Feature
new guns, optics and ammo for 2009
The best in firearms, optics and ammunition are here, and you can see them all under one roof at this year’s NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, May 15-17 in Phoenix, Ariz. BY NRA PUBLICATIONS STAFF
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merica’s shooting industry has released an incredible array of new firearms, optics and ammunition in recent months, and our staff has scoured the field to find the most interesting. Each one is designed to enhance your chosen shooting sports activity, making it safer, more efficient and more fun. So whether you’re looking for a semi-automatic varmint rifle, a classic shotgun for upland game, an ultra-compact personal defense handgun, a new scope or a highperformance cartridge, you’ll find it—and much more—listed here. Of course, we’ll evaluate many of these products in greater depth in feature stories and in the “Dope Bag” and “Loading Bench” columns in the coming months. If you just can’t wait, though, you can see them all firsthand at NRA’s own 2009 Annual Meetings & Exhibits, May 15-17, in Phoenix, Ariz. It’s the year’s biggest celebration of our country’s Second Amendment freedom and shooting sports heritage. We’ll see you there!
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Ruger Lightweight Compact Revolver
Photo by Hannele Lahti
Top Of The Line In ’09 Browning Maxus
ARMALITE’s AR-10(T) is now available in .338 Federal. The rifle’s one-piece aluminum handguard has multiple mounting points for accessories. Accuracy is enhanced by a triple-lapped 22" stainless-steel barrel and a two-stage trigger. New chamberings for ArmaLite’s M15A4 Carbine include 7.62x39 mm (with a 0.311"-bore) and 6.8 Remington SPC. www.armalite.com
BUSHMASTER is offering an intriguing new gas-piston system of operation for the AR-pattern rifle. Available as a complete rifle in its Gas Piston Rifle or as a kit in its Gas Piston Retrofit Conversion Kit, the short-stroke system employs an easily removable hard chrome-plated piston. The conversion kit requires no permanent modifications to the rifle. www.bushmaster.com
AUTO-ORDNANCE, maker of the semi-automatic “Tommy Gun,” has partnered with another great name in American manufacturing, Harley Davidson, on a specially engraved and goldinlaid .45 ACP Tommy Gun carbine. www.auto-ordnance.com
CVA’s new APEX interchangeable-barrel rifle duplicates the aesthetic and ergonomic features of the best European high-grade single-shots. Stainless steel, fluted Bergara barrel options are available in 13 chamberings, including muzzleloader, center-fire and rimfire. www.cva.com
BENELLI has already improved the 12- and 20-ga. SuperSport, designed for sporting clays, by giving it lengthened forcing cones and a polished taper between the chamber and barrel to reduce felt recoil and enhance patterning. The 12-ga. model is backbored to 0.733" and is fitted with Briley’s EX bolt release mechanism and an enlarged bolt handle. Both the SuperSport and the Cordoba now have ComforTech stocks with carbon-fiber finishes. www.benelliusa.com BERETTA U.S.A. has sporting versions of its notable SV10 Perennia over-under and UGB25 Xcel break-open recoilreducing semi-auto shotgun. The SV10 employs the Q-Stock, which allows access to the stock bolt through the pistol grip cap, and is available with Beretta’s Kick-Off system that gradually dissipates recoil impulse through two hydraulic dampeners concealed in the gun’s buttstock. www.berettausa.com BROWNING’s new 12-ga., 3" and 3½" autoloading shotgun, the Maxus, is all about the numbers: 18 percent less felt recoil; 44 percent less muzzle jump; 19 percent faster bolt speed and 24 percent faster lock time. And thanks to its synthetic stock and aluminum receiver, the modern-looking Maxus weighs in at less than 7 lbs. Along with a choice of 26" or 28" barrels, the Maxus features a Vector Pro lengthened forcing cone, Invector-Plus choke tubes, Speed Load plus loading and the innovative Speed Lock fore-end. www.browning.com
Winchester Coyote Light
CZ-USA is expanding its rifle line with the Brno Stopper, an overunder rifle chambered in .458 Win. Mag. Also in over-unders, the Brno 802 Combo Rifle/Shotgun has a 12-ga. bore above a rifle barrel chambered in .243 Win., .308 Win. or .30-’06 Sprg. In handguns, the 9 mm Luger P-07 Duty is a polymer-frame CZ-75 variant that may operate with either a safety or with a decocker. Also of note is the Skorpion in .32 ACP, a semi-automatic handgun variant of the VZ 61 Skorpion. www.cz-usa.com
CZ-USA Skorpion
BARRETT FIREARMS MFG. has an all-new rifle and, no, it’s not a .50 BMG. (See p. 44.) The bolt-action 98 Bravo, chambered in .338 Lapua Mag., feeds from a detachable 10-round box magazine. Innovative in its use of polymer for the bolt guide/sleeve, the rifle features a hinged, aluminum upper and lower receiver design with the bolt locking into a barrel extension. www.barrettrifles.com
CENTURY INT’L ARMS’ DP series of semi-automatic rifles is based on the Soviet Degtyarev light machine guns. Chambered in 7.62x54 mm R, the guns all feed from a top-mounted pan magazine. Also new is the 9 mm Luger Sterling Semi-Auto Sporter, a semi-automatic version of the British Sterling with a 16¼" barrel, folding stock and crinkle-paint finish. www.centuryarms.com CHARLES DALY DEFENSE’s Israeli-made G4 1911 in .45 ACP features a 5" blued barrel, flared and lowered ejection port, beveled magazine well, hi-rise beavertail grip safety, internal extractor, full-length guide rod and doublediamond black polymer grips. Charles Daly is also importing Jericho pistols. www.charlesdalydefense.com CHARTER ARMS’ Rimless Revolver (CARR) is rated to handle +P loads and is chambered in 9 mm Luger, .45 ACP and .40 S&W, the latter of which will be offered first. The CARR uses no moon/half moon clips. The 2"-barreled 9 mm Luger version is built on the aluminum-frame Undercover, and the .40 S&W and .45 ACP versions are based on the larger Bulldog frame and have 2.2" barrels. The .327 Federal Mag. Patriot is a stainless steel, six-round-capacity revolver with the choice of 2.2"- or April 2009 American Rifleman
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new guns, optics and ammo for 2009 Charles Daly Defense G4
4"-barrel lengths. A Crimson Trace Lasergrip-equipped version is also available. www.charterfirearms.com COLT’S MFG. CO. has answered demand for an updated M1911 with its Colt Rail Gun, a stainless steel 5" model with a forged frame that features an integral rail on the dustcover and comes with Novak sights and a Smith & Alexander beavertail grip safety. Colt has also brought back the two-tone Combat Elite and will release a limited run of 10 mm Delta Elites in stainless steel. www.coltsmfg.com DPMS has the REPR, a civilian variant of a precision .308 Win. semi-automatic AR-pattern rifle developed for military trials. The coyote brown-coated rifle features a Magpul adjustable buttstock, a four-rail, free-floating aluminum fore-end, a “Remonite” barrel coating to increase barrel life, and a patent-pending “Ventilator” gas redirecting system for cleaner running. www.dpmsinc.com DAN WESSON is offering the .45 ACP CCO, sporting a Commander-length slide and an Officer-size aluminum frame. It accepts a seven-round magazine and features a “bobbed” mainspring housing. Also new is the PM9, the company’s only 9 mm. In addition to all the standard features of the Pointman line, it also has frontstrap checkering and a fiber-optic front sight. www.cz-usa.com
EUROPEAN AMERICAN ARMORY has a new Stock 2 pistol in the Witness Eite Series. The new IPSC Production Class semi-auto is designed for superior accuracy and reliability and features a DA/SA trigger with overtravel screw, adjustable and interchangeable sights and a cone lock barrel system. It will be available in 9 mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP and 10 mm. Also new in the Witness line is the Limited Pro, which is similarly chambered and comes with a straight competition barrel, competition frame and a DA/ SA trigger. www.eaacorp.com ED BROWN PRODUCTS’ popular Savanna and Express rifles are now available with exhibition grade walnut stocks. Each highly figured, limited-production stock features precise checkering and an ebony fore-end tip. The company also offers fitted fiberglass stocks to which the customer can switch for rough use. The A-5 Tactical Rifle features new McMillan stocks in Desert Camo and Woodland Camo with a wide, flat beavertail fore-end. www.edbrown.com FNH USA will release the greatly anticipated SCAR 16S, a semi-automatic-only version of the U.S. Special Operations Command’s new rifle. The flat-dark-earth-colored rifle features
DPMS REPR
Top Of The Line In ’09: Riflescopes, Sights, Binoculars & Rangefinders AIMPOINT expands its Micro line of compact red-dot sights—the original H-1, the silver-finish R-1 and the militaryand law enforcement-oriented T-1—with a series of Micro Mounts and T-1 Spacers designed to adapt them to all manner of guns from Merkel drillings to Ruger 10/22s to AR-15s. The company also offers the U.S. Army-proven CompM4 with a low-lying compartment for one AA battery and shipped with an ARD killFlash filter, QRP2 mount and standard spacer, and rubber bikini lens cover. www.aimpoint.com BSA OPTICS’ Contender riflescopes feature fully multicoated lenses, ball-and-coil spring retention systems, threeposition push/pull turrets, 4" of eye relief and either mil-dot or hunting reticles. The TW 4X 20 mm and 4X 30 mm scopes are ideal for AR and SKS setups. Each features an integral rail mount, is waterproof, shockproof and fogproof, and features either a 30/30 or mil-dot reticle. www.bsaoptics.com BARRETT’s Optical Ranging System or BORS is now available for several of Leupold’s Mark IV tactical riflescopes. The unit has three internal sensors that allow it, after programing in temperature, barometric pressure and range, to not only calculate drop but actually adjust the scope for a first-shot hit. www.barrettrifles.com
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Bushnell Legend 1200 ARC
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BURRIS’ new SixX variable-power riflescopes have 30 mm main tubes, a separate, rubber-coated power ring and 4" to 4.5" of eye relief. The short, compact SixX models are said to improve rifle balance and handling. They’re available in 2-12X 40 mm and 2-12X 50 mm. The Fullfield 30 is a new 3-9X 40 mm riflescope that features an illuminated Ballistic Plex reticle. Its Fullfield TAC30 is a 6.5-20X 50 mm riflescope fitted with a Ballistic Mil-Dot reticle. The AR-332 Prism Sight is a 3X tactical prism sight that’s rugged, compact, waterproof to 5 meters and features Burris’ unique Ballistic/CQ reticle. www.burrisoptics.com BUSHNELL’s DOA (Dead On Accurate) riflescope reticle helps compute holdovers while estimating deer antler size. The DOA 600, available on select Trophy and Elite models, features center-fire aim points calibrated from 100 to 600 yds. The DOA 250 is available in Trophy 3-9X 40 mm models for use with in-line muzzleloaders (with magnum loads) and covers aiming points at 100, 150, 200 and 250 yds. The Rack Bracket presents 24" reference lines when the scope is set at full power. Legend Ultra-HD in 8X 42 mm and 10X 42 mm binoculars features an extra wide field of view, a new anti-reflective Ultra Wide Custom Coating, premium ED (Extra Low Dispersion) glass and RainGuard HD high-density coating to eliminate fogging. The
FNH USA SCAR 16S
a short-stroke gas piston operating system and has a fully adjustable, side-folding stock and ambidextrous controls. Also new is the FNAR, a 7.62x51 mm NATO precision rifle based on the Browning BAR sporting rifle. It features multiple Picatinny rail attachment points and a 20" barrel available in either standard or heavy contours with a hard-chrome bore. The PS90 RD bullpup in 5.7x28 mm has an ultra-compact C-More reflex sight. And a new Five-SeveN 5.7x28 mm pistol variant is equipped with a fixed C-More combat sight. www.fnhusa.com FRANCHI’s Renaissance Sporting shotgun is now available in 20 gauge, weighs 7.4 lbs., is fitted with a stainless steel boxlock action and has a 30" ported barrel with lengthened forcing cones for uniform shot patterns and reduced felt recoil. The knurled, extended choke tubes make it easy to change chokes. Its coin-finished receiver features floral scroll engraving and gold embellished details and complements the well-figured select walnut. www.franchiusa.com
vent rib, two-stage adjustable trigger and twin cheek pads for ambidextrous use. The P-23 CO2 semi-auto air pistol looks similar to a classic Walther PPK/S. It touts a velocity of 400 f.p.s. and fires 12 shots in 2.4 seconds. wwwgamousa.com HECKLER & KOCH’s .223 Rem. MR556, developed from the HK416, and .308 Win. M762 will be available to the shooting public. Both semi-automatic rifles use the same H&K-proprietary gas piston system found in the HK416 and G36. They will be produced from American and German components at H&K’s new manufacturing facility at Newington, N.H. www.hk-usa.com HENRY REPEATING ARMS has the Lincoln Bicentennial Tribute Golden Boy rifle, which features an engraved portrait on the receiver and a replica image of the Lincoln Memorial on the American walnut stock. Also new from Henry is the Boy Scouts of America Centennial Edition licensed Golden Boy rifle celebrating the Scouts’ 100th anniversary in 2010. It is embellished with the Scout oath, law, logo and more. www.henryrepeating.com KAHR ARMS’ P380 is a recoil-operated, double-actiononly .380 ACP pocket pistol with fully adjustable sights, a 2.5" barrel, no manual safety and a six-round-capacity magazine. It measures a mere 4.9" long and 3.9" high, and weighs less than 12 ozs. Its frame is polymer, and its slide is stainless steel. www.kahr.com KEL-TEC’s SU-22 in .22 LR looks like its big brother, the company’s .223 Rem. SU-16, but fires inexpensive rimfire ammunition. The
GAMO’s Shadow Express .22-cal. air rifle/air shotgun combo shoots either pellets or shot, which makes it great for small game at medium to close range. Features include a bull barrel with full Kahr P380
CABELAS’ Slugger EXT Shotgun Scope is calibrated to compensate for bullet drop out to 200 yds. Just sight-in the main reticle at 50 yds. and the other reticle aiming points will match slug drop at 100, 150 and 200 yds. The Cabela’s EXT bullet drop reticle is specifically designed for use with Hornady’s SST slugs (for fully rifled barrels only). Cabela’s new 5X Alpha Riflescope also comes with the EXT bullet-drop reticle for long-range accuracy out to 500 yds. www.cabelas.com CRIMSON TRACE is best known for its laser-equipped handgun stocks, but it now offers a modular vertical fore grip for rifles that combines a red laser and a white light. The MVF515’s polymer grip panels are mounted onto an aircraft grade, 6061-T6 aluminum, hard-anodized tang and contain an activation switch on each side that controls the light and the laser independently. The new Model LG-411 Lasergrip, designed for the Ruger LCR is rubber-overmolded on on the frontstrap and backstrap. The LG-375 Lasergrips fit both the Taurus Judge and Tracker models and, like all Lasergrips, can be zeroed at different distances. Next-generation LG-417 Lasergrips for Glock 17and 19-family pistols now include a master on/off switch and a
wrap-around style that maintains the factory Glock grip angle. www.crimsontrace.com EOTECH’s new EOLAD combines Laser Devices’ laseraiming module with the speed of the EOTech 557. This single, compact sighting device delivers fast target acquisition and eliminates the need to add the weight of a laser-aiming device to the fore-end. Waterproof to 10 meters, the unit mates to a 1" Weaver dovetail or a Picatinny rail and comes with a remote cable pressure pad switch. www.eotech-inc.com INSIGHT TECHNOLOGY’s new WX150L, suitable for handguns or long guns with accessory rails, is a multifunction tactical rail-mounted LED light/laser. The laser or 150-lumen-output LED can be used together or independently, and they are activated by an ambidextrous toggle switch. www.insighttechnology.com KONUS USA has three long-eye-relief handgun scopes: the KonusPro 2X 28 mm and 2-8X 28 mm variables and, where jurisdictions do not allow magnification, the KonusPro 1X 32 mm. All feature Konus’ etched reticle and are parallax-corrected for 50 yds. www.konususa.com April 2009 American Rifleman
Insight WX150L
premium Legend 1200 ARC rangefinder provides Angle Range Compensation technology and features new Variable Sight-In capability for selecting sight-in distances. www.bushnell.com
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blowback-operated rifle has a 4140 steel bolt that rides on steel guide rails inside the polymer receiver. It comes with a 26-round magazine and accepts those designed for the Atchison AR-15/M16 conversion kits. www.kel-tec-cnc.com KIMBER is expanding its tactical rifles with the Model 8400 Police Tactical chambered in .300 Win. Mag. The all-black rifle features a 26" fluted bull barrel and an extended bolt handle. The Model 84M Classic Stainless features a stainless barreled action paired with a walnut stock and is offered in .243 Win., 7 mm-08 Rem. and .308 Win. The 7 mm Rem. Mag. chambering is available in the Model 8400 Classic and Sonora, and the .280 Ackley Improved has been added to the Select Grade and Montana. The Model 8400 SuperAmerica can now be had in .270 Win. and .30-’06 Sprg. In handguns, Kimber has the new Tactical Custom HD II sporting a stainless-steel frame with a gray Kimpro II finish and the Tactical Entry II with an accessory rail on the dustcover. Expansions to the Raptor line include the Stainless Pro Raptor and the Stainless Ultra Raptor, and the Team Match II series includes a 9 mm Luger offering. www.kimberamerica.com KNIGHT RIFLES’ interchangeable KP1 line includes the tip-up, center-fire Wurfflein rifle in .45-70 Gov’t and .444 Marlin. The single-shot features a 24", 1:20"-twist Green Mountain barrel and is available with both laminate and composite stocks. www.knightrifles.com
Kimber Model 8400 Police Tactical
LEGACY SPORTS INT’L is offering the .375 Ruger chambering in its Howa/Hogue line of rifles in blued and stainless models and a new Howa Ranchland package rifle equipped with a Nikko Stirling 3-10X 42 mm Nighteater scope. The Puma line has the PPS22, a .22 LR PPSh-41-style carbine available with stick or drum magazines with capacities of up to 50 rounds. The new BUL Cherokee pistol, an Israeli-produced CZ-75-style 9 mm Luger polymer-frame pistol, is available in full-size and compact variants. www.legacysports.com LES BAER CUSTOM’s Special Police Rifle is a 16" barreled carbine with a 1:8" twist, button-rifled barrel that is guaranteed to shoot under 1" at 100 yds. with match loads. Standard features include LBC forged and machined upper and lower receivers, a detachable carry handle, a Timney Match trigger group and a four-way Picatinny rail. In handguns, the H.C. 40 is a 5"-barreled M1911 built on Caspian double-stack frame that gives an 18-round magazine capacity and is guaranteed to deliver 2½" or better groups at 50 yds. www.lesbaer.com LEWIS MACHINE & TOOL has a dual conversion operating system that allows one to change from a direct gas impingement system to a piston system. It builds on LMT’s CQB Monolithic Rail Platform with exchangeable upper and
Top Of The Line In ’09: Riflescopes, Sights, Binoculars & Rangefinders LEICA CAMERA AG has announced the reintroduction of Leica riflescopes and will debut two new models, the ER 2.5-10X 42 mm and ER 3.5-14X 42 mm, this fall. Several years in the making, the ER scopes will feature nearly 4" of eye relief, reticles in the second focal plane and Aqua Dura coatings. www.leica-camera.us LEUPOLD’s VX-3 and VX-3L riflescopes feature cryogenically treated high-strength aluminum adjustment dials and a dual-spring erector system. The “L” version employs Leupold’s crescent cut that allows the optic to be mounted lower. The RX-1000 compact rangefinder is a weatherproof digital laser unit providing important ballistic calculations in the field for a reasonable price. In binoculars, the Northfork comes in 8.5X 45 mm and 10.5X 45 mm sizes with a fully multi-coated lens system and additional anti-reflection coatings on its BAK4 prisms. Also new in binoculars is the traditionally styled Rogue Series, a Porro prism binocular in 8X 42 mm or 10X 50 mm, and the compact Olympic Dual Hinge binocular in 8X 25 mm or 10X 25 mm that are just over 4" long and weigh under 1 lb. www.leupold.com
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Leupold Rogue
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NIKON’s Monarch African riflescopes for dangerous game hunting include a 1" tube 1-4X 20 mm and two 30 mm tube 1.1-4X 24 mm models. The Coyote Special riflescopes feature Nikon’s BDC predator hunting reticle using ballistic circles that simplify shots on moving targets. The Omega 1.65-5X 36 mm muzzleloading riflescope reticle is calibrated for polymertip sabot muzzleloader bullets. Also new is the SlugHunter 1.65-5X 36 mm for shotguns, with a reticle calibrated for polymer-tip sabot slugs. The Monarch X binocular, available in 10.5X 45 mm and 8.5X 45 mm versions, feature fully multicoated optics and a water- and fog-resistant design. www.nikonusa.com NITREX OPTICS, from the makers of Federal Premium ammunition, unveils the TR2 series of riflescopes in 2-10X 42 mm, 2-10X 50 mm, 3-15X 42 mm, 3-15X 50 mm and 4-20X 50 mm, which feature glass-etched reticles in EBX (Enhanced Ballistic-X), Fine-X with dot and illuminated styles. www.nitrexoptics.com PENTAX adds two lines of multi-coated, one-piece construction riflescopes: the Pioneer II, featuring a sharper image than its predecessor, and the Gameseeker 5X in 3-15X 50 mm. In binoculars, the new semi-compact DCF NV is available in 8X and 10X 36 mm and the Marine 7X 50 mm has a built-in compass for navigation. www.pentaxsportoptics.com
Kel-Tec SU-22
lower receivers and barrel options. Assembly and disassembly are quick and easy, and all components are compatible with AR-15/M4/M16-style guns. www.lewismachine.net MAGNUM RESEARCH is offering the Micro Desert Eagle, a “gas-assisted” blowback .380 ACP with a steel slide, a 2.2" barrel, an aluminum frame and a six-round-capacity magazine. www.magnumresearch.com MARLIN, building on its popular XL7 line of bolt-action rifles, is offering the XS7 line of short-action rifles chambered in .243 Win., 7 mm-08 Rem. and .308 Win. in either black or RealTree stocks, as well as “Compact” stocks with shorter lengths of pull. Marlin’s lever-actions now include the .338 Marlin Express chambering in the blue steel and walnut-stocked Model 338MX and stainless Model 338MXLR with a gray/black laminated stock set. Also new is the Model 1895SBL, a short, handy .45-70 Gov’t-chambered lever-action with an 18½" barrel, large loop lever and a Picatinny rail strip with an integral XS ghost ring rear sight. www.marlinfirearms.com MOSSBERG’s new .308 Win. 100 ATR Night Train 2 is equipped with the Lightning Bolt-Action (LBA) adjustable trigger and features a muzzle brake, Harris bipod, Barska 6-24X 60 mm scope and neoprene comb-raising kit. The LBA trigger is adjustable for pull weight and has a blade that blocks the sear
from releasing the striker unless the trigger is fully depressed. Also available are military-grade 12-ga. Model 590A1 pumps in a variety of models, all of which have heavy-walled barrels and steel safety buttons and trigger guards. New Model 500s include the 12-ga. Model 500 SPX with a six-position collapsible stock, ghost ring sights, Picatinny optic rail and ported barrel. www.mossberg.com NEW ENGLAND FIREARMS is expanding its line of imported Pardner Pump shotguns to include two new cantilever models. The NP1-12C with walnut and NP1-2SC with synthetic stock sets are 12-ga. shotguns with 22" barrels that have “Ultragon” rifling and cantilever optic mounts. www.hr1871.com NOSLER CUSTOM’s Model 48 Varmint rifle in .22-250 Rem. features the company’s proprietary action, Coyote Tan synthetic stock and 3/4-m.o.a. accuracy guarantee. The 48 will also be chambered in .280 Ackley Improved, 6.5-.284 and .338 Federal. www.nosler.com PARA-ORDNANCE, known for widebody and singlestack M1911-style pistols, this year has the Tactical Target Rifle, or TTR. Built on a standard AR-style lower, the TTR has an innovative gas system based on the Z-M Weapons design, which eliminates the need for a recoil spring in the butt, thus allowing a folding stock. Also, the firm has a new single-stack M1911 GI Expert, a 5" steel-frame M1911 with a plain black finish, a skeletonized hammer and an eight-round magazine retailing for less than $600. www.paraord.com
Rock River Arms LAR-40
SIGHTRON has several new riflescopes for long-range applications such as the SII 6X24 42 mm MD (mil dot) and a SII 36X 42 mm BR D (dot) models. The new SIII LR 8X 42 mm and 10X 42 mm are top-of-the-line roof prism binoculars that feature dual hinged barrels and cutting-edge performance. www.sightron.com SIMMONS re-launches its .44 MAG riflescope line with a 44 mm objective. Seven models sport 1/4- or 1/8-m.o.a. lowprofile windage and elevation adjustments and 3.75" of eye relief. www.simmonsoptics.com STEINER’s new 8X 30 mm binocular is part of its Wildlife Pro series, and though it’s a Porro-prism design, it’s centerfocused, so it boasts outstanding depth of field with little adjustment and the ability to focus at less than 5 ft. www.steiner-binoculars.com SWAROVSKI has extended its Z6 line of riflescopes to include a 3-18X 50 mm, a 2.5-15X 40 mm and a 2.5-15X 56 mm to give hunters bright, versatile options. Swarovski has also added the EL 32 Traveler Series to its line. The brown binocular comes in 8X or 10X sizes. Its ATM-HD/STM-HD 65 mm spotting scopes feature magnesium hous-
Nikon African
Nikon Coyote Special
ings in straight and angled configurations and weigh about 36 ozs. www.swarovskioptik.com TASCO pocket-size Off Trail 8X 25 mm binoculars are lightweight, waterproof and ideal for wildlife observation. www.tasco.com TRIJICON’s AccuPoint line includes a new 1-4X 24 mm riflescope with a straight 30 mm tube and a 5-20X 50 mm riflescope. Both have dual-illumination systems powered by tritium and fiber optics. The new RMR sight is a tiny dual-illuminated, battery-free reflex sight with tritium and fiber optics. www.trijicon.com VORTEX OPTICS’ premium Viper 2-7X 32 mm riflescope is designed for shotguns and muzzleloaders while its 4-12X 40 mm is versatile enough for a range of rifle
Vortex Viper
April 2009 American Rifleman
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Remington Model 887 Nitro Mag
Top Of The Line In ’09: Riflescopes, Sights, Binoculars & Rangefinders
applications. In binoculars, Vortex has the Kaibab, a 15X 56 mm for western hunters and the Razor, a dual-hinge design, premium roof-prism binocular in 42 and 50 mm. www.vortexoptics.com WEAVER’s new Super Slam riflescopes have fully multicoated lenses with an extra hard coating on exterior lenses, argon-purged tubes to eliminate internal fogging and four reticle offerings including Weaver’s proprietary EBX ballistic reticle. The scopes are offered in 2-10X 42 mm, 2-10X 50 mm, 3-15X 42 mm, 3-15X 50 mm, and 4-20X 50 mm. www.weaveroptics.com ZEISS introduces two Victory Diavari riflescopes with reticle options in the second focal plane, meaning the reticle size doesn’t change with magnification. A 3-12X 56 mm scope is available with Zeiss’ illuminated No. 60, the Rapid-Z 800 ballistic and the Z-Plex reticle; a 2.5-10X 50 mm scope is also available with the No. 60 illuminated reticle. www.zeiss.com/sports Trijicon RMR
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ROCK RIVER ARMS has the LAR-40, a .40 S&Wchambered AR-pattern carbine based on the its 9 mm LAR-9 carbine. It employs a new proprietary magazine developed by the company. www.rockriverarms.com ROSSI’s Trifecta youth line has been expanded to include laminate stocks in three different colors. The R92 lever-action is a traditionally styled rifle available in octagonal- and roundbarrel variants in .357 Mag, .44 Rem. Mag., .44-40 Win., .45 Colt and, in the round-barrel configuration, .454 Casull. Also new is the Tuffy, a single-shot .410 shotgun with a synthetic thumbhole stock. www.rossiusa.com RUGER’s .416 Ruger chambering, a necked-up .375 Ruger, sends a 400-gr. bullet out of the muzzle at 2400 f.p.s. for more than 5,000 ft.-lbs. of energy, equaling the famed .416 Rigby. It is available in a stainless and synthetic Hawkeye Alaskan rifle with a standard-length M77 action, 20" barrel with iron sights and Hogue rubber OverMolded stock. Two new Mini-14 variants, each with 161⁄8" barrels, come with factory 20-round magazines. One has a conventionally shaped synthetic stock and a flash hider, and the other has a folding/telescoping synthetic stock with sections of Picatinny rail on the fore-end. Ruger’s most innovative gun is the 13.5-oz., five-shot LCR, or Lightweight Compact Revolver, which features a grip frame of lightweight polymer that houses the fire-control components mated to a main frame machined from a 7000-series aluminum forging finished in a black synergistic hard coat. The LCR’s 17⁄8" barrel and heavily fluted cylinder are made of stainless steel, and the revolver is rated
Top Of The Line In ’09: Ammunition & Comp ALLIANT POWDER’s American-made Power Pro series—Magnum Pistol, Varmint, Magnum, Heavy .308 and Large Rifle— of canister spherical propellants offers improved velocity and density, efficient metering and duplication of certain factory loads. Reloder 50 is a clean-burning .50-cal.specific propellant, and Pro Reach is formulated for long-range 12-ga. clay target and hunting loads. www.alliantpowder.com AMERICAN PIONEER POWDER expands its Stick line to include Jim Shockey’s Gold Super Sticks, which are available in 100- and 150-gr./vol.-equivalent versions. Using TaperTech technology, Super Sticks deliver reliable ignition along all edges, while delivering clean, powerful and dependable performance. www.americanpioneerpowder.com BARNES BULLETS’ Busters are non-expanding, deeppenetrating bullets for large, tough game like bear, wild boar and Cape buffalo. The cannelured, heavy-for-caliber bullets are designed to deliver exceptional penetration and feature a heavy lead core surrounded by a thick copper jacket. Busters are set to be available mid-year for .44, .45 and .500 magnum handguns and .45-70 Gov’t lever-actions. www.barnesbullets.com
Barnes Busters
REMINGTON’s R-15 AR-pattern rifle is chambered in the new .30 Remington AR cartridge designed to offer .30-cal. performance from a standard-size AR platform. It sports full-coverage camouflage and a free-floating 22" barrel. The .223 Rem. R-15 VTR line now includes a Stainless Varminter sporting a 24" triangular-contour barrel and a Thumbhole Varminter with a Bell & Carlson stock. Remington has modified its X-Mark Pro trigger to be user-adjustable for pull weight. The new Model 700 Target Tactical features a Bell & Carlson tactical stock and a 26" triangular VTR-style barrel with tactical target rifling based on that of the M24. The new XHR (Xtreme Hunting Rifle) series is designed for big-game hunting with magnum-contour barrels and synthetic stocks in RealTree patterns and Hogue rubberized grip panels. Chamberings range from .243 Win. to .300 Rem. Ultra Mag. An interesting new slide-action shotgun, the Model 887 Nitro Mag, is a 3½"-chambered 12 gauge and features an innovative “ArmorLokt” polymer overmold on its steel parts along with modern aesthetics. The Model 870 Super Slug is a highly accurate slug gun in 12 gauge with “Ultragon” rifling claimed to provide sub-m.o.a. accuracy with AccuTip slugs. www.remington.com
for .38 Spl. +P ammunition. The LCR’s grip peg accepts either the standard Hogue Tamer stocks with Sorbothane inserts or a Crimson Trace LaserGrip. www.ruger-firearms.com
SAVAGE’s AccuStock uses an aluminum spine and 3D Bedding Cradle molded into a composite material and is said to provide more consistent accuracy by increasing rigidity and by giving three-dimensional bedding pressure. The new single-shot, left-load, right-eject, dual-port receiver will be available on the Model 12 Long Range Precision Varminter and on the new Model 12 Benchrest, which is designed for 1,000-yd. benchrest competition. It features a 29" extra-heavy barrel, target AccuTrigger and a laminate stock with a wide, flat fore-end. www.savagearms.com
SABRE DEFENCE’s Competition Extreme rifle is built around carefully matched upper and lower receivers CNC-machined from 7075-T6 aluminum forgings. Specifically designed for 3-gun competition, the semi-automatic rifle includes an adjustable CTR Stock, a free-floating tubular fore-end, a match trigger and 45-degree flip-up metallic sights. Additionally, the 20" fluted stainless-steel barrel is fitted with M4 feed ramps for more reliable feeding. www.sabredefence.com
SIG SAUER is offering the SIG556 Classic, an Americanmade rifle that closely captures the look and feel of the original SIG550 series of Swiss rifles. It features a triangular-style adjustable/folding stock and a Swiss-style ribbed, tapered foreend. Also new is the SIG522, a .22 LR rifle styled like the SIG556 Classic. The SIG P238 is a tiny single-action Colt Pony-style .380 ACP pistol with a lightweight aluminum frame. The six-roundcapacity pistol weighs in at just over 15 ozs. www.sigarms.com
SAKO returns to its roots, discontinuing the Hunter in favor of the Classic, renewing focus on traditional lines and checkering. The Sako 85 Bavarian features a high-grade walnut stock, German-style cheekpiece and comb, and a rosewood Schnabel fore-end and pistol grip in calibers from .222 Rem. to .375 H&H Mag. www.sako.fi.com
SMITH & WESSON is expanding its M&P15 line of ARpattern rifles with the new gas-piston-operated M&P15PS. Also new is the M&P15-22, a .22LR AR-style rifle with polymer upper and lower receivers, quad-rail fore-end, collapsible six-position stock and detachable 25-round magazine. In the “Classics Line,” the 4"-barreled Model 18 revolver is a bluedsteel six-shot chambered in .22 LR. There are two modern-style offerings—the Model 438 Bodyguard and the Model 357 Night
Les Baer Special Police
Sako 85 Bavarian
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BLACK HILLS’ two new 55-gr. .223 Rem. loadings feature Barnes bullets; one is a TSX solid copper bullet and the other a lead-free frangible-core bullet. Also new is a .223 Rem. load with a 55-gr. FMJ Hornady bullet loaded into new military brass. In handgun ammunition, three new loadings include 9 mm Luger, .40 S&W and .45 ACP with Barnes TAC-XP pure copper hollow-point bullets. www.black-hills.com. FEDERAL, through its affordable American Eagle line, has added a .30-’06 Sprg. load with a 150-gr. FMJ and propellant charges tailored to the M1 Garand’s gas system along with a .308 Win. load that has a 168-gr. open-tip match bullet for M1A shooters. Also new is a .338 Federal Power-Shok load with a 200-gr. soft point bullet. Federal Premium Trophy Bonded Tip offerings have nearly doubled, with loadings ranging from .270 Win. to .338 Federal. Fusion has also been expanded to include .223 Rem., .260 Rem., 6.5x55 mm Swedish and .45-70 Gov’t, as well as .460 S&W Mag. and .500 S&W Mag. A 2½", .410 shell in four-pellet 000 buck or No. 4 shot is tailored to the Taurus Judge. The Nyclad bullet has been brought back to the Personal Defense line in a 125-gr. .38 Spl. loading. www.federalpremium.com. FIOCCHI AMMUNITION’s EMB (Expanding Mono Block) Tundra rifle ammunition is loaded in 150-, 168- and 175-gr. versions in .308 Win. and .30-’06 Sprg. EMB has a Hornady
copper bullet with a Tundra tungsten composite insert. Tundra Composite HTS (Heavier-Than-Steel) and HTL (Heavier-Than-Lead) waterfowl and pheasant loads use 9.5 g/cc and 12.5 g/cc. pellets, respectively, and can be used standard choke and classic barrel combinations that are safe with lead shot. www.fiocchiusa.com GAMO’s Tomahawk PHP (Pointed Hollow Point) pellets are designed to deliver maximum shock and expansion in a match-quality pellet. www.gamousa.com HORNADY is adding the new .338 Marlin Express cartridge to its LEVERevolution line, which propels a 200-gr. bullet at around 2500 f.p.s. at the muzzle. Also new to the LEVERevolution line is the .45 Colt chambering. The Hornady Dangerous Game line now includes the new .416 Ruger as well as traditional favorites like the .404 Jeffery, the .470 Nitro Express and the .500 Nitro Express. For competitive shooters, Hornady has developed match ammunition suited for the task. It includes a .30-’06 Sprg. load designed specifically for the M1 Garand, the .308 Palma designed to be the ultimate .308 Win. match round, and a new .50 BMG
Federal .410 Handgun
ponents
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Smith & Wesson Model 357
Guard. The former is a J-frame revolver with an aluminum alloy frame, integral hammer shroud and a matte-black finish. The latter is part of the company’s “Night Guard” series and is chambered in .41 Mag. It features a Scandium alloy frame and tritium sights. The Pro Series Model 632 Carry Comp is chambered in the .327 Federal Mag. cartridge and has a 3" barrel with a “PowerPort” expansion chamber. S&W has added the ambidextrous thumb safety option in compact and full-size variants of M&P polymer pistols chambered in 9 mm Luger, .40 S&W and .357 Sig. www.smith-wesson.com SPRINGFIELD ARMORY has an enhanced variant of its popular XD in the new XD(M) series of pistols. Available in either 9 mm Luger or .40 S&W, the XD(M) features customizable ergonomics through interchangeable backstraps, new grip textures, and frame and slide contours. Other enhancements include a match-grade barrel and increased magazine capacities over that of the standard XD. Provided with each pistol is a lockable case, double magazine pouch, magazine loader, two magazines and a gun lock. www.springfield-armory.com STAG ARMS’ Model 7 Hunter is a 6.8 SPC-chambered ARpattern rifle with a 20.77" stainless steel barrel and a dark gray coating. Available in both left- and right-hand variants, the rifle
has a two-stage trigger and Hogue pistol grip and free-floating fore-end. The rife is claimed to be capable of 1/2" groups at 100 yds. www.stagarms.com STEYR ARMS, INC. announces a U.S.-made semi-automatic-only variant of its classic AUG bullpup rifle, the Steyr AUG A3 SA USA, with a 16" barrel chambered in .223 Rem., a folding forward pistol grip, a bolt and an ejection port that can be converted for left-hand use and a Picatinny rail for scopemounting. www.steyrarms.com STOEGER now has airguns. Stoeger X Series models are modern, high-tech air rifles chambered for .177-cal. highvelocity alloy or hard-hitting lead pellets and are powered by a break-barrel, spring-and-piston system. The Stoeger Coach Gun and Coach Gun Supreme are now available in singletrigger models chambered for 2¾" and 3" shells, in 12 and 20 gauge. www.stoegerindustries.com TAURUS combined elements from the 800, 24/7 and 24/7 OSS series in the new .45 ACP 2045 pistol. It is available with either a blue or stainless steel slide. The .22 LR 22PLY and the .25 ACP 25PLY polymer-frame, double-action, tip-barrel
Stag Arms Model 7 Hunter
Top Of The Line In ’09: Ammunition & Components load with an A-MAX bullet. Critical Defense handgun ammunition employs a soft polymer insert tip that prevents clogging of the hollow point and propellants tuned to work in shortbarreled handguns. It is available in .380 ACP, 9 mm Luger, .38 Spl. and .38 Spl. +P. www.hornady.com. IMR POWDER entered the muzzleloading market with White Hots—.50-cal., non-nitrocellulose-based pre-formed charges that are clean burning and have no strong smells, yet propel projectiles up to 2,300 f.p.s. White Hots work with all 209 primers and are not breech-specific. www.imrpowder.com NOSLER has a new 6.5 mm, 140-gr. AccuBond—the company’s proprietary bonded bullet. In its E-Tip line, the company introduces a 6 mm, 90-gr. bullet and a .338-cal., 200-grainer. For handgun hunters, a 10 mm, 180-gr. Sporting Handgun bullet is here. Competition shooters will appreciate the new 6 mm, 105-gr. and .30-cal., 175-gr. offerings. For lever-action devotees, a .30-cal., 150-gr. Ballistic Silvertip Round Nose features a polymer tip that can be safely used in tubular magazines. Its new Trophy Grade Ammunition—complete cartridges— has very high quality control standards and is available in most popular calibers. www.nosler.com
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REMINGTON announces the .30 Rem. AR cartridge for its R-15 series of rifles. A .30-cal. cartridge with the same overall length as that of a .223 Rem., it propels a 125-gr. bullet at around 2800 f.p.s. Also new is the Premier Copper Solid with a polymer tip and an expansion cavity available in .243 Win., .270 Win., 7 mm Rem. Mag., .30-’06 Sprg., .300 Win. Mag. and .308 Win. Remington’s new lead-free Disintegrator Varmint ammunition, available in .223 Rem. and .22-250 Rem., features a 45-gr. JHP bullet. New to the shotgun ammunition line is the 20-ga. AccuTip sabot slug with a synthetic Power Port tip. It features a .45-cal. slug weighing in at 260 grs. that employs bonded construction and spiral nose cuts for controlled expansion and high weight retention. www.remington.com SIERRA BULLETS’ newest offering is a .30-cal., 155-gr. HPBT Palma MatchKing bullet. Compared to the company’s previous Palma projectile, the new version has a longer, more streamlined 9-cal. ogive, longer overall length and a pointed meplat, all of which make it better suited for Palma and other long-range pursuits. www.sierrabullets.com WEATHERBY is offering five new loadings with Barnes’ new Tipped TSX (Tipped Triple Shock) bullets. Available in .257, .270, 7 mm, .300 and .30-378 Wby. Mag. cartridges, the bullet weights for each are 80, 110, 120 and 130 grs. (both .300 and .30-378), respectively. The rounds feature lightweight
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onto www.americanrifleman.org
to learn all about special events for shooters at the nra annual meetings
Taurus 738TCP
Taurus Public Defender
Photo by Hannele Lahti
bullets with high velocities, and claimed retention weights are between 99 and 100 percent. www.weatherby.com. WINCHESTER AMMUNITION is offering the Supreme Elite Bonded PDX1 hollow-point ammunition, recently adopted by the FBI, in 9 mm Luger, .40 S&W, .45 ACP and .38 Spl. The new Supreme Elite Dual Bond is intended for big-bore handgun hunting as well as shotgun slug loadings and incorporates a secondary inner jacket on the lead core for increased penetration and bullet weight retention. It is available in .454 Casull, .460 S&W Mag. and .500 S&W Mag., as well as 12 and 20 gauges. The E-Tip line with a copper alloy bullet and polycarbonate tip is expanding to include .270 Win., .300 Win. Mag., 7 mm Rem. Mag. and 7 mm WSM. Also new are three Super-X lead-free rimfire loadings, including a 28-gr. JHP .22 WRM and a 30-gr. .22 LR available with either a tin hollow-point or a tin round-nose bullet. Winchester has expanded its lead-free game and target shotshell line with several 12- and 28-ga. and .410-bore offerings. Winchester is also adding a 12-ga., 2¾", 1-oz. load to the Super-Target line. www.winchester.com WINCHESTER SMOKELESS PROPELLANT’s AutoComp was developed for competition pistol shooters, and is for use in the 9 mm Luger, .38 Super, .40 S&W and .45 ACP cartridges. It has an optimal burning rate to boost compensator effectiveness with a higher volume of gas, is clean burning, offers low charge weights and meters smoothly through progressive loading machines. The slowest burning of the Winchester ball-type propellants, Supreme 780 is the same powder used in many of Winchester’s Supreme loads, allowing handloaders to duplicate factory performance. www.wwpowder.com. Remington AccuTip
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new guns, optics and ammo for 2009 Springfield XD(M)
semi-automatic pistols weigh in at just under 11 ozs. The Model 709 SLIM is a new double-action polymer-frame 9 mm with a steel slide at 19 ozs. or a titanium slide at 17 ozs. Also new is the 738 TCP, a .380 ACP that weighs 8.5 ozs. with a titanium slide or 10.2 ozs. with a steel slide. The Taurus Judge line of .410/.45 Colt revolvers has been expanded to include the “Public Defender,” an ultra-compact variant that features a bobbed hammer, and a new variant with a ported barrel and an underlug Picatinny accessory rail. The 24/7 PLS comes in 9 mm Luger, .38 Super and .40 S&W with 18-round and 16-round capacities, respectively, and longer 5" barrels. Also new is the 1911HC, a 12-round high-capacity variant of the Taurus M1911 pistol. www.taurususa.com. THOMPSON/CENTER ARMS now offers the Icon Precision Hunter, an upgraded version of the company’s bolt-action Icon that includes a bedded action and matchgrade barrel. The new bolt-action Venture is intended to offer quality performance to budget-minded shooters. The Triumph Bone Collector Series, based on Michael Waddell’s latest TV show, adds two .50-cal. muzzleloaders to T/C’s line. www.tcarms.com TRADITIONS adds the Outfitter, a muzzleloader/shotgun/rifle that converts between platforms with the removal of a screw; the Vortek, an overmolded muzzleloader design with detachable trigger group and stainless steel barrel; the LT Accelerator, which pairs the company’s Accelerator Breech Plug with the Pursuit LT muzzleloader; and the Buckstalker, an economical yet full-featured break-action in-line. www.traditionsfirearms.com
WEATHERBY’s Vanguard 8-lb. Predator rifle sports a full camouflage finish and a 22" No. 3 contour barrel. It is available in .223 Rem., .22-250 Rem. and .308 Win. The Vanguard Custom line now includes the Thumbhole Laminate, with a nutmeg-color stock and cooling vents, and the Axoim Big Game and Axiom Varmint with a recoil-reducing Knoxx stock. Weatherby is expanding its SA-08 semi-automatic shotgun line with a new synthetic model available in both 12 and 20 gauge. The 12 gauge weighs 6 lbs., 8 ozs. and the 20 gauge weighs in at 6 lbs. www.weatherby.com WILSON COMBAT’S big news is a polymer pistol so new it doesn’t even have a name yet—and that’s where you come in. Wilson is holding a “name this gun” contest for its high-capacity 9 mm pistol, which employs a barrel with a single locking lug. www.wilsoncombat.com WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS brings back two variants in the venerable controlled-round-feed Model 70 line that existed before its hiatus—this time with the M.O.A. no-creep, no-overtravel trigger assembly. The high-gloss Super Grade has a fancy-grade walnut stock with shadow-line cheekpiece, fine-cut checkering, a blued steel crossbolt and a one-piece bottom metal assembly. Chamberings include .270 WSM, .300 WSM, .270 Win., .30-’06 Sprg. and .300 Win. Mag. The Coyote Light varmint rifle has a matte blue receiver and a medium-heavy, fluted stainless steel barrel set in a black carbon fiber/fiberglass Bell & Carlson stock with ventilation slots in the foreend. Chamberings include .22-250 Rem., .243 Win., .308 Win., .270 WSM, .300 WSM and .325 WSM. The company will also offer a limited-production Model 1895 Safari Centennial High Grade in honor of the 100th anniversary of Teddy Roosevelt’s famous 1909 safari to Africa. www.winchesterguns.com
Weatherby Vanguard Custom
Walther PK380
WALTHER has developed the PK380, a .380 ACP variant of the popular P22 rimfire pistol. It combines the excellent ergonomics and ambidextrous configuration of the P22 with more punch from its eight-plus-one .380 ACP capacity. It is available in both all-black and two-tone configurations as well as one model equipped with a laser. www.waltheramerica.com.
