-

Number 117

ihilen: The Man and His Rifles

The Staff Dave Wolfe

President Mark Harris

Publisher Tom Gresham

Editor AI Miller

Assistant Editor Holly McLean-Aldis

Copy Editor Jana Kosco

Advertising Manager Ted Curtis

Promotion Manager Dave LeGate

Art Director Becky Pinkley

Production Supervisor Tammy Rossi

Circulation Manager Mardell Harms Ruth Robinson Diana Corkery

Circulation Sharon Zalitis

Book Sales Manager Dave Culver

Photographer Ellen Fultz

Publication Assistant

Wchnical Sam Fadala Jess Galan Skip Gordon Bob Hagel Neal Knox Wallace Labisky Ed Matunas Ludwig Olson Dave Scovill Layne Simpson Charles R. Suydam Mike Venturino Ken Waters

ISSN 0162-3583

Number 117 - May-June 1988 - Volume 20, Number 3

FEATURES

A S t u d y o f .38 S p e c i a l Target Loads ........ W.G. Mitchell 18

B u i l d i n g a Receiver Sight Adapter for a Ruger No. 1.. ............... .Paul Matfhews 2 0

Whatever Happened to the .22 WMR? .... .Wayne van Zwoll 22

The Practical Switch-Barrel Rif le ........ .Layne Simpson 25

S h o o t i n g the Kalashnikov .......... .Major Don Holmes 28

S h i l e n Barrels & Rif l e s - A Legacy of Accuracy. ............... .Skip Gordon 32

Browning's B e l g i a n A - 5 0 0 Auto loader . . . . Wallace Labisky 36

C a s t Bul l e t Barre ls - Facts vs. Fo lk lore . ...... C.E. Harris 40

DEPARTMENTS

Spotting Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Classic Rif les . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Capitol Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 The Benchrest Report . . . . . . 16 Dear Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 ProducTests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2 Custom Corner . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Book Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Air R i f l e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IO Product & Service News . . . . 7 3 Famous Riflemen . . . . . . . . . 12 Trophy Pointers. . . . . . . . . . . 7 8

ON THE COVER

For several decades. Ed Shilen has supplied barrels. actions, and rifles to shooters interested in accuracy. How he got into the shooting game and the story of the evolu- tion of the DGA action is told in the story beginning on page 32 . Shilen makes rifles for benchrest. varmint and big game hunting. The wood and fiberglass stocked models on the cover. built on the DGA action and topped with Leupold scopes, are but two examples of his work. Photo by Turk Takano.

COPYRIGHT 1988

Rifle Magazine is published bi-monthly by Wolfe Publishing Co., Inc. (Dave Wolfe, President), 6471 Air-

$40.00. Foreign - single issue, $4.00; 6 issues. $23.00: 12 issues, $43.00: 18 issues, $60.00. Advertis- ing rates furnished on request. All rights reserved.

Publisher of Rifle is not responsible for mishaps of any nature which might occur from use of published data, or from recommendations by any member of The Staff. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the editor. Manuscripts from free-lance writers musi be accompanied by stamped self-addressed envelope and the publisher cannot accept responsibility for lost or mutilated manuscripts.

Change of address. please give six weeks notice. Send both old and new address, plus mailing label i f possible. to Circulation Dept., Rifle Magazine, 6471 Airpark Drive, Prescott, Arizona 86301

MAY-JUNE 1988 3

It’s a whole New Generation of side lever cocking, fixed barrel, magnum airguns, that will deliver in the power department. Ideal for sil- houette shooting and rodent/ pest control, both models available in calibers .177

RWS MEISTERKUGELN FOR TARGET SHOOTINC

PENETRATION

RWS SUPER ti POINT FOR EXPANSION

~~

AIR RIFLES J. 1.GALAN

New SHOT Show Guns HE 1988 SHOT SHOW revealed few T real surprises in the field of air-

powered guns. Instead, many of the models announced during 1987 have h a l l y made their debut, as both airgun manufacturers and importers seem to be taking a more deliberate assessment of their market.

As usual, most of the new activity centered in the area of air rifles. Air pistols, with some notable exceptions, have lagged behind for several years when compared to the overwhelming variety of air rifle models available. The Daisy Manufacturing Company, how- ever, created quite a sensation at the SHOT Show with their brand-new Crit- ter Gitter pistol. As its name implies, this latest addition to the Daisy airgun line-up is intended primarily as a ver- min blaster, with snakes and rats a t the top of the list. The Critter Gitter has a .500-inch-diameter smooth bore and is designed to shoot small, shot-filled shells - for Nos. 8, 4 and 1 lead shot loads - at a muzzle velocity of approx- imately 270 fps. Power is provided by one 12-gram C02 cartridge, which gives 20 to 25 shots in this pistol. Latest word is that the Daisy Critter Gitter will be available during the summer. It is also quite possible that its muzzle velocity will be boosted somewhat, as 270 fps seems a bit anemic for use against poisonous snakes, even at close range.

In 1988 Daisy is also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the immensely suc- cessful Red Ryder BB gun. To that effect, Daisy is launching a special edition of this popular gun that will feature such things as a genuine walnut stock with an inlaid brass medallion. Each 50th Anniversary Red Ryder will also bear a special serial number and will carry a 50-year warranty!

Another new model under the Daisy logo this year is the 128 Gam0 Olym- pic air rifle, a much-refined version of the Daisy Model 126, another super accurate rifle in its own right also produced by El Gam0 in Spain. The new ,128 Gam0 Olympic features a deep, match-style walnut stock with ad- justable cheekpiece and buttplate, plus an Anschctz diopter rear sight and a Lothar Walther match barrel. It is powered by a single-stroke pneumatic

system that generates a muzzle velocity of approximately 562 fps.

As the single-stroke pneumatic power plant takes over the field of world-class match air rifles, Dynamit NobelRWS introduced the brand-new Diana Model 100 match rifle, an early sample of which was on display at the SHOT Show. The Diana 100 is loaded with the features that most world-class shooters appreciate, and it probably will make quite a splash in an area currently dominated by such single-pump pneu- matic rifles as the Feinwerkbau 601 and the Walther LGR.

Further proof of the increasing dominance of this type of power plant in world-class match air rifles was given by none other than Anschiitz with its new 2001 Match model. This state-of- the-art tack driver also boasts all sorts of special features, including the manufacturer’s claim that it has the fastest lock time of any current match air rifle. Incidentally, the new Anschiitz 2001 Match will be available from Preci- sion Sales International, Inc., PO Box 1776, Westfield MA 01086. Suggested retail price is $1,290.

Crosman Air Guns did not unveil any new models, although word is out that the long-awaited CrosmanISkanaker Olympic C02 pistol is finally going into full production. There is a new version of the Crosman 357 eight-inch barrel revolver that features a distinctive set of black grips and a matte gray finish that mimics the look of stainless steel. Also new for the entire line of ,357 revolvers is a 10-shot pellet clip - as opposed to the old six-shot clip - that really boosts the firepower of these superb fun wheelguns. Crosman has reintroduced the Model 1600 BB Matic repeating pistol. After a hiatus of several years, this fast-shooting BB plinker is sure to become quite popular again.

Marksman International officially in- troduced the Model 1780 Deluxe air rifle at the show. This is basically a more powerful version of that company’s highly popular Model 1740, a youth- oriented BB/pellet barrel cocker with a smoothbored barrel. The new Model 1780, however, will feature a rifled bar- rel and a fully adjustable rear sight.

RIFLE 117 10

One little fun gun for the young and the young a t heart is the new GAT airgun from Britain. This is a smooth- bored long gun with a rather futuristic look that fires .177-caliber pellets, BBs, darts and even corks! It has a spring- piston action with a push-in barrel. Although low-powered, the new GAT airgun is - like the popular GAT air pistol - quite sturdy and will give plenty of low-cost plinking. I t is available from Midwest Sport Distrib- utors, PO Box 129-C, Fayette MO 65248.

Back in the realm of full-fledged adult guns, the FAMAS CO2 rifle is finally available from Century International, PO Box 714, St. Albans VT 05478. This .177-caliber 10-shot semiauto sports a new synthetic stock that is lighter than that of the older version but just as strong. For those who like air or C02-powered replicas of modern assault rifles, the bull-pup FAMAS CO2 is just the ticket.

The British company Air Logic, Ltd., had on display the Genesis air rifle, a novel single-stroke pneumatic in .22 caliber capable of generating more than 12 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. The Genesis was introduced in Britain last year, but so far it is not available through any commercial source in the United States, despite its interesting power plant. The model on display at the SHOT Show exhibited a high degree of workmanship with a beautiful walnut stock and superbly finished metalwork.

Beeman Precision Arms is introduc- ing a 25-caliber version of the superb Beeman R1 Magnum air rifle. A signifi- cant development, this is the first time in several decades that a spring-piston air rifle in .25 caliber will be available in this country. The hard-hitting R1 mated to the comparatively heavy .25-caliber pellets should prove to be a devastating combination against rab- bits and similar game a t up to 35 or 40 yards.

Another interesting airgun available for the first time in the U.S. is the Farco C02-powered shotgun, distributed by Air Rifle Specialists, 311 East Water Street, Elmira NY 14901. The Farco C02 shotgun is a bolt-action single shot that charges from a 10-ounce CO2 tank. One charge gives enough juice for up to 35 full power shots - each fill-up tak- ing up about 4Y2 ounces of CO2 - at muzzle velocities in the 400 to 500-fps range using %-ounce of No. 7% lead shot! The bore is 28 gauge. The Farco is made in the Philippines and retails for approximately $400.

Undoubtedly, new airgun models will make their appearance as 1988 runs its course.

* * * That dedicated cadre of airgunners

who delve deep into the mysteries of the spring-piston power plant will be happy to learn that K&M Sports (4904 43rd Street, Lubbock TX 79414) has new videotapes which detail various aspects of upgrading the performance of the more popular high-power air rifles. The basic tape, “Hardcore Supertuning and Ultraporting,” covers minor im- provements to spring-piston airsporters which improve firing behavior and in- crease accuracy. Disassembly and reassembly of specific guns are dis- cussed, as is air dynamics theory.

The sample tape that I examined covered the Beeman R1 Magnum quite comprehensively, running for one hour and 18 minutes. K&M Sports also has tapes on supertuning the RWS Model 36, Beeman/FWB 124 and 127 and the Beeman R7 and R8. Each tape retails for $39.95 plus $5.00 shipping.

Even those shooters who are not do- it-yourself airgun tinkerers will enjoy the useful information the tapes contain on how spring-piston airguns work and what it takes to make them shoot better.

0

shootir$ inth6 time it takes vou to load yo’;.rifle -..- -

Load up with the world’s most accurate factory loaded hunting ammuni- tion from KDF, “the accuracy people”. Nothing else comes as close to hand loads. Manufactured to rigid specifications to ensure consistent performance. Each batch is quality tested twice. This ammo will hold a minute-of-angle in our bench rest test rifles and is available at fine gun shops throughout the country. We currently offer two bullet weights in each of the following calibers: .25-06, .270 Win., .308 Win., .30-06,7mm Rem. Mag, and .300 Win. Mag. Other popular calibers and bullet weights will follow soon. These are excellent hunting cartridges utilizing the finest components available. W This ammo is a fine complement to our outstanding line of rifles, like our KDF Model K-15, “the world’s most accurate hunting rifle.” Also our KDF Recoil Arrestor (muzzle brake) will reduce felt-recoil up to 80% on some calibers, without affecting ballistics at all. If you haven’t tried it you’re in for a treat when you do. H KDF, 1nc.-while others try to define perfection, we continue to refine it. For

Ammunition manufactured to KDF, Inc. specifications by Homady Frontier.

MAY-JUNE 1988

to buy and you may cancel at any time. Books may be returned within 15 days. There will be no charge if you are not completely satisfied. (An invoice will ac, company each book.)

Continuing charge card service is available. Simply send a request for this service along with your VISA or Mastercard number and expiration date. As volumes are released, your account will be charged and the book shipped promptly.

If you enjoy thrilling adventures - the thundering roar of the lion - the crack of the rifle - you will cherish this collection.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity! Remember, each book is limited to 1,000 copies - so order now.

Wolfe Publishing Co* Inc* 6471 Airpark Drive

Prescott, Arizona 86301 (602) 445-7810

Shilen Barrels & Rifles-

Skip Gordon IIOOTERS SIIOULD BE glad Ed S Shilen didn’t realize his dream of

entering the apprcnticc tool maker’s pro- gram at the Morse Chain Company, 1,ccause in the failure to become a com- pany tool maker the teen-agcr took a dif- fcrcnt fork in the road - a route that led t o firearms and hunting.

At an early age Ed Shilen decidcd the smoke-laden atmosphere of his birth- place of I Iomest cad, Pennsylvania, wasn’t for him, so at age 18 he moved to Ithaca, ?Jew York, to work as a chain assembler

I t was in New York Shilen became in- tercsted in firearms and hunting, cspccially \-mint shooting. Wiodchucks and crows occupied much of his leisure time during the summers, and cold weather was given over to crows and the occasional fox. I IC soon learned the d u e o f accuracy, and hcgan to look at custom

varmint rifles. But even in those days the kind of rifle he wanted was very expcn- sive for a working stif( so he started working on guns as a hobby.

In 1955, Ed decided to go into gtmsmithing on a part-time basis. At that time his efforts were pretty much restricted to basic repairs and stock work; hc simply didn’t have the resources t o buy the machinery required for more sophisticated work. Finally,’however, he was able to buy a small lathe, and a little later a drill press and a variety of hand tools which enabled him to make barrel installations. IIc remembers that it was about this time he became aware of benchrest shooting.

Whatever modest skills Shilen had at this point were the result of learning the hard way, by trial and error. This situa- tion was about to change because of the kindness, patience and interest of Ross

Shilen’s interest in benchrest shooting drove him to create a rifle action of his own design. This is the original Shilen action of 1960. Since then there have been many changes, but the goal of an accurate rifle has never been changed.

32

Sherman, a gentleman who lived only three miles down the road. Sherman was already known for the quality of his custom work; some consider him one of the finest gunsmiths ever.

From about 1955 to 1960 Ed Shilen, in effect, apprenticed himself to Ross. IIe was still holding down a full-time job at Morse Chain, but a lot of evenings and weekends were spent at the Master’s side.

“I stood by him all one day and watched how he fitted and chambered a barrel. It was like watching an artist.

“Even back in those days it wasn’t easy t o get started. An example, buying a chambering reamer was an expensive prop- osition. Ross showed me how to make chambering reamers, how to keep them sharp, how to maintain tolerances, and how to cut a good chamber. That knowledge has been invaluable over the years.”

In 1958 Shilen decided to become in- volved with benchrest competition, and the die was cast. IIe drove 40 miles to Lafayette, New York, to meet Clyde IIart, the barrel-making wizard, and to buy one of his barrels.

That first Shilen-made benchrest rifle was a ,222. The IIart barrel was screwed into a Mexican Mauser action, and bed- ded in a wood stock. The trigger was a Timney, and very light for the times - probably around two pounds. The scope was either a Lyman or Unertl 20x with external adjustments. That rifle was the hottest thing Ed had ever shot, and he felt confident as he sallied forth to I)uRois, Pennsylvania, for his first match in 1959.

The truth is Shilen finished nvll out of the running. In his defense, however, it should be noted these wcre the SBRSX Unlimited Class Championships, and,

RIFLE 117

even today, it \vould be almost impossi- ble t o win a Big Gun event with a rannilit class rifle.

Later in the scaso~i S h i h took part in a iiuuiber o f the informal variniiit class iiiatches that wcrc being held iu I’ciiii- sylvania and New York; NBRSA \vas not t o officially establish the I‘armint and Sportcr classes i u i t i l tlic \viiitcr of 1959-60. The riflcs were all like IXs. built for variiiiiit shooting rather than coinpet ition.

Following that first season S h i h \vas able t o drav a nunibcr of conclusions and makc some decisions. ‘The first: t o bc compctitivc in the nc\vly established \hr- mint and Slmrter 1)ciichrcst classes lic \voulti have t o build a rcal bciichrcst I-illc, in accordance with the specificatioiis established for the iicw classcs hy SI3RSA. Scxt, based on his obscrva- t ioi is , both the Uiiliiiiitcd and Varmint c.lass conipctitors ticcdcd a good targct- type action. Fiiially, he recognized the im- portance of suitable I~ullcts; iiothiug available from the ncigliborhood guiishc 11)

could coinpctc ivith the custom prc!jcc.- tiles ~ iscd by the to1) shooters.

I t \vas one thing t o tlcsigii an actioii, and something clsc t o lxiild i t .

“ I \vas getting i i i t o iiiachiniiig tcch- niqncs Xvith \vliich I was total ly 1111-

fainiliar. X)o, thcrc \vas a l o t of cquipinciit I didn’t have t o perforin particular opera- tions. So it \vas do\vn the road t o K o s s , and he \voiiId give atlvicc and let iiic \vork \vith his equipiicnt.

“\Ye didn’t so niiic.h I)tiild the act ions together; rather. hc \vas coiistantly avai la lk t o assist and advise. I3ct\\ his head untl iiiy hands \vc niadc t \ v o ac.tions ovcr tlic \vintcr, one for cac.h o f 11s.

The riflcs. h i l t ai -o iu id thc nc\v Shilcii ac.tion. \ v e x rcacly t o go iii tlic 51)riiig o f

MAY-JUNE 1988

1960, and \vert cainl)aigncd throughout the scasoii at all iiialchcs within a day’s driving time. Either IY or Ross wuii e v c i ~ cvciit they attended together, and the “loser” i)laccd sccoiid.

* . I he ouly touriianiciit Shilcn attciidcd \vithout Ross that year \vas the I‘ariiiint Nationals in Sail Xiigclo, Texas. I IC ws genuinely disappoinied \vheii he came ill sccoiid, so coufidcnt \vas he of his equip- ment. I Io\vever, a lo t of interest \vas gcncratcd by the obviously superior action, and the iiuiiiber of orders giveii proiiiptcd I:tl to bori-o\v the iiioiicy 10 buy the cquipinciit iicc ac.tions. From 1961 to 1063, 100 of those original Shilcn ac t ions \vcrc produced, iiicludiiig sonic left-halid units,

motlcls. ancl cvc1i a fc\v strctchetl Illaglllllll

Shilcii’s other coiiccrii \vas \vith 1)ullcts. I Ie understood the hest shooters \vci-c cithcr making their own o r \vcrc hiyiiig thcin froin soiiicoiic \vho l i d a set of dies. At the tiiiic rlic source ofbullct fomiing dies \vas I&.\ - Kay Hichlcr ancl \Vdt .\stlcs. ‘I?) Shilcii. the cost \vas pro- lii1)itivc. aud I&.\ \vas quotiiig a delivery time of 111) to two years. The alternative \vus t o make his o\vii.

* . I his \vas bcforc Ross Shcrnian hutl iiiaclc any dies: \vlicil aI)I)roac.hcd by Sliilcii hc o1)iiictI i t \ v o ~ r I d lie a i i i a jo i -

unclcrtakiiig. HLit 1 3 \vas r i o t t o 1)c clisc,ouragcd, aiitl ivith a grcar deal of help

from his mentor he iiiade the dies. ‘They worked nvll, and that \vas the imiiicdiatc rc\vard. The bigger value of the cx- pcricncc, ho\vcvcr, \vas it gave Shilcn in- sight into what makes a good bullet, and \\.hat makes a bullet shoot well, kno\vlcdge that has bccii helpful

out his 1)usincss and shootiug

As fix Ross, he noticed that dies of normal t o o l steel did not wear \vcll. 1yl)ical of the iiiuii, he dccitied the answer \\’as carbide. ’It) the ticst of m y krio\vlcdgc his were the first bullet forming dies o f carl)idc steel. Out of production for many years, a set of Sherman dies still coiii- iiiands a high price among the benchrest frutcriiity today.

,.

’rile llcxt evcIIt t h a t t o ilavc a major effect upon Shilcn occurred in 1962 \vheii he met hr t ic Sha\v, the faiiious big band Icadcr antl clarinetist, at a match in Johnstowii, Sc\v York. Shaiv \vas intrigued by 1)eiichrcst and voiced an interest in obtaining a rifle. ’There \vas a Shilcn for sale \vhich Shaw bought and su1)scqucntly shot for the next t\vo years.

Lat cr that year Sha\v asked Shilcn if he \voul(l be i i i tcrcs~cd in joining a gun h s i i i c s s he \vas involved \vith near 1’oughltccl)sic. I t consisted of a coiiil)lctc shooting coiiiplcs. a large retail store, a 1)urrclLmakiiig o1)cration. antl a gun sho1) that 1)rovitlcd all types o f rc1)airs arid h i l t

custom rifles. If Shilen joined the opera- tion his actions, too, \voiild be marketed unclcr the company’s name.

Shilcn merged with Shooters’ Senice Br Ihvey in 1963. IIe moved to Clinton Corners, New York, and took charge of the giinshop. The late .John Dewey was rcsponsible for the overall business, supervision of the rdnges and running the store which left virtually no time for bar- rel making, a skill for which he was already well known.

“It was decided I would also be the bar-

rcl maker. I t \vas a procedure 1 \vas totally unfamiliar Ivith, but John gave m e a crash course. \Ye wcrc using the ‘cut’ process, and I found it was possible to make a finc barrcl - on occasion - but I couldn’t do i t consistently . . . I couldn’t make oiic rca1 good barrel after another.

“By this time evcrytlody was aware of the ‘buttoning’ process. Clyde IIart’s but- toned barrels had the reputation of be- ing the finest in the world, and many suc- ccssfhl shooters were using 1)ouglas bar- rels which were butt oncd. Further. some

of the major companies like Remington, I Iigh Standard and IICtR were either LIS-

ing tlic process or experimenting with it.

“Kcsponsibility for developing a button rifling capability fell to me. It was in- valiia1)le t o me in the years to come, but unfort imately me never really got under- way with it at SS&Il.”

The bottom fell out in 1965 when the SS&D complex was shut down by the authorities. The reasons given were noise and a perceived danger from ricocheting t)ullets. With the demise of the range the

Shilen produces more than just benchrest rifles. On top is the Shilen No. 1, and the contemporary DCA Heavy Varmint rifle is below it.

From the top, the DCA varmint rifle, DCA Magnum Hunter with fiberglass stock and KDF recoil reducer, and the DCA Magnum Hunter with wood stock.

34 RIFLE 117

The current Shilen DCA action on the left shows the changes made since the original action (right) was made from 1961 to 1963.

entire business was virtually destroyed. By 1966 things were looking so bleak that Shilen decided to head for Irving, Texas.

Shilen's plau was t o specialize in sen- ing the benchrest community, offering barrels, actions and complete rifles. I IC received a very \varm welcome which helped to offset the frustration of a very difficult first year of financial insecurity. It wasn't a case of no customers but, ratli,cr, a lack of cquipmcnt; that first year was spent building barrel making machinery and the attendant tooling re- quired to go into business.

The following year, though, business grew t o the point that Shileii needed help in the shop. I'd Spencer was an avid benchrest shooter, and had previous ex- perience in the firearms business. They formed a partnership, and S h i h Rifles \vas iucorporated in 1967. Spencer was a fine craftsman arid did most of the bar- rel fitting and chambering. The partner- ship lasted approxiniately two years, at which time Spencer decided he wanted to return to sales work. Today his gun store is one of the most pmninent in 1)allas.

The time in Irving, from 1966 to 1973, comprised the formative years; corpordtc policics and attitudes established the11 are still those in effect today. Every year !vas a little better than the one before. Although the company had started out as onc almost 100 percent dedicated to serving thc benchrest shooters, morc and tiiorc noncompctitive cust omers wanted Shilen barrels and service.

Ikcausc thc cost of either buying or rcriting in thc Dallas rnctropolitan area \vas prohibitivc, \vlicn Shileii nccdcd

The DCA bolt face. The only dif- ferences in the varmint and sporter DCA models are the chamberings and the stock design.

more space the decision was made to look at small towns around Dallas and Fort Worth. In 1973 the company was nioved to Ennis, some 40 miles south of 1)allas and remains there to this day.

The intent was always to offer a com- plctc Shilen rifle, but manufacturing rights to the original action had been cedcd to SS&D; there were no patents, and thc decision to not reproduce it in Texas was determined by ethical con- siderations, not legal. Ed was already \vorkiiig on the design of a new action, but needed an alternative until the time production could be undertaken.

In 1962 or 1963 he had seen a rifle h i l t by New York gunsmith Ted I3oughton. It featured an aluminum sleeve 011 a Remington action. The sleeve effec- tively stiffened the action and made the

XP-100,600s and 700s truly suitable for benchrest. IIe was able to prove the ef- fectiveness of sleeving at the 1967 SBKSA Xationals when he won the Light \Tarmint event, and the three-Gun Cham- pionship with a trio of sleeved rifles.

Shilen's personal success put the com- pany into the sleeving business. Many shooters were quick to understand the procedure could turn a commercial prod- uct into a bona fide benchrest action, and sleeving became very popular. When the idca caught on with the other gunsmiths the business began to tail off, and Ed decided it was time to introduce the new S h i h action.

The design was very much influenced by experience in New York with the

(Continued on page 42)

The investment casting procedure used to make the DCA receiver includes the wax pattern (right), the raw casting (center), and the machined receiver (left).

MAY-JUNE 1988 35