Rifles

Windham, ME – Bushmaster Firearms will supply the Alabama Department of Public Safety with 300 M4 Type Patrolman’s Carbine.

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.

Those shooters interested in a little more punch for the dollar are turning to 22 Magnum offerings. With more knock-down capability than a Long Rifle round and selling for at about half the cost of common centerfire ammunition, the magnums seem to be a good choice.

We selected the 22 Magnums because they can satisfy the plinking desires of firearm enthusiasts without breaking the bank; and they offer varmint-stopping punch for shooters interested in bagging small game. We selected three different actions of 22 Magnum rifles for our test, including one model that was recently discontinued and has become something of a sought-after collector's item. Each of the rifles has a dedicated fan base, with some favoring the old-style lever action; some siding with the normally more accurate bolt action; and some interested in the rapid-fire power of a semiautomatic.

The three rifles in our test were the lever-action Henry Model H001M, $420; the bolt-action Marlin Model 983S, $320; and the discontinued (2006) semiauto Ruger Model 10-22, which is selling for about $600 on several gun-trading websites. Despite the continuing drain on ammunition supplies because of volume purchases, there are still many different varieties of affordable 22 Magnum ammo available at most sporting-goods outlets.

We selected three types of ammunition for our test of the three rifles to check out the effectiveness and grouping of different loads. Our test ammunition included CCI Maxi Mag TNT 30-grain hollowpoints with an average muzzle velocity of 2,200 fps; Remington Premier Magnum Rimfire 33-grain Accutip-V rounds with an average muzzle velocity of 2,000 fps, and Winchester Supreme High Velocity 30-grain jacketed hollowpoints with an average muzzle velocity of 2,250 fps.

Our testing consisted of firing groups of five shots with each rifle at targets set up 50 yards down range, utilizing a Nikon ProStaff 4X scope. All shots were fired from a solid rest on an Uncle Bud's Bull Bag at Birchwood Casey Shoot-N-C 12-inch targets. We also fired a few test rounds with the open sights of each rifle, with the details listed below. Here's our test report:

Bolt-action 22 rifles are among the most basic and useful of all firearms. They are fine trainers and excellent tools for a variety of uses limited only by the imagination of the owner. We’ve seen ‘em used for just about anything, and about the only constant is that decent 22 bolt rifles generally have long and useful lives. The street price of the Marlin Model 980S rifle is about $250, averaging three sources.

In the course of preparing our report on the .45LC lever rifles, we also examined an original Winchester 1873 rifle, made in 1884, chambered in .38/40 caliber. This rifle was in excellent condition, though minus most of the finish on its receiver. It was fitted with a folding Lyman #1A aperture sight from the period in which the rifle was built, and also had a four-piece original cleaning rod in the trap in its butt stock. We compared the Cimarron version with it, and were pleased to find the new rifle was a close copy f the original, at least to casual observation.

Below are examples of operations performed on firearms and guidance as to whether or not such operations would be considered manufacturing under the Gun Control Act (GCA).

What does Fulton put into a carbine? How about: Original USGI receivers; all USGI parts, all checked with applicable gauges; an excellent-condition (refinished) original USGI stock and hand guard; a period sling and oiler; plus “The M1 Carbine Owner’s Guide,” a 140-page book by Ruth & Duff (autographed by Duff). This book was so filled with intensive details about the M1 Carbine that after reading portions of it, we had to rewrite portions of this report. Also in the Fulton package was one 10-round magazine. There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee, which gives you ample time to fall in love with your new purchase, or to find some good reason to reject it, which we don’t think you will.

Buffalo Bore now offers a round that was designed to be similar to the old FBI-standard round that featured a soft-lead 158-grain bullet at very good velocity.

Heckler & Koch is marketing a variant of its G36 assault rifle as a heavy-barrel accuracy rifle for the U.S. market. What struck us as unusual was the marrying of a heavy barrel or other heavy componentry to what was originally a lightweight field rifle configuration. The SL8-1 is a grey polymer-stocked unit that sells for $1,249.

SOUTHPORT, Conn. -- Sturm, Ruger's new SR-556 autoloading rifle is a two-stage piston driven rifle that the company claims runs cleaner, cooler, and is easier to maintain than gas driven rifles. Chambered in 5.56mm NATO, the Ruger SR-556 also fires .223 Rem. ammunition.

It has been said that if you can't do it with a 30-06, you probably can't do it. That little saying is likely more right than wrong. It has been over a century since the U.S. Military recalled the (.30-03) M1903 Springfield rifle and modified it to accept the 30-06 in the form of the M1906. The most popular hunting cartridge in North America has spawned numerous variations, being necked up in the form of the .35 Whelen and necked down as in the 25-06, with the 270 Winchester perhaps the most successful of its many offspring.

Newly introduced for 2009 are two bolt guns chambered for the 30-06, one being the latest incarnation of the highly refined Savage long action and the other the latest walnut model of the recently introduced Marlin XL7 rifle. If imitation is the greatest form of flattery, the Marlin profusely flatters the older Savage 110 action, but there are salient differences between the two, as we were soon to discover.

Along with our 30-06s tested elsewhere in this issue, we also shot a hunting-appropriate bolt action, the Sako 75 Finnlight in 308 Win. The line was officially discontinued for the 2007 model year, being replaced by the 85 series, but there are plenty of the 75-series bolt rifles floating around the used and NIB market.When we first thought about testing a Finnlight 75 in 2004, they listed for $1,267. We never tested the gun during its heyday, but were always on the lookout for good guns selling for lower prices, and we came across a sample and decided to put it through its paces.A check of recent completed auctions on GunBroker.com showed that 75 Finnlights described as NIB or 95% or better condition sold for $900 to $1100-substantially more than the very good Savage 111 reviewed on page 15. We wondered, would the expensive name-brand bolt gun be as good as the Savage. Heres what we found:

Along with our 30-06s tested elsewhere in this issue, we also shot a hunting-appropriate bolt action, the Sako 75 Finnlight in 308 Win. The line was officially discontinued for the 2007 model year, being replaced by the 85 series, but there are plenty of the 75-series bolt rifles floating around the used and NIB market.When we first thought about testing a Finnlight 75 in 2004, they listed for $1,267. We never tested the gun during its heyday, but were always on the lookout for good guns selling for lower prices, and we came across a sample and decided to put it through its paces.A check of recent completed auctions on GunBroker.com showed that 75 Finnlights described as NIB or 95% or better condition sold for $900 to $1100-substantially more than the very good Savage 111 reviewed on page 15. We wondered, would the expensive name-brand bolt gun be as good as the Savage. Heres what we found: