Rifle January-February 2018

There is a photo in the 1955 issue of the Ideal Hand Book on page 25 that shows a .30-caliber jacketed bullet with the base expanded to what appears to be about .40 caliber. The bullet was fired from a .30-caliber barrel cut off in front of the receiver. The text next to the photo states: “It will be obvious to the reader that the gases were driving the base faster than the point after the bullet left the short barrel, causing the decided upsetting of the base.” ...Read More >

Unlike many traditional shooting sports companies, Nosler has remained a family-run operation for three generations, having gained its true notoriety first with Partition (1948) and then Ballistic Tip hunting bullets. It has continually expanded its product line over the years and its ammunition and brass offerings have been significant, as has the company’s evolving and growing stable of sporting rifles and proprietary cartridges. ...Read More >

The Henry Repeating Arms Company Big Boy lever-action rifle is offered in .357 Magnum, .44 Remington Magnum and .45 Colt, and is manufactured in the U.S. It has been in production since 2003 and has become popular with shooters, hunters and those who appreciate lever-action rifles. I have received many requests to review this rifle, along with technical questions, so decided to purchase one. ...Read More >

Several weeks ago, I returned from Prescott, Arizona, where I took a couple of my World War II-era full-autos. Specifically, they were an M2 .30 Carbine and an M1 .45 Thompson submachine gun. The purpose was to participate in Wolfe Publishing’s company shoot, held on Columbus Day every year. This was the third time I’ve attended with some of my full-autos, and they have always been a big hit. The reason is simple: Full-autos make for fun shooting. I have yet to see anyone without a big grin or a belly laugh after pulling the trigger on one for the first time. ...Read More >

Replacing parts is a familiar operation for anyone who enjoys old rifles. Firing pins and extractors are probably the most commonly encountered repairs. Many firing pins won’t stand much dry-firing before the tip breaks off or the pin becomes battered and deformed enough to no longer work freely in its recess, thus causing misfires. Extractor breakage is usually traced to handloads that are either too hot and stick in the chamber or have been improperly resized and stick tightly in the chamber before the bolt can close completely. Both situations lead to a broken extractor when attempting to extract the case/cartridge. ...Read More >

Trijicon’s AccuPoint 2.5-12x 42mm riflescope looks like it belongs on an elk-hunting rifle. The scope has an ample magnification range for close shots in the dark timber or far across a mountain park. Its 42mm objective lens is the right size for the scope to sit low on a rifle, yet it provides plenty of light for a bright view with the scope set on higher powers. ...Read More >

While most custom rifles today are built from existing actions, it is interresting to see how a one-of-a-kind rifle was created from a badly pitted, field-worn and distressed Winchester Model 1895 takedown. Considering this is one of only 837 rifles made, it was indeed worthy of a complete makeover by Sitek Arms. ...Read More >

The revamped Model 70 unveiled by Winchester in 1964 met with a mixed response. Some writers grudgingly conceded that it was mechanically superior to the pre-’64 rifles, and most agreed it was generally more accurate, but this was lost in the condemnation of its modern looks. ...Read More >

Fans of Mauser ’98 rifles now have a place to put that spare $10,000 that has been sitting in the bank doing nothing: The Mauser 1898 sporting rifle is back, manufactured by Mauser in Germany and featuring the iconic “Original Mauser” banner on the barrel. ...Read More >

Most humans react to being struck by a moving object, and a recoiling rifle is a moving object striking the shoulder. We often react by flinching while pulling the trigger, but with practice our brain can override the flinch/cringe reaction, especially if recoil merely startles us instead of causing pain. ...Read More >

Having used more than my share of shotguns in casual trap shooting, it’s easy to see that competitive shooters will do anything to get that winning clay busted. The right shotgun is paramount of course, but then competitors like to tinker with making a full or personalized stock for themselves. They will carve the comb down, dish out the stock to fit their face and even add an adjustable recoil pad as to fit them better no matter the weather or the clothes they are wearing. ...Read More >

In my early days of shooting rifles at extended ranges, it was quickly discovered that ballistics charts and handloading manuals from ammunition companies were often incorrect – enough so that making reliable, vital hits on game was very difficult. In essence, they listed a given cartridge and load zeroed at a specified distance, which would drop an estimated number of inches at 300, 400 and 500 yards, etc. However, actual testing proved said charts were often inaccurate. ...Read More >

The phrase “Modern Sporting Rifle” was coined in an attempt to improve the image of AR-type rifles among the general public. Savage Arms has tweaked the term to “Modern Savage Rifle” to introduce four models in its new line of autoloading rifles. The MSR 15 Recon and Patrol are derivatives of the AR-15 and are chambered for the .223/5.56 NATO, while the MSR 10 Long Range and Hunter are offshoots of the AR-10. ...Read More >

It was a crowded range and a fellow wandered over to look at what I was shooting. I handed him a shiny .270 Winchester round, and he nodded approvingly. Okay, that was out of the way; he was a .270 fan, but he held on to the cartridge while looking at it. I thought he was going to ask about the bullet and load, but instead he asked, “How do you keep your brass this immaculate?” He twirled the cartridge in his fingers. “It looks new – better than new.” ...Read More >