Got bored lately with all this talk of new rifles and what calibers yadda yadda yadda, and made a short list of what I have had over the years, what I liked and didn't like, and wondered what else is out there these days to try in a new to me caliber.

Was Surfing my Favorites File looking for something else while waiting for my Realtor to call back and confirm a time for the house to be shown, and came up with the website for MRC. I had remembered the last time I talked to them couple years ago when I was looking for a stocking dealer locally, they were supposed to start up a line of less expensive pre configurd "American Standard Rifle's" for what they call an off the shelf "In Stock Production Rifle" to get away from the long lead time from order date to delivery on their full customs .... prolly to gin a steadier revenue stream too.

Lo & Behold they have, along with some other variations I was not expecting all, based off their improved M70 Clone design.

I know Melvin Forbes is underway with a similar project, but in a true under 6lb LA lightweight at around $1500-$2000 ... but has very limited caliber offerings so far that he'll accept an order on - the Douglas barrels like he's always used could not supply his needs, and no short actions have come off the drawing board yet according to the website.

These MRC Production rifles, start with the ASR & XWR Series & are running around $1200+/- for 22 calibers in Right OR Left Hand recievers and your choice of blue/wood, SS/wood (field grade American Black Walnut prolly ala FN/WW & Ruger) & SS/B&C Medallist's. Most of the standard calibers from 243 thru 338WMg are offered, but also shown as orderable and available is a 260, 6.5x284, 7x57 Mauser, all 4 WSM's, 264Wmg plus RUM's in 7mm, 300 & 338. WOW!

Then a AVR "American Vantage Rifle" series in 35 Whelen, 375H&H, 375 Ruger, 416 Rem, 416 Ruger, 458 Lott & 458WMg that are set up with Marble's iron sights in blue/wood or as a XVR in SS/B&C Medallist set up same way at around $1300 & IMO they are only missing my fav light/medium in a 9.3x62.

And finally a safari styled DGR "Dangerous Game Rifle" series in blue wood using the new Pro Hunter double bridge Mauser action in CM Moly or SS barreled actions in 338 Lapua(w/o iron sights, 378 Weatherby, 416 Rigby, 460 Weatherby & 505 Gibbs at around $23-$2400. Try finding a Big Boomer in those calibers at those prices in a hand finished shooter anywhere.

My question is ...has anyone around here bought or played with one or any of these new toys in any caliber or configuration??

Several of the basic ASR-XWR series calibers really interest me as a place to start ...like a 6.5x284 or 338 Federal, & mebbe 325WSM for sure....or mebbe a cheaper hand finished M70 CRF in 35 Whelen or 416-458 sumthin'... Owie Owie Owie that's gonna be fun!
Comments Please
Cheers
Ron

$2000+ rifle is out of this po' boys price range. When I bought my Sako I told myself that this would be the rifle I hunted with and passed on to my son someday. That's about as pricey as ill get.

WT $2k is outta my range too & for double dang sure right now until we sell this lake house, buy 'nuther house, we get moved and I can go back to work somewhere north of Austin up & down I-35...but the Standard ASV/XWR stuff is at Kimber prices around $1200 and got calibers Kimber never dreamed of offering...that's what kept me awake the last couple nights thinking about...Hmmm!
Cheers
Ron

I'll have to look in to those. Sounds like a pretty good deal.

I haven't looked at them seriously, but they are one in five the very few manufacturers that offer a full host of options for us lefties. If I ever pull myself out of the downward spiral of degenerate Weatherbyitis, I will definitely be looking at an MRC in 260 and one in 458 Lott.

There are a couple right now on Gun Broker with pics ...including a southpaw something.

The wood stocks are about what I expected on the base ASR 270 shown in GB, and seem to look like the old JRS Boyd stock designed by Jon Sundra. Nice fit & finish from what I can see but hands on is always the Tell of the Tale.

The caliber list is really what caught my attention at these price points, as MRC is who built the CZ Model 3 WSM's on this same 1999 model barreled action, but the stock was done by Serengetti I think and had a little better grade of wood from what I remember.
Cheers
Ron

I went to the NRA convention in Houston and Montana Rifle was there. I specifially wanted to handle the AVR in 375H&H for a trip to africa I was beginning to plan. The one they had was "off the shelf" representative of the AVR. They had used it on some exotics here in Texas. The gun seemed ok to me. Fit and Finish was not anything special but I don't have any real quality guns to compare to. Seem similar to the low end CZ I was also able to play with.

A couple weeks later I was promoted. Congradulations! move your family half way across Texas, spend all your savings and equity in your home doing so. Learn to live with a single income while your wife tries to find a job. Increase your work week from 48 to 65 hrs and scratch Africa off the list for the next 10 yrs or so.

"A couple weeks later I was promoted. Congradulations! move your family half way across Texas, spend all your savings and equity in your home doing so."

BTDT ...from Jacksonville Florida, where we had moved to from Dallas 2 1/2 years earlier and hated it, to Chicago. I commuted weekly from Jax to Chicago for 4 months until the Boss pulled the plug on my expense account...then a year later fired every outside field rep - all 7 of us -in the Chicago region from me as the Sr Acct Mgr to the 3 month old rookie & moved the Boss to Home Office...sucks big time for sure and why I came home to Dallas and have always travelled the US coast to coast & border to border from Texas since then.

Not surprising at the plain vanillaness as described,case in point there was a clean looking but used Kimber regular Classic grade in 260 that prolly sold new at around $900-$1k couple years since they made 'em & just go for $1300 in the last day or so on GB. I'd really rather they put the money in metal work & craftsmanship than in jillyfrasse especially at that price point too. Compare the current Kimber or SAKO Price points at over double/triple ???+ to the MRC AVR @ $1300 in the same calibers, & without needing any tuning like the CZ Safari guns do, and then to the MRC DGR at $2300-$2400 and it seems like the MRC's DGR will still be cheaper at total $'s out the door ...just dunno how cheap looking it is, and am gonna find out in Dallas next January if MRC shows up. I Know the AHR's CZ based Safari Rifles have doubled in price since I first looked at them 4-5 years ago but that was for a 3AFancy in English Walnut or French Bastogne that was killer looking and better wood than a Kimber Super America. Did you see the MRC $10k Safari Supreme??
Cheers
Ron