Rifles

Guns like the FN Model 1949, the Ljungman AG 42B, and the Tokarev M1940 (SVT) led to today's outstanding military rifles,

The United States was one of very few countries which, at the start of WWII, had its troops carrying general-issue semiautomatic rifles. Of course other countries developed and issued some famous weapons before the end of the war, but much of the development and refinement of semiautomatic rifles took place following WWII. Here we take a close look at three vintage rifles that boldly illustrate some early attempts by designers to develop a viable mil-spec self-loading rifle. We acquired an FN Model 1949, also known as the SAFN 49 or FN49 (our sample as issued to the Argentine Navy) in .308, a Ljungman AG 42B in 6.5 x 55, and a Tokarev M1940 (SVT) in 7.62 x 54R. Not all of them made the cut, so to speak, but some of their experimental features are still with us today.

The FN49 was not only a good mil-type rifle, but it was also a proving ground for some design features that were later incorporated into the world-famous FN FAL. The intricate, odd, and beautifully made Swedish Ljungman rated only brief mention in our copy of "Small Arms of the World," yet it was a pure delight, once we figured it out. And the Tokarev M1940 saw service, but turned out to have been too lightly built for general military applications.

All of these three test rifles were wood-stocked weapons with blued or black-painted metal, and all came with slings. They all had bayonet lugs. Stock finishes varied from near-new with a suspicion of refinishing (the Swede) to fairly battered with many small nicks and dents (the FN). All seemed serviceable which, in light of their not-inexpensive price tags, was appropriate. We acquired our FN from Southern Ohio Gun (SOG), 800-944-4867. We arranged to test the Swedish gun through an FFL dealer, who had bought the gun at a show. The Tokarev was also acquired at a gun show, and was on loan to the magazine from the owner.

Let's take a more detailed look at each of these historically important semiauto rifles.

and owning one can represent a historical value for the shooter.

The Tommy gun first carved a name for itself on the streets of Chicago during the grand bad days of the "Roaring Twenties," and later played an important part in several world conflicts. The term "Chicago Typewriter" is only one of many applied to what was, for some, an excellent fighting tool. First placed on the market in 1921, Gen. John T. Thompson's remarkable invention quickly found its way into lawless hands, most likely led — or at least inspired — by Chicago's bootleggers. Only later, when police forces realized their lack of comparable firepower, did law enforcement adopt the weapon.

One of the earliest marketers of the Tommy gun was the Auto Ordnance Corp., same name as the makers of two of our test guns. The first price noted was $200, quite a handful of change in the early 1920s. However, if you wanted a submachinegun at that time, there were exactly no other options worldwide until about 1928, according to Smith's "Small Arms of the World." The Tommy gun thrived.

The first editions of the Thompson were marvels of careful machining. These were the guns with the slotted bolt knob on top (so you could see the sights), the double pistol grip, the 50- or 100-round drum magazines, and with cooling fins cut around the rear portion of the barrel. The early Tommy guns also incorporated a friction-type mechanism (Blish theory) that was supposed to delay the blowback operation, though later tests indicated little actual delay took place, and the system was eventually dropped. The early guns also had the Cutts compensator, designed to help control muzzle climb in full-auto mode. These guns had hand-detachable butt stocks and an adjustable leaf-type rear sight. These came to be known as the Model 1928A1. Caliber was, of course, .45 ACP, but some were also produced in 9mm and 38 Auto.

The fine M14 lives, and is undoubtedly in action somewhere in the world as this is written. Some admirers of the M14 feel no mil-type rifle in any caliber has ever surpassed the .308 M14, but no matter what its many fans may claim, there's an even more ardent group that states there's a better rifle than the M14, namely the M21. As you may know, the M21 is the designation (from about 1972) that was eventually given to the M14 National Match (NM) rifle. The "official" M21 rifle was thus a fully accurized M14 with the addition of a 3-9X Leatherwood-modified Redfield or similar scope in a thumb-screw-attached side mount. In the 1980s the truck-strong Brookfield mount became available, and it is still considered to be the best scope mount for M14 rifles. It is all-steel, all the way up. Brookfield Precision Tool developed that mount for its XM25 rifle, which was the accurized M14 bedded into a McMillan stock, a configuration that is the forerunner of one of our rifles tested below, by Fulton Armory.

Accurized M14s designated as M21s are being produced today by Springfield Armory in Illinois, Armscorp in Baltimore, and by Fulton Armory, in Savage, Maryland. (There are undoubtedly other firms making them, and we'll look at them when we get a chance.) We obtained one of each, put them through our wringer, and present the results here.

Despite its being the most prolific rifle in history, Mikhail Kalashnikov's AK-47 is still being manufactured in a vast variety of offerings at locations all over the world. One of those locations is Houston, Texas, where the Arsenal USA Co. assembles AKs using parts from Hungary and some made in Houston. We got one of that company's rifles for a recent test, pitting the hybrid U.S./foreign product against an imported wire-stocked Romanian-made rifle from Southern Ohio Gun. To complete the group of 7.62mm Russian rifles, we got a VZ 2000 from Ohio Ordnance Works. The VZ-2000 can be mistaken for an AK-47 look-alike, but is actually a close semiauto copy of the Czech Model 58.

All of these semiautomatic rifles fired the .30 Russian Short, which the 7.62x39 is sometimes called. We've recently noticed bargain-priced surplus rifles in odd calibers, but two boxes of ammunition can cost as much as the rifle. Not so the .30 Russian Short. We found 7.62x39 ammo to be plentiful and generally not very expensive. If you want to have fun with your AK, it's nice to know the fodder won't break the bank.

The .22-250 cartridge, which got its name from wildcatting the .250-3000 Savage (introduced in 1915) to accept .22-caliber bullets, has been around a long time. Early experimenters like Gebby put the finishing touches on it back in about 1937. In 1965 Remington adopted the cartridge as a standard offering, and it has been successful ever since. Although some think the round is about ideal for serious varminting, especially at longer ranges and in the West, the Swift will sling 55-grain bullets about 200 fps faster. Yet not many manufacturers chamber the Swift compared with the vast numbers who chamber the .22-250 Remington.

A common trick among serious users of this cartridge is to "improve" it by blowing out the case to eliminate much of the taper. This simple alteration results in performance essentially equal to that of the Swift.

Although many makers offer rifles, we selected just two this time for a serious look. In upcoming issues we'll look at several others. The two test rifles were both outstanding "lookers," though with vastly different looks. The lines of the Sako Model 75 Varmint (about $1,200) were strictly classic. The Sako had a Monte-Carlo stock, dark and figured walnut, and a wide forend that all spoke "business." The laminated thumbhole stock on the Howa Model 1500 Thumbhole Varminter Supreme (MSRP $692) screamed "modern," though its metal work was pretty classic. Would they shoot? Let's find out.

The .243 Winchester is a versatile centerfire cartridge. When it's loaded light in rifles, it's a comfortable varminting round. With bigger bullets, it's plenty good for taking antelope and deer, and its modest recoil make it a favorite among people who don't like too much action at the butt end of the gun.

But we wondered how we would like the .243's manners when we fired it in handguns such as the break-action Thompson/Center Encore, $588; the falling block-style M.O.A., $919; and the $562 bolt-operated Savage Striker 516SAK, which also sports a two-round magazine and a muzzle brake.

Pedersoli's rifles are close matches to an original. But which $1000 rifle would we choose? Ultimately, it was a coin flip.

Need a handy, dependable rifle for self-defense? Want a lightweight gun that won't stretch your arms? In this test, you can pick either gun and come out with a winner.

Our ongoing evaluation of semiautomatic versions of famous machine guns continues with this comparison of two bipod-mounted guns, the stolid BAR and the beautiful German MG-34.

Pump-action .22 rifles have been with us for well over a century. Many millions of kids cut their shooting teeth with a pump rifle, a supply of tin cans, and Dad's careful tutoring. Shooting galleries throughout the U.S., and probably the world, used the Gallery model of the Winchester, so many people gained familiarity with the rifle even if they never owned one. Pump-rifle designs were generally simple and durable, and the Winchesters probably set the standard for other makers to follow.

The common talk among shooters was that you could load the .22 pump rifle in the morning and shoot it all day, or something like that. Whether or not the Winchester Model 62 was the first rifle that spawned that phrase (it was probably the Winchester Model 1890), the 62 would fill the bill with its full-length tubular magazine that accepted 20 Short, 16 Long, or 14 Long Rifle cartridges. Per the 10th Edition of Modern Gun Values, the Winchester Model 62 rifle was introduced in 1932 and discontinued in 1959. That tome gives an approximate value for the Model 62 Winchester in excellent condition at about $600, but that price has probably gone up since our 1996 edition was printed. We were lucky enough to obtain the loan of a Winchester 62A in excellent condition, which gave us an excellent basis for comparison with two new pump .22s we also acquired, a close copy of the Model 62 Winchester by Taurus, called the M62 Carbine ($279) with 16.5-inch barrel, and another by Henry Arms, called simply the Pump Action .22 ($300), with an extended forend and side ejection.

We put these to our functional and accuracy tests, beginning with the Winchester to see what a good, classic pump gun would feel like. First, we shot them offhand to get a feel for what they offered. Without spoiling the story, we liked what we found from this informal shooting. All three balanced well, and all three had acceptable triggers. We were shooting at a stump at 75 yards, so didn't try for accuracy until later, off the bench. But all fed and functioned well right off the bat. In fact, there were no failures to feed or function with .22 LR ammo in any of the three rifles throughout our shooting. Here are our formal findings.

Now is a great time to break out your .22 LR rifle and get in some practice for big game season, still a few months off in most places. What's that, you say? You don't have a good .22? Well, maybe we can help you choose one. In the past few days we checked out three magnificent .22 bolt-action rifles, and we're here to tell you what's good and what's not so good about them.

This go-around we grabbed one of the more costly .22 rimfire bolt rifles made today, the Cooper Custom Classic ($1,895). We also secured the less expensive but still somewhat pricey Anschutz Model 1710 D KL ($1,295), and followed that up with the lovely and inexpensive CZ ZOM 451($250). Because the first two are commonly mentioned as being marvelously accurate rifles, we thought it would be a good idea to find out just how accurate they were. Therefore, we tried the trio with two types of some of the finest match ammunition available. We also threw in some high-speed ammo. We mounted the best scopes we could fit, and shot the rifles from a solid machine rest, trying for one-hole groups. If a fine rifle can shoot match-grade .22 ammunition well, it will do okay with normal ammunition, though the groups will generally be larger. In other words, if you're spending nearly two grand for a .22 LR, we think you'll want to know just how small of a hole it's capable of, and that was our primary interest here. We could bore you with tales of near-inch groups with Stingers or Remington high-speed, but if you're like us, you'll want to know the real skinny on what these costly bangers can do with some of the best ammo, and how well a far-less-costly rifle would do against them.

The three rifles were all bolt actions, and all had fancy quarter-sawn walnut stocks. The overall weights were significantly different, yet all had fine balance. All three were attractive rifles with varying degrees of premium extras. During our tests, we got some pleasant surprises. Come along and see what we found.

Several months ago we reviewed some flintlock rifles on these pages. Many shooters use the flinters much like time machines, to experience hunting and shooting as it was for this country's earliest explorers and founders. But not every muzzle-loading fan wants to travel down the old road, so to speak, when there are modern alternatives. In this report we test four state-of-the-art in-line muzzle-loading rifles. Ignition is generally provided by a modern shotshell primer held in place by short-throw bolts, and fired by strikers within the bolts. There are no external hammers here. The in-line name comes from the position of the primer, located directly behind the powder charge and in line with the bore, instead of resting on a side-mounted chamber like on a traditional hammer-fired black-powder rifle.

We obtained four models. They were the Knight DISC Extreme DE706B ($704), Winchester X-150 Magnum ($345), CVA Firebolt 209 UltraMag ($300), and the Remington 700 MLS Magnum ($569). All were .50-caliber rifles with twist rates designed for sabot loading of elongated, sub-caliber bullets. In keeping with the most modern concepts of black-powder technology, we tested our batch of rifles with combinations of 50- and 30-grain Pyrodex pellets, rather than messing with loose powder and any sort of measure. We used the iron sights as provided by the makers, and shot at 100 yards from a bench rest. We observed no ignition delay in any of these shotshell primer-fired rifles. Felt recoil was similar in all guns. We judged recoil to be stout with the full 150-grain charge. It felt similar to that of a .30-06. It was much more comfortable with 130-grain pellet charges, which we thought gave less recoil than the average .308. Recoil with 100-grain charges was comparable to that of a .243.

The flash and sparks from the ignition of the primer were substantial from all the rifles except the Knight. Bystanders, especially those standing to the right of someone shooting one of these rifles, should wear shooting glasses and hearing protection. The sound levels of these smokepoles were comparable to that of centerfire rifles, but the sparks were a different story altogether. The Knight's DISC system contained the primer, and thus limited the flash and sparks to about a quarter of that experienced with the other rifles. Here are other findings on a rifle-by-rifle basis.