458 SOCOM build on a Ruger American

[Pauerpilot]

Thank you for those that offered information to me. I found a Ruger American Rifle in 450 Bushmaster. I got it brand new for a very good price. I looked at several options as a host receiver. It turns out the most economical option was the 450 BM. The bolt has the required dimensions to fit the 458 SOCOM. So no bolt work there. I removed the barrel and ordered an X-Caliber pre-fit barrel to my specifications. I have not received the barrel and barrel nut yet. I ordered the MDT LSS-XL Gen 2 chassis for the Ruger American that takes AR mags. The 458 SOCOM works well with Lancer mags. So no modification on the feed ramps or magazines. The X-Caliber barrel will come threaded to take a QD muzzle break to fit my Dead Air Primal 46. I am going to run the stock trigger for now. I have a Ruger American in 300 BO that still has the stock trigger and I have not had any issues with it. So far that rig has taken quite a few deer. All deer taken with subsonic loads suppressed. It is extremely quiet! I am hopeful that the 458 SOCOM suppressed will be equally as silent launching a 500 grain slug.
Back to the rifle. I picked up the complete rifle for less than I could get a Remington 700 receiver used. It was an easy decision to go this route. The action is not as smooth out fo the box as say a Remington or Howa but with a bit of work they can be very nice actions. I am going to lap the bolt lugs and smooth out the action so that it glides easily. It is very easy to do. A bit of patience and 50,000 grit paste gets it done. I am going to work on the sear and release interface. Using some policing stones to make the interaction between the two surfaces like glass.
I think that it will take me a few months to get this complete. The barrel will be weeks before I get it delivered. The go and no/go gauges will take a few weeks as well. The MDT chassis will be here next week. As for glass, I have not gotten that far yet.
I will try and document this build so that others can see if this might be an option for them.
Getting the barrel off the stock Ruger was a pain in the ass. You will NOT save the stock barrel nut. The stock barrel nut is smooth with no lands or cuts to bite into to remove the barrel nut. I used a standard red pipe wrench to bite into the barrel nut to loosen the barrel nut. The barrel nut was toast. Once the barrel nut is loose, the barrel screws off easily. You are going to need a vise that is secure to a bench. I secured the barrel in a barrel vise. The barrel vise was secured to the larger vise that is mounted to my work bench. Let the pipe wrench dig its teeth into the barrel nut and then loosen away.

Once I get the chassis I will post my progress. I will show the rifle as I got it in the box and then all the work once it is complete. This is a labor of love so I will take my time doing this rifle. It will match my AR in 458 SOCOM.

Until later..............

 

[Biggfoot44]

Well you certainly know what you want , and have it planned out !

No , you can't escape the laws of physics , or in this case fluid dynamics . It will not be as quiet as a .300 BO .

Not saying this isn't a useful concept , or that you won't be able to suppress to a useful degree . But the bore cross sectional area , and total gas volume are significant factors .

 

[Pauerpilot]

Nuts!! Well I hope it will be reasonably silent.

 

[Mobuck]

You're far more patient than I. That's a LOT of stuff involved before reaching your goal.
As far as how effective the suppressor is will depend on several factors. DeadAir is a well known maker so I'll assume they make OK mufflers. Since the Primal 46 is designed for a 45, I'll also assume they made it right.
Here's what I've found: Big, fat bullets create more sonic signature than skinny, pointy bullets. This creates far more bullet noise which defeats the muzzle blast suppression. A round nose 22lr bullet @ 1200 fps makes more 'noise' than a pointed 17 HMR bullet @2000 fps. With both bullets @ 1000fps, a 9mm round nose flat base bullet produces more bullet signature than a .300AAC 200 grain BTHP.
Your 45 SOCOM with a supersonic flat/hollow point bullet is going to produce considerable bullet signature even though your suppressor has reduced the muzzle blast. Easier on your ears but the critters will still notice although they won't be able to pinpoint the shooter's location.

 

[Pauerpilot]

True dat! I am toying with the idea of 325 gr FTX at subsonic speeds. I have very good results with the 160 FTX in 308 loading it down to subsonic levels for my Gunsite. It is mouse fart quiet. I like the idea of a 500 gr slug silently moving about the air and swacking an unaware critter appeals to my primitive nature. Silence is golden.

As for patience, I am a tinkerer. If it is not a firearm, it's a vehicle. If not that then it's the house and yard. Gots to keep moving. I have been working on my firearms for almost two decades. I have been very comfortable and relatively successful creating firearms that easily exceed the performance offered by brand name firearm manufacturers. I have the time and attention to detail needed to make a good firearm much better. The close in intricate work appeals to me.

I am going to make an accurate 458 SOCOM as silent as possible. The AR 458 SOCOM that this bolt gun will accompany is a tack driver. I am really excited to see this one through.

 

[Pauerpilot]

Here is the next batch of parts. So far the MDT Chassis system is SOLID! I am getting the Magpul MOE K2 pistol grip to attach to the chassis. I am still have not decided what scope to use. The Lancer mag works perfectly. The folding stock is a nice feature. I had to take out some butt stock spacers due to the folding stock adapter adding some length. I polished the action up with some ultra fine grit paste. The bolt now glides easily in the action. All the high spots have been smoothed over. Now the action is mostly uniform on the inside.

To be continued.....

 

[5HCattleCo]

I'm going to try and do the same thing, how long is the barrel supposed to take to get in?
I'll be ordering a 450 American tomorrow to do the conversion on as well. Probably order barrel this eve so I can hopefully have it done before deer season!

 

[Mobuck]

" I can hopefully have it done before deer season!"
Just how big and tough are your deer?

 

[5HCattleCo]

" I can hopefully have it done before deer season!"
Just how big and tough are your deer?

Around here small, 250 dressed for a good buck.
But sub sonic at 300yds is what I'm after

 

[Mobuck]

300 is a pretty long poke for any sub-sonic.

 

[5HCattleCo]

300 is a pretty long poke for any sub-sonic.

It is for sure, I've shot my 458 gas gun at 300yds and you can literally see the arch lol

 

[Pauerpilot]

I'm going to try and do the same thing, how long is the barrel supposed to take to get in?
I'll be ordering a 450 American tomorrow to do the conversion on as well. Probably order barrel this eve so I can hopefully have it done before deer season!

So far the conversion has not been too much to handle. The hardest part has been sourcing parts. I went with X-Caliber barrels. The website says 10-12 weeks but can be extended due to unforeseen circumstances for another 6-8 weeks beyond the original 10-12 weeks. I called a few barrel companies and the soonest I could expect was 8 weeks. I settled on x-caliber barrels due to the positive reviews. I hope that I do not regret that decision.

300-400 yards is still a reasonable range for a subsonic 458 SOCOM. Make sure you put on a 40 MOA rail on the rifle. Not many scopes have the internal adjustment to compensate for the 458 arc. Anarchy Outdoors sells a 30 and 40 MOA scope base for the Ruger American. Also, I ordered some Go and No/Go gauges from PTG. That will take a few weeks to get made and shipped out. Let me know if you need to borrow them to get going.

 

[Mobuck]

Yes, it's pretty cool to watch the bullets arc onto the target. My range lies north to south so in late evenings, the sun is just at the right angle to see the 300 sub-sonics in flite. If the observer is watching closely, he can call the hit before seeing the hole in the target. Sometimes even the sub-sonic 22's are visible.

 

[Pauerpilot]

40 MOA scope base has arrived and installed. Called on the barrel today. Another 3 -5 weeks for the barrel. I have everything but the barrel. including the go and no/go gauges. As soon as I get the barrel I will post the final leg of my build.

 

[Andy1234]

40 MOA scope base has arrived and installed. Called on the barrel today. Another 3 -5 weeks for the barrel. I have everything but the barrel. including the go and no/go gauges. As soon as I get the barrel I will post the final leg of my build.

Where'd you get the go/no-go gauges from?

Thanks,
Andy

 

[Pauerpilot]

Where'd you get the go/no-go gauges from?

Thanks,
Andy

Andy,

I purchased the gauges from Pacific Tool and Guage

Al

 

[Pauerpilot]

So I received my barrel yesterday!!!! It looks great and the fit and finish is very good. So far I am fairly pleased with the X-Caliber barrel. Here are the specifics.
416R Stainless Steel
16 inch barrel
458 SOCOM 6 groove 1:14 twist
Remington Sendero barrel profile
Muzzle threads 3/4x24

I set the headspace and the barrel lock nut easily. I will get to the range as soon as I have availability.
The next project will be getting the best load data and accuracy testing. I am not sure if I will refinish the rifle now or wait until I am done testing the accuracy potential. I am still wanting on my Primal 46 suppressor. Hopefully it will arrive any day.

Discuss!!!!
Al

 

[5HCattleCo]

I got my barrel in last week but haven't had time to remove factory barrel yet.

 

[Pauerpilot]

I got my barrel in last week but haven't had time to remove factory barrel yet.

Do you still need go and no/go gauges?

 

[5HCattleCo]

Do you still need go and no/go gauges?

Yes sir that would be awesome!