Zep,
Let's keep looking, some gunsmith out there must work on them. My gunsmith is good, but he is so busy and complains so much with the rifles I bring him, I've decided I need several gunsmith's... I want someone who is really interested and has taken the time to understand my Browning A-bolt's.
I like my A-bolt's but if there is no gunsmith that can customize them, I'm going to have to stick with custom actions, mauser actions and savages. I'm not a true Remington fan, PERIOD. If a Remington 700 clone is made by a Custom action maker, typically just the (footprint) is used, then you get the 700 done right the first time around. After market parts are plentiful on Rem 700 footprints. But no remington 700 is worth the price of a Custom Stiller Predator done from scratch. It's actually cheaper and better to just buy a Stiller Predator.
But I like my A-bolt's for their out of the box accuracy and strength and short bolt throw.
Find us a Browning gunsmith, or if I can't, I won't continue buying them! They do need trigger work and rebarreling occaisionally.
My theory is: if you get a gun you like, the action is good and then it's just the barrel and trigger, after that, the action must be good, so keep it and breath new life into it with barrel swaps.
My,
2cents
BUT, I will listen to others opinions, so hopefully someone will chime in here.