Episode 3 - Inside the XPR: Built on a solid foundation.
Episode 3 - Inside the XPR: Built on a solid foundation.
Like the foundation of a building, the receiver on a rifle is the framework that holds everything together. The more robust and rigid the foundation, the stronger and more accurate the whole structure can be. On the XPR from Winchester Repeating Arms, the receiver is a very impressive piece of engineering. Here’s why…
The XPR’s receiver begins life as a fair-sized piece of chromoly steel barstock that’s precision machined to accommodate the rifle’s bolt, trigger group and associated parts.
After machining it’s through hardened during the heat-treatment process to create a strong, stiff and solid receiver capable of delivering pinpoint accuracy for the life of the rifle. The XPR’s ejection port is generously sized for more reliable ejection and to allow easier access when loading single cartridges by hand, such as when you’re shooting at the bench. (If you are a target shooter or an avid reloader you’ll really appreciate this feature.)
You can’t hit what you can’t see, and that’s why the top of the XPR’s receiver is drilled and tapped for four robust 8-40 screws to create a more secure mounting for today’s larger, heavier, high-magnification scopes. Once you’ve properly mounted your scope bases and rings, they won’t shift under normal handling and transportation. (That’s a big boost to your confidence when your rifle is going into and out of your ATV’s gun boot or truck’s gun rack several times a day during a hunt.)
On the bottom of the XPR you’ll find two Allen head action screws that allow the receiver to be precisely torqued into the bedding interface of the advanced polymer stock for maximum accuracy. By keeping the action screws properly torqued you’ll minimize an important variable that can adversely affect accuracy, especially when the temperature fluctuates widely.
Now you know why the receiver on an XPR from Winchester Repeating Arms is one precision piece of ballistic hardware - because Winchester Knows Bolts!
In our next installment, we’ll check out the XPR’s advanced polymer stock and see how it contributes to the rifle’s outstanding performance.
Read the entire 5-part series plus the introduction: "Winchester Knows Bolt Actions."
Read the entire 5-part series plus the introduction: "Winchester Knows Bolt Actions."
Copyright Winchester Repeating Arms, 2017. Written by WRA staff writer Scott Engen. Photos copyright by Winchester Repeating Arms, or Olin company archives, in the public domain or as indicated in the caption.