The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Marlin XS7+McGowen pre-fit barrel good idea?

taylorce1 · September 27, 2012, 10:05 AM

I really don't care what you build it on, but the way I look at it Marlin X series rifles are just the same as M10/110 Savage rifles. They just are enough different not to work in the same stock. With Boyd's you get three options for stocks, with Savage you get several more than that. I'm just saying don't limit your options by being brand loyal.

I figured with a 26" barrel you are probably going with a varmint contour or full bull. That would require modifying the forearm on the current Marlin stock so the next logical thing was you might be looking for another stock. Savage just wins out in the replacement stock category, Remington would be far better but not completly a DIY prospect for the barrel change.

So the way I look at it now you are about $600 for there rifle and barrel (my last McGowan took 16 weeks to deliver and wouldn't thread into my action), $100 for a new Boyd's stock, another $80-100 for the tools and gages necessary to swap out the barrel. Of course you could always rent the gages and save a lot of money $50-60 at least. Then with a new stock your going to need to glass bed probably pillar as well, if you can't do that on your own it will cost around $200 for that. Plus unless you do it you'll have to pay around another $100 for the person bedding the rifle to open up the barrel channel for your new stock.

So like I said sure makes a Savage LRH more appealing, all your going to loose is 2" off the barrel length you want and it isn't stainless steel. Plus you'll be ready to shoot as soon as you mount and bore sight a scope. I've built more than a couple of Savages, and I know where you are coming from about wanting to do it your self. I'm just trying to paint a straight forward picture of what you'll be looking at and where your money will be going.

My last Savage build cost over $1600 to build with optics. It isn't exactly the cheap way to go, but to pay someone to build me the exact same rifle on a M700 action would have cost probably around $2500 before optics. If I could have bought a factory rifle that would run 115 grain .243 caliber bullets for around $1000, I'm sure I would have went that route instead.

I'm in no way trying to talk you out of your build if that is what you really wan to do just laying down some facts about the real cost of a cheap build.

September 27, 2012, 10:05 AM	#12
taylorce1 Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2005 Location: On the Santa Fe Trail Posts: 8,249	I really don't care what you build it on, but the way I look at it Marlin X series rifles are just the same as M10/110 Savage rifles. They just are enough different not to work in the same stock. With Boyd's you get three options for stocks, with Savage you get several more than that. I'm just saying don't limit your options by being brand loyal. I figured with a 26" barrel you are probably going with a varmint contour or full bull. That would require modifying the forearm on the current Marlin stock so the next logical thing was you might be looking for another stock. Savage just wins out in the replacement stock category, Remington would be far better but not completly a DIY prospect for the barrel change. So the way I look at it now you are about $600 for there rifle and barrel (my last McGowan took 16 weeks to deliver and wouldn't thread into my action), $100 for a new Boyd's stock, another $80-100 for the tools and gages necessary to swap out the barrel. Of course you could always rent the gages and save a lot of money $50-60 at least. Then with a new stock your going to need to glass bed probably pillar as well, if you can't do that on your own it will cost around $200 for that. Plus unless you do it you'll have to pay around another $100 for the person bedding the rifle to open up the barrel channel for your new stock. So like I said sure makes a Savage LRH more appealing, all your going to loose is 2" off the barrel length you want and it isn't stainless steel. Plus you'll be ready to shoot as soon as you mount and bore sight a scope. I've built more than a couple of Savages, and I know where you are coming from about wanting to do it your self. I'm just trying to paint a straight forward picture of what you'll be looking at and where your money will be going. My last Savage build cost over $1600 to build with optics. It isn't exactly the cheap way to go, but to pay someone to build me the exact same rifle on a M700 action would have cost probably around $2500 before optics. If I could have bought a factory rifle that would run 115 grain .243 caliber bullets for around $1000, I'm sure I would have went that route instead. I'm in no way trying to talk you out of your build if that is what you really wan to do just laying down some facts about the real cost of a cheap build. __________________ NRA Life Member