Within the AllTerra Arms factory (previously named Axial Precision) in Idaho, founder Andrew Foster works tirelessly. He’s soft-spoken. If there’s any bragging to be done, he lets his rifles do the talking. And with their patented technology, AllTerra Arms rifles have a lot to say.
Advertisement
We sat down with Andrew to learn what drives him, and to get a tour inside a bolt-action rifle that may have the most concentrically perfect design ever created.
Drew, start us off with thoughts on how you got started with Axial Precision, now AllTerra Arms.
“I grew up a big game hunter, and along the way I shot some nice bolt-action rifles. But they all sacrificed something. In order to have long-range accuracy, smooth cycling was a problem. In rifles with smooth actions, accuracy always dropped due to loose tolerances. I always wanted a rifle that would give me the best of both worlds. So I built it.” That easy? “No. It's been a long road. I used my experience in exact-tolerance automotive engineering and put it into a patented rifle design.”
And that led AllTerra Arms to the “best-of-bothworlds” rifle?
“Yes. We build rifles to .0005” tolerances using patented design technology to achieve Bolt-to- Bore Alignment and No-Fail Cycling. The result is a rifle that literally transforms from a fast-action field gun to a precision benchrest rifle the moment a live cartridge is locked down. Something I think every member of the Dallas Safari Club would appreciate.”
Tell us more about Bolt-to-Bore Alignment.
“The patented Dual-Lock Barrel Seat is a big part of it. It’s a superior alignment system with two seating rings on either side of the barrel threading. The rings “nest” into seating sleeves machined inside the receiver. When the barrel threads down, two solid contact points lock in the alignment.”
And No-Fail Cycling?
“It’s about having smooth, jam-free dependability, thanks to relaxed tolerances between the bolt and receiver where it cycles. Plus, our bolts have patented conical lugs and elliptical raceways — so the internal surfaces literally “selfclean” with each cycle.” Guaranteed? “Everything is, money back.”
Finally, tell us about your rifle’s name change.
“Axial Precision definitely conveyed a rifle built along a single axis. But the name didn’t capture the attitude our guns have for guaranteed longrange accuracy in any terrain. ALLTERRA embraces that spirit — where we just introduced two new models: the lightweight Mountain Shadow Steel, and the Obskura Nox which we developed in collaboration with Kryptek and Leupold Optics. Sweet rifle!”
