Express Yourself

Nothing like a new gun, except maybe a new, old gun with some personalized customization. Maybe one even chambered for a new cartridge. I’ve been working on two projects for the last several months and both are based on Mossberg’s MVP Predator rifle. I’ve been a fan of the MVP since it was introduced; I like the idea of a bolt-action rifle that uses AR magazines. It’s almost as cool as an AR that uses AR magazines.

I’ve been working these rifles into what you might call a pseudo scout type rifle. Now, while I like a lot of what COL Cooper said, I’ve never really bought completely into the scout rifle concept. This is whey the two rifles I’m working up would probably best be described more like, multi-purpose utility rifles. I don’t necessarily think an army scout would carry one but if you’re looking for a one rifle answer to a lot of questions, I think you’ll like these because they involve a lot of neat kit like XS and fiber optic sights, an EOTech MRDS, a sweet go switch from Timney and something cool from Lasermax and Surefire.

I can’t give it all away here; one rifle will be featured in the GUNS Annual and the other in an upcoming issue of Rifle Firepower. One is sort of a do it yourself project while the other needed professional help, which is why I turned the project over to Jerry Dove at Dove’s Custom Guns.

So, consider this a teaser if you will.

I had a little help with the do it your self rifle too; I sent it out to the Sharps Rifle Company and had them install a 20-inch, .25-45 Sharps barrel. Now, before you all start with all the neophobia comments like, “We don’t need a new cartridge.” Or, “What will it do that another cartridge cannot.” Keep in mind that you could say that about any cartridge, well, except maybe the .22 LR.

More than anything else, cartridges allow us to express our individuality. Do you really believe there is a practical difference in the .270 Winchester and the .280 Remington? Shooters find comfort and inspiration in a 25 fps advantage or a 5-degree tweak of a case shoulder. Some even get all twitterpated over a different lead angle that has been cut into a chamber. Truth is, we could all get through life, hunting and shooting anything, anywhere, with only about five, almost antique cartridges. No fun in that.

But back to the tease, I ran a few handloads through the .25-45 rifle today and found that 70 grain Sierra BlitzKing bullets would squirt out of the 18.5 inch barrel at 3150 fps and that five shots would cluster into nice one inch groups. 90-grain Sierra BTHP bullets had a muzzle velocity of about 2850 fps and groups were just a tad larger. These were just first tries too; imagine what some tweaking of these loads might produce. (Hey, handloaders like to twitterpate too!) With these two loads this rifle will have some multi-purpose utility. 

One thing I proved today is that since you can pick up a new Mossberg MVP Predator for about $ 500, and a used one for a little less, these rifles make great project guns. You can install a new barrel for a couple hundred bucks and as long as the cartridge you choose will work in an AR 15 magazine and, has a rim diameter of 0.378, you’ll have a new rifle that expresses your personality a little more clearly. The modern human is all about individualism, right? Isn’t that why you got that tattoo of a naked Donald Duck on your left butt cheek?

What can you do with a Mossberg MVP Predator? Well, you’ll just have to read the articles to see. You might be surprised what a little hillbilly engineering can produce. I’m going to have two rifles that are equally adept at home defense, gopher whacking, deer hunting or even head shooting zombies at 300 yards. I might even get out the spray paint and then carve my name in the stocks with a butter knife; cause there’s nothing like a custom rifle. (A custom rifle chambered in a new and unique cartridge may cost more than a tattoo but it does not hurt as much, well, unless its a .458 Lott. Why would anyone want a .458 Lott?)