Volquartsen Update for 2019
After a couple of disappointing seasons with the Volquartsen IF5 in .17 WSM caliber, I sold it. After 4 or 5 hundred rounds fired, I just could not get used to the Big Bang when the heavy tungsten bolt impacted the steel pin inside the action right next to my ear! When I bought the rifle, I was really looking for an auto-loading .17 HMR that would be better quality than the dreadful Savage A17. I had an A17 in 2017, but sold it after having nothing but problems with the magazines and feeding. But, I digress. While looking at the Volquartsen in .17 HMR, I noticed that the gun was also available in .17 WSM and purchased one from Davidson's. It was not the same gun. It was the same design, based on the Ruger 10/22, but wider, heavier, and more much more powerful with the new Winchester .17 WSM, which was a .27 nail gun cartridge long made by Winchester, that now was necked down to accept a .17 bullet. What could be better?
Initially, I had trouble with the gun in 2 ways. The advertised trigger pull was not even close to the trigger pull on my gun. The magazines were also a problem. They appear to be manufactured by Volquartsen, and I immediately had trouble with feeding. After a few shooting sessions, I decided to send the rifle back to Volquartsen and see what they could do about the problems. When I got the rifle back, the trigger pull was much better and real close to that which was advertised. One of the two magazines came back better and fed as expected, but the other still failed every time. I finished out the 2018 season using only one of my $80+ magazines in what was probably the most expensive rifle that I had ever bought.
I make a decision to park the WSM and bought a new Volquartsen Deluxe in .17 HMR, like I should have done in the beginning! The HMR version uses tried and true Ruger 22 WMR rotary magazines. I have used Ruger magazines all my life and they NEVER fail to feed. I fitted the rifle with a 6-18 Nikon scope. I have run a couple of mags of ammo through it to verify that it runs, but have not shot anything with it yet. I am hopeful.
As for the WSM, an opportunity came by to sell the rifle. I explained every problem that I had with the rifle. I also told the buyer that as I had purchased the rifle from Davidson's there was a life time warranty on the gun if anything else ever went wrong. I lost a bit of money on that gun, but learned a good lesson. .17 HMR is about all the horsepower you want to put through a blow-back type auto-loading action. The bolt just becomes too heavy with the .17 WSM and you have to absorb all that energy somewhere. In the case of the Volquartsen .17 WSM, it absorbes all that energy in the steel cross pin behind the bolt right next to your ear.