PGW LRT-3 in the Cadex Dual Strike Chassis

After several months of waiting, it finally arrived.  One of my dream guns.  The other is something I doubt I will ever have, but who knows, I said the same thing about this one just a few years ago.  PGWDTI (Prairie Gun Works Defence Technologies Incorporated) LRT-3 

PGW LRT-3 
MSRP: $8,500 
Dimensions and Weight:

·         Weight: 25.125lbs/11.42kg
·         Open Length: 52.5in/133.35cm
·         Closed Length: 43.5in/110.49cm
·         Open Width: 2.5in/6.3cm
·         Closed With: 5in/12.7cm
·         Min Length of Pull: 13.25in/33.65cm
·         Max Length of Pull: 14.5in/36.83cm
·         Barrel Twist: 1-15in
·         Barrel Material: Stainless Steel
·         Barrel Length Standard: 29in
·         Chamber Type: 50 BMG ACCURACY
·         Muzzle Brake: Unknown brand, possibly AAC? (1”-14UNF threading)
·         Action: PGW 
·         Bolt: PGW
·         Ideal Ammunition: 750 Grain AMAX
·         Effective Range: 1,800m
·         Magazine Capacity: 5 Rds
·         Cheekpiece Range of Adjustment: 1in/2.54cm
·         Trigger: Single stage Triggertech
·         Top rail: 45MOA

Accessories included: Two magazines ($375 each as per PGW price list 2014), one Pelican 1770 Long Case with custom cut foam (exact Value unknown, approximately $800-1,000), cleaning kit, cleaning rod, chamber guide, LRA bipod ($475 as per PGW price list 2014)
·        

http://www.pgwdti.com/lrt-3/

The rifle arrived in a box so massive that my family thought it was a new rifle cabinet, and heavy too.  It was like the Titanic showed up at my house.  Anyway, shipping was amazingly quick, Ross from PGW said he was shipping it out on Thursday and it arrived on Friday, talk about quick shipping.

I threw one of my regular Pelican 1750s on top and you can see the the 1770 Pelican Hardigg case just dwarfs the 1750.

The foam was all custom cut, and it felt like a higher density foam than the foam that came with my 1750s.  The rifle package came with the cleaning rod,cleaning kit, one extra magazine and the LRA bipod.  The scope was an added option that PGW mounted for me, but I've got a Spuhr mount that I purchased ahead of time, but did not install for this photo shoot.

There are a couple of slots that were empty.  As you can see, there is room for three more magazines, but at $300 a pop, I think I will wait a while before I feel those slots need filling.  There's also a very long channel meant for something fun that I'm not allowed to own.  The middle slot appears to be for the bolt.  Two more rectangular cut outs are possibly for a Kestral or ballistics calculator, maybe NV?

Much like my previous Cadex chassis, this one is adorned with Cadex markings and trademarks.  The rail on the LRT-3 is 40moa instead of 20moa like on my Remington 700.

The muzzle brake on the LRT-3 is enormous.  I think this is the newest brake from PGW.  Previous generations of LRT-3 came with a giant brick which I'm sure performed well.

So, looking at my rifle, it looks like mine came with the second generation Cadex chassis for .50bmg rifles.  I think Cadex developed a few more design changes to their own Cadex Tremor .50bmg rifle, but I'll have to double check.  I noticed that some LRT-3s have fluted barrels, others are stepped.  Mine is smooth all the way through and I'm not really sure what prompted the changes between various generations of the LRT-3.

The Schmidt is not included in the purchase of the rifle, an added cost to the total ticket price, though I believe that PGW supplies the CF with an S&B PMII 5-25x56mm P4F.  I got mine with the TreMoR2 reticle.  I have this on my Bushnell HDMR and I've gotten comfortable with it so figured may as well get something I'm used to.  

Running joke with Schmidts is it's a $4k piece of premium glass but it comes with Butler Creek lens caps, lol!  Personally, I've never had a problem with the Butler Creek lens caps, though the Tenebraex ones are very nice.  

The fluted bolt is just massive.  I was pretty sure it was thicker than some of the heavy barrels on some of my rifles.  

I was right, it was thicker than the barrel on my TRG-42 in 300wm.  

The folding mechanism is solid.  I've experienced this with my Cadex Dual Strike for my 700 and though I must have folded that thing a lot, it still feels like opening and closing the door of a BMW or Mercedes.  It opens and closes solidly, and there is absolutely no wiggle at all.  

The LRA bipod that the current LRT-3 comes with is definitely a step above the Atlas bipods.  I mean, there is nothing wrong with the Atlas bipods, and I still run one on my TRG-42, but this LRA unit just gives you the confidence that it will handle the weight of the heavy .50bmg barrel. Like the folding mechanism on the Cadex chassis, sold, and no wiggle.

As you can see the brake was designed to incorporate the use of a can....a really big can.  Perhaps if the rules chance, the folks administering firearms laws in Canada will come to realize that it is probably a good thing to muffle this thing for hearing safety.  We muffle automobiles, why don't we muffle firearms?

One of the main reasons I loved the Cadex Dual Strike was the fully adjustable butt stock.  You could adjust for comb, length of pull, adjust the height of the recoil pad, and you could fold the stock, all without tools.  It makes customizing your fit to the rifle that much easier, especially if you've gone out for the day and left your tools at home.

The magazines on this rifle are absolutely ginormous.  That's about $100 of ammo in those two magazines.  This thing is going to be expensive to shoot and I will probably shed a tear every time I squeeze the trigger.  

When I cracked the box home and my friends and I saw the QD sling points, we had a bit of a giggle because this rifle is so damn heavy, it's very, very doubtful it will be slung, haha!  The rifle would feel more at home firmly mounted on a turret, lol!

I had a Timney trigger on my 700, but I believe this unit is a Triggertech?  I'll have to double check as I have no idea.

I threw an AI .308 magazine on top of the Cadex .50bmg magazine.  Wow,

When I got my TRG42, I thought to myself that is a massive rifle.  It is now dwarfed compared to it's new safe-mate.  

I still can't get over the fact that I have one of these monsters.  I really have no business owning one as I don't have the skill or ability to use it to its full potential, but for some stupid reason, I felt that I needed to have it.  

I'll probably find time to shoot it next week. Don't expect much of a brilliant range report because I expect that it will take me a while to learn how to shoot this thing properly.

http://www.pgwdti.com/lrt-3/