Thinking about a new .223?

[Fedaykin]

There are a number of factors for the price difference between the UK and the US:

1) The UK is a far smaller market for guns of all types than the US, smaller numbers drive prices up
2) Rifles like the Savage are made in the US so buyers there don't have to deal with export duty or international shipping
3) There are no volume manufacturers of rifles in the UK so prices here will reflect that lack of local competition when it comes to imports
4) There is a market slump for guns in the US since Trump came to power, so US manufacturers and dealers have a glut of stock to shift driving prices down. Unfortunately that drop in prices is not reflected here due to the aforementioned small scale of the market
5) It is not in the interest of UK importers of rifles from the US to take advantage of the lower US prices as it would crash the small market here. For that matter I bet US manufacturers are not even offering the same discounts to the small number of UK importers than they do to US dealers

It is easier for US manufacturers to dump their stock at rock bottom prices into their local market than go through the hassle of exporting to here at more favourable prices especially as UK firearms owners are prepared to pay the local imported prices.

[1066]

Yes, I know all the arguments, and of course many of them are valid, however I find a rifle that sells for $300 in the USA and retails here for £1,200+ ($1,680) difficult to justify.

It certainly makes it worth investigating a personal import.

[Laurie]

The 7 and 8 twist barrel 223s are so rare, and if new, so expensive, I'd take a cheap secondhand 223 with a decent action and after playing with it for a while in its original form rebarrel with something like a Heavy Palma contour 8-twist barrel cropped to 26 inches.

Savage made the Model 110T target rifle in 223 some years back and when they come onto the market, they're cheap as chips. (Long action and no AccuTrigger though). There are a lot s/h Howa 1500s around, as always it's an issue of what stock they have on as most are rubbish. However there is a very nice private sale Howa European Varminter on Guntrader now

https://www.guntrader.uk/guns/rifles/ho ... 4104905977

which will likely be fun in its factory 24-inch 12 twist barrel, but would make a very nice mid-range job rebarrelled to 8-twist and 26 inches with handloads using the 80.5gn Berger BT Fullbore.

It might also be worth talking to Roger Francis of South Yorkshire Shooting Services re one of his restocked and 'fettled' Remington SPS or Howa jobs. The problem is as always the 12 or 9-inch twists in these factory offerings.

The improvement in shooting 80s in the 223 at 600 yards never mind any further over 9-twist and 69/70s are such that I'd certainly never contemplate using the latter again.

Of course there is the Savage 12 LRPV and FTR, the latter in 7-twist. Very expensive new nowadays and as rare as hen's teeth secondhand (and not particularly cheap at that either). The FTR will shoot 90s well too if rethroated to give it enough freebore.

[Laurie]

Adding to the above thoughts on the Howa, 'Edinburgh Rifles' has just put a mint timber thumbhole stock for the Howa 1500 S/A up on the UK Varminting forum for sale at £175. That would make a really cheap 1500 with one of the flexi plastic stocks worth buying.

[kennyc]

just get a more suitable Howa stock, there are plenty around I believe someone is retailing the Boyds stocks in this country, and GRS stocks were on sale at reduced prices recently.

[rufrdr]

Ruger Gunsite Scout in 223 would make a good fun gun, but more money than the Savage.

I'm very pleased with my Ruger Scout. Handy and nicely accurate.

[Daryll]

I see theres a Mossberg MVP LC in .223 for sale in the sales section..

I have the .308 version and i love it, and if I had the money I'd get the .223 version too.

[Laurie]

I see theres a Mossberg MVP LC in .223 for sale in the sales section..

I have the .308 version and i love it, and if I had the money I'd get the .223 version too.

That's another 'badge engineered' and restocked Howa 1500. (As are Weatherby Vanguards.) So, basically very sound underneath. (Howa makes and exports barrelled actions from Japan and the US importer LSI, plus Weatherby and Mossberg select and fit stocks / finishes to suit their market segments and price brackets. It's a very efficient system - as well as providing a large model range covering wide price differentiations, it means that with so many stock makers around these days, it's refreshed on a near annual basis.)

[1066]

Hasn't the Mossberg MVP .223 got some sort of odd drop down bolt mechanism?

[Daryll]

Hasn't the Mossberg MVP .223 got some sort of odd drop down bolt mechanism?

Not as far as i'm aware.. certainly the .308 hasn't.

Apparently the .223 is a 1:7 twist, so good for the heavier bullets.

https://www.swatmag.com/article/budget- ... -lc-rifle/