I will start with a little history. Way back when I got my first Contender, which I am guessing was in the late 1980's or early 1990's. A 22 LR Super 14 barrel was on the original order list, along with a 7x30 barrel to deer hunt with. I have always enjoyed my trigger time with my Contender Rimfire barrel. It has always had the same Burris 2-7 scope as my hunting barrels until lately when I have added a couple of the new production Burris 2-7 scopes to the stable. The 22 Rimfire basically has been my practice/training/trigger time handgun, tuning up for deer season. I can make multiple trips to the Range, shooting up lots of ammunition with pretty much no impact on my wallet or time. I enjoy reloading, but it is nice to shoot a 22 LR and not need to reload the ammunition for it. I will spend time at the Range practicing getting on the bags and setting up the shot, just like I would during deer season hunting from a tower stand. It is very nice for the Practice/Training Handgun to be set up exactly like the one I am hunting with. Same Scope, Same Forend, same Function. One of my favorite activities with the rimfire is shooting Clay Birds on the 100 yard Berm at the Range. No problem breaking a Clay Bird at 100 yards, but it gets more challenging breaking all the chips until they are too small to see. As you can tell I really like, and shoot my Contender 22 LR Barrel a lot.
At this time I have moved away from the Encore Platform, and I am working with a couple Nosler M48 Bolt Action Handguns. As I am sure most reading this know the Nosler M48 Handgun is a Center Grip, modernized version of the Remington XP100. I currently have an M48 in 6.5 Creedmoor, as well as one in 22 Nosler. I plan to also own one in 308 Winchester sooner or later. The M48's are all Right Bolt, and Right Port.
I have been doing a little thinking about a 22 Long Rifle "Range/Practice/Training" Center Grip, BOLT ACTION Hand Gun with the same Basic Feel, Function and Scope Eye Relief, (AND SCOPE) as my centerfire Nosler M48 that I Hunt With. I starting reading and researching how to make this happen. I have called and e-mailed several on Handgun Hunting, as well as the Specialty Pistol site who have extensive knowledge of bolt action center grip handguns. What I discovered was that very few had any experience with a center grip 22 Rimfire build. I did learn a lot along the way however. Hoggin suggested that I just buy a Voodoo, which is very good sage advice. If Voodoo is building them at this time it is not obvious on the web site. No mention of a Center Grip 22 Rimfire Handgun on the web site that I could locate.
The Remington Custom Shop built a prototype 22 Long Rifle XP100 in the late 1980's. Layne Simpson wrote an article on it in the Spring 1988 Shooting Times Hand Gun Quarterly Magazine. It was roll marked Model XP100 under Remington. On the front of the action it was stamped 22 Long Rifle with the Serial Number under the caliber designation like the older 40X Rimfire's were stamped. The Simpson article included some good pictures. Several more were built by Gunsmith Bill Calfee. The exact number seems to be unknown, but could be as high as 100 of them built by him per my research. They bring a premium price when one comes up for sale.
I really did not want to end up with $2500 to $3000 invested in my 22 Trainer if I did not have to. More research with an economy build in mind was on the agenda. The further along this project has progressed the closer to $2,000 it has come. I am learning a lot along the way about XP100 handguns that I would not have known without being involved in a build personally.
My research led me to Pacific Tool and Gauge. They are selling the Lone Star Action, as well as a Remington Custom Shop Single Shot Action for the 22 LR. The price at this time is $600 for either. That is as reasonable as a new undesignated action gets in 2022.
I just thought of something of importance to the build. The Original XP100 used a Remington 600 Single Shot Action. The Rimfire 40X action has the same footprint as a Remington 700SA. The 700SA is approximately 1/2 Inch longer than the Remington 600 action. This is an important consideration with the build. Lots of the late model Center Grip, Centerfire Builds are being done on 700 Short Actions now days. The Remington Short Action is longer than the XP100 action requiring the longer Trigger Linkage as well as a different Stock with a 700 Short Action Foot Print. The Remington and Lone Star 40X Actions are the same foot print as the 700 short action.
For a Center Grip Trigger you pretty much have Three ways to go.
ONE: Locate a factory take off trigger.
TWO: Buy a new Trigger from Del Taylor
THREE: Buy a new Trigger from Mike Dewey.
I am pretty sure with either the Dewey or Taylor Triggers that you can get them with the Extended Linkage used with the Remington 700 Short Action Build. Using a Remington XP100 take off trigger you will need to have the linkage extended, or buy the extended linkage from some one such as Mike Dewey. I bought the Dewey Extended Linkage from Jim Rockwell JR.
Last but not least would be the Center Grip Stock. A take-off XP100 is the wrong foot print for our 40X build, so that leaves a couple options. Order a new Stock or advertise for a pre-owned stock.
THE BUILD
ACTION
I made an order with Pacific Tool and Gauge for a Remington Custom Shop 40X Single Shot Action. The Action is to be Right Bolt and Right Port, just like my two Nosler M48's. The action is to be marked XP100 instead of 40X. I have sent a picture showing all the markings on the ORIGINAL 1980's XP100 22 Long Rifle from the Shooting Times article to Pacific Tool & Gauge hoping that my action gets marked the same. I am hoping that I can replicate it as closely as possible. The Action has an 10 to 12 week wait from my order date of 3 August 2022.
TOTAL PRICE: $635
It is currently mid January 2023 and I am still waiting on the action.
CENTER GRIP STOCK
I called Jim Rockwell of Rockwell Stocks to check on a Center Grip Stock in early August 2022. I was planning on waiting to order the Stock until he mentioned the 10 to 12 week wait time. The same as my Remington Action. This prompted me to go ahead with the order at that time.
Jim was running a little behind. The stock arrived in Late December 2022. Being close to Christmas UPS took almost two weeks getting the stock to me.
Stock: Center Grip Handgun "Right Hand"
"Foot Print" Remington 700SA (40X) Single Shot
Right Bolt
Right Port
Color: Nutmeg "Laminated"
Finish: Satin
BiPod Stud: Extreme Duty with Aluminum Plate PLUS $40
Forend Length: 10" (2" longer than his standard stock forend length PLUS $20)
Forend Width: App 2"
Barrel Diameter: 1.170 Full Bull
TOTAL PRICE: $475
NOTE: Rockwells forend comes standard at 8 Inches. I ordered mine with two extra inches of length. Something I did not realize at the time of my order was that the forend length is measured from the Barrel Lug forward. On an XP100 the Trigger is mounted to the Barrel Lug. This means that the Trigger Guard is part of the forend length measurement, shortening the useable forend length approximately Two Inches. The way I shoot off sand bags the forend length of TEN Inches ended up being the perfect length.
REVIEW: The Jim Rockwell JR Stock looks very good. The Satin Finish looks great. Inlaying looks first rate. It feels great in the hand. The Nutmeg Laminate stock looks as close to Walnut as a laminate gets. With the Ten Inch Forend Length the useable forend length is Seven and One Half Inches Long as measured from the Front of the Trigger Guard Radius to the Front of the Stock. I ordered the stock with a Two Inch Wide FLAT Forend Profile. And that is exactly how it came. The Extreme Duty Bipod Stud comes with a 4" X 1/2" Aluminum Block inlayed into the forend. It is only visible in the barrel channel. The stock comes with Aluminum Pillar's for the stock screws. I am totally happy with how the stock turned out.
BARREL
I located a Full Bull Take-off 40X Barrel on GB for $200 Plus Shipping. It did not end up have the Remington Roll Marks that I was hoping for. Someone had started to set the barrel back and rechamber it. That will have to be addressed by setting the barrel back and re-threading and re-chambering it. The Barrel looks good, just looking it over it does not show much use at all. Now if it will shoot good enough to make me smile. My plan is to have the Barrel Finished at 15". HIND SIGHT: I would have went with a NEW Barrel if doing this over. I would have used a tapered blank closer to what the Factory XP100 22 Long Rifle used, and cut back on the weight some.
TOTAL PRICE: $234
TRIIGGER
I located a very slightly used Remington XP100 takeoff Trigger Assembly for $100. I got all the parts needed to assemble the Complete Trigger Assembly except the Barrel Lug.
TOTAL PRICE: $100
BARREL LUG
I located an XP100 Center Grip Barrel Lug from a fellow Specialty Pistol Forum member in Florida.
TOTAL PRICE USED: $20
EXTENDED TRIGGER LINKAGE
Jim Rockwell "Rockwell Stocks" had an Extended Mike Dewey Trigger Link in stock.
TOTAL PRICE SHIPPED: $68
WHERE I AM AT 15 January 2023
I have the 40X Barrel
I have the Factory XP100 Center Grip Trigger
I have the Mike Dewey Extended (700SA) Trigger Link
I have the Barrel Lug
I have the Beautiful Jim Rockwell JR Stock
The Action is the only think stopping the project from being completed.
THE FINISHED PRODUCT
The finished product will be a 15" Full Bull Barreled Center Grip Remington XP100 in 22 Long Rifle. It will have a Center Grip Laminated Stock in Nutmeg. It will be Right Bolt, Right Port, and use a Factory XP100 Trigger Assembly with Mike Dewey's Lengthened Trigger Linkage. It will have a Match Chamber and the Factory 40X Extractor Cuts.
More to come, as things progress.
Bob R
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