Montana Rifle Co African.....on the way...

nksmfamjp

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This is a belated post, but I would like to take an opportunity to share this journey.

I did a lot of research, mostly on what kind of things I had to have in the rifle and what were just wants....thank you AfricaHunting.com folks!

So, I finally called Ron at Montana Rifle Company. It is great how he will jump in and sell their product. He was a good promoter of what they are doing moving forward. I was sold. Ok, secretly I always wanted an MRC and I always wanted a 458 Lott.

So, I ordered an MRC African in 458 Lott. I wanted a 22” barrel, barrel band sling stud, hooded front sight and Cerakote finish....Ron talked me into the XXX walnut upgrade. He had some great pictures to share! So, I received a sales order and called in to pay the deposit on July 4th or 5th...

I can hardly wait for October when they said they can deliver!

Now, I’m sure you have read some negative feedback about MRC....weight or customer service. I’m sure that feedback exists, but they seem like the new ownership have things going the right way. The latest concerns I see are all about weight. Every rifle configuration will weigh slightly different and their web site tries to group them all to a lightweight configuration. Mine would be 6lbs 15oz, but when I asked, I was told the actual rifle would be 8lbs 8oz. My goodness! I hope so! Can you imagine a 7lb Lott. Then people weight them. People wanting 7lb guns seem a bit disappointed when they are 8lbs or more.

I’m hoping this thread can document a positive order experience and learning how to shoot this boomer!
 
Congratulations! I'll look forward to your thoughts when you receive it as well as pictures.
 
Well, I called today to confirm my order and adjust the lop. It sounds like my rifle is going in to production soon!

No problem adding 0.5” lop by spacer, but apparently the stocks are too short for that to be wood. Bummer! It will be nice to have a bit more lop to match some of my more comfortable guns in the field.
 
Can you just get a thicker recoil pad? Just asking.
 
Hope you are happy with the Cerakote? I tried a MRC and the action was slick as glass! Excellent! Then I got mine with Cerakote. Very grinding:(! JMO, but I would have the exterior of the barrel and action Cerakote and the inside of the action and bolt not coated. You will keep those areas lubed anyway.
You might see if they can nitride treat the metal. IME, there is no dimensional change and the operation is smoother.
Can’t wait to hear how you like your new 458 Lott! Oh and to see how that Lott works on Mr Buff!
 
You guys just started my itch again! I've got a 404 Jeffery in the works which should be here by October. Getting anxious to get it and start shooting. I talked to Rob yesterday and asked him if I could get my rifle with a heavier contour barrel to add some weight to a light gun (6.9 lbs.). He said he'd talk to the team and see what they could do. He said the posted weight is an average. I figure scoped and loaded it might come in around 8 lbs.
 
Good luck when you start shooting that beast!
 
Can you just get a thicker recoil pad? Just asking.

No, I wish, but I think it comes with a 1” Pachmyer Decelerator which is a good pad. I’d rather have another 1/2” of wood, but I can live with a 1/2” spacer.

Hope you are happy with the Cerakote? I tried a MRC and the action was slick as glass! Excellent! Then I got mine with Cerakote. Very grinding:(! JMO, but I would have the exterior of the barrel and action Cerakote and the inside of the action and bolt not coated. You will keep those areas lubed anyway.
You might see if they can nitride treat the metal. IME, there is no dimensional change and the operation is smoother.
Can’t wait to hear how you like your new 458 Lott! Oh and to see how that Lott works on Mr Buff!

I’m surprised that Cerakote would be that rough. I’ve handled pistols with it and it was smooth enough.

You guys just started my itch again! I've got a 404 Jeffery in the works which should be here by October. Getting anxious to get it and start shooting. I talked to Rob yesterday and asked him if I could get my rifle with a heavier contour barrel to add some weight to a light gun (6.9 lbs.). He said he'd talk to the team and see what they could do. He said the posted weight is an average. I figure scoped and loaded it might come in around 8 lbs.

I was told 8lbs 8oz. Since most of the complaints I read are too heavy, I’m hoping I get one of those too heavy ones at 9lbs!

Good luck when you start shooting that beast!

Thanks, I’ll need that. I reload, so I’m not starting at retina separating loads!

Is it stainless steel with a Cerakote finish, or carbon steel with Cerakote?

Carbon steel with Cerakote, I believe....
 
I’m surprised that Cerakote would be that rough. I’ve handled pistols with it and it was smooth enough.

Maybe it’s just mine, but the Cerakote finish feels similar to a 2000 grit wet sandpaper. After hundreds of rounds and probably another 1-200 cycles, it still feels rough. JME, it may just be mine.
 
Maybe it’s just mine, but the Cerakote finish feels similar to a 2000 grit wet sandpaper. After hundreds of rounds and probably another 1-200 cycles, it still feels rough. JME, it may just be mine.

No, that makes sense. Not sure what to do. I need the black coating, Cerakote is their upgrade....hmm...I may ask about options on that...I do know it breaks in slow.

My Ruger was rough as a cobb until a few hundred bolt cycles!
 
You guys just started my itch again! I've got a 404 Jeffery in the works which should be here by October. Getting anxious to get it and start shooting. I talked to Rob yesterday and asked him if I could get my rifle with a heavier contour barrel to add some weight to a light gun (6.9 lbs.). He said he'd talk to the team and see what they could do. He said the posted weight is an average. I figure scoped and loaded it might come in around 8 lbs.

A few weeks ago, I looked over the MRC websight and noticed some inconsistency of the weights of rifles. I sent an email to MRC and sighted the various pages and different weight and asked them to clarify. The weight for a 404 Jeffery seemed awfully light. A guy named Nathan with MRC emailed me back and said the 404 Jeff with a wood stock and #5 contour barrel weighs about 8.8 lbs.
 
No, that makes sense. Not sure what to do. I need the black coating, Cerakote is their upgrade....hmm...I may ask about options on that...I do know it breaks in slow.

My Ruger was rough as a cobb until a few hundred bolt cycles!

You could ask them to carakote everything except the actual bolt?
A rifle that I have carakoted also took a few bolt cycles to wear in and the bolt is "streaked" where the cerakote wore off. I had black nitride on my next project but its twice as much money.
 
With these "negative" experiences, one would think that cerakote on the outside and black nitride on the inside would become standard. Nobody likes a rough running bolt.
 
I understand what you are saying. Being a custom action, I expect them to know what they are doing without telling them how to do it.

I suspect a rough feeling would be from the bolt not really being polished smooth before going to cerakote, but then they recommend some level of blasting for prep, but even that has to be managed by using the right size media, time & technique.

From what I hear, they have had a couple times in their history that quality went south. I wonder if this is related.

The key to nitride finishes is it can be put on a polished surface without issue.

Not having cerakote on the bolt is just asking for corrosion....depending on conditions.
 
MRC has been under new management for about a year. There were issues prior to their taking over. I've heard nothing but good reports about the rifles currently being produced.
 
I look forward to one of the members here finally getting the .404 in hand and be able to provide a weight since we have heard 2 or 3 different possibilities on what the weight will actually be!
 
With these "negative" experiences, one would think that cerakote on the outside and black nitride on the inside would become standard. Nobody likes a rough running bolt.

I agree. That said, color match has some value. I think you will find Cerakote roughness has nothing to do with Cerakote and everything to do with surface prep. I don’t have proof, but I’d bet a rough blast before nitride will be as rough as a rough blast before Cerakote. Cerakote can adhere to a lightly blasted....i think they(Cerakote) say sand blasted surface is acceptable.

MRC has been under new management for about a year. There were issues prior to their taking over. I've heard nothing but good reports about the rifles currently being produced.

I’m hearing they are getting their house sorted out. Q&A with Ron & Nathan have gone well.

I look forward to one of the members here finally getting the .404 in hand and be able to provide a weight since we have heard 2 or 3 different possibilities on what the weight will actually be!

I would bet a dollar around 8-9 lbs, but give them a call. I will post my 458 lott weight when it arrives.
 

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