rise of shorter medium action for shorted magnums and reduced magazine capacity for working class.

And another things happens quietly. Materials.
While Mauser action can only be steel, other modern actions based on front locking in the barrel are evolving toward aluminium solutions.

So far, it looks like that Sako 85 is most affordable magnum action for classic cartridges at this moment.

 

[Vashper]

I also got the impression that rifle manufacturers, minimizing costs, are trying to limit themselves to the size of a standard Mauser action. As far as I remember, the maximum size of the cartridge in this case is 30-06, 338Win, 438, 9,3x64, etc., with a brass length of 63-64 mm.

 

[GuttormG]

Winchester, Browning (.375 h&h only), Blaser

-Sauer (404)
-Prechtl,
-Reimer Johannsen,
-Hartmann and Weiss,
-Hansen (I’m about 70% sure they make magnum length actions) they make custom barrels for Sauer rifles too
-Defiance Machine

The Browning a-bolt in 375 is not a magnumlength action, the 375hh just barley fits. But nice, reliable and handy rifle!

Hansen no longer lists his magnum-mauser actions (at cost of over us-6000 in-the-white they probably didnt sell many..).
A few Vector actions is still available.

 

[mark-hunter]

@Vashper
I agree: following cartridges are created with purpose of use in medium action: 375 Ruger, 376 Steyr, 375 RUM, 416 Rem mag, 416 Ruger. There could be more, but thats the idea.
For most of them, is a problem to find factory ammunition (outside of USA, and possibly in USA), and on the other hand, for 375 H&H ammunition is more or less easily obtainable, but then rifles in 375 H&H are getting harder to find.
In many cases reloading can solve the problem.
I see our time, as transition period to medium action, while magnum length action will remain for upper class market. Luckily 375 H&H can fit in medium action at least.

 

[baxterb]

Oh OK, so opened up the mag box same as the .375. I looked at my Whitworth .458 and it has the std 3.45" box. Must have been a late model rifle or a custom job?

The rifle i was looking at was very early for a Whitworth and was lovely. My guess if that zastava just made one action, modified them all for 375 and then when they were sent to England for assembly they became 375s or 458s. Probably later they requested the 458s not be opened up as it does cause deformation of the magazine box under recoil. The front of those boxes were lengthened with spot-welded metal and it was a little thin in my opinion.

 

[zephyr]

One of the things not mentioned is just how big a true Magnum action is.
I just finished commissioning a 505 Gibbs build using a GMA African Magnum Action

It weighed in at 3.6 lbs with a Bolt face of .750, the barreled action alone weighed more than a few rifles I have in the cabinet, as it should the size of the action determined the size of the finished stock, the gun in it's finished form was 11.0 lbs empty (no scope)