Rifles

Shortly before the Christmas holiday, members of our staff were contemplating a return to North Dakota for a prairie dog hunt. One of our concerns, however, was the cost of ammunition. The last time we traveled to the Bismarck-Mandan area, (discoverbismarckmandan.com), game was so plentiful we expended a huge amount of ammunition. Our .204 Ruger bolt-action rifles proved to be an excellent choice, but if we were going to make the trip again, we had to find a way to cut costs. We considered a change to rimfire rifles. Our first impulse was to load up on 17 HMR ammunition. But after checking prices and availability, we decided on a more traditional round that was cheaper and easier to find, 22 Winchester Magnum Rifle, or 22 WMR. Its been a long time since we tested varmint rifles chambered for 22 WMR, so we rounded up a representative trio. The three rifles we chose were the $729 Browning T-Bolt Target/Varmint No. 025176204, the $527 CZ 452 Varmint No. 02041, and the $812 Ruger K77/22-VMBZ Target Grey Magnum Varmint Rifle. Each rifle offered at least one substantive feature that distinguished it from the others. Our tests would determine if one gun was superior to the others or simply more suitable for one individual or another. Our ammunition costs ran from $8.99 per 50-round box of Winchester 40-grain JHP from Walmart to $11.95 per 50 rounds of 50-grain Federal Game-Shok hollowpoints purchased at our test site, American Shooting Centers in Houston. The Winchester rounds were tipped with exposed lead, and we think they probably should be listed as semi-jacketed hollow points. We also shot some $9.99 CCI 40-grain Maxi-Mag JHP rounds that we found at Academy Sports and Outdoors. We could have purchased more exotic rounds, but we decided to stay within a price range that was more typical of readily available 22 WMR ammunition.

Muzzleloading has enjoyed unprecedented growth over the last 20 years-unprecedented not just compared to its own prior popularity, but also compared to shooting sports in general. As of today, we have an estimated 3.5 to 4.5 million muzzleloading enthusiasts in the United States. Along the way, we have had offering of both good and bad equipment-some additions that have made the sport safer, more enjoyable, practical, and effective, and more than a few attempts that have not. The current story has its roots back in 1985, when railroad man William Anthony 'Tony' Knight named his first muzzleloading rifle the 'MK-85' after his daughter Michelle, and sought to modernize the sport. It took more than a few years, not taking firm root until the mid-1990s, but the pull-cock or 'Enfield type' action Mr. Knight employed proved reliable, and the Knight legacy began. Gary 'Doc' White, M.D., took a close look at the older Sir James Whitworth rifle and made his own Enfield-style rifles revered by many to this day such as his 'Super 91.' It is a good thing to see what you are shooting at, a very good thing indeed, and his modern treatments of ancient inline designs were more easily scoped, making the rifles both safer for everyone and more humane to use for those with less than perfect vision, meaning just about everyone. Thompson/Center, entering the firearms business with the production of Warren Centers Contender, finally decided that its sidelocks were no longer competitive with the Knight and White products, and released its copy of the Knight/White style of rifle as the T/C Black Diamond. From the mid-1990s until 2002, things stayed very much the same. In 2000-2002, though, there were big changes. Master riflesmith Henry Balls patents found life in the superb Savage 10ML and 10ML-II rifles, a Thompson office-bet fling at producing muzzleloading barrels for the T/C Encore found surprising success, serving as impetus for the break-action craze, and in 2002 Thompson-Center surprised the muzzleloading world with its Omega, one of the most successful (and copied) muzzleloaders of the day.

The AR-15 platform is booming not only in total unit sales but also in aftermarket accessories such as buttstocks, hand guards, sights, you name it. Perhaps even more significant is the availability of ARs chambered for calibers other than .223 Remington-the greatest indication that shooters like something is that theyre willing to tinker with it.In this test we will evaluate three such carbines with 16-inch barrels chambered for 6.8mm SPC ammunition. All three of these models were flat-top designs featuring a Picatinny rail atop the receiver. They were the $1114 DPMS AP4 Panther Carbine that came with a $124 JP Enterprises trigger upgrade; the $925 RRA LAR-6.8 Mid-Length A4 from Rock River Arms, and a left hand (left-side ejection) 5L from Stag Arms. The base price of a Stag Arms 5L was $1095, but our Stag was customized with several options that added nearly $1000 to the retail list price.Would these features give the Stag an unfair advantage when compared to the Rock River and DPMS products? We think the answer is no, and here is why. Given the modular design of the basic platform, every feature found on the customized Stag 5L could also be applied to our other test samples as well as any other AR, carbine or rifle. Therefore, we felt that we would be able to isolate the benefit of a given modification and render judgment on the basic weapon. For example, if the compensator on the Stag were to help us get better hits, we still might prefer one of the other carbines but recommend the application of said compensator.The 6.8 SPC presents a bullet that is about 0.27 inches in diameter typically weighing 110 to 115 grains. The difference in overall cartridge size between 6.8 SPC and .223 Remington ammunition does not appear to be major. But 6.8 SPC magazines of the same length as 30-round .223 magazines hold five rounds fewer. Our test ammunition was Remingtons 115-grain Express Rifle OTM and two rounds from Hornady Manufacturing. They were the 110-grain V-Max Varmint Express and 115-grain BTHP/WC Custom loads.Our first encounter with a 6.8 SPC carbine was reported in the November 2008 issue of Gun Tests. This was Rugers handy Mini 14. Now we had a chance to see if this caliber was better suited to the AR-15. We began our tests by mounting a Nikon Monarch 2-8X32mm BDC scope No. 8438. This was a 1-inch-tube scope with four circles below the crosshairs for instant holdover. We liked the Monarchs range of power and its clear field of vision. We could have chosen this same model with the Nikoplex reticle instead of the BDC circles for $10 less, (catalog number 8437), but we were curious to see if the reticle really worked. We mounted the scope utilizing a Yankee Hill Machine scope riser and a pair of B-Square Tactical Tri-rings ($74 from brownells.com). We think the addition of Nikon target turrets enhanced function as well as visual appeal. For collecting accuracy data from the 100-yard line we traveled west from downtown Houston to American Shooting Centers located in George Bush Park (amshootcenters.com). Our first step was to zero each carbine at the 50-yard bench. We blended in a break-in regimen of cleaning the barrel every five shots for the first 25 rounds. A fouling shot was fired after each cleaning. Then we moved to the 100-yard line to readjust our point of impact and record the width of five-shot groups, measuring the holes widest apart from center to center. We also planned a 200-yard firing session utilizing the first holdover circle and a rapid-fire test. Here is what we learned.

To the basic rifle price ($2,500) must be added the prices for the gorgeous McMillan M3A stock ($600), the ARMS steel scope mount ($150), extended rail ($100), bipod ($70), swivel package ($100), and a leather sling ($50). There was also a Krieger barrel ($200). The total package, less scope but with mount and rings, came to $3,770. With the Leupold scope, the tag would be about $4,620 as tested. We got our prices out of the maker’s catalog and may have missed a few things, so it’s best to contact Fulton for an exact quote on your needs. We had the loan of some scopes with state-of-art add-ons set up specifically for the M14 that bear close scrutiny.Fulton’s Peerless rifle was easily the most impressive-looking of this test trio. When we pulled it out of its box, we were struck by its purposeful beauty. Everything about the rifle was flat black except for the exposed Krieger stainless barrel, which was in the white, with a decent but not glaring polish. The McMillan M3A stock felt just great. Its pistol grip was acutely angled to give near-perfect trigger control.

Smith & Wesson is initiating a recall of all of its I-Bolt rifles. The company has discovered that a flaw may exist in the bolt supplied with a few of these rifles,' said Leland Nichols, senior vice president of sales & marketing for Smith & Wesson.

This roller-locked HK variant was Vector’s V-53, chambered for the .223 cartridge. This well-made rifle had a composite trigger-assembly housing, incorporating the pistol grip as well as holding all the parts normally contained in a sheet-metal housing.Takedown was much the same as for the .308 version, except the V-53 had only one pin holding the all-composite buttstock to the receiver. The recoil spring was not captive within the butt cover, as it was on the JLD rifle.

Our initial evaluation showed us a very well made rifle with a lot of aura and some mystery to its makeup. The rifle came with two barrels, the mounted one of 20.25 inch length for the Expeditionary Rifle, and one of 16.2-inch length that let us convert this rifle into the Recon Carbine.There was no magazine, and the operator’s manual even stated that it didn’t come with a magazine. But any AR-15/M16 mag would do, the manual told us, so we used the Bushmaster’s 10-shot one. It worked perfectly throughout our testing.

This gun has a street price around $750, and for that money the owner gets a tricked-out gun with a copy of the AK-74 muzzle brake and detachable top handle with fully adjustable aperture sight within the handle. This good-looking and well finished little rifle had a fluted, chrome-lined barrel. The barrel was 16 inches long with its permanently attached brake, and had a 1:9 inch twist rate. The actual barrel, without the brake, was 14.5 inches long. The mil-spec receiver had protective rails around the magazine release, and also had a forward-assist button. There was a deflection block to keep empties off the face of lefties.

Bolt-action 22 rifles are among the most basic and useful of all firearms. They are fine trainers and excellent tools for a variety of uses limited only by the imagination of the owner. Weve seen em used for just about anything, and about the only constant is that decent 22 bolt rifles generally have long and useful lives. In this comparison we look at two older 22s by Winchester and Marlin, and a new Marlin as well.The rifles are an early Marlin Model 80-DL, $200, a Winchester Model 69A, $400, and a new Marlin Model 980S, $298. The two early rifles take Shorts and Longs as well as Long Rifles. The new one takes only 22LR. They all had iron sights and detachable magazines. They were grooved for "tip-off" mounts. The two early rifles had walnut stocks and blued barrels.The new Marlin had a black synthetic stock and stainless barrel and action. All the rifles were adult size, with good weight and reasonable dimensions. We tested them with CCI Velocitor HP, Federal Classic round-nose, Eley Match EPS, and Remington Yellow Jacket HPs.Bear in mind the Winchester Model 69A and Marlin 80-DL are not modern rifles. If you choose to buy one, be sure you get it all, and that it functions when you buy it. Spare parts are going to be hard to find. Gunsmiths might refuse to work on them. If you need a simple rifle youll find many modern ones cheaper, easier to find, and far less risky over the long haul. We dont condemn the older rifles, but the buyer must be aware there are plenty of choices in 22 bolt rifles today. But if you happen to come across one of the old blued-steel and walnut 22 bolt rifles, they might please you as no modern rifle can. Heres what we found.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:SWHC) has recently filled orders for its Military & Police (M&P) tactical rifles.

MOLINE, Ill. — The Rock Island Auction Company has announced the firearms and estate of Wilbur Henry Hoffeld will be auctioned on December 6, 7, and 8, 2008 here. Proceeds from a portion of this auction will benefit the NRA Foundation. The auction will include more than 1,000 Colts, 8 Patersons, 2 Walkers, more than 350 Colt Percussions, more than 80 Colt Brevetes, more than 100 Colt First Generation Single Actions, dozens of 1877s and 78s, more than 300 Winchesters, 5 Henry Rifles, Civil War items, and more.

PIERRE, S.D. — Have gun, will travel -- even if the economy's shot.