Rifles

One reason to produce rimfire replicas of military weapons is to help familiarize the shooter with how each gun operates at a fraction of the price of buying and feeding the corresponding centerfire model. If this isn't fun enough, then consider the history and the innovation that each rifle offers the shooter ahead of simpler rimfire designs. We last tested military-replica semiautomatic rimfire rifles in the February 2010 issue ("Tactical-Style 22 LR Carbines: Ruger, S&W, Legacy Duke It Out"), with the majority of the roster being taken up by the AR-15 design. In this test we will evaluate only one such rifle, Mossberg's $276 715T Tactical 22. Our second replica rifle represents a bygone era and the third a modern design. Our old-timer was the $399 Citadel M-1 22 Carbine made in Italy by Chiappa. The $609 German-made ISSC MK22 Desert Tan rifle with folding stock was a replica of the SCAR (Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle). Both the MK22 and the M-1 Carbine are imported by Legacy Sports International of Reno, Nevada.

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For accuracy tests, we fired from the 50-yard line with support from the Caldwell Tack Driver sandbag rest. Test ammunition was the same 40-grain assortment we used the April 2012 test of more traditional semi-automatic rifles. Two rounds featured copper-plated bullets. They were CCI's Mini Mag and CCI's AR Tactical 22 ammunition. We also fired Federal's Auto Match rounds, which launched a lead solid bullet. We also tried a variety of hollowpoint ammunition to assess versatility, but elected to fire shots of record with our roundnosed selections so we could compare results directly with our earlier tests.

Each one of our test guns arrived with open sights. In fact, the MK22/SCAR offered two aiming solutions in one set of fold-down sights. We wanted to know how well all of these sight packages worked. In addition, each rifle offered a way to mount a scope. We wanted to know how efficiently this option could be accomplished and its effect on accuracy. We began our accuracy tests using only the supplied open sights. Then, we mounted the same variable power 1-4X power scopes used in last month's rimfire rifle tests. Firing only the most accurate round per each gun, we then recorded additional 5-shot groups from the 50-yard bench. All three rifles fired at least 300 rounds over three days of testing with no more maintenance than an occasional spray of Rem Oil into the chamber and on the bolt. Let's see how they scored.

The high demand and short supply of ammunition in recent months has left many rifle shooters scrambling for alternatives to their centerfire firearms. While rimfire rounds may not be the complete answer to the problem—some types of rimfire ammunition in also in short supply—the popularity of the less expensive bullets is growing.

Any day you sign on to GunAuction.com you’re liable to find a firearm that you’ve always wanted. Apparently, quite a few gunowners are interested in Browning BARs, because Auction #10965165 has a high number of bidders interested in a BAR in 7mm Rem. Magnum built in 1978.

Modern inline muzzleloading hunting has been one of the fastest-growing hunting and shooting sports of the last twenty years. It is easy to understand why; the current crop of high-performance 209 shotshell primer–fired inline muzzleloaders from reputable manufacturers offer big-game getting accuracy like never before, with improvements in ignition system, propellant, and projectiles completing the picture. It is easy to understand the appeal, for the better muzzleloaders may provide accuracy, shooting comfort, and low cost per shot as compared to many slug shotgun attempts. Gun Tests Magazine compared premium fifty-caliber hunting tools to see how they stack up in bang for the buck. The test included the Savage 10ML-II Stainless Steel-Laminate Model 10MLBSS–II, $792.

George Kollitides has been appointed acting chief executive officer and executive chairman of the board for Freedom Group, Inc. (FGI).

As centerfire-rifle ammunition prices jump up and down, many shooters get more interested in accurate rimfire rifles that shoot affordable, available 22 Long Rifle cartridges. We recently tested three semi-automatic rifles chambered for 22 LR that showed promise of being more than just plinkers: The $325 Savage Arms model 64 TR SR V Savage, CZ-USA's $465 model 512, and the $595 Remington 597 TVP. Each gun fired from a detachable magazine, but offered different profile stocks. The Savage resembled a precision rifle that might be used for tactical applications or benchrest competition. The Remington stock was a thumb-through design fully relieved to offer a full pistol grip to the shooter. The CZ offered the most traditional outline with a somewhat rectangular receiver mated to a fine wood stock. All three rifles came with scope mounts in place, and only the CZ rifle was equipped with sights.

To test for baseline accuracy we fired each rifle from the 50-yard line utilizing benchrest support. For optics, we chose low-power variable power scopes with circle-X reticles for rapid target acquisition. Test ammunition consisted of three high-velocity rounds topped with 40-grain bullets. Both our CCI Mini Mag and AR Tactical rounds were copper plated. Federal's new Auto Match fired a solid lead slug with a smooth gleaming finish.

What we found were three very good rifles. Each one deserved an A rating, in our view, with downgrades that may or may not apply, according to the individual. By the end of our range days, the only job left was to accurately describe each gun in print so that our readers could choose which rifle would best meet their needs or suits one's tastes.

Checkering a stock is an art unto itself, and it requires hands-on experience to learn it. But we can show you some tools to use.

The Mosin Nagant bolt-action rifle was superseded by the need for a semiautomatic rifle firing the same potent caliber. Simonov came up with a design in 1936 that didnt win universal approval, and shortly thereafter Tokarev came up with his models 1938 and 1940 SVT rifles (costing about $500 to 700 today), the latter version being one-half the subjects of this report. The other half is the more recent Romanian PSL-54C (about $700 without scope), which still takes the rimmed 7.62 x 54R cartridge. This rifle resembles the AK-47, and is in fact based on it. It was issued as a designated marksman rifle. Normally scoped, our test sample had only iron sights.We shot these two rifles with Russian ball of two different types. Note that this ammunition is available inexpensively, and also with soft-nose steel-jacket bullets. Most armorers we know say to avoid soft-nose ammo in semiautos, so we did that. Most Russian-made ammo weve seen locally uses steel cases, but Norma has loaded it in recent years with brass cases, and still offers brass cases and bullets for the reloader. Several other manufacturers offer modern ammo with a great variety of bullet designs for this still very popular cartridge. All the bullets weve seen loaded in Russian ammo are steel-jacketed, even the soft-nose ones. Here are our test results.

Don’t think this little lightweight is skimpy on quality. No, it doesn’t have an AccuTrigger or a stainless barrel, and yes, it does have a polymer stock. But otherwise, it’s just as well made as the higher-end Savage Model 93 that we featured in the November 06 issue.The Stevens Model 310, chambered for the .17 HMR, is one of a series of four rimfire rifles. Of the other three, the Model 300 and the 315 are both chambered for the .22 LR, while the Model 305 is for the .22 WMR. All four disassemble in the same manner, but each rifle’s bolt has been factory fitted to the action. If you ever have more than one 300-Series model in for service at the same time, be sure you keep the bolts separated, temporarily marked with the gun’s serial number, and be sure the right bolt goes back in the right rifle.

To meet the increasing interest in short-barreled rifles, SIG SAUER has introduced a line of factory-built SBRs for the consumer market.

Those of us who like big rifles have plenty to choose from, both in type of action and caliber. Some of us have found out that rifles bigger than 30 caliber are, for those prepared to learn how to control them, far more fun than those of 30 caliber and under. There are a few tricks to help you avoid being hammered by the big ‘uns, and we've published a few of those tricks from time to time on these pages. For the uninitiated, begin with a heavy-enough rifle, one that has appropriate weight for the caliber. In this test we are going to look at two rifles chambered for the 416 Rigby, and such a rifle could easily weigh over 10 pounds without being declared too heavy.

Remington Arms Company and its parent, Freedom Group, Inc. (FGI), are pleased to announce that the board of directors has appointed Robert L. Nardelli as Chief Executive Officer.