Jeep - I am similarly affected. I just love my weapons, and when I get one done and built, I am already planning on what to start next.
Okay, the "flaws" that I talked about with the Remington are these:
The extractor is thin walled and it's spring steel. It's not the most reliable item out there. Will it fail you at a crucial moment and have a case stuck? Probably not - but I have seen more than a come through the shop in the better part of 4 years being there. Usually it's because some hunter or shooter has tried reloading and pushed the limits, got the case stuck, tried the "boot jam" they used to teach way back when and snap the rim.
The Surgeon does have the exact same style extractor, which is a minus in my book ( and that of the Master Smith at the shop ) BUT, they don't use the same material.
The Recoil Lug - There is no reason to have a recoil lug that isn't attached to the action. The damn thing needs to be attached to the action so you don't have to worry about torque issues. It also allows you a much better ability to glass bed the action.
The Surgeon's recoil lug is one piece, built into the action itself and it's thicker than the Remington factory. This is a good thing.
The Brazed on Bolt Handle - This makes no sense to me since you need a strong handle, not one that is three pieces and brazed together.
The Surgeon's is a one piece, CNC machined bolt and handle, so there is no worry there.
It comes with a 20MOA built in rail, which is a great savings and an excellent addition since it will be perfectly inline with the chamber.
All the medal is heat treated before they do the final finish work, so they are giving you a quality piece of kit.
Downside? They use a factory firing pin - you should really get a Ti pin for $1300. They also use the Remy factory design of the round bottom action. You can glass bed it easily enough, but like anything round, adding torque takes less to spin something round versus something with a flat surface and angles.
Now, for that kind of money, here's a couple of other choices.
BAT Machine out of Idaho. We have used them on a few builds and they make a great product. Their webpage is a disaster to try and decypher, it's easier to just call them and ask a couple of questions than it is to try and figure it out with a Lucky Charms Decoder Ring.
Badger Ords M2008 is a nice looking product. I haven't played with it yet though, so the verdict is still out.
Lawton is a good action, and it's about the same price, depending on options.
Montana Riflemen have a good rep. I haven't seen their product, but reviews are positive.
There was even a company in Montana, or North Dakota, that was making custom Titanium actions for awhile. I don't remember their name though....
Basically - you can get a real good factory action ( like a HOWA 1500 or a Winchester ) and have it blue printed ( about $600 in our shop, but that includes redrilling the scope holes and a trigger job ).
OR
You can get a custom action where most of that work is already done, but you will be paying for the package, and that will include the name on the side.
Hope that helps. As always, if you need more info, hit me up if you want....
