excel arms excellerator rifle .17HMR

[rons60]

Hello All!
First time posting, anywhere. I bought an Excel Arms Excellerator rifle, MR-17, and excitedly took it to the range, checked it out, read the instructions, chambered 10 and began the process of sighting the scope. Upon cycling the bolt I tore my finger open on the machined, unchamfered edges of the aluminum shroud, but I wasn't deterred.

The first round jammed, the second jammed, then it cycled 4 and jammed again. Of 30 rounds over half jammed, so I gave up and tore it down.

The bolt counter weight was broken off and loose in the stock causing the spent cartridges to lodge in the return spring. Excel uses a 1/4-28 grub screw with threadlocker, which had broken off at its weakest point. I replaced it with a substantial, solid stud and red loctited it in place.

When I cycled the bolt across its mating surfaces everything was sticky and rough so I rouged everything until it cycled smoothly.

I rouged all external surfaces of the aluminum shroud which left it looking unfinished with bare aluminum showing but was very necessary to protect the shooter from cuts.

I use dry grafite in all my semiautos and it worked well in this gun too. It now operates as I would expect a new gun to.

Does anyone else have the Excel rifles, and what are your experiences? I hate to give up on an American manufacturer (I suppose I should have sent it back to them but I would pay the freight, and I like to understand my guns better than anyone).

[LaOtto222]

Welcome to GBO I do not have an Excel rifle or any Excel products, so I have no experience with them. It sounds like you took care of any issues there may have been and have turned into a reliable rifle. Congratulations on that. I do have a 17 HMR, but it is a bolt gun. Of course it is reliable. it seems that there have been problems with semi-atuo 17 HMRs across the board. I did not do a lot of research on that subject, just some things I pick up here and there across the Internet. I may have gotten the wrong picture of this, but it seems there were problems with sticky chambers and ejection in particular with most guns. It sounds as if you have some experience with guns so do not be a stranger, you will probably have some insight or experience, that someone else does not.

[rons60]

I appreciate your feedback!
Excel Arms replied to my email asking that I return the gun, which at this point wouldn't make senseespecially considering the cost of freight from OH to CA.

I did cycle 500 rounds through it, and except that the grafite wore off and left the bolt dry it worked fine. I'm getting 4" groups at 100 yards, which is good enough for a varminter but I hope to do better. I'm changing over to the teflon based spray before this weekend and will try again.

I had thought that there were more .17's out there but it seems to be a limited market. I did notice that the ejecting cases are somewhat swollen (compared to a .22 LR) and I wonder if that could be the cause of all the jamming issues as the actions and ejectors are so similar.

Do you know of any .17 being sold in bulk? This ammo is fairly expensive (.23-.25/rnd) compared to .22 Mag at least around here.

[LaOtto222]

While not cheap, they are cheaper than $.24 each - $.20 each ($10/box). My Ruger 77/17 likes the 17 grain V-Max from CCI, Hornady and Federal. They all shoot the same, in my gun, so I buy the cheapest. All ammo has gone up. I also shoot 22 WMR and they have also went up. Some where in the $9 and up range. Those are Internet costs, locally they are up to $12+ depending on brand and bullets used. Some are up to $20/box for the 17 HMR and 22 WRM - OUCH!

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