ANT SUPPLIES LTD

Hi Tim,

 I'm the guy who recently bought one of your ETA sunshades where unfortunately the threads were a miss match. So just an update, together with pics as earlier promised of my now fully customized .22 Anschutz 1417 carbine fitted with Zeiss Terra 3X 4-12X50 scope, not forgetting sunshade supplied by you which took all the fitting, or 'rather' filing down the threads in my case to achieve a friction fit prior to gluing using Evo-stick control resin.

 First the woodwork, while always a lover of the now 'classic' London gun dull oiled finish, all be it on my Miroku O/U 12 bore or rifle stocks, after first staining using traditional Alkanet root, (always better in my opinion to mix up your own), and following many years of trying many shop bought finishes, such as True oil where they always dry to a shine, which is ok and just fine if all you want is a shine, but not so good if you want a true dull oiled or a most satin finish, I then discovered red Schaftol made in Germany, which once again in my opinion is simply the best. This incidentally coming from an old timer who has been both occasionally making stocks and refinishing since the mid 1960's. Custom work other than stock finishing, a cover was made first for the SAK can to prevent the finish shining in the field from a length of plastic waist pipe.

 The trigger guard was then polished and colour-case hardened to give a nice contrast to the bluing, (purely as a hang back from my past now long gone unfortunately .45 Colt Peacemaker days, sob sob). The trigger bow was also filed flat in order to give me the same feel as my custom trigger Rem .223 700 Police, which I personally prefer to the standard round shape. Trigger weight was also reduced, and set as light as it could be 'safely' taken to a crisp 14 ounces on the standard two stage match Anschutz unit.

 A pistol grip cap was also made from walnut and later sprayed satin black using a Humbrol rattle can. The 'final' touch being, to shorten the stock slightly so it now fitted me correctly, and also fit white spacers to both, made this time from an electric light switch blank.

 'Yes' I hear you say but will it shoot as good as it looks? Answer, you 'bet' it will, always proving I do my bit! For half inch center to center 5 shot groups have been recorded many times at 100 yards using a range finder prone off the bipod , 'providing' as in my case when I feed it on SK standard plus, where I file the round tips off slightly so they resemble Eley Tenex, where while accuracy is totally unaffected, when it comes to bunny bashing up to 100 yards, they now 'deliver just that little bit more clout with 'strictly' head shots. Only 'down side' of the Anschutz 64 match action being as far as I'm concerned, is that, so unlike for 'instance' the CZ452 varminter, which in effect is a far stronger action due to the fact that the trigger unit is in one piece, means that the price you pay for the 64 match action, is that the bolt guide/stop is separate, and as I have discovered can snap off if too much force is used to extract spent cases! I 'solved' the problem in my case by firstly extracting cases far more gently, in not slamming the bolt back as you would with a .308. but also carefully polishing the chamber lead slightly where 'touch wood' all's now well.

 Due to the fact that all .22 Anschutz 'tend' to have both tight chambers and refiling, again so unlike my CZ452, which after solvent cleaning then took '75' rounds to fully restore accuracy, I now find with the 1417 that if I clean after every outing 'regardless' of actual rounds fired, that due to the tight match rifling, full match accuracy can be restored by emptying the 5 round mag!

 Finally, in terms of accuracy or range, 'nothing' is lost with the 13.5'' match barrel, plus with Burris extreme tactical mounts fitted, weaver rail Zeiss and SAK can fitted, I now have a fast handling bunny bashing rig that comes in total to slightly less than 7 3/4 LB's, although with the Zeiss Terra having repeatable turrets, it makes life just that bit easier, in now being marked off at 50 75 and 100 yards, so I now never 'ever' miss!!!.............. 'fat chance'.