Rifle November/December 2017

All the talk regarding the 6.5 Creedmoor in the gun press and on the Internet recently reminds me of my lifelong quest for the ideal western hunting rifle. ...Read More >

Ruger quietly announced the temporary discontinuation of its rotary-magazine, bolt-action rifle line in September 2016 to include all 77/22, 77/44, 77/17 and 77/357 variants. This unique series dates back to the 1984 introduction of the 77/22R and RS .22 rimfires, the first bolt actions to incorporate the use of the Ruger 10/22 magazine. Beyond appropriately designed bolts and magazines, these rifles closely represent scaled-down versions of the original M77 centerfire rifle from the late 1960s. ...Read More >

The .30 U.S., .30 Army, or better known today as .30-40 Krag, was officially adopted by the U.S. military in 1892 and was the first U.S. military cartridge to contain smokeless powder. It replaced the .45-70 Government load and at that time was considered a “small bore.” Original loads contained 40 grains of nitrocellulose powder to propel a 220-grain bullet at 2,000 feet per second (fps), but that was increased to 2,200 fps by 1899. The Krag-Jorgensen rifle that housed it, formally adopted as the M1892 Springfield, was rather unique in design as it only had a single locking lug that limited strength, but it was noted for smooth operation. The magazine was integral to the receiver and had a small, hinged door on the right side of the receiver for loading cartridges, which could be accomplished with the bolt closed. It had limited commercial appeal. ...Read More >

Anyone interested in shooting and/or collecting historical firearms should be aware of the benefits of factory letters of authentication. As an example, about 15 years ago I found an original Sharps .45-70 Model 1874 on an Internet firearms auction site. After a brief bidding war, I won the auction. When the rifle arrived it was in fair to good condition and worth the sum paid for it. Upon requesting a factory letter, I discovered it had been shipped to Dodge City, Kansas, the most desirable destination for most avid Sharps collectors. That piece of paper tripled the value of my new acquisition. ...Read More >

A couple of columns back, I wrote about rebarreling an M91 Argentine Mauser to .45 ACP. Little was said, however, about the original military stock, except that someone had attempted to “sporterize” it at one time. It was also not mentioned that a lot of sanding had been done on the comb, making it too low for use with a Bushnell TRS-25 red dot sight or even iron sights. ...Read More >

Aiming with iron sights connects the shooter to a rifle in the moments prior to taking a shot. All sorts of iron sight options are available, from front sights consisting of a plain blade, post, bead or circle, to rear sights as basic as a notched leaf or a refined aperture. ...Read More >

The Ruger American Rimfire rifle has been in the Ruger stable for several years, but the wood stock version is fairly new. Profiled from hardwood, it has a stain finish, unique checkering pattern and a rubber recoil pad. There is a slight palm swell for both right- and left-hand shooters, but the stock is otherwise classic in design. ...Read More >

Canadian snipers have regained the crown for the longest confirmed shot in military history: 3,871 yards (3,540 meters) against an Islamic insurgent in Iraq. The phenomenal shot occurred around early June during a Daesh (Islamic State) attack on Iraqi security forces. ...Read More >

Nosler introduced its Model 48 bolt-action rifle in 2006. Since then, the line has grown to contain five variations of the rifle, including this year’s Long-Range to cash in on the current trend of long-range shooting. Over the course of a few weeks I shot a Long-Range .30 Nosler to see if the rifle lived up to its minute-of-angle (MOA) guarantee, and to see how well it shot from field positions. ...Read More >

Contrary to what many twenty-first century hunters assume, lightweight hunting rifles have been around a long time, from nifty little flintlocks to the carbine models of the Winchester Model 1894 and Mannlicher-Schöenauer Model 1903 introduced more than a century ago. Both carbines weighed about 6 pounds, but many hunters thought the .30-30 Winchester and 6.5x54 Mannlicher- Schöenauer weren’t adequate for big game. ...Read More >

The Mauser Model 1898 is often referred to as the forebearer of modern two-lug, turn-bolt rifles, as most have incorporated select design features. At the very least, the ’98 is the rifle against which all others are compared. Originally patented by Paul Mauser in 1895 and adopted by German armed forces April 5, 1898, it has proven reliable in battle. Its nearly unbreakable design has helped it become hugely popular among sportsman, big-game hunters, guides and professional hunters. It has been manufactured in countless countries, resulting in variances in quality, materials, etc.; however, quality versions command premiums and remain in high demand, such as Browning’s FN High-Power rifle. ...Read More >

According to the company’s own advertisements, Winchester’s Model 1873 was the “Gun that Won the West.” (It did not, but that’s another story.) It was produced for almost a half-century to the tune of almost three-quarters of a million rifles. According to The Winchester Book by the late George Madis, actual manufacture of Model 1873s stopped in 1919 at serial number 720,610 with the last ones assembled and sold in 1924. Interestingly, Madis indicated that only 18 were sold that first year of production. ...Read More >