Feddersen Bronze Nickel Alloy 10/22 Receiver Review

Feddersen Bronze Nickel Alloy 10/22 Receiver Review

Many of your know Feddersen from my numerous articles noting the mind blowing accuracy of his 10/22 barrels and also a review of his stunning Bronze Alloy 10/22 billet receiver with a special mirror polish I reviewed about a year ago. Frankly that polished gold heirloom quality receiver was so loved that I picked up the Bronze Nickel Alloy version as well. Only Fred would ask the question “why has nobody made a heavy high precision solid Bronze Alloy 10/22 receiver that minimizes friction and delivers all the benefits expected in a top tier receiver?” The result is the single most stunning set of 10/22 receivers I have ever seen which are still plug and play compatible with all factory and aftermarket 10/22 barrels and accessories.

ABOUT FEDDERSEN

The company is known by many names; Feddersen, R4, 1022rifle.com, and Gunbarrels.net.  Feddersen is a name people in the industry know very well. The company was founded in 1979 by Fred Feddersen and has become rather famous for his world record breaking patented R4 SIPR .50 BMG gun barrels.  Fred prides himself on offering the straightest bores in the industry all thanks to his patented process and machines. Each and every step of their in house barrel production is unique and in fact their entire process is patented and a trade secret process.

Unlike many barrel or firearms manufacturers, Feddersen is not buying pre-rifled blanks and just finishing them to their own specs, they are producing 100% of their barrels in house from solid round bar stock.  They have a special drilling process, a patented ultra-sensitive lapping/honing process, unique patented and proprietary SEPR - Single Edged Polygonal Rifling, and one of the few companies in the world which offer a barrel with near perfect centricity and straightness between the bore and profile. 

Amazingly enough their 10/22 barrels start at only $145, The voodoo that Fred’s patented design and trade secret process delivers superb accuracy which rivals the best barrels anywhere. The 10/22 is a pet project of Fred and he continues to deliver new products for the platform including a wide variety of barrels including take-down models and also these receivers.

THE FEDDERSEN BRONZE NICKEL ALLOY 10/22 RECEIVER

Fred offers the receivers in two bronze alloys and aluminum versions. Fred decided on a high bronze content alloy to deliver several advantages.

The bronze nickel based alloys are considerably heavier than aluminum which delivers a stiffer and more substantial feeling 10/22 build which in turn should deliver improved accuracy. The Feddersen Bronze Nickel 10/22 receiver is also naturally slick and for the most part self lubricating. I can tell you that the Kidd Innovations Match bolt glides back and forth like it is on bearings - it is amazingly smooth.

Feddersen integrated an extended 1913 spec picatinny rail into the receiver. Another notable feature is the barrel trunnion v-block area is spec-ed to precisely fit a .920 bull barrel profile, so instead of a gap around the barrel, the trunnion actually provides support to assure there is no barrel droop without any special mounting requirements.

AVAILABLE FEDDERSEN 10/22 RECEIVER MODELS

Feddersen now are in full production of the 10/22 receivers in Bronze Alloy, Bronze Nickel Alloy, and Aluminum billets versions.  The Bronze Alloy Nickel Alloy are $350 retail, this silver colored Nickel Bronze Alloy $375, and Aluminum $275 billets versions. All are available on his site - https://www.1022rifle.com

ACCURACY

The Feddersen barrels alone deliver stunning sub-¼-inch 50-yard accuracy which deliver tricks such as like slicing cards at 25 to 50 yards with the right ammo. The receiver did indeed tighten up my groups even further compared to factory receivers. For this build I choose a 16.5-inch fluted bull barrel with threaded muzzle to use suppressed. A Kidd Innovations match bolt, 1.5-lb single stage trigger, and V-block were used to complete the build along with a Victor Titan stock and Nikon 3-9 ProStaff optic with adjustable objective.

My a point of impact did not change when suppressed at 50-yards with my favorite SK Standard Plus round with my AAC Ti-Rant suppressor installed or removed. This is great news and allows me to not worry about my zero changing all while still delivered very tiny .116-inch 5-shot 50-yard groups with Lapua Center-X. Insane accuracy. I love this gun.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Feddersen 10/22 receiver is something unique, delivers many features expected of top tier receivers plus the slippery benefits of bronze and the full support of a trunnion v-block area. The raw material look of the bronze alloy is also unique as nearly every other 10/22 receiver is aluminum and colored with some type of anodizing. I like there there is another high end receiver option for 10/22 builders to choose from beyond the typical options such as Kidd, Volquartsen, and Tactical Innovations. What I liked most from this receiver was that it delivered a solid tight beefy-ness to the build that no other receiver offers and with that the potential for improved accuracy - I am certainly thrilled with .116-inch 50-yard groups.

SPECS

Nickel Bronze Alloy $375 retail

BUILD SPECS

Feddersen 10/22 Receiver

Kidd 1.5-lb Single Stage Trigger Unit

Feddersen 16.25” Fluted Bull Barrel - Muzzle Threaded

Kidd Charging Handle

Kidd Match Bolt

Victor Titan Stock

Nikon 3-9 ProStaff scope

SOURCES

Check BROWNELLS for the best deals on firearms and accessories

FJ Feddersen, Inc. - http://www.1022rifle.com/

Kidd Innovative Designs - https://www.coolguyguns.com

Victor Titan - http://www.victorcompanyusa.com

Nikon - http://www.nikonsportoptics.com/

Swab Its 3-in-1 Cleaning Bore Stick and Star Chamber Cleaning Swab Review

Swab Its 3-in-1 Cleaning Bore Stick and Star Chamber Cleaning Swab Review

I first saw the Swab Its at the 2015 SHOT Show and simply didn’t get the concept of them - hmm disposable foam bore cleaners. Yeah the concept was cool, however I wondered why anyone would buy such an expensive single use product.  Like many times in life I was totally wrong. The reality I figured out a full year later is that Swab-Its are a well made non-damaging durable plasticized foam bore cleaner which can be cleaned and continually reused many...many times over and over again. Admittedly, these have become my favorite cleaning method and now they offer a short handgun 3-in-1 Cleaning Bore Stick and AR15 Breech Cleaner.

Despite my inability to initially understand the product, the Swab Its concept it pretty cool and simple and I am lucky they kept hounding me to try them. What I thought were foam tips are actually a highly durable plastic foam which can be washed and cleaned with simple soap and water or most commercially available solvents over and over again literally over a hundred times.  One of the Bore-Whips I have tortured has a little over 200 or so cleans and it is still holding up fine. If I was packing out on a hunting trip, I would not worry about anything more than one of the extremely lightweight Swab Its Bore-Whips.

The secret to the durable cleaning swabs is a patented lint-free plastic foam which is far more durable than “regular” foam. The appropriate bore sized tips also have a hard plastic sub-tip under the plastic foam which allow the tips to have a tight fit down the bore. Unlike linty cotton swabs the Swab Its can clean a bore in one pass in most cases due to the tight 360 degree bore cleaning coverage. With less garbage left behind my first round post cleaning accuracy is usually higher compared to cotton patches. Usually one pass was all I needed to get a nice clean bore down my very dirty .22LR match 10/22 rifle barrels and AR15 barrels. Cleaning various handguns and rifles with the other caliber specific Bore-Tips proved to deliver single pass cleaning with nothing more than WD40 or Spartan Accuracy Oil on the Bore-Tip. I even use these on my airguns. The Swab-Its deliver a very thorough yet gentle clean which will not damage the rifling in any way.

The Swab-Its 3-in-1 Cleaning Bore Stick combines the plastic rod, patch and jag into one single product that can be used, cleaned and used again and again. It is a simple inexpensive all in one cleaning option for any 9mm, .380 ACP, .357 pistol or handgun. Swab-Its currently only offer the Cleaning Bore Stick in a 9mm, .380 ACP, .357 bore size but I am sure they will consider other handgun bores.  In the previous products, Swab Its only offered long Bore-Whips, but these offer all those same benefits, but with a short whip/rod for handguns. This was a product I recommended to Swab Its after my initial review and I am glad they decided to product it. If you want easy and simple handgun cleaning, this is it. No need for anything other than a bottle of oil. At $9.99 for four Bore Sticks, it is a deal that is far less expensive than nearly any other option.

The AR15 Star Chamber Cleaning Swab is a Swab Its cleaning swab specifically designed for AR15 and AR10 breeches delivering 360-degree cleaning of the locking lugs and breech.  Swb Its already offers precision cleaning swabs which I use all the time for getting into the nooks and crannies, however they decided to go for it and offer a swab for the AR15. This works and makes cleaning the breech and locking lugs a breeze.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The patented Swab-Its designs are not complex, but they work better than any patch or bore snake I have ever used - frankly I do not use anything else any more. I just keep cleaning them off with some mineral spirits or soap and water and keep using them. These two new products are yet another addition to these great cleaning products that will keep your firearms clean, simply, easily, and at a very low cost.  

SPECS

Made in USA

SOURCES

Check BROWNELLS for the best deals on firearms and accessories

Swab-Its http://www.swab-its.com