NEW American Rifle Company Coup De Grace Action $899

[CMP70306]

I saw that ad yesterday and I like it. Integral lug and rail for $900 is very attractive. What turns me off tremendously is I don’t understand the complexity. The mag requirements are confusing. I’m a BDL traditionalist. I come from a hunting background. I understand BDL won’t work, but when he starts to explain what will work I get lost in the noise of alphabet soup. I don’t mind a DBM, but it has to be flush mount. I don’t want to have to modify something to make it work. So because I can’t easily figure out magazine options, I’m ready to move along to the next option. Ted says it’s for hunters, ok then, what’s the flush mount mag recipe that works for a hunter? Keep it simple.

And then there’s the matter of conical breech vs not. Again more complexity. No other action has all these qualifiers. At least not that I’m aware of.

I like ARC’s stuff as I know it’s all well made and thought out. But the mad scientist strikes again. Unnecessary complexity. When something can be simple, make it simple! Methinks Ted don’t hunt. It shouldn’t be this complicated.

So the reason it exists is that he came out with the original CDG and myself and others hammered on him about a lighter weight version since it was heavier than his previous actions. This was his response, he didn’t design it as an ultra light hunting action, he lightened his current tactical action.

Can't you still use AICS mags in it?

If I read things right, yes. It just requires an optional piece with it.

You can use AICS though you may need to adjust your mag latch depending on how your gun fits together. My MDT chassis required a shorter mag latch but my AG Composites stock worked with zero modifications.

See? It’s absurd. It shouldn’t take any interpretation or modification to find something that properly holds bullets and feeds them into the chamber.

It’s especially confusing if you come from a strictly hunting background and find tacticoll stuff offputting. All this stuff seems to be based off of weird space age firearms from accuracy international. Those aren’t hunting guns. I have zero interest in learning about them. Give me something I understand.

AICS - Gold standard single feed detachable mag.
AW - True double stack mag, shorter but doesn’t work well with 2 lug 700 actions due to action configurations. Only offered in short action for .308 or similar cartridges.

The market decided decades ago that these were the best two bolt action mags on the market and the vast majority of aftermarket parts are built around them.

This action was designed primarily to work with AW mags as they are shorter and feed better. They both fit in the M5 bottom metal however since they feed differently they require different height mag latches. If you use AW mags it requires zero modifications however since AICS mags sit higher in the action you will need a shorter mag latch for them to work.

Which is what? I can’t even decipher that much. And is it flush mount?

No, AW mags are only offered in 10 round capacity. Flush Mags would require an M5 bottom metal with either a Hawkins or MDT flush mag.

No, It’s simple. This is an action marketing for hunting guns. A magazine holds bullets. I generally love learning about how things work, but this is a simple task. Beyond holding and feeding ammunition, I don’t see the need to reinvent the wheel. Learning about a new magazine option does not enhance my performance. I’ve learned the advantages of FFP scopes and vertical grip stocks, so I’m not a total Fudd, but I don’t see the need to make a magazine system complex. A magazine either works or it doesn’t. And assuming it works, one type or the other is not going to make me a better hunter. A hunting rifle should not have a dingdong hanging down several inches from the bottom of it. And it doesn’t need to hold 10 rounds. In order to have a magazine that is flush mount and works in a hunting rifle, I shouldn’t have to make modifications. That’s just my take.

If this won’t work, there’s plenty of other options without such complexity. It’s just too bad, because the price point here is very attractive. Offer it with BDL or M5 (without mods required) and problem solved. Those are hunting rifle options, imo.

Most rifle manufactures develop their own magazine specifically for their rifles, action manufactures don’t have that luxury and have to work with what the aftermarket provides. In this case Hawken and MDT are really the only flush mag options.

I guess I’m wrong, because it’s not abundantly clear in ARC’s marketing materials, but I was under the impression that if you used an M5 bottom metal, which is the only DBM type that I am familiar with that offers flush mount mags, you had to modify the bottom metal to accommodate the trigger hanger. Which is also something else that is arguably unnecessary in a hunting gun, but that’s a whole other subject.

It depends on the bottom metal, some are notched for trigger hangers, others aren’t and some will work fine with no modifications.

Since most triggers are fixed and sealed these days the trigger hanger allows the flexibility of tuning the action for smooth operation the way a gunsmith would stone the parts together.

I have two CDG actions, a short action in an MDT HNT26 and a long action in an AG Composites stock. The MDT required a 2 minute mag latch switch and the AG composites required no modification.

 

[SDHNTR]

The market decided decades ago that these were the best two bolt action mags on the market and the vast majority of aftermarket parts are built around them.

I have little problem with anything you said, except for the above! Long before anyone had heard of AIXYC and ABC magazines and all this weird, tactical stuff contaminated the hunting world, the market decided that a hinged floor plate worked just fine. And it still does.

Thanks for the info, but I’ve decided ARC actions are just not for me. Ted don’t hunt.

 

[gbflyer]

I have little problem with anything you said, except for the above! Long before anyone had heard of AIXYC and ABC magazines and all this weird, tactical stuff contaminated the hunting world, the market decided that a hinged floor plate worked just fine. And it still does.

Thanks for the info, but I’ve decided ARC actions are just not for me. Ted don’t hunt.

I’m with you. Give me a blind mag and I’m happiest. Cool action though and Ted is always innovating. Dizzying intellect to say the least.

 

[CMP70306]

I have little problem with anything you said, except for the above! Long before anyone had heard of AIXYC and ABC magazines and all this weird, tactical stuff contaminated the hunting world, the market decided that a hinged floor plate worked just fine. And it still does.

Thanks for the info, but I’ve decided ARC actions are just not for me. Ted don’t hunt.

Thats fine, different actions for different folks. The main issue is that BDL floor plates work fine for complete rifles but tolerances can cause feeding issues when assembling a rifle yourself at home. Those issues are generally far more complex to fix compared to getting a different length mag latch for your bottom metal.

I personally prefer mags and don’t mind them sticking out the bottom. I started with a browning A-Bolt which was a hinged detachable box mag then went to the Rem 760 which uses a detach mag. From there I moved to a 1903 and two different model 70s which all used the hinged floor plate before building my customs and using the AICS mags.

At this point I run all of my rifles suppressed so the balance point is just forward of the action and the mags act as a stop for my hand when I’m carrying them. That being said I’m hunting in the east so that may be a factor as well since I’m not sliding them into scabbards all the time.

 

[floridajpr]

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Ted's take on a hunting action is available for order.

Just recieved my ARC CDG SA Lightweight and it's a very nice action. Going to do a 6.5PRC Hunting rifle with it.