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  #1  
Old 05-20-2019, 01:00 AM
rick w. rick w. is offline
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Default MachIV

A while ago, I got hold of a 17 MachIV Cooper 21 varminter. Pretty nice condition but new guy to Cooper's. Came with form dies and reloading dies but no brass.

Formed some brass from 222 remington, but going to have to neck turn. I have read a time or two, that Cooper had a tighter chamber, neck was 201.5?.....

I need to assess a scratch left on the brass, a scratch along the boreline, from the shoulder about 1/4 inch down in length. Not sure if that is the chamber champher or perhaps the strong ejector pushing into something along the ejection routine.

The 17 MachIV is an old wildcat, was curious what folks' factory Cooper rifles were measuring in the neck area? Maybe in the old days was a no turn 221, but just guessing here. I passed up 1000+ 221 Remington brass earlier this year...............go figure huh? Have my 222 brass formed to MachIV now except the neck turn, so almost ready to go.

I suspect that I will pull the barrel to try to figure out the scratch thing, and can access the neck more easily on this rifle.

Just courious about other Cooper MachIV's(mine is a 21) in the neck area....

Last edited by rick w.; 05-20-2019 at 01:03 AM.
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  #2  
Old 05-20-2019, 01:35 AM
Bill K Bill K is offline
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Why not make a chamber cast and measure and go from there. Also it may show the mark you are talking about. easier than pulling the barrel. Bill K
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Old 05-20-2019, 06:34 AM
DittoHead DittoHead is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rick w. View Post
Just courious about other Cooper MachIV's(mine is a 21) in the neck area....
Call Cooper and ask about the neck diameter. Have the serial number handy.

When I wanted the neck diameter of my .20 VarTarg, Rob Behr still worked there and he measured the reamer for me. Even if the reamer for your barrel is long gone, they probably use the same reamer print for each one they order.
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Old 05-20-2019, 05:00 PM
rick w. rick w. is offline
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I guess the old Mach IV is almost forgotten in light of the newer Remington ots cases, but I still like it because of its history.

Casting a chamber is kinda like tapering a barrel on a manual lathe, I will do it, but not too great in wanna do's sorta speak.

I have not pulled the stock/barrel apart yet to see if marking is under the wood, but doubt it, it is a wildcat I reckon. Pulling the barrel is a flip of the wrist really once you get tooling and used to it.

I thought about using test gages from an old set I bought years ago, once the barrel was off to see the neck size in general. Even thought about a thin necked forming load and then measure, but still to find out I guess.

Just a query out of the blue, will get it figured out once the barrel is off this week. Most questions to vendors about dimensional information is proprietary info, never had any luck there.
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  #5  
Old 05-20-2019, 05:34 PM
jlauer jlauer is offline
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Default 17 mach iv

Interesting. I bought a cooper varmint years ago. The rifle was used and a real disappointment. About 2 in groups. Research said that the early barrels were made by wilson and cooper had some problems. Your post was interesting because I have the same marks on my fired brass. I took the rifle to a friend of mine who happens to do rifles for the FBI to have him re-chamber it. He showed me that the bolt didn't seat properly and the whole action was really poorly done. He saw no reason to re-chamber the rifle. Does your bolt seat soundly? I've got 5 other coopers and they shoot lights out. I'm not out to bash Cooper.
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Old 05-20-2019, 06:07 PM
Bill K Bill K is offline
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I thought Cooper was still using Wilson barrels. What did they change too ?
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Old 05-20-2019, 06:12 PM
Bayou City Boy Bayou City Boy is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill K View Post
I thought Cooper was still using Wilson barrels. What did they change too ?

You're not wrong , Bill. There have been a lot of great shooting Coopers with Wilson barrels...... yesterday, today, and in the future. A huge majority of Cooper rifles over the years going back to the early days have all had Wilson barrels, unless the customer special ordered something else.

Maybe a product of some faulty "research" versus real world experience.

-BCB
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Last edited by Bayou City Boy; 05-20-2019 at 06:22 PM.
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Old 05-20-2019, 07:20 PM
JSH JSH is offline
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I thought I heard Cooper bought Wilson?
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Old 05-20-2019, 07:28 PM
DittoHead DittoHead is offline
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Other way around. Wilson bought Cooper.
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  #10  
Old 05-20-2019, 07:39 PM
rick w. rick w. is offline
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I suspect that this is a Wilson barrel...........only suspect on my part. I had read that early Coopers had other vendors though fwiw; just hearsay. Wilson is a pretty good sized outfit, probably makes any kind of barrel that one would want.

The ejector seems pretty stout in the MachIV, pushing to the side pretty good before the case is free of perimeter; so could be the sharp edge of the chamber if not finished off or perhaps a bolt lug of the receiver?......unknown at this time; but is a dilly of a scratch.........would not have expected such in a $$$ rifle but guess things happen.

My action seems snug and tight on lockup etc, nothing there jumps out at me right now. When I take it apart in the coming weeks, I will get a better looksee.

Looks like a nice semi custom rig cosmetically, maybe get to shoot it sometime too........ Being average sized, the stock dimensions seem a little petite for me, but as in most things, you can get used to things if you wanna.
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