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GBR semi custom rifle

GBR semi custom rifle

For a long time we have had factory and custom rifles but recently, growth in semi-customs and designs that allow a modular build have become more common. In the same way an AR-15 derivative has become a sum of its component parts, the Remington 700 has drawn a long trail of ‘clone’ actions that combined with all the other Remingtoncompatible parts, now allow the assembly of your very own design - such is the GBR.

The test rifle is built and supplied by GBR Rifles, a partnership between Rhino Rifles and Fox Firearms. This is typical of the component choice now deemed suitable by the shooter wanting something that will work well across many disciplines from McQueens to informal F-class at reasonable expense with excellent performance. Chambered in 6.5x47 Lapua, it has become one of the most popular cartridges in the last 5 years among those wanting modest reloading costs, excellent ballistics out to and beyond 1000 yards. It offers minimal recoil and the all-important short action case size that can be reliably fed by repeating actions.

Multi-lingual

This GBR has components from around the world!  Starting with the action (made in the UK), which is a typical Rem 700 clone although built to the latest standards of CNC engineering with close tolerances to improve confidence in accuracy. It shares underside external action dimensions with the 700 along with a separate recoil lug sandwiched and pinned between action and barrel but differs in three major ways.

The ejection port is smaller than a standard Remy in that the left side of this right handed action rises up to the base of the Picatinny rail to aid stiffness. The bolt features a Sako-style extractor and the bolt release button is to the left rear rather than within the trigger unit.

The spiral fluted, 2-lug bolt is 416 grade stainless steel running with a 4140 chromoly steel action body to prevent bi-metallic galling. It is highly polished and finished in a lustrous blue with the GBR log on the left side and all serial numbers within the ejection port.

On top, GBR’s own Weaver/Picatinny rail is bolted with M4 fasteners to allow simple scope mounting, seen here with zero inbuilt elevation, a 20 MOA (Minute of Angle) unit is available. The action subtly differs to Remington as the rear bridge has forgone its slimmed down size reduction and shares an identical profile to that of the front, necessitating either two `front` bases or GBR’s own dedicated unit.

It is a positive aspect to the design, just be aware of it. The long straight bolt handle carries a simple black anodised knob and will certainly allow positive operation if not lightning fast reloads on a 90° opening stroke. The trigger is a Timney using a vertically serrated 10mm wide blade with the 2-position safety rising up to sit behind the bolt handle. It offers forward for FIRE and reverse for SAFE with no bolt locking.

Headspace Nut

I have shot a few rifles now with Spanish Bergara barrels fitted and have yet to be disappointed. This one is a pre-chambered unit arriving threaded 1.062” x 18 ready to fit to the action with one unusual feature rarely seen anywhere other than a Savage, a barrel nut! Unlike the Savage it’s a rotating collar that does not lock the barrel in position, it simply adjusts headspace. The tube as before is wound into the action and tightened in the conventional manner with a wrench.

The barrel offers a varmint profile, that tapers slightly to an 0.846” muzzle. The 26” matt, bead-blasted tube is factory-threaded 18x1mm for either a moderator or brake which was included here, though is an optional extra. Its 1 in 8” twist rate will stabilise up to a 140-grain bullets, though it has long been felt 120-130-grains is optimum for target shooting with this diminutive cartridge. However, a 95-grain V-MAX should suit the serious varminter!

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Regardless, at 26” it should have no problem delivering good velocities with modern propellants if handled carefully.

Transatlantic Furniture

Following the generic Remington footpath, we come to the American Bell & Carlson stock. Internally an aluminium bedding block with two rails upon which the action can ride provides a solid interface. Consistent action bolt torque can be applied with no fear of compressing the stock and the forend fully free floats the barrel by at least 1mm with no sign of unwanted flex disturbing a consistent zero.

The forend also has a slight vertical taper, coupled with a parallel 2.2” width optimised for shooting from a sandbag or benchrest. Two QD sling studs are fitted so a bipod can be quickly attached along with a sling joining to the third stud under the butt. The composite build shows a mottled texture finished in black providing a subtle, easily gripped surface without being unnecessarily rough and so will slide smoothly on front or rear bags.

Scalloped slightly in front of the trigger guard, this gun was fitted with a standard floorplate magazine and although this is a one-off build, I thought it would be better to have included magazine-compatible bottom metal.
Towards the rear, a vertical pistol grip gave perfect reach to the blade and a comfortable thumb-up hand position for easy control and fast bolt operation. The cheekpiece showed a good height and width for head position on the stock and the sloped underside was slender enough to sit and ride smoothly in a rear bag. Although no butt hook was present, the slope did allow simple elevation control using a balled fist on the non-firing hand too.

Jack Of All Trades?

Ammunition on test was custom loaded to shoot in this specific rifle and I found the combination of a 123-grain Lapua Scenar with TR140 powder, magnum primers and a Lapua case certainly had no problem satisfying the accuracy promises sent with this gun. Although never attaining the magic ¼ MOA, it proved utterly reliable in both retaining zero between sessions and when longer strings were fired, no real enlargement above ½ - ¾” even over 15 shots triggered quickly with a hot barrel.

Recoil was minimal from the 4.5kg gun with another 2 kg of scope, mounts and bipod attached. With the brake on and off it was difficult to tell the difference and point of impact moved just half an inch at 100 yards. With just short of 3000fps available, there were no problems dialling the gun out to range and it performed without major issue, I really liked the Timney trigger which as a standard inclusion on what is effectively a high spec Remington-styled factory rifle, was a welcome addition, breaking crisply at 2 ½ lbs and exhibiting no sear engagement issues when the bolt was operated aggressively.

6.5x47 Rant

I’m not actually a fan of 6.5x47 Lapua.  Yes it performs well but I often find it associated with rifles (or perhaps shooters) who wish to work it a little harder than was intended and I find it prone in these conditions to exhibit pressure issues. Factory ammunition is markedly slower than reloads that ‘reportedly’ exhibit no pressure signs! But although this gun has a close fitting firing pin hole and pin so wasn’t cratering primers, I found 20% of the cases to show extractor marks on what was an unusually normal day at 12° in early September.

A long bolt handle easily disguises hot loads and tight actions, although handling pressure with no problems, often run very close to the edge of just ‘sticking’ closed if run too hot. I didn’t get it here but re-chambering fired cases highlighted some brass growth on a chamber which had felt snug on headspace even with new cases.

Thankfully, a box of Lapua’s factory exhibited none of these issues, all for a loss of 150 fps? I liked the rifle even if I don’t like the calibre; if you want more, go bigger, don’t just work things harder! All things being equal, if you run modern powders a larger case will give you the same velocities with less pressure at the cost of a few more grains, but with a lot more tolerance for variables in temperature and component availability. The cheekpiece and stock were very comfortable in use on both the range and in the field with the 13 ¾” length of pull very comfortable. Bolt operation with fresh cases was fast with positive ejection but the long bolt handle did require caution to not torque the bolt lengthways itself on the forward stroke and stall the action. GM

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  • GBR semi custom rifle - image {image:count}

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  • GBR semi custom rifle - image {image:count}

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  • GBR semi custom rifle - image {image:count}

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  • GBR semi custom rifle - image {image:count}

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  • GBR semi custom rifle - image {image:count}

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  • GBR semi custom rifle - image {image:count}

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  • GBR semi custom rifle - image {image:count}

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gun
features

  • Model: GBR Semi Custom
  • Calibre: 6.5x47 Lapua
  • Weight:: 10lbs
  • Length: 43 ¾ “
  • Barrel: 26” with 1 in 8” twist rifling
  • Muzzle Thread: 18x1mm
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