Much of what we do here at Mark King Rifles is very application specific. Finding the right combination for a particular customers needs is sometimes very easy, and other times very difficult. We carry lots of difficult to find products as a service to our customers. Most of these we keep in stock. Some are just very difficult to find, others are custom products taylored to fit the products we make. For example, In several calibers, we stock dies to fit chambers made with the reamers we use for chambering custom rifles.
In the following pages, we'll try to show you some of the products we offer, and describe the services we perform, what work they include and what you might pay extra for should you want something extra or maybe require something different because of the equipment you have.
- Gunsmithing in General. While we are in the business of gunsmithing, we do not offer our services on factory or vintage firearms. Marks work is limited to match rifles and custom hunting rifles, most all of which utilize at least custom made barrels. Many rifles are constructed with production actions which are either "trued" or may even be straight off the shelf parts. Actions such as Remington 700's, Savage, Winchester, and other production parts are often used in the construction of match rifles and we do work with those parts here at Mark King Rifles. Production barrels however are never used in a serious accuracy minded project and as such, are not something we work on in our day to day business. Our recommendation generally is that you will spend the same money for a custom outfit that you will pay for a customized factory rifle. Almost allways the function, lifespan and general satisfaction is always greater with a custom piece. For that reason, we restrict our work on factory rifles to the occasional bedding job or trigger replacement. Very few general gunsmithing services are offered on that type of rifle since there are so many places offereing that type of service and it's really not a specialty of ours. While we will sometimes offer services for accuracy minded upgrades, most general gunsmithing will be refered to other competant smiths who's shops, tooling and experience are more suited to handle that sort of specialized work.
- Barrel Chamber and Fit to Receiver. For a standard chamber and fit, we will take a preturned stainless steel barrel blank, thread, chamber, crown and finish the barrel. This does not include bluing services on Chrome-Moly Steel barrels. Included finishing is either a satin bead blast, sanding or similar finish. High Luster Polishing on stainless steel is done for an additional fee. We do generally require your receiver in hand when your work is performed unless you are an existing customer and we have already fitted a barrel to your receiver in the cartridge chambering being installed.
- Stock/Receiver Pillar Bedding. Here, what is included is the installation of a fitted set of pillars, set in your stock, and a finish bedding applied to your stock afterward. Items this includes are the pillars themselves and all materials to finish the bedding job. This does not include inletting of the stock blank if it's uncut. It also does not include changing from one action inlet to another in the same stock. These items sometimes take a great deal more work and we will advise you beforehand of any additional work which is required. Please call to ask if you have any specific questions about a particular situation.
- Glue In Heavy Gun Barrel Block. For a glue in barrel in a heavy benchrest gun, we supply all the necessary hardware such as epoxy and o-rings. On this type of installation, we cannot do a glue in without your receiver fitted tightly to the barrel. This is needed to index the alignment of the receiver to the barrel block. Without a complete assembly, the angular position of the receiver cannot be set. Glue-in barrel blocks are removed by heating with a torch or similar heat source to approximately 200-250 degrees farenheit. Then the barrel is pressed out of the block and removed. For installation, epoxy is hydraulicly presssed into the assembled block with the barrel in place, aligned with the o-rings which seal the epoxy inside.
- Sako Extractor Installation. These we evaluate on a per installation basis. Much of this sort of modification depends upon the cartridge and action in use. In some cases, the bolt face may need closed slightly in order to facilitate the installation of the extractor. Depending upon your requirements, a sample of the brass you are using will be needed to set up the extractor for the particular rim thickness, which can sometimes vary from brand to brand. While this is not allways a requirement, it can make the operation of the bolt more smooth and extraction more positive if the tolerance on that thickness is held closer to your particular brass. Depending upon your particular situation, getting too close on this can also be a bad thing, so ask about your options before installation.
- J.B. Products. Many of the rifles we build for competition use, include at least some item from J.B. Products. Virtually all our heavy benchrest rifles are built upon the J.B. aluminum riflestocks. Front and rear rest systems, bullet comparitor stands and gauges and a host of other products can be found in use by many of our customers. All of these products have a long time proven track record as an accuracy enhancement in many top level competitive rifles. The John Buhay aluminum heavy gun stocks and rests are a ground up design specifically intended to be the most user friendly match rifle system your money can buy. We are proud to offer these products and will assist you in using them to their greatest potential.
- Service after the Sale. Your experience with Mark King Rifles does not end when you take delivery of your shiny new match rifle. It only begins there. We will make every effort to assist you in becoming competitive with that new rifle as soon as possible. Owning a Mark King built rifle makes you a part of a family of shooters devoted to both shooting excellence, and also to long lasting friendship along the way. Your success in shooting IS our business and we make every effort to guide you toward success.
Because of the bleeding-edge nature of top level competitiveness, and the shear number of different paths to success in shooting, we in no way profess to "know it all" when it comes to what path to take to achieve the greatest accuracy from your equipment. However, we are allways willing to lend a helping hand to our customers in any way we can. Hopefully, we will be able to help you overcome some of the hurdles we've faced in our many years of competition. When a question should arise, we share any or all our knowledge with you so that you may enjoy your time and effort as much as possible. While half the fun of shooting is the satisfaction of figuring out that perfect combination and having a personal best or match win. It's also nice to have some help when a road-block comes up that has you stumped or growling at yourself. Don't be afraid to ask when that day comes. We're allways here to help in any way we can.