dale action

[mitchellchandler_au]

Hi all,
I was wondering if the dale action has an adaptor like an omark or has the locking lugs in the action like a conventional action?
Thanks

[KHGS]

Dale receivers are built around an Omark bolt, some were built around Angel bolts. The receiver is one piece, the triggers are modified Omark triggers, Davies made aftermarket triggers for them. Unmodified Omark triggers do not fit.
Keith H.

[Denis S]

From my research as an Angel owner the bolts & parts therof are not interchangeable. Davies did make a trigger that could be fitted to the Angel, not sure if would fit a Dale. I haven’t been lucky enough to see a Dale to compare but from the bits & pieces of info I’ve read the Onark was the only one of the three with the adapter. Would be very interested to hear comments from others especially Bill Angel if he’s still around.

[KHGS]

From my research as an Angel owner the bolts & parts therof are not interchangeable. Davies did make a trigger that could be fitted to the Angel, not sure if would fit a Dale. I haven’t been lucky enough to see a Dale to compare but from the bits & pieces of info I’ve read the Onark was the only one of the three with the adapter. Would be very interested to hear comments from others especially Bill Angel if he’s still around.

Denis S, I suggest you reread my post, I clearly said SOME (read very few) Dale receivers were built around Angel bolts, the rest were built around Omark bolts, Dale never made bolts for there receivers and so never made complete actions. I never suggested that Angle & Omark bolts were interchangeable in Dale receivers.
Dale receivers will not accept other triggers than those made (read modified) for them ( I said that ). The Dale trigger was in fact a Dale modified Omark trigger, Dale did not make triggers for their receivers from the ground up. Dale only ever made bare receivers and provided modified Omark triggers to fit their receivers.
The Omark bolt, or in rare cases, an Angel bolt was provided by the customer for Dale to build a receiver around that bolt for them.
The Davies Dale trigger was made by Davies specifically for the Dale receiver. All clearly stated in my post above.
Omark actions were never made with an adaptor, adaptors for Omark actions are all aftermarket. There were two actions manufactured with adaptors, these were the Neilsen 300 and the MAB actions.
Keith H.

[Denis S]

Thanks again for the info Keith, perhaps you could also clarify an old Oz forum dated 13 September 2014 regarding a rifle ID believed to be a Dale & confirmed as such by Razer where Barry Davies states that if it is a Dale it is a version where the bolt was also manufactured (by Dale) which suggests that Dale did make bolts, also again on Oz forum dated October 16, 2016 regarding trigger adjustment on a Dale rifle there is reference to a Graham Mincham designed trigger manufactured by Bernie Dalton who was responsible for Dale action production, further Graham Mincham comments that it looked like Bernie had copied & modified one of his designs. I believe you also made comment on that forum regarding trigger adjustment. Having read the comments on both forums it appears that Dale did in fact manufacture some bolts & also made triggers. Very confusing !

Regards
Denis

[KHGS]

Thanks again for the info Keith, perhaps you could also clarify an old Oz forum dated 13 September 2014 regarding a rifle ID believed to be a Dale & confirmed as such by Razer where Barry Davies states that if it is a Dale it is a version where the bolt was also manufactured (by Dale) which suggests that Dale did make bolts, also again on Oz forum dated October 16, 2016 regarding trigger adjustment on a Dale rifle there is reference to a Graham Mincham designed trigger manufactured by Bernie Dalton who was responsible for Dale action production, further Graham Mincham comments that it looked like Bernie had copied & modified one of his designs. I believe you also made comment on that forum regarding trigger adjustment. Having read the comments on both forums it appears that Dale did in fact manufacture some bolts & also made triggers. Very confusing !

Regards
Denis

I think the fact that the Dale action was a "custom" action and was built around customer supplied bolts probably tells us a lot, there may well have been "one offs" made. I am not aware of Mr Dalton having made bolts at all and I don't believe he did.....but, who actually knows, I do think though that on the evidence to hand the jury is still out on that. The picture of the trigger looks like a a NZ made trigger, I can't think of the makers name. Some of the very early made Barnard actions featured some of his triggers. he also custom made triggers to fit various actions as one offs (there is that term again). The world of custom made firearm stuff can and often is.......confusing!!!! The dozens of Dales that I have worked on over the years featured Omark bolts along with a smattering of Angle bolts. On reflection I think I did work on one with a Neilsen 600 bolt (not sure about that though). I have only seen Modified Omark and Davies triggers on the Dales I worked on.
Keith H.

[Denis S]

Thanks mate, I agree with what you say. Would love to hear from anyone who can provide further details on Angel or Dale rifles.

Cheers
Denis

[mitchellchandler_au]

Thanks for the replys guys

[DaveX]

I just acquired a Dale from my good mate Cliffy Arthur who is going onto his 102nd birthday. Great guy who also shot a possible when he was 100.
Anyway just waiting for the lockdown to cease so I can shoot it but very impressed with the workmanship of the action. A very solid and somewhat relative short action with awesome bluing.
It's in 223 and on an Omark bolt and what appears to me as a very early Davies trigger.
Cheers
Dave

[tonic4u]

I knew Bernie Dalton as a club member and armourer; he made several actions for me over the years. Much of what Keith says is correct, although Bernie did make bolts for customers if required; I still have several, have had others and seen even more. However, the majority of his actions used a donor Omark bolt. The KT 2000 variant made to Graham Mincham's design also had a bespoke bolt and trigger (had one of these too). See attached image. If more info required, just ask.

[tonic4u]

Just a few more details. Bernie also made a Dale Match variant which had a massive stepped recoil block and 5-bedding screws (4 on the block and another on the tang). These Match actions are scarce and often had a bespoke bolt made by Bernie for the action, and also a Dalton made trigger...totally custom! And yes, I have exactly this rifle if further images are required by interested persons.

[Denis S]

Mate, that bolt is a work of art, amazing! Tonic is that action a dual port can be used left or right hand ?

[Denis S]

Apologies bad choice of words, can it be fed from left side ?

[tonic4u]

Have two of these Match actions; both right port/right bolt. Both very functional and accurate rifles. Believe Paul Salamon won a VIC Queens with a similar action back in the day; '90's?
Bernie Dalton was quite an innovator and built some very good stuff for a reasonable price, less than $200 I believe?

[tonic4u]

Bernie Dalton also occasionally made a bespoke one-piece bolt; as seen here in .223R.
So yes, more versatile than has been suggested.