A new XYZ RMX 3500 bed mill with ProtoTRAK RX Touchscreen control is proving a sure-fire
hit at one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of custom rifles. Precision Rifle Services,
located on the 22,000-hectare Glenlivet Estate in Scotland’s whisky country, is using the
RMX 3500 to facilitate its transition to CNC milling. By moving away from manual mills, the
company is already seeing a significant reduction in machining hours for key operations such
as the in-letting of composite rifle stocks.
Formed in 1990, Precision Rifles is a small, four-employee business dedicated to producing
the world’s most precise custom rifles – providing customers with an accuracy guarantee.
The company’s workshop is located deep in the Scottish Highlands. Although an unlikely
place to find an XYZ CNC milling machine, like much of the surrounding countryside, it is a
sight to behold.
“Business is currently as strong as it’s even been, which is part of the reason for investing in
a CNC bed mill,” explains company owner and managing director Callum Ferguson. “There’s
a limit to how many workshop hours we can exploit with our existing manual milling
machines. Investing in a CNC mill will help us move through our workload much faster.”
Precision Rifles has known of XYZ Machine Tools for many years, largely from its prominent
industry presence and exhibition appearances. After initial discussions, the company visited
XYZ’s showroom in Livingston to see demonstrations of an RMX 3500 bed mill with
ProtoTRAK RX Touchscreen control.
“It’s great having a showroom here in Scotland,” says Ferguson. “We wanted to make sure
we were making the right decision. Investing in a CNC machine tool is a big commitment for
a small business like ours.”
The primary role for the XYZ RMX 3500, which arrived in August 2024, is the inletting of rifle
stocks. A rifle stock supports the barrel and action while simultaneously helping the shooter
control the firearm. The machine’s 750 x 480 x 510 mm of travel in the X, Y and Z axis (over
its 1,370 x 355 mm table) make it the ideal size for this challenging task, ably supported by a
5,000 rpm, 3.75 kW programmable spindle.
Precision Rifles imports its composite stocks from the US, where they are manufactured
from layers of fibreglass cloth, impregnated with epoxy resin and moulded together at high
pressure. Machining these synthetic materials is problematic because of subtle differences
in the geometric tolerances of each moulding. Precision Rifles has to calculate the optimal
position for the action in relation to individual stocks.

“We use Fusion 360 software to create a drawing for each stock and then export the DXF file
to the ProtoTRAK control,” explains Simon Nicoll, who is responsible for operating the new
XYZ machine at Precision Rifles. “In-letting stocks is high-tolerance work, with precise draft
angles and radii to ensure a perfect fit of the action metalwork with supporting contact all
round.”
Each stock costs hundreds of pounds before Precision Rifles even starts machining. Accuracy
is therefore paramount, as scrap can prove extremely expensive.
“One of the machine’s many benefits is its flexibility,” says Nicoll. “We take advantage of the
conversational programming capabilities of ProtoTRAK to make as many parts as possible in-
house.”
A good example is the custom base for each rifle’s sight/scope. Machined on the RMX 3500
from aluminium, bases feature a custom radius and, depending on the rifle’s intended use,
an incline that makes it slightly lower at the front than the rear.
“We can machine these manually but it’s an all-day operation that proves expensive for the
customer,” explains Nicoll. “However, with our RMX 3500 we machine the bottom side in
just 8 minutes, turn it over and complete the top side in 24 minutes. It’s quite incredible
what we can achieve conversationally at the ProtoTRAK control.”
Precision Rifles takes particular advantage of the control’s TRAKing feature. Certain
toolpaths feature very small clearances of 0.25 mm, which are quite easy to misjudge.
“TRAKing means we can physically move through the program with the handwheel for
complete peace of mind,” says Nicoll. “It reduces the chances of wrecking an expensive
workpiece. We’re so impressed with the precision of the machine. We get gauge-level
accuracy almost without trying.”
Precision has always been a topic of interest to Ferguson. Before founding Precision Rifles
he worked for a rifle barrel maker, learning how to manufacture and fit match-grade
barrels. Ferguson soon had a yearning to set up a business building custom rifles with
‘bench-rest’ accuracy.
“Like many things in life, a rifle is only as good as the components, tools and expertise used
in its creation,” he says. “Component quality depends on utilising modern methods of
production, which is why we’ve taken a huge step forward with our machining capability.
We’re extremely pleased with our RMX 3500 milling machine, and it will only get better as
we create more programs and gain familiarity with different CNC operations. We’re already
able to create types of radii and pockets that are extremely challenging on a manual mill
without consuming an inordinate amount of time. The XYZ CNC bed mill is proving to be an
enormously helpful asset.”
More information www.xyzmachinetools.com