Rifle January-February 2025

The name “Old Reliable” is intriguing, as it originated with hunters that used Sharps rifles in the field but is most associated with the Model 1874 cartridge rifle. After all, they proved reliable mechanically and were tough as nails under frontier conditions. They provided reliable power for hunting big game, especially in .44, .45 and big .50 calibers. And they provided reliable long-range accuracy. Clearly, the name was perfect for such an outstanding rifle! But what is also interesting is that the (Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company, 1855-1874) or later the Sharps Rifle Company (1876-1881) Model 1874 was only produced for about 9 or 10 years from 1871 through 1880 or 1881. During those few short years, it earned legendary status among target shooters, military men, frontiersmen, and hunters and had a larger-than-life reputation. ...Read More >

“Here,” a lady friend said, waving at a stack of antique rifles leaning in a corner of her den. “Why don’t you take one of these home?” I refrained from shrieking delightedly like a five-year-old at his biggest-ever birthday party and instead feigned nonchalance and only mild interest as I plucked the topmost rifle from the teepee of guns. More expensive original 1873 Winchesters and such were visible further in the stack, but I couldn’t take such advantage of a widow. As a favor, for two years now, I’ve been disposing of her late husband’s Western and Civil War collection; she was offering a thank-you gift, and it would have been unkind not to accept. My pluck rendered a Marlin Ballard in decent, shootable condition. ...Read More >

Riflefolk who find the category of pre-World War II 22 rimfire rifles loosely termed boys’ rifles to be irresistible are constantly searching for another unique example. Of course, when one is found, the new owner wants to shoot it, at least a little. Therein lies a problem. ...Read More >

While still living in New Mexico’s Gila region, guiding Coues whitetail hunters in New Mexico, Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, I spent an inordinate amount of time behind tripod-mounted binoculars. High-end 15x56mm glass was standard issue. West German-made, rubber-armored Zeiss dominated, with a few aus Jena Doctor Optics scattered in there. Swarovski Optik arrived with their 15x56 SLC in 1999, making those early Zeiss (which had been used hard since the early ‘80s) look clunky by comparison. We equipped those powerful binos with screw-on tripod mounts and used them to dissect distant ridgelines and probe for bedded bucks. We carried them in our packs to deploy after reaching a commanding vantage while standard 10x40s hung around our necks. ...Read More >

For the last 60 years, Winchester Model 70 rifles manufactured before 1963 have been collectors’ items. The “pre-64,” as it is generally known, has been studied, written about, applauded, mourned, and used as the yardstick against which all new bolt-action rifles have been measured. ...Read More >

For a hunting rifle including a controlled-feed, fully blueprinted action milled from a single piece of 416 billet stainless steel, McMillan carbon fiber stock, hand-lapped, button pulled barrel, precision user-adjustable trigger, ½-MOA accuracy promise, and more, Montana Rifle Company’s Highline rifle’s $2,595 MSRP seems pretty reasonable. Not that nearly $2,600 is inconsequential, but in today’s precision rifle world, that constitutes a serious bargain. ...Read More >

Born in America in 1840, Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim became famous for developing a machine gun, described by him as so terrible and frightening it would surely prevent any country in the world from declaring war on another. His son, Hiram Percy Maxim, mechanical engineer and inventor, later silenced that gun and others like it. In 1899, Percy won the first-closed circuit race driving an automobile with a noisy internal combustion engine. He silenced it, too, and received a patent for his automotive muffling device. ...Read More >

Ruger has introduced a new compact, fast-handling carbine chambered in 10mm Auto that is very long overdue. The LC Carbine boasts robust, reliable mechanical engineering but also offers controls and ergonomics that are natural and easy to operate and comes standard with a 30-round magazine. In addition to accuracy, the 10mm offers greater power and range than other popular auto-loading pistol cartridges and is a capable deer cartridge. After the news release, Ruger and its distributors experienced a huge surge in orders, so it appears that the LC Carbine is already well received by shooters or anyone needing an auto-loading carbine chambered for a potent self-defense pistol cartridge. The LC Carbine is also offered in 5.7x28mm and 45 ACP cartridges. ...Read More >

Peter Paul and Wilhelm Mauser’s Infantry Rifle of 1871 was the Mauser brothers’ first big financial break. The rifle itself became the first bolt-action rifle to see wide-scale adoption, first by multiple German states and then by other countries. Sure, other bolt-action designs – many of them needle guns – preceded the Model 71, but none came close to matching Mauser’s success. ...Read More >

A vast field of soybeans, stretching away under the southern sun, may seem a strange image to attach to an ultra-accurate rifle, but 40 years ago, it was about the highest accolade one could bestow. ...Read More >