Cat Nip

[steve b.]

[steve b.]

Action: Anschutz 1411 Single-point threaded, trued. Black Nitrided by H&M Metal along with Bolt Handle
Barrel: Border from Scotland. Satin bead blasted.
Chamber: ECX
Trigger: Anschutz 5018 (yep, a 5018 for a 1411..!)
Tuner: Uptagrafft
Stock: McMillan Silhouette Master
Rings: Vintage BKL's,
Scope: Leupold fixed BR 24, Glass bedded to rings with 15 MOA.
Weight: 9 lbs, 7.1 oz

Don't come lookin for me if you guys can't beat Mal and John next year. Magic ain't in the wand, right?

Thanks to John for waiting far too long for this project to finish.

[jneihouse]

Can't thank Steve enough for this project. It began, innocently enough, when I bought the stock from Steve to put back for a heavy gun project some time in the future.....We began to talk about what would make an ultimate heavy gun and bounced ideas off of each other....While doing the brainstorming I was working with Steve on his offhand shooting skills and mental mastery of the game...through the course of the exchange we became friends and Steve generously offered to put his gun building expertise to work for Mallory and I. The result you see before you is the end result of no telling how many hours of hard work on Steve's part and a lot of dreaming on both our parts...If he posted how well it "drove" during the build you would accuse us of exageration, which I can assure you is not the case. There are lots of "one off" features and some parts are made of unobtanium....It is literally a build that would be next to impossible to replicate due to the way it was built and some of the parts that went into the build.....My job is to drive it and not wreck it until Mini Kitty is strong enough to master the heavy gun.

Thanks again Steve

Kitty

btw, her name is officially "Cat Nip"

[Bob259]

Sweet John.... Great work Steve Mini Kitty must be real excited to try it out.

[atomicbrh]

Think about these options for Mini-Kitty in the years to come: If not glued in, pillar bed this same barrelled action and scope in any of a variety of prone stocks and Mal will be set for any sight prone at Camp Perry, put sights on and ready for Metallic sights prone at Camp Perry, put in a position stock and ready for Smalbore ISSF, put in a benchrest stock and she is ready for benchrest. A barrelled action built like this when put in different stocks with different sights opens up so many other options for such a variety of Smallbore Competitions for a young person.
(I notice the trigger blade looks like it is the most rear position possible, she must already be shooting it.)
A very worthy project!

Bobby R. Huddleston

[Innocent]

Where are the Lapua stickers?
Mary

[Jetmugg]

Great work. Do you mind telling us how long the barrel is?

SteveM

[BCloninger]

John, if Mini-Kitty shoots that rifle even once, you'll never handle it again! Unless it needs cleaning...

[steve b.]

The barrel is 17". Just a little stubby guy, but the OD is 0.955"

[Jetmugg]

Thanks Steve. I thought it looked pretty short, but is proportioned just right with the addition of the bloop tube and accessories.

SteveM

[Bob Mc Alice]

Surely there is a special bling package in the works to compliment the pedigree of this fine rifle....isn't there Commander?

[jneihouse]

The rifle took a little longer to put together than we originally planned. Steve had planned it as a winter project in order to allow us to introduce it into our training routine in the offseason. Great things do take a little longer to build. We originally had planned to have the stock dipped, but time has ran out in our offseason and it's about time to hit the road. So the decision was made (and a good one I think) to have Steve shoot the Lapua blue base coad and clear coat it. That way, if the stock has to be modified in any way the repair can be fixed. The rifle has just cleared final testing in Las Vegas, and according to the email that Steve sent. "If you miss, it's your fault". It'll now be boxed and shipped cross country. Lapua has furnished a new batch of stickers, so it will get the Lapua sticker treatment when it gets to Arkansas. And I'm sure we will find a way to bling it out, just would'lt be right if we didn't. Thanks for all the positive comments on the rifle. We are looking forward to campaigning "Cat Nip" this season. Be sure to look us up and say hello and get a good look at the new addition to the family up close.

Kitty

[BCloninger]

John, you've gone from Bling to Insane Detail! Just threading the barrel is a step beyond, but point cutting the threads to reduce stress in the action is serious attention to detail. Ironically, maybe because of the plain stock, Cat Nip looks utilitarian in the photos, although in handling the details probably really pop! Thanks for building a real classic.

[CZforlife]

Just a quick question, can you get a barrel flutted without a taking the barrel out of the action.

[BCloninger]

Fluting is usually done by the barrel maker, although some refuse to because of the stress it imparts to the steel. Broughton in particular will void the warranty if you flute one of their barrels. One of our builders will have to answer your question about fluting after manufacturing.