gun world 201407

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407

1/100

0 7

0 74470 03105 5

JULY2014 VOLUME 55, NO.7 $4.99 U.S.DISPLAY UNTIL: 7/1/14 www.gunworld.com

Engaged Media By Beckett

GET A TACTICAL ADVANTAGE: 6 NEW PRODUCTS

AFFORDABLESLEEK

SEMI-AUTOWEATHERBYS

28-GAUGE SA-08

BARRETTSPOWERFUL,

PRECISE

BOLT ACTIONMRAD

HIGH TECHRELIABILITY

DOUBLE TAPS

POCKET PISTOL

RADRIFLE!

VARMINTBLITZKRIEG

LOADINGSIERRA

BLITZKINGBULLETS

ALL-PRO

SELF-DEFENSERUGER LCRx

IN .38 SPECIAL

ROARING RIMFIRE COMBOWINCHESTERS.17 WSM CARTRIDGE &SAVAGESB-MAG RIFLE

BROWNINGS X-BOLT ECLIPSE HUNTER

ENGINEERED TO EXCEL

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407

2/100

The Mustanghas been a favorite of customers for years. Updated with

21st century technology, the Mustang XSP is sure to become a popularoption for concealed carry. But the most important stories belong to themen and women who have owned and relied on Colt through the decades.Make your story include a Colt.

BUILT ONE AT A TIME.PROVEN EVERY ROUND.

COLT.COM 800.962.COLT FACEBOOK.COM/COLTFIREARMS @COLTFIREARMS

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407

3/100

GEAR THATTRIES YOU ON

FOR SIZE.

In 1990 a Navy SEAL was nav igating a minefield when his pack failed. As his gear tumbled to the ground,

he vowed that if he got out of there alive he would make gear the right way. Today this obsession with

quality applies to every thing we do. Were constantly researching, refining and perfecting every detail

to provide gear that wont let you down. Because were not just making stuff. Were honoring a vow.

2013 BLACKHAWK!NORFOLK, VA U.S.A. BLACKHAWK.com

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407

4/1004 GUN WORLD | JULY 2014 www.gunworld.com

CONTENTSJULY 2014

FEATURE

STotal Eclipse

The Browning X-BoltEclipse Hunter rifle is cleverlyengineered, exceptionallywell built and a head turner atthe range.By Mike Dickerson

Defense On TapThe highly antici-

pated DoubleTap Defensepistol utilizes a remarkablysimple design, making it alightweight and dependablederringer for the 21st century.By Leroy Thompson

PleasantWeatherby

Weatherbys SA-08 semi-autoshotguns are reliable and rea-sonably priced, and this sleek28 gauge might just be thecrown jewel of the lineup.By Brad Fitzpatrick

Rad Rifle

With a proud militarylineage and a variety of missionapplications, the Barrett MRADin .308 Winchester takes boltaction another step forward.By Todd Burgreen

Get Hammered!While the author was

delighted with Rugers Ham-merless LCR, hes got a realcrush on the new exposed-hammer version.By Dave Workman

Roaring RimfireWinchesters .17

WSM rimfire cartridge is fastand innovative, and the light-weight and fast-handlingSavage B-Mag rifle maximizesits potential.By Thomas C. Tabor

14

38

54

46

22

30

14

MikeDickerson

GUN WORLD (ISSN 0017-5641) Volume 55,

Number 7, is published monthly, 12 times

a year by Beckett Media, LLC, 22840 Savi

Ranch Parkway, #200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887.

Periodical postage paid at Anaheim, CA, and

additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send

address changes to Gun World c/o Beckett

Media, 4635 McEwen Road, Dallas, TX 75244.

Return undelivered Canadian addresses to: GunWorld c/o Pitney Bowes, Inc. PO Box 25542,

London, ON N6C 6B GST#855050365RT001

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407

5/100

DONT JUST HUNT...

AMBUSH 300BLK

BLACK CREEK, GA

| 1.855.AMBUSH2 | AMBUSHFIREARMS.com | Find us on

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


COLUMNS

ON THE COVER:

Photographs by Barrett,Browning and DoubleTap

Cover design by Jesse Cao

8 Up Front Craig Hodgkins

10 New Products Craig Hodgkins

12 Ask the Experts Gun WorldContributors

64 Todays Hunter Thomas C. Tabor

70 Reload James E. House

76 Concealed Carry Dave Workman

82 Gunsmithing Steve Sieberts

SteveSieberts

BarrettFirearms

SavageArms

82

38

54

90 Questions &Answers: Champion Craig Hodgkins

96 Back Pages Craig Hodgkins

CONTENTS

0 7

0 7 4 4 70 0 3 1 05 5

JULY2014VOLUME55,NO.7 $4.99 U.S.DISPLAYUNTIL:7/1/14 www.gunworld.com

EngagedMediaByBeckett

GET A TACTICAL ADVANTAGE: 6 NEW PRODUCTS

AFFORDABLESLEEK

SEMI-AUTOWEATHERBYS

28-GAUGE SA-08

BARRETTSPOWERFUL,

PRECISEBOLT ACTION

MRAD

HIGH TECHRELIABILITY

DOUBLE TAPSPOCKET PISTOL

RADRIFLE!

VARMINTBLITZKRIEG

LOADINGSIERRA

BLITZKINGBULLETS

ALL-PROSELF-DEFENSE

RUGER LCRxIN .38SPECIAL

ROARING RIMFIRE COMBOWINCHESTERS.17 WSM CARTRIDGE &SAVAGESB-MAG RIFLE

BROWNINGS X-BOLTECLIPSE HUNTER

ENGINEERED TO EXCEL

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407

7/100

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


JULY 2014 VOLUME 55 NUMBER 7

EDITORIALEditorial Director: Doug JeffreyEditor: Craig HodgkinsManaging Editor: Elise PortaleCreative Director: Eric KnaggArt Director: Johann Frederick Mendoza

CONTRIBUTORSTodd Burgreen, Jerry Catania, Mike Dickerson,Brad Fitzpatrick, Paul Hantke, James House, JamesonParker, Buck Pope, D.K. Pridgen, John Raguso, Steve

Sieberts, Dave Spaulding, Tom Tabor, Chuck Taylor, LeroyThompson, Martin Topper, Dave Workman

ADVERTISINGGabe Frimmel: Ad Sales Director(714) 200-1930 [email protected] Clifford: Senior Account Executive(717) 896-8956Mark Pack: Senior Account Executive(714) 200-1939Gennifer Merriday: Ad Trafc Coordinator

DIRECT MARKETING GROUPJohn Bartulin (866) 866-5146 ext. 2746Paul Caca (866) 866-5146 ext. 4961Ryan Lauro (866) 866-5146 ext. 2756Mary Ann Jaca (866) 866-5146 ext 2716

OPERATIONSGus Alonzo: Newsstand Sales & Marketing ManagerCelia Merriday: Newsstand AnalystArmit Sharma: Newsstand & Production AnalystMohit Patel: Newsstand & Production Analyst

Alberto Chavez: Senior Logistics & Facilities ManagerJohn Cabral: Creative Graphic Designer

EDITORIAL, PRODUCTION & SALES OFFICE22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, #200Yorba Linda, CA 92887(714) 939-9991www.gunworld.comwww.facebook.com/gunworldmagazinewww.facebook.com/eembybeckett

GUN WORLD (ISSN 0017-5641) Volume 55, Number 7, ispublished monthly, 12 times a year by Beckett Media, LLC,22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, #200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887.Periodical postage paid at Anaheim, CA, and additionalmailing ofces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to GunWorld c/o Beckett Media, 4635 McEwen Road, Dallas, TX75244. Return undelivered Canadian addresses to: GunWorld c/o Pitney Bowes, Inc. PO Box 25542, London, ONN6C 6B GST#855050365RT001 2014 by Beckett Media,LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material fromthis issue in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.

CUSTOMER SERVICEBeckett Media, LLC4635 Mc Ewen Road. Dallas, TX 75244

SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS CHANGES,RENEWALS, MISSING OR DAMAGED COPIES(800) 764-6278(239) 653-0225 Foreign [email protected]@beckett.com

BACK ISSUES: www.engagedmediamags.comBOOKS, MERCHANDISE, REPRINTS: (239) 280-2380DEALER SALES: (239) 280-2380NEW PRODUCTS OR TO CONTRIBUTE A STORY OR [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTION RATES$17.95/1 year, $27.95/2 years. Foreign $33.95/1 year,$59.95/2 years. Single copy price is $4.99. Please allow 6to 8 weeks for new subscriptions to begin.

Beckett Media, LLCNick Singh: Executive DirectorErin Masercola: Business Unit Editorial Director

This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the under-standing that information presented is from varioussources from which there can be no warranty or responsi-bility by Beckett Media, LLC as to the legality, complete-ness or technical accuracy.

GST #855050365RT001Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:

PITNEY BOWES, INC.P.O. Box 25542London, ON N6C 6B2

GUN WORLDIN SOCIAL MEDIA:

Website:www.gunworld.comFacebook:www.facebook.com/

gunworldmagazineTwitter:@gunworldmag

Summer is finally here.

The weather is warming, andthose of you not responsible for the

publication of a monthly magazinecan probably sneak away for a

week or two of vacation.Summer holidays provide a

chance to travel to or through

places with intriguing names. Grow-ing up, I was exposed to tales of

gold-rush-era settlements such asChucklehead Diggings and Mugfuz-

zle Flat, which hooked me on placenames. None of these survived thesubsequent bust, but other

uniquely named towns, waterways,and mountain ranges continue to

this day.According to George R. Stew-

art, author of Names on the Land,place names often come from liter-ary influences, religious or mytho-

logical names. Others derive fromdedicatory celebrations. For exam-

ple, 31 states have named a countyafter George Washington. Place

names can be descriptive or comefrom incidents, both memorableand not so.

Some, however, are related tofirearms, so if you have a little time

set aside for a summer trip, here area few spots that readers of Gun

Worldmay wish to visit.Pistol River, an unincorporated

community in southwestern Ore-gon, was named in 1853 when amilitia soldier named James Mace

lost his pistol in a river during the

Rogue River Wars. The river took onthat name, and the town that camelater followed suit.

A similar incident named Rifle,Colo., in 1880 when a man left hislong gun near a stream but was un-

able to find it upon his return.

WHATSIN ANAME?

Othermemorablenames have

nothing to do withguns and running

water.

Cartridge Creeknow part of

the Kings Canyon National Parknear Fresno, Calif.earned its name

in the 1870s when a young hunterstanding along its banks became so

excited while sighting in a bear thathe ejected the cartridges from hisWinchester without firing.

Gunbarrel Creek, near Cody,Wyo., became so because an old

gun barrel was found there. In Mary-land, the joining of two freshwater

rivers, Big Gunpowder Falls and Lit-tle Gunpowder Falls, forms theGunpowder River, a popular fishing

destination on the western side ofChesapeake Bay. Although the

exact origin of the name is lost totime, it dates to 1658.

Other memorable names havenothing to do with guns and run-ning water. Trigger Mountain in

Texas was named because of arock formation that resembled an

inverted trigger. Sixshooter Draw,also in Texas, lies in southern Pecos

County, west of U.S. Highway 395.

Popular opinion holds that thename came from a six-shooter-

shaped cattle brand used in the late1800s in that area rather than from

a particular incident.But if you cant find your way

clear to visit any of these loca-

tions, or if you dont feel up to ahike to the top of Gunstock Knob,

W.Va., I hope you have a terrificsummer anyway. GW

UP FRONT

By Craig Hodgkins

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407

9/100

Startingat

$489MSR

P

SAVAGE

ARMS.CO

M

ACCUTRIGGER

|WEAVER SCOPE

|SILKYSMOOT

HBOLTACTION

|DETACHABLE

BOXMAGAZIN

E

Weve

DoneIt

Again

Whenwec

ameoutwiththe

AXISXPa

fewyearsb

ack,ittota

llychanged

whathunte

rsexpected

fromanentry-leve

lrifle.With

accuracyt

hatbeat

anythingat

itspricean

dbeyond,i

tquicklybe

cameoneofthe

mostpopu

lar

riflepackag

esinAmer

ica.Weved

oneitagain

withtheA

XISIIXP.Wetook

everything

thatmadeth

eAXISgre

at,andadd

edourlege

ndaryAccu

Trigger

andaWea

verKASPA

scope(M

SRP$150

),whichco

mesmounte

dand

boresighte

d.Allyoun

eedtodo

isopenthe

box,finetu

nethezero

andhunt.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


NEWPRODUCTS

NEW &IMPROVEDFrom Triggers to Scopes, These New Products WillImprove Your Tactical Performance

GEISSELE CUSTOM TAVOR TRIGGERIts no secret that the TAVOR rifle from Israel

Weapon Industries (IWI) has sold very well sinceit was introduced last year. This bullpup is veryreliable, but some owners have desired a

lighter trigger pull. Geissele Automatics makesexcellent triggers for semi-automatic and se-lect-fire rifles, and they're now introducing onefor the TAVOR.

Geissele's Super TAVOR Trigger comes fullyassembled in a trigger housing. Installation issimple. Remove the TAVOR trigger housing,drop in the Geissele unit and replace the hous-ing retaining pins. No adjustments are needed.Once installed, pull weight drops to 3.5 pounds,which is about 60 percent lighter than the fac-tory-installed TAVOR trigger.

When tested at the Big 3 Conference, theGeissele Super TAVOR Trigger proved very fastand precise. Trigger pull was smooth, light andvery consistent. This new trigger will be availabledirectly from Geissele in the near future.

MSRP: $350

www.geissele.com

Reviews & Photos by Dr. Martin A. Topper

HUNTERTOWN ARMS ARTAKEDOWN CONVERSION

Up until now, there really hasn't been a goodway to make a gas impingement AR-pattern riflemore compact for transport and storage. A tele-scoping stock will trim a few inches off the back end,but the rifle is still pretty long and won't fit into abackpack or other short case.

Huntertown Arms solved the problem by devel-oping an adapter kit that allows a traditional AR tobe separated into two sections by removing the bar-rel and forend as a single unit, which is less than 18inches long. The disassembled rifle fits easily in abackpack when the stock is telescoped to its short-est length. When uncased, the rifle can be reassem-bled in less than 30 seconds, making it an ideal riflefor packing into a remote hunting area. When itsreassembled, the rifle returns to zero, eliminating theneed to re-sight the rifle.

The conversion kit requires gunsmith installa-tion and will be available soon.

MSRP: $149

www.huntertownarms.com.A Huntertown Takedown-modified AR can be easily unpacked and assembled inabout a half-minute.

Long-range shooters will soon beable to buy a Geissele Super TAVORTrigger with a 3.5-pound trigger pull.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407

11/100www.gunworld.com JULY 2014 | GUN WORLD 11

RS PRODUCTS RSREGULATEAK SCOPE MOUNT

Owners of AK-pattern rifles are often frustratedwhen it comes to mounting optics on their rifle's siderail. That's because AK receivers aren't standardized. Upuntil now, AK owners had to find the mounts that fittheir particular model of rifle if they wanted to align anoptic with the bore.

RS Products of Chesterfield, Mich., has developed amounting system that makes it easy to mount almostany red-dot or telescopic sight on almost any AK. TheRSRegulate two-piece optical mounts have a lower unitthat locks onto the side rail and an adjustable upper

unit that cantilevers the optic over the receiver where itcan be adjusted to line up with the bore. The lowerand upper components are made of 6061-T6 alu-minum and come in several configurations dependingupon the type of optic being mounted. Mounts areavailable from a number of distributors and costapproximately $180 to $200 for combinationlower/upper unit with mounting screws.

MSRP: $180-200

www.rsregulate.com

MGI'S MULTI-CALIBERMARCK-15HYDRA

Hunters whouse AR-patternrifles for a varietyof game ofteninvest thousands

of dollars buyingseveral rifles andoptics. MGI Mili-tary of Old Town,Maine, has a morecost-effectiveapproach with its

Marck-15 Hydra rifle. This unique modular rifle canbe converted to another caliber in about 90 sec-onds. Depending upon whether you just need anotherbarrel or need the entire barrel, magazine well andbolt conversion kit, a person can change his riflefrom one caliber to another for between $200 to$500. Compared to the cost of a new rifle and

optic, that's a savings of at least $1,000.The Marck-15 Hydra will handle just about any

caliber from .223 Rem/5.56 NATO to .50 Beowulf.

MSRP: $1,299

www.mgi-military.com

SAVVY SNIPERS QD

2-POINT TO 1-POINTQD/MS SLING

Anyone who has everbought a sling for a tacti-cal rifle knows how frus-trating it can be to mounta sling only to find outthat you really need onethat has a one-pointattachment rather thantwo points of attach-ment. This is especiallyimportant for lawenforcement officers andtactical match competi-tors who like a two-pointsling for easy carry andoff-hand shooting and a

handy one-point sling for CQB.Brian Alford, a SWAT officer who owns Savvy

Sniper, has come up with a solution for this dilemma.It's a two-point sling that quickly converts to a one-point in a matter of seconds. Offered in two differentmodels: The Quad Dual QD MS uses Mount-N-Slotattachments, and the Cobra version uses high-endCobra Austri Alpin tri-glide and buckle componentswith MS QD mounts.

MSRP: $84.95 (standard version), $124.95 (Cobra)

www.savvysniper.com

PDQ's AR Bolt ReleaseThere are many great features on AR rifles, but

the bolt release is rarely one of them. Speed reload-ing an AR is a fairly simple procedure until you go torelease the bolt. At that point, you either have toslap the bolt release with your left palm or hunt forthe release and press it with your thumb or indexfinger. Either way, time is lost, regardless if youshoot right or left-handed.

But what if a right-hander could just reach upwith the right index finger and press a lever to releasethe bolt and a left-hander could just reach up withthe right thumb? The ambidextrous PDQ releasefrom Teal Blue Bravo makes this possible. This one-piece device has a traditional AR Bolt release on theleft side of the lower receiver and a lever on the rightside. I tried it at the Big 3 Tactical Conference andwondered why the AR wasn't designed this way inthe first place.

MSRP: $59.95

www.tealbluebravo.com

The author tried out an AK-47 with anAimpoint Micro sight at the Big 3 Confer-ence in Daytona Beach, Fla. The mountplaced the optic in perfect position foroffhand shooting.

The SavvySniper Quad

Dual QD slingon this TAVOR

transitionsquickly fromtwo-point to

one-pointattachment,providing its

user withmaximum

flexibility inthe field.

The PDQ bolt release provides a lever on the right side of the AR lowerreceiver above and behind the magazine release button. It makesreloads much faster for both right- and left-handed shooters.

Mack Gwinn,President of MGI-

Military, demonstratesthe Marck-15 Hydra at

the Big 3 Conference inDaytona Beach, Fla.This remarkable AR

can be converted intoa new caliber in about

90 seconds.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


We do the research so you dont have to.

ASK theEXPERTS

OUR JUNE EXPERTS:

Leroy Thompson is an internationally recognized authority on weapons and tactics and is the author of 50 books.His current feature on the DoubleTap Defense derringer may be found on Page 22.

Thomas C. Tabor is Gun Worlds resident hunting columnist and routinely goes afield in pursuit of small birds, largegame and good stories. His review of the Savage B-Mag and the .17 WSM cartridge may be found on Page 54.

ROMANIAN

Question: Ive seen advertise-ments for the Romanian Dra-gunov at prices that do notseem that high consideringhow scarce Dragunov rifles are.

Are these Romanian rifles thesame as a Russian Dragunov?

Alex T., Laredo, Texas

Leroy Thompson Answers: Therifle that is sometimes called theRomanian Dragunov (or Roman-ian SVD) looks much like the Russ-ian rifle, but it is actually quite a bitdifferent. Designated the PSL, thisrifle is actually based on the RPKlight machine gun and uses theKalashnikov long, strong gas-pistonaction. It was designed to serve thepurpose that DMRs (DesignatedMarksman Rifles) serve in other

armed forces, allowing its user toreach out further and more accu-rately than could troops armed withthe AKM rifle.

Because it uses the Kalash-nikov action, the PSL is very reliableand functions well in harsh environ-

ments with little maintenance. Itsstock is rather short to allow use incold weather over heavy clothing.As a result, many Americans whotry it find it uncomfortable. Anotherinteresting aspect of the stock notpresent on Russian Dragunovs is aspring-loaded buttplate that cush-ions recoil.

One of the best features of thePSL is its 4X scope, which is pro-duced by the Romanian opticalcompany I.O.R., known for quality.The PSL sees a lot of use by Iraqiand Afghan troops as they arefamiliar with the AKM action.

An Afghan National Army soldier armed with a PSL. (U.S. Army) ... The PSLis very reliable

and functions

well in harshenvironments ...

RIFLE

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


Question: With feral pigsspreading throughout the U.S.,I'd like to set up a rifle specifi-

cally to hunt them. Im consid-ering my .243 Remington rifle,but it wears a 4x12x scope andthat may be a bit too muchmagnification for a pigscope. I've been told mosthogs are generally shot atfairly close range. Should Ilook into another type ofscope or sight? And if so, whatwould you recommend?

Joe M., Minneapolis, Minn.

Tom Tabor Answers: You areabsolutely right about the spread

of feral pigs. Ive been told thatferal hogs are currently found in 48

of our 50 states, and there are pre-dictions that they will spread tothe remaining two states in the

next decade.These pigs do a great deal of

damage, but on the plus side, they

have created a great deal of newhunting opportunities. You are alsoright about the distance at which

most hogs are shot. In most caseshogs are shot at or under 100 yards.This is largely due to a couple of

factors. First, pigs are most often

found in and around brushy habitat,like that found in many parts ofTexas. And second, due to the

species inherent poor eyesight,they can be approached at veryclose range without detection.

Your 4-12x scope wouldn't bemy first choice for hogs. In a pinch,

you could possibly use it on your.243, but there are better choices

out there. A low-power variablescopemaybe something in the

area of a 1.5-5xwould be a goodchoice, but as an alternative, youmight consider a red-dot sight like

those produced by Aimpoint. While

these typically have no magnifica-tion, they produce excellent results

at close to moderate range andoften surprise me even at longer

range. I have used several of thesesights from Aimpoint and othermanufacturers and have always

been extremely impressed withtheir abilities. The manufacturers

frequently recommend using thesesights with both eyes open, which

provides the shooter a wider fieldof view and allows for quickertarget acquisition.GW

HOGOPTICS

... Feral hogsare currently

found in 48 of our

50 states ...

Leupold & Stevens offersthe VX and VX-R HogSeries, and these low-

magnification variablepowered scopes work verywell in this application.

Aimpoint produces a wide variety of red-dot sights that work perfectly for pig hunting. This 9000SC NVSight is mounted on Tabors .243 Remington Model 700 BDL rifle.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407

14/100

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


We self-confessedrifle loonies comein all shapes and

sizes and with wildly diverg-ing likes and dislikes. This isevident in our preferencesfor rifle stocks. Some of usswoon over richly figured,high-grade walnut riflestocks. Others go weak inthe knees at the sight of gar-

ishly colored syntheticstocks that make tradition-alists (like me) cringe.

The author reports that the new Hunter Eclipse X-Bolt rifle, in addition to shooting accurately, drawsattention at the range due the rifles unique styling.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


While I am afflicted with afondness for fine and expensivewood stocks, I have nothing againsttastefully done synthetic stocks, in-cluding some in camo patterns. Inrecent years, however, I must con-fess to a newly acquired weaknessfor well executed laminated stocks.

And thats a good place tobegin our review of the newest

incarnation of the Browning X-Boltrifle, the Eclipse Hunter, because themost obvious difference betweenthe new rifle and other X-Bolt mod-els is a laminated thumbhole stock,complete with Monte Carlo cheekpiece. To my eye, its aestheticallypleasing, and aesthetics have longbeen an important part of theBrowning mystique, right down tothe ubiquitous Buckmark logo.

But what advantages, if any,does the thumbhole stock offer

over traditional stock designs?

TALKING STOCK

Thats a great topic for a camp-fire debate because few hunters areneutral on the subject. Some purelylove thumbhole stocks. Others hatethem with the heat of 10 thousandsuns. This rifle looneys stance onthe issue is this: It depends.

Thumbhole stocks are not myfirst choice for a stalking gun usedin situations where you may have toshoot quickly. Thats partly because

some thumbhole stocks are quiteheavy (this one isnt) and partlybecause the simple act of movingyour thumb to manipulate thesafety can be a little awkward and,without practice, a tad slower thanwith a traditional stock.

On the other hand, I very sel-domly find myself in situationswhere I have to shoot all that

quickly, and thumbhole stocks dooffer certain advantages. Themost important of these are a morerelaxed grip for the wrist and, assum-ing the stock fits your hand cor-rectly, more consistent fingerplacement on the trigger andimproved trigger control. This reallybecomes evident when you have toshoot from a stationary position for

any period of time, such as at thebench, or from a blind or stand.Thats why thumbhole stocks arefavored by many who habituallypursue predators and varmints.

Some even claim the benefitof reduced felt recoil, as your thumband palm absorb some recoilimpulse along with your shoulder,but this largely depends upon thecartridge youre shooting. Withtruly heavy-kicking rifles, youmight find that a thumbhole stock

delivers more punishment thanyour thumb prefers.

WELL ENGINEERED AND

EXECUTED

Of course, theres a lot more tothis rifle than the stock, and X-Boltfans wont be disappointed in thismodel. It comes with all the refine-ments that made the X-Bolt sucha significant departure from theA-Bolt.

The push-feed action employsa machined bolt with three large,

evenly spaced lugs and a gener-ously sized extractor. A bolt unlockbutton, which lets you open the boltwith the tang safety engaged, sits

conveniently atop the bolt handle.The only thing I dont like in thisarrangement is the shiny surface ofthe bolt itself, but thats a minor bitof nitpicking.

I am, however, seriously pickyabout triggers on hunting rifles, andIm pleased to report that Brown-ings three-lever Feather Triggerhits the mark. Theres no discernible

creep, and the trigger on our testrifle broke crisply at an averageweight of 3 pounds, 8 ounces. Itsadjustable to a pull weight ofbetween 3 and 5 pounds. If thiswere my rifle, I would immediatelycrank it down to minimum let-offand live happily with the results.

The barrel of the rifle is free-floated (I checked) by virtue of bed-ding the action fore and aft. Thebedding is well executed and aclear improvement over the bed-

ding Ive seen on some older A-Boltrifles. Barrels, which sport recessedmuzzle crowns, are triple checkedfor interior finish and straightnessand are air-gauged for uniformity,according to Browning.

Theres a lot to like about therifles detachable polymer maga-zine. First, its tough. Dont let theword polymer fool you, as thismagazine can take some punish-ment. It sits tight and flush with thebottom of the rifle, and the rotarydesign feeds cartridges smoothly

and directly in line with the bolt.

In the field,this rifle will

get the jobdone ...

For testing, the authormounted a Bushnell Elite 65002.5-16X42mm scope with DOA600 reticle.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407

17/100

SCOPED FOR DEAD-ON ACCURACY

The rifle scope that I used with the test riflehas become one of myfavorites when higher

magnification is desired. The Bushnell Elite 6500 model used offers six-times magnification,

from 2.5x to 16x, and the flexibility to drop down in power when desirable in the field. One

feature I-really liked at the range was the scopes side parallax adjustment. This is especially

helpful to those of us who wear corrective lenses and sometimes find that scope focus

differently for us than for those with normal vision.

Inaddition to the parallax adjustment and high-quality glass you would expect from a

scope in this class, the Elite 6500 offers all the usual features expected of a premium scope

these days.This particular model has a 30 mm tube and 42 mm objective with multi-coated

lenses. The optics are also treated with a patented, permanentwater-repellent coating for

clear performance in bad weather.

Although these scopes are available with a number of reticles, the one I tested had Bushnells

DOA 600 reticle. The DOA, or Dead-On Accurate, reticles provide precise extended-yardage

aiming pointsto helpyou shoot accurately out to 600 yards witha centerfire rifle. Its compatible

with most of todays popular hunting loads and even has a rackbracket to help with field

judging a whitetail or mule deer buck in the field.

While I havent had achance to test this scope at 600 yards, these typesof reticles usually

work well if you takethe time to verify aiming points with preferred hunting ammo so that you

know with certainty what the point of impact will be at various ranges when usingthe appropriate

corresponding aiming point witha properly zeroed rifle.

The argon-purged scope is guaranteed to be 100-percent waterproof,fog-proof and

shockproof. In fact, under Bushnells Bulletproof guarantee, if youre not completelysatisfied

with your scope, you can return it, no questions asked, for a full refund of the purchase price.

The release catch is attached to thefront of the magazine, and I found it

easy to quickly pop magazines inand out of the rifle with one hand.

Ergonomically speaking, its a greatdesign, and the magazine holds

four rounds in standard calibersand three rounds in short-mag

chamberings. If youre looking for ashort-mag rifle, this alone makes

the X-Bolt worthy of consideration.Another clever bit of engineer-

ing can be found in the rifles Inflex

recoil pad. Instead of allowing therecoil impulse to travel straight to

the rear, the pads internal ribs com-press in a way that pulls the combof the stock down and away from

the shooters face, effectively less-ening felt recoil.

This rifle has some characteris-tics that you simply cant appreci-

ate until you handle it personallyand examine the rifle closely. Cut

checkering on the forearm providesa sure grip and is nicely executed.Compared to many factory rifles

these days, overall fit and finish onthe rifle I tested was exceptional.

The X-Bolt is a well engineeredproduct, but attention to detail dur-ing the manufacturing process really

sets this rifle apart. On that meas-ure, the Eclipse Hunter leaves many

With a pleasing combination of high comb and low scope mount, the author found that the stock of

the Hunter Eclipse allowed the scope reticle to align with the eye very quickly.

From the first shot 25 years

ago, the X Bullet shattered

bones and records. Today,

that technology is loaded

into every round of Barnes

VOR-TX Ammunition - the

ultimate in accuracy, terminal

performance and handloaded

precision in a factory loaded

round. Available in standard

rifle, metric, dangerous game

and handgun cartridges.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


BROWNING X-BOLT ECLIPSE HUNTER RIFLE .30-06

LOAD AVG. MUZZLE AVG. 100-YARD BEST 100-YARDVELOCITY (FPS) GROUP (INCHES) GROUP (INCHES)

Barnes VOR-TX 180-grain 2,687 1.00 0.93TTSX

Federal Vital-Shok 2,806 1.27 0.85165-grain Nosler Balllistic Tip

Hornady American Whitetail 2,795 0.93 0.74150-grain Interlock

Hornady Custom Lite 2,543 1.26 1.13Reduce Recoil 125-grain SST

Winchester 168-grain 2,867 1.12 1.10

Ballistic Silvertip

Winchester Power Max 2,872 1.46 1.30Bonded 150-grain PHP

Note: All test groups fired with wind varying 8 to 20 mph.

other factory rifles in the dust.

The rifle is available in .270WSM and .300 WSM with 23-inchbarrels. Offerings in traditional cal-

ibers include .243 Win, 7mm-08Rem, .270 Win, .308 Win and .30-

06 Springfield in rifles with 22-inchbarrels. You can also get it in .25-06

Rem with a 24-inch barrel as wellas 7mm Rem Mag and .300 WinMag with 26-inch barrels. Weight

varies between 6 pounds, 7 ounces,and 7 pounds, 8 ounces, depending

on caliber.

AESTHETIC ACCURACYAs pleased as I was with the

rifles aesthetics, I couldnt wait tosee if its performance at the range

matched its good looks. To find out,I mounted a 2.5-16X42 mm Bush-

nell Elite 6500 scope on Talleylightweight one-piece scope

mounts. Thanks to the EclipseHunters short, 60-degree bolt liftand flattened knob on the bold

handle, I was able to use lowmounts without any difficulty, even

with the scopes 42 mm objectivelens. With the rifles pleasing com-

bination of high comb and lowscope mount, the scope reticle

aligned with the eye very quickly.

The Talley mounts, long a per-sonal favorite, matched up per-

fectly with the X-Bolts unique

The author found the EclipseHunters 60-degree bolt lift to

be both fast in the field andhelpful in mounting scope inlow mounts.

The Hunter Eclipse shot well at the bench.Overall average group size, for all testedammo, was 1.18 inches.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


The rotary detachable magazine fits flush withthe bottom of the rifle and blends well with itsrounded, snag-free edges.

The Inflex recoil pad compresses in a way thatpulls the comb of the stock down and away from

the shooters face, effectively lessening felt recoil.

The X-Bolts excellent Feather Trigger has no

discernible creep and is adjustable to a pullweight of between 3 and 5 pounds.

The Eclipse Hunter has a tang-mounted, two-position safety. It works in conjunction with a bolt-

release button located on top of the bolt handle.

X-Bolt fanswont be

disappointed inthis model.

X-Lock scope-mounting system,which uses four screws per baseinstead of the usual two screws.This resulted in a rock-solid mountwith absolutely accurate placementon the receiver.

After checking torque settingson the action screws (they were

correct) and bore-sighting the rifle, Iproceeded to see what it could dofrom the bench pushing five factoryrounds of various bullet weightsover my Competitive Edge Dynam-ics M2 chronograph.

Velocity of factory ammo canvary considerably from rifle to rifle,and that proved to be the case withthe Eclipse Hunter. Four of fiveloads clocked average velocitiesbelow factory-stated velocities outof the rifles 22-inch barrel, whichisnt really surprising. Only Federals

Vital-Shok load with 165-grainNosler Ballistic Tip bullets man-aged to meet (and barely exceed)factory-stated velocity. HornadysCustom Lite reduced-recoil 125-grain SST load showed the greatestvariation, running some 157 fpsbehind published velocity.

Hornadys American Whitetailload with 150-grain Interlock bulletsalso ran a bit more than 100 fpsslower than advertised but other-wise turned in a stellar perform-

ance. This round, which is pricedconsiderably below many premiumammo brands, stole the accuracy

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


SPECIFICATIONS

Browning X-BoltEclipse Hunter

Action: 60-degree lift,

push-feed bolt action

Caliber: .30-06 Spring-

field, as tested

Stock: Monte Carlo

wood laminate

thumbhole

Finish: Blued

Barrel: 22 inches, free

floated

Sights: None, drilled

and tapped

Magazine Capacity:

Four in standard calibers

Overall Length: 42 7/8

inches

Weight: 7 pounds, 5

ounces, unloaded,

without scope

MSRP: $1,019.99

show by turning in sub-MOA aver-age groups (0.93 inch) and a bestgroup measuring 0.74 inch. If I fed

this rifle only factory ammo andspent most of my time shootingwhitetails from blinds, Id go withthis load and never look back.Another great performer wasBarnes VOR-TX 180-grain TTSXload, which turned in a best groupmeasuring 0.93 inch and averagegroups measuring exactly 1 inch.That was no surprise as the BarnesTTSX ammo is some of the mostconsistently accurate factoryammo Ive tested across a range ofrifles and calibers.

Anotherclever bit of

engineering canbe found in the

rifles Inflex

recoil pad.

This photo illustrates the nicelyexecuted checkering on the forearmof the laminated stock.

With a pleasing combination of high comb andlow scope mount, the author found that the stock

of the Hunter Eclipse allowed the scope reticle to

align with the eye very quickly.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


SOURCES:

Barnes Bullets

www.barnesbullets.com

Browning Firearms

www.browning.com

Bushnell

www.bushnell.com

Competitive Edge Dynamics

www.cedhk.com

Federal Premium Ammunition

www.federalpremium.com

Hornady Manufacturing Company

www.hornady.com

Nagels Gun Shop

www.nagelsguns.net

Talley Manufacturing

www.talleymanufacturing.com

Winchester Ammunition

www.winchester.com

Overall average group size, for

all tested ammo, was 1.18 inches.The average size of the best groups,from all five loads, was 0.99 inch. In

short, this rifle groups under an inchwith ammo it likes and within an

inch and a half with all testedammo. It did so without the benefit

of break-in and on a day when the

wind varied considerably.While I suspect this rifle is

capable of even better groups withmore break-in and further experi-

mentation with ammo, game ani-mals are most unlikely to notice

any small improvements in groupsizes. In the field, this rifle will get

the job done and, in this riflelooneys opinion, it will do so withstunning good looks.GW

The push-feed action employs a machined bolt with threelarge, evenly spaced lugs and a generously sized extractor.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407

22/100

22 GUN WORLD | JULY 2014 www.gunworld.com

Story & Photos by Leroy Thompson

DEFENSE

ON TAPDoubleTap:

A Reliable andLightweight

Derringer for the21st Century.

Like many others in the firearmsworld, Ive awaited the release ofthe DoubleTap Defense derringer

with interest since its announcement a

couple of years ago. Its high-tech use oflightweight aluminum and titanium hasgiven it a cachet not present with manysteel derringers. Although I look forwardto testing the titanium model when it isfinally available, the aluminum versionis certainly tough enough to stand up tothe number of rounds likely to be firedthrough it and is actually lighter thanthe titanium one will be.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


Thompson firing the DoubleTap with9x19mm barrel in place. The photo

caught the pistol at the peak ofmuzzle flip during recoil. The pistolhas heavy recoil, but for a few shotsin a self-defense situation, this willnot likely be an issue.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


DoubleTap experienced production

delays with the initial manufacturer,but a different companyAzimuth

Technology of Naples, Fla.is nowproducing the pistol. Azimuth spe-cializes in precision manufacturing

of aluminum and titanium for theaerospace and defense industries

and uses state-of-the-art CNC pre-cision mills and lathes, among

other machinery, and this experi-ence is apparent in the finishedproduct. In addition, DoubleTap is

based in St. Louis, where I live, and Ihave known many of those involved

with it for many years. As a result, Iwas not surprised at the high qual-

ity of the product.

RELIABLY SIMPLE

The DoubleTap design is sim-

ple, reliable and will require littlemaintenance. The portion of the

grip housing that contains the firecontrol parts is sealed so there is a

smaller chance of dirt or debris get-ting inside. As this is a pocket pistol,thats most definitely a positive.

Operating the trigger causes a leverand ratchet to cycle a pair of strik-

ers under spring tension to hit theinternal hammers in rotation. Nor-

mally, the lower will strike firstunless the upper hammer was not

fired the last time the DoubleTapwas fired, in which case it will firefirst. Other than the hammers,

there are only four primary moving

parts inside the grip housing.When looking at the breech

face, you will see that on each sideof the firing pin holes are two ballbearings designed to press against

the case heads to ensure properhead space. These ball bearings are

spring loaded and designed tocompress into the breech facing

upon the round being fired.Other features are maximized

for simple operation. Loading orunloading is accomplished bypulling back an ambidextrous slid-

ing barrel release button locatedjust in front of the grip. I found that

it worked easiest for me to operateboth at the same time using my

trigger finger and thumb, but push-ing/pulling either one back works,too. Once the chambers are loaded

and the barrels pushed back down

into shooting position, the Double-Tap is ready to go.The trigger is double-action

only and is heavy, a very desirablequality in a pocket pistol with nosafety. I dont own a trigger-pull

gauge these dayswell, really I do,but I can find itbut Ive seen pull

listed at 10.1 pounds, and that feelsabout right to me. Initially, the pull

is fairly light but stacks for a heavypull at the end. However, I foundwhen drawing and engaging

quickly, I did not notice the stacking.

Sights are rudimentaryasmall front ramp and a rear notch.

They are not really much worse,though, than a lot of pocket pistols

Ive carried in my time. The Double-Tap is a weapon designed not forengagement at much distance but,

instead, to deliver one or two shotsquickly at life-and-death distances.

Grip panels have cast-in check-ering that make for a very sure grip.

They are also very slima mere0.665 inches wideas there is no

need to leave room for a magazine.

... Double-Tap Defense

deservesadditional

kudos for thesupplemental

information thatcomes withthe pistol.

A view of the DoubleTaps dualfiring pins and the spring-loadedball bearings that press againstthe case heads to ensure that

there is prop er headspace.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


The DoubleTaps barrels openand ready for loading.

This slimness is a real positive for

fitting in a pocket and concealingbut, when shooting the gun, not so

much! The entire DoubleTap has aMIL-STD corrosion resistant, matteblack, anodized finish designed to

stand up to constant pocket carry.The compartment in the grip

for two spare rounds is a clever fea-ture. A loading strip for the two

rounds comes with the gun and isdesigned to slide into place sothat it can be readily grasped for a

reload. Another strip that holds sixrounds comes with the gun as well

to allow carry of more spare ammoin the pocket, but it is not intended

for use for a direct reload.The DoubleTap I tested came

with two barrels9x19mm and 45

ACPboth ported. It also camewith an important accessory, a slip-

on rubber grip with a padded back

strap that fits over the DoubleTapsgrip. This is very useful for practic-ing with the pistol.

SHOOTING SESSIONS

Before my first range sessionwith the DoubleTap, I looked

through my ammo supply to seewhat loads I had that werent +P,

as the manufacturer states that +P

BalanceofPowerCompact, Comfortable, Accurate.

The TavorSAR was developed in close cooperation with the Israel DefenseForces. Now available in the USA for the first time, the TAVOR SAR features an

optimized ergonomic design with short rifle convenience and long rifle accuracy.

Balance the Power in your hands today!

IWI US, Inc.

[email protected]

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


SPECIFICATIONS

DoubleTapDefense Derringer

ACTION: Double-action only

CALIBER: 9x19mm or .45

ACP (interchangeable barrels)

OVERALL LENGTH: 5.5 inches

WIDTH: 0.665 inches

HEIGHT: 3.9 inches

BARREL LENGTH: 3 inchesWEIGHT: 13 ounces

(.45 ported, empty)

CAPACITY: 2 rounds

SIGHTS: Notch (rear), ramped

post (front)

MSRP: $499

(non-ported aluminum),

$569 (ported aluminum)

Grip panels have cast-incheckering that makes

for a very sure grip.

A view of the DoubleTapssights and ported barrel.

The DoubleTap in the

Smyrna Shooters Supplypocket holster; nearby is thesix-round strip for carryingextra rounds in the pocket.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407

27/100

REAXIS GAS PISTON TECHNOLOGY

SILENCAIR ACTIVATED

PRODUCTION COMPLETE

HIGH VELOCITY, SMOOTH SHOT

MAXIMUM POWER!

The new Umarex Octane, powered by the ReAxis Gas

Piston, gives the Octane more punch, more power, and

more speed. Its SilencAir five-chamber noise dampening

system audibly reduces muzzle noise. These twotechnologies combined deliver a smooth, accurate shot

with maximum power, less vibration, and reduced noise.

Zero In on the Octane at: UmarexUSA.com/Octane

www.gunworld.com JULY 2014 | GUN WORLD 27

Two sparerounds on a

loading stripare carried in acompartmentin the butt ofthe DoubleTap.

loads should not be used. For test-

ing the 9mm barrel, I chose BlackHills 147-grain Subsonic FMJ, and

for the .45 ACP barrel, I choseBlack Hills 185-grain JHP, bothloads that I have found quite accu-

rate in the past.As I had various rifles and shot-

guns to test across three range ses-sions, I decided I would take the

DoubleTap along each time and fire30 to 40 rounds at a time. I knewthat recoil would be noticeable with

the DoubleTap and felt that keep-ing the number of rounds fired at a

time down would allow me to eval-uate recoil more as would a typical

shooter who fires his weapon onlyoccasionally in training. I also feltthat, by firing fewer rounds, I

wouldnt beat up my hand so thatit would uncomfortable to test the

rifle and shotguns.

To date, I have fired of 50rounds of 9x19mm and 50 roundsof .45 ACP through the DoubleTap.

To better appreciate the pistols re-coil, I fired it in four different ways:barehanded as the pistol came

from the box, barehanded with therubber practice sleeve in place,

with a tactical glove and withboth the practice sleeve and the

tactical glove.As might be expected, recoil

was most evident when firing bare-

handed with no practice sleeve. The

most noticeable effect of the recoilon my bare hand was at least par-tially due to the slim grip, which

channeled recoil against the web-bing of my hand.

Initially, I fired six rounds of

9x19mm, with the pain becomingmore perceptible to the web of my

palm on each shot. On another ses-sion, I fired six rounds of .45 ACP to

the same effect. Materials from

DoubleTap suggest that recoil will

be about 30 percent greater with.45 ACP. Due to the lighter weight,

the holes in the barrels are larger.And while I did find the .45 ACPrecoil greater, subjectively, it did not

seem one-third greater.Once I had an idea of what the

recoil would feel like in a situationas would likely be encountered on

the street when firing the Double-Tap, I did some shooting with thepractice sleeve and the sleeve and

tactical glove. As might be expected,

recoil was least noticeable with thesleeve and glove, though I still knew

I was shooting a pistol that kicked.As I have not fired a DoubleTapwithout the ported barrels, I do not

know how much they dampenedthe recoil.

I shot mostly at 7 yards, thoughI fired a few rounds at plates at 10

and 15 yards. At first, I fired twoshots at a time at silhouette tar-gets. The 9mm lower barrel would

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407

28/100

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407

29/100

WE HEARD WHAT YOU WANTED.

THE DELTAPOINT2 DELIVERS.

Making a reflex sight for elite shooters like Doug Koenig meant speed was critical.

The DeltaPoint2 features a low profile and the largest viewing window in its class

for fast, accurate, natural target acquisition that blows away other reflex sights. With

two modes of operation, reticle options, and brightness control, the DeltaPoint 2

is ideal for any situation where split seconds matterfrom competitive shooting to

home defense. When we set out to make the fastest reflex available, we hit the mark.

1-800-LEUPOLD www.leupold.com 2014 Leupold & Stevens, Inc.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


PLEASANTWEATHERBY

Weatherbys SA-08 semi-auto shotguns are reliableand reasonably priced, and the sleek, little 28 gaugemight just be the crown jewel of the lineup.

When you think of hunting with a Weatherby, your first mental image isnt going to beof chasing rabbits in the brushy hills of central Ohio. Roy Weatherbys name and hisbrand have long been synonymous with fast Magnum cartridges and high-quality

rifles designed for big-game hunting, but the company has also designed one of the finestupland guns on the market, the svelte and steady SA-08 Deluxe 28 gauge.

Story & Photos by Brad Fitzpatrick

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


The Weatherby SA-08 is a pleasant gun to carr yat the range. Its light and doesnt recoil much,and the muzzle-biased balance makes it swingwell, especially considering the gun weighs only

5 pounds. If youre a dove hunter, it wouldalso be a great gun for shooting passing birds.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


This is not a recent line extension.For years, Weatherby has offeredover-unders and side-by-sides

made in Japan and Italy, but its cur-rent lineup of scatterguns doesntcontain a single double-barreledshotgun. Instead, the companyoffers the PA-08 pump and SA-08semi-auto, both made in Turkey.And while some hunters turn theirnose up at Turkish guns, I can assureyou that production there hasimproved greatly and there are nowsome superb guns coming out ofthat country. Weatherby has goneto great lengths to ensure that theguns it sells meet its stringentrequirements, and the PA-08 andSA-08 are thoroughly tested andwell built. They come in a variety ofconfigurations for hunting deer,turkey, waterfowl and upland gameand there are also tactical variantsthat are designed for home defense.

The SA-08 Deluxe 28 gaugecarries an MSRP of $849, which isless than many competitive guns,especially for a lightweight 28gauge. Youll be pleasantly sur-prised when you open the box and

look this gun over; it comes withthree choke tubes, stock shims forpoint-of-impact adjustment and

some of the best walnut Ive seenon any production semi-auto,regardless of price. Fit and finish are

excellent, and the Deluxe 28 has alightweight CNC-machined alloyreceiver and 22-LPI checkering. Thereceiver and barrel have a black fin-ish and the bolt is chromed, as isthe interior of the barrel, for years ofdependability. It offers a drop-outtrigger assembly and lengthenedforcing cones, and the vent rib bar-rel has a single brass bead.

EXTENDED RELIABILITY

The true test of any semi-auto

is how reliable it is during long peri-ods of extended shooting. Weath-erbys Dual Valve gas system comeswith two separate valves for lightand heavy loads. I spent severaldays shooting clays with this gun,all with the light valve in place, andexperienced zero jams or malfunc-tions. Swapping out the valvesrequires removing the forend andreplacing the light valve with theheavy one or vice versa, a processthat takes less time than it doesto switch choke tubes. The bolt

release is located on the side of thereceiver and its easy to find andmanipulate even while wearing

The Weatherby SA-08 28 gauge has a slim, lightweightalloy receiver with a chromed bolt. The gas operationsystem comes with two valves: one for light loads andone for heavy loads. Throughout the test, there were nojams, misfeeds or other failures.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


SPECIFICATIONS

Weatherby SA-08Deluxe 28 Gauge

Action: Gas-operated

semi-automatic

Gauge/Caliber: 28

Finish: Blued

Stock: Select grade

walnut, gloss finish

Barrel: 28 inches

(tested), 26 inches

Weight: 5 pounds

Overall Length: 48

inches (as tested)

Choke Tubes: 3 (IC/M/F)

MSRP: $849

gloves. The SA-08 28 gauge weighs

less than 6 pounds unloaded, so itseasy to carry all day, and the for-

ward balance makes this gun easyto swing and helps with follow-through, an important considera-

tion on a gun this light. The trigger isgood, not heavy or gritty, and the

thick recoil pad and gas operationmean that recoil is very, very low.

And, as any serious upland hunterknows, a light gun with low recoil isa real boon in the field. It makes a

great gun for skeet and sportingclays, for dove hunting and for virtu-

ally all upland hunts.As the SA-08 28 gauge was

designed for hunting in the field, Idecided that no test on the Weath-erby would be complete without

actually taking the gun on a hunt. Icontacted Jason Olinger of Olinger

Beagle Kennel in West Lafayette,

Ohio. Jason has had great successin the field of beagling, finishing aschampion and grand champion in

hunting competitions and winningthe coveted Ohio All-Age race, andhe was generous enough to allow

me to tag along on a late-seasonhunt to test out the Weatherby.

When I met up with Jason, his wife,Jenny, and several of their friends, it

Weatherbyhas gone to great

lengths to ensure

that the gunsthey sell meet

their stringentrequirements ...

didnt take long for the Weatherby

to see some action. Jasons dogsjumped a rabbit and started driving

it hard, the whole pack in full cry asthe dogs made a wide circle anddrove the rabbit back toward the

jump point. As the sound of thehounds drew closer, we all stopped

at the edge of a railroad track andwaited until the rabbit appeared, a

flash of brown running at full lengththrough a blackberry thicket. Jasonhad the SA-08 in hand, and he

swung ahead of the rabbit andpressed the trigger. The first shot

was deflected by brush, but thesecond one rolled the rabbit.

I managed to get my first shotlater in the day. The dogs wereworking in a bowl of heavy cover

and jumped a rabbit that ran directlyaway from us, rushing up through

the briars with the hounds in tow

and in full voice. There are fewthings that are more fun than agood day of rabbit hunting with

good dogs, and there is also no bet-ter way to test the credentials of anupland shotgun. The cover was

thick, but I had an idea where therabbit was going to run and, soon, I

heard the dogs coming back. With agun as light as the Weatherby, it

was easy to get from one point to

another in a hurry, and I had tomove as the rabbit changed direc-tion. The shot was going to have to

be quick, and, seeing the rabbitmoving through the brush, I

guessed where it would break intoopen cover. When the cottontail

broke cover, I swung, pressed thetrigger and rolled the rabbit beforeit could disappear again. But it was

Jason who made the most impressive

The Weatherbys stock is select walnut with a high-gloss finish and22-LPI checkering. The wood is excellent, especially consideringthe price of the gun. Throughout the rabbit hunt, the stock wasntmarred or scratched despite tough hunting conditions.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


JASON OLINGERS

BEAGLE KENNEL

In 2007, Jason Olinger and hisgrandfather answered a local newspaperad that offered beagles for sale. Themandate going out the door was thatthey not return with a dog that day, butafter his grandfathers prompting, Jasonreturned with not one but two bouncingbeagle pups. As it turned out, Jasonselected wisely. Those two femaleswent on to become champions, andboth dogs made it to the finals in theUnited Kennel Club Hunting BeagleNational Championship a few yearslater. Since that time, Jason has gone on

to win several major state and nationalhunts, and the dogs from his kennel arein high demand. Hes now campaigningthe second generation of hunting beaglesfrom his own line.

For more information, visit Jasons websiteat olingersbeaglekennels.weebly.com.

shot of the day, rolling a runningrabbit that burst out of thick cover

with a single shot.

IMPRESSIVE AFIELD

Spend several hours walkingthrough briar patches, fordingcreeks, catching dogs and taking

passing shots at hard-running rab-bits and youll have a pretty inti-

mate understanding of how ashotgun works in the field. I love the

Weatherbys forward balance, andeven though the model with theshort 26-inch barrel would be eas-

ier to maneuver in brush, Im not sosure that Id sacrifice that nose-

heavy feel. If I were going to huntrabbits in dense cover all the time,

yes. But if I were planning on usingmy Weatherby as a dove gun,theres no way Id go for the shorter

The SA-08s trigger

assembly can be droppedout and replaced shouldthe need arise. The triggerwas good, neither grittynor heavy, and it madethe SA-08 a joy to shootat the range because

the light trigger pulldidnt impede swing orfollow-through.

The SA-08 28 gauge is a fun gun to shoot at therange because it is lightweight and recoil is nil. Its

also a very good-looking gun, and it would be perfectfor skeet, trap and sporting clays. It comes with three

choke tubes that cover a variety of field applications.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407

35/100

www.gunworld.com

WEATHERBYS OTHER SCATTERGUNS

The SA-08 Deluxe 28 gauge is a fine gun, and if you have a need for a light upland semi-auto this is one firearm that should mostcertainly be on your list. Its not, however, the only scattergun that bears the Weatherby name.

In fact, Weatherbys lineup of shotguns has extended considerably throughout the past few years. The PA-08 lineup consists of its slide-action guns, and there are several options available for a wide variety of tasks. The basic model has a black synthetic stock, sling studsand a single brass bead sightall at an MSRP of only $399. Theres also a wood-stocked Upland model (also available in a youthversion with a shortened stock), a Turkey model, a camo Waterfowl version and a combo that comes with both a vent rib and slugbarrel. The SA-08 comes in many specialized versions, too, and both the pump and the semi-auto guns are available in Threat Response

versions, which have all the bells and whistles of a serious tactical gun at a very reasonable price.

For more information on Weatherbys products, visit www.weatherby.com.

Weatherbys DualValve gas system comeswith two separate valvesfor light and heavy loads.

Discover the

world of firearms at

your fingertips.

www.facebook.com/gunworldmagazine

Find us on

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


CONTACT:

Weatherby, Inc.www.weatherby.com

(805) 227-2600

barrel. It just swings too well. The

SA-08 28 is a light gun with a livelyfeel; it comes quickly to the shoul-

der and swings naturally. I shotsporting clays with this gun, but Ididnt have a chance to break any

skeet targets. Thats a shamebecause this gun would be just the

ticket for spending all day at theskeet range as it weighs so little and

has such light recoil. The only draw-back would be that the soft-kicking28-gauge shells cost considerably

more than 12- or 20-gauge ammo,so while your shoulder was getting

a massage, your wallet would betaking a beating.

Briars and dense forests arehard on a gun, and I fully expectedto have to explain scratches and

dings on the SA-08 Deluxe to theteam at Weatherby. But the gun

held up well even though it was

dragged through some heavy cover.The stocks glossy finish and sleekblued barrel and receiver came out

without a single mar, a credit to thequality of the Weatherby. The lighterweight made it an easy gun to carry,

and the forward balance made it agreat gun for fast-moving running

shots. Rabbit hunters require atough, reliable gun, and the Weath-

erby won praise from Jason and hiswhole team. I had to agree with them.

Lightweight, good-looking and

economical, the SA-08 Deluxe 28

gauge should be on the radar ofanyone looking for a brand-newupland gun. By the time the range-

and fieldwork were done, Id sentmore than a hundred light-targetand hunting loads through the

Weatherby without a single failure.It was also a fun gun to carry all

daylight enough that it wasnt aburden, durable enough to with-

stand hard field use and with a verylow level of recoil. Weatherby willperhaps always be known as a rifle

company, but, as the SA-08 shows,

the brand knows a thing or two aboutmaking a great shotgun, too.GW

The SA-08 is a great choice for upland hunting because it weighs so little, it has a durable finish and itoffers quick follow-ups. If youre looking for a lightweight, smooth upland gun that doesnt batter your

shoulder it is an excellent choice. In addition, the Dual Valve system allows for the shooter to switchbetween a light valve for target loads and a heavy valve for Magnums. The SA-08 Upland is available in12 and 20 gauge as well.

For rabbits, quail and dove, the light 28-gauge Weatherby is a good choice. Its also a good-looking gun,and it proved very reliable. With an MSRP less than $850, it should be on the short list for anyoneshopping for a small-bore upland semi-auto.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407

37/100

DOWNLOAD THE APP

TO EXPERIENCE

DD IN 3D!

AUGMENTED

REALITY

FOR iPAD

DanielDefense.com/ar-experience

Most manufacturers slap the cheapest furniture they can nd onto their ries. Daniel Defense

went to the drawing board to produce our own line of OEM rie furniture that improves your

comfort and control in any environment.

Our new stock provides supportive cheekweld that wont get in your way, and includes

integrated QD swivels, and two butt pad options. The grip features a more ergonomic wrist

angle and an integrated trigger guard for strength and comfort, and the vert grip gives you

a reliable hold on your ries rail.

Available standalone and on all complete DDM4 Ries, visit DanielDefense.com today!

INTRODUCING STOCK FURNITURE

THATS ANYTHING BUT STOCK.

Discover all the details that make the DDM4 the best rie

in the world. Choose one of our proven congurations, or

design your own with the Build Your DDM4 tool, online atDanielDefense.com or by phone at 866.554.GUNS.

The new overmolded rubber provides grip and

cushioning without grabbing your face.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


RADRIFLE

These days, Barrett FirearmsManufacturing is renownedand celebrated for its

innovative approach to rifledesign, but this was not alwaysthe case. Instead, brash upstart

was the term heard frequentlywhen the Murfreesboro, Tenn.,firm first opened its doors in 1982.More recently, however, RonnieBarretts singular vision has cometo represent a whole new class ofweapon, one that harnesses thebrute power of the Browning .50-caliber round.

Perhaps that initial skepticismwas due to the founders atypical

background.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


Story & Photos by Todd Burgreen

The Barrett MRAD .308 Winchester

Takes Bolt-Action Another Step Forward.

The first requirement of a tacticalrifle is precise accuracy. The B arrettMRAD was tested with a variety ofammunition types to make sure ithandled all with equal ease.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


Barrett was a professional pho-tographer and artist who had anidea for a shoulder-fired rifle cham-bered in .50 BMG. He had no priorexperience in manufacturing or asan engineer, so he used the skills hehad at his disposal and hand drewthe design for what was to becomethe Barrett semi-automatic M82rifle. When he took those early

drawings to machine shops in hisarea, they laughed. But instead ofgiving up, he chose to manufac-ture his design himself, and thisdogged determination was even-tually rewarded with worldwidemilitary procurement and therecognition of his new peers.

The Barrett M82s first experi-enced acceptance during theKuwait Desert Shield/Storm GulfWar via widespread military pro-curement, and this soon allowed

Barrett to expand its product linesto include REC 7 AR and multipleprecision bolt-action rifle varia-tions. Just as the Barrett REC 7addressed AR reliability and per-formance issues, Barrett bolt-actionrifles (beginning with the 98B)sought to do the same.

Barretts experience with U.S.military procurement proceduresgained from the M82 series wasput to good use when the UnitedStates Special Operations Com-mand (USSOCOM) issued a solici-

tation for a long-range precisionrifle. The USSOCOM wanted amodular multi-caliber precisiontactical rifle, which provided theimpetus for the creation of theMRAD (for Multi-Role Adaptive

Design). And although the rifle fin-ished as runner-up in the USSO-COM competition, the MRAD,chambered in .308 Win, is a worthysuccessor to the 98B.

EVOLUTION REVOLUTIONIt is a pleasure to witness a

products evolution, and this isespecially true when one has expe-rience with earlier models to betterappreciate the modifications made.

The Barrett MRAD is a great case inpoint as one that has taken the bolt-action rifle another step forward.

The MRAD was initially cham-bered in .338 Lapau, with theunderstanding that other calibers.308 Win and .300 Win Mag,

specificallywould soon be inte-grated. These smaller calibers notonly offer logistical flexibility butalso mission flexibility. Accordingto Jeff Burch, Barretts director ofU.S. commercial sales, the .308Win chambering appeals to lawenforcement agencies alreadyfamiliar with the .308 Win and whodo not have a need for the .338Lapua powerhouse.

The .308 Win MRAD featuresa 17-inch fluted barrel with 1:10 RH

twist and is fed via a 10-rounddetachable double-stack maga-zine. The overall length is nearly42 inches, but the folding stock(derived from USSOCOM contractrequirements) reduces length bynearly 9 inches. A folding buttstockis user adjustable for length andcomb height, which is an importantnuance for individual customiza-tion. The weight is nearly 13 pounds.

An integral 30 MOA Picatinnyscope rail assists with dialing inlong-range ballistic corrections. The

MRADs forend rail system can beadapted to accept mission-sup-porting accessories such as night

The MRADs rear stock folds, securing the b olt handle and reducing length to 31.75 inches. This was arequirement from the USSOCOM PSR specifications.

For this evaluation, a Schmidt &Bender 5-25x56MM PM II with H2CMR reticle was mounted on the

MRAD via AWP rings.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


CONTRACTED OPTICS

In the past few years, Schmidt & Bender has won two of the most prestigious U.S.military optic contracts. Most recently, S&B was chosen to provide the optic for theU.S. Precision Sniper Rifle (PSR). Schmidt & Bender will be supplying its 5-25x56 PM IIscope in a special PSR version to U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Special Forcesfor existing and future sniper rifles. The Schmidt & Bender optic is expected to serveand perform all over the world under widely varying and harsh environmental conditions:under water, near coastlines, in arctic surroundings, in the jungle and in urban warfare.

Another milestone that established Schmidt & Bender as a major player in the

tactical optic market was the S&B 3-12x50 PM II model being chosen for use by theU.S. Marines on their sniper rifles. This was after two years of comprehensive testing bythe U.S. Marines against 25 rival scopes.

vision devices. A unique aestheticof the MRAD is the polymer boltsleeve, another USSOCOM spec, to

help prevent dust and grime fromaffecting bolt cycling. The polymer

sleeve also aids in providing a uni-form feel when cycling the bolt no

matter conditions encountered interms of weather or environment.The Barrett MRADs trigger follows

the platforms modular theme. Thetrigger is easily removed from the

lower receiver for adjustment, andarrives from the factory set at 3

pounds. The lower receiver isequipped with a familiar AR-style

pistol grip and safety lever.

MODULAR ACCURACY

For this evaluation, a Schmidt

& Bender 5-25x56MM PM II with H2CMR reticle was mounted on the

MRAD via AWP rings, and benchtesting was done off a Champion

tripod front rest and rear sand bag.The first requirement of a tacti-

cal rifle is precise accuracy, and the

MRAD is a very accurate modularlong-range rifle. The Barrett MRAD

was tested over an extended timeperiod, constantly producing sub-

MOA groups with several differentammunition brands, an importantlogistic consideration. Various .308

Win loadings from Black Hills Am-munition, Federal, Winchester and

Hornady provided the basis of my

... This doggeddeterminationwas eventuallyrewarded with

worldwidemilitary

procurement ...

accuracy tests. The Black Hills

Match loads tested consisted of168-grain and 175-grain Match bul-

lets. The Federal chambering wasthe venerable 168-grain Match load.168-grain TAP from Hornady and

Winchesters 168-grain Match werealso used.

The MRAD produced manufac-turer-promised velocity with the

168-grain and 175-grain loadsclocking in at the low- to mid-2,600fps range. As to be expected with

quality ammunition, velocity figureswithin the different loads deviated

very little from round to round.The Barrett MRAD shot all the

premium loads tested into 1 MOA orbetter at 100 yards, with 5/8-inchgroups not untypical. It was not

deemed necessary to cast the netwider, as Black Hills Ammunition,

Federal, Winchester and Hornady

are industry leaders, which is whatthis type of rifle deserves to wringout its full potential.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


SPECIFICATIONS:

Barrett MRAD.308 Win

Caliber: .308 Win

(.338 Lapua Magnumand .300 WinchesterMagnum available)Operation: Bolt-action repeaterRail Length/MOA:21.75 inches, withbuilt-in 30 MOAWeight: 11.7 pounds(no scope, emptymagazine)Barrel Length: 17inches (fluted andheavy)Twist: 1:10Overall Length: 40.5inches (31.75 inches,folded)Magazine Capacity:

10 rounds

MSRP: $5,850(as tested)

The accuracy figures are basedon firing three five-round groupsand averaging group sizes. Whilenot statistically fool proof, themethod certainly represents theBarrett MRADs capabilities. TheFederal 168-grain Match and BHA175-grain Match produced the best100-yard accuracy average at onlyslightly above inch. Rifles often

exhibit finicky behavior with certainloads, but in this case, no loadswere over 1 MOA. Thats an impres-sive performance, to say the least.

Another sign of an accurate,dependable rifle is how cold-borezeros compare over time and if thepoint of aim shifts after a fewrounds heat up the barrel. TheMRAD showed no shifts in point ofaim, and cold-bore zeros producedfine groups when overlaid.

As 300 yards and out is themore indicative test of a weaponsystem like the Barrett MRAD, nota lot of time was spent testing atthe 100-yard range. Groups werefired at 300 yards with the Fed-eral 168-grain Match and BHA175-grain Match loads performingthe best again. Significantly, all ofthe loads held onto the 1 MOA

(approximately 3 inches at 300yards) or better criteria. Most shoot-ers cannot take advantage of thiskind of performance.

After testing innate accuracyfrom the bench, field tests wereperformed shooting prone off abi-pod or pack at Echo ValleyTraining Center in High View, W.Va.A favorite reactive target has alwaysbeen the clay pigeon. The bolt wasworked as quickly as possible with

The MRADs modular trigger is adjustable and arrives from factory measuring a crisp 3 pounds.

The MRADs folding rear stock is

adjustable for comb height andlength of pull.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


The .308 Win MRAD features a 17-inch fluted barrel with 1:10 RH twist and functions with a 10-round detachable, double-stack magazine.

OUR SCCYWILL BACK YOU UP.And well back up your SCCY.

MSRP

$314

SCCY CPX-2STARTING AT:

The NEW American

gun company founded

on theradicalidea that

In fact, we actually back up our new 9mm

SCCY CPX-2 with a lifetime no-questions-

asked warranty that stays with the gun.So

you can get the confidence of knowing that your

SCCY will be ready to back you upfor life.

FEATURES

from 416 stainless steel

second-strike capability

10-round magazines

Get the security of our CPX-2...and our warranty.

1800 CONCEPT COURT

DAYTONA BEACH, FL 32114866.729.7599 | WWW.SCCY.COM

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


CONTACTS:

Barrett Manufacturing Inc.

(615) 896-2938

www.barrett.net

Schmidt & Bender GmbH & Co.(703) 953-1253

www.schmidtundbender.de

Echo Valley Training Center

www.echovalleytrainingcenter.com

Black Hills Ammunition

(605) 348-5150

www.black-hills.com

Hornady Manufacturing

(800) 338-3220

www.hornady.com

Federal Cartridge Company

(800) 322-2342

www.federalpremium.com

Winchester Ammunition

www.winchester.com

the next target acquired rapidly forengagement. The Barrett MRADsmuzzle device combined with theergonomic stock and slick bolt withshort lift proved potent.

Another note of interest washow easy the Schmidt & Bender H2CMR reticle made hitting targets at

the 300 yards and beyond, thanksto clear hold-over points. Also, theH2 CMR reticle is a great tool forestimating target range once oneis familiar with the method. Otherrange work consisted of shootingB-27 man targets out to 500 yards.The Barrett MRADs accuracy com-bined with clear powerful Schmidt& Bender optics enabled rote cen-ter mass hits. It was even temptingto try head shots at that distance.

Another favorite evaluation drillis to shoot at a Mike Gibson Manu-

facturing (MGM) Precision RifleTarget placed at 300 yards fromthe prone position. The MGM Preci-

sion Rifle Targetfeatures movabletarget doors simu-lating the smalleye/nose and cen-ter chest areas that

open and shutwhen hit. This pro-

vides feedback as tohow a rifle performs in

terms of bolt manipula-

tion and how the stock in-teracts with the shooter

during recoil as compared to fir-ing off the bench at 100 yards. Thecombination of world-classSchmidt & Bender 5-25x optics andBarrett MRAD generated perform-ance equal to any precision tacticalrifle evaluated to date.

Orientation and intimatefamiliarity with a weapon such asthe Barrett MRAD is a must forshooter and rifle to achieve full

potential. The modularity of theMRAD comes in very handy, andbeing able to convert to .308Win/7.62 NATO opens up a widervariety of applications. In fact, formost missions, especially in thelaw enforcement realm, the .308Win chambered MRAD is morethan suitable for sniping and tac-tical applications.

While the Barrett MRAD .338Lapua is best thought of as a spe-cialized platform when needing toextend range beyond 1,000 yards,

the .308 Win configuration stillallows the trained marksman aballistic advantage. GW

The Federal 168-grain Match and BHA 175-

grain Match produced the best 100-yardaccuracy average at only slightly above inch.

The .308 Win MRAD was tested off thebench to establish a baseline of accuracy

before more practical and field-expedientmethods were used.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407

45/100

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


GETHAMMERED!While the Author Was

Delighted with Rugers

Hammerless LCR, Hes Got

a Real Crush on the NewExposed Hammer

Version.

Story & Photos by Dave Workman

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


Defensive handgun-ners who warmedup to Rugers

ground-breaking LCR five-shot revolver when it wasfirst introduced a few yearsago in .38 Special +P aregoing to fall in love withthe latest incarnation ofthis tough little wheelgun,the LCRx, because it has anexposed hammer.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


Take my word for it: the LCR series

may have hit its zenith with this ver-sion for several reasons I am aboutto detail. Anybody who is seriouslyshopping for a new pocket-sizedrevolver for personal protection canmove the LCRx toward the top ofhis or her shopping list.

As snub guns go, the Ruger LCRseries may be a step or two aheadof the pack. The LCRx, like its pred-ecessors in the family, has a poly-mer frame section that houses theactionor fire control, if you insiston that terminologythe remainder

of the frame that is made from air-craft-quality aluminum, and astainless steel cylinder and barrel

tube. Together, they constitute a

remarkable 21st-century revolverpackage that, especially in environ-ments like my traditionally wetPacific Northwest, is one of the mostpractical round guns Ive ever seen,and thats saying a lot consideringthe lightweight alloy and stainlesssteel revolvers Ive tested through-out the years in this same climate.

Top that off with Rugers choiceof the Hogue Tamer Monogrip orthe synthetic Crimson Trace Laser-gripboth of which are imperviousto the weatherand youve got a

winner. My test gun (Serial #543-06321) came with the Hogue,which has molded finger grooves,

and, even in the rain, it was a hootto shoot. You will also notice thaton the left side of the Hogue, thereis a strip of hard plastic where onewould slide a speed loader in as toreduce drag on the otherwise softerrubber surface.

The best part of all is that,especially when fired single actionwith a two-hand hold, the LCRx

loaded with .38 Special +P ammu-nition pushing a 125-grain jacketedhollowpoint, is pretty accurate for afixed-sight snub gun with a 1.875-inch barrel, which is cut with sixlands and grooves on a right-handtwist. Its not a target-grade gun byany stretch of the imagination, andits not supposed to be, but if I wereever hungry in the outdoors and arabbit came hopping by, Im confi-dent that, with the LCRx, I would bedining rather well on bunny cooked

over an open fire!

Author Workman found the

LCRx to be a dandy little carrygun for fans of the .38 Special.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: Sturm, Ruger

Model: LCRx

Caliber: .38 Special

Capacity: Five rounds

Barrel length: 1.875 inches

Weight: 13.5 ounces

Sights: Fixed

Finish: Black

Grips: Hogue Tamer

MSRP: $529.00

I did something with the Rugerthat I havent done with other testguns: I deliberately limited myammunition choices to a couple ofloads, the 125-grain JHP from BlackHills and the 158-grain WinchesterLHP, because those are two bulletweights that seem to be the mostpopular with .38 Special fans forpersonal protection. Ive used both

in my .38 Special revolvers andthey have proven consistent interms of accuracy and consistentmuzzle velocity.

The LCRx maintains the U-notchat the top rear of the frame (though,to be quite honest, it looks like asquare notch to me), and the re-placeable blade front sight, pinnedinto a base at the top of the barrel,seems to be perfectly centered.While any handgun takes a bit ofgetting used to, I found that after a

few five-shot strings, I could put

shots where they needed to go outto 20 yards, including some prettytight center-of-mass groups.

SMOOTH ACTION

Lets stop for a moment anddiscuss the action. While I wascomfortable with the double-action-only squeeze on the LCR in .38 Spe-cial and .22 Magnumthere arealso models in .22 Long Rifle and.357 Magnumthe LCRx is, in myopinion, better because it can also

As snub

guns go, theRuger LCRseries may bea step or twoahead of the

pack.

be fired single action. The let-off insingle action is crisp and I could dis-cern no trigger creep.

According to Rugers website,the smooth double-action squeezeis attributable to the patented fric-tion-reducing cam fire control sys-

tem. The heart of this thing is a coiledwire mainspring, and the action letsoff later in the trigger stroke, con-tributing to the overall smooth feelas one cycles a shot.

Cylinder timing is a big thing for

The alloy frame surrounds the steelbarrel, which has a beveled crown.

Weight is reduced on the LCRx byusing radical fluting on the stainlesssteel cylinder.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


revolver aficionados and, afterextensive firing of the LCRx testgun, I did not see any noticeabletelltale marks on the cylinder fromthe stop that I could not wipe offwith my finger, and that may bepartly due to the incredibly toughIonbond Diamondblack finish. Iwould say that the cylinder seemsto be well timed so the chamberlines up with the forcing cone. Dur-

ing firing of the lead bullets, I didnot detect any shaved lead, whichmay also be due in large part to thenice, tight cylinder gap.

That was the same result in myearlier test of the .22 Magnum LCR.

The LCRx has the other attrib-utes of the original DA-only revolvers.The smooth trigger and checkeredhammer are matte finish stainlesssteel, but the rest of the revolver isbasic black. The cylinder pin is fullyshrouded and the cylinder releasebutton is on the left side of the frame.

The cylinder retains its radicaldeep fluting to reduce weight(except for the two variations in

.357 Magnum), and the enlargedtrigger guard accommodates evena heavily gloved finger. I know be-cause, during one of my range visits,I tried it that way.

LIGHTWEIGHT CARRY

I carried this revolver for a whilein a DeSantis belt holster, theModel 002, and it was almost notthere because this gun weighs just

less than 14 ounces empty and notmuch more than that with fiverounds. At the end of the day, youdont even feel that. This was thesame holster in which I carried thesix-round hammerless model in.22 WMR, and it would also fit theeight-shot .22 LR model or theother .38 Special models andwould also probably work just finewith the .357 Magnum.

Now, for ankle carry: This wouldbe a superb choice, again, becauseof the weight. My guess is that you

will eventually find ankle leather forthis gun from any of the majormanufacturers and belt rigs from

people including DeSantis, MitchRosen, Bianchi, BLACKHAWK!,Triple K and a host of others. It willnot fit in a rig designed for a J-frameSmith & Wesson or Colt DetectiveSpecial because of the oversizedtrigger guard.

It would also carry unnoticed

all day in a good shoulder holster,and one wouldnt have to worryabout underarm perspirationbecause of this guns non-rustingcomponents. Or you could tuck itinto one of the various belly band-type rigs or a T-shirt with an inte-gral holster.

The let-offin single action

is crisp and I

could discern notrigger creep.

The LCRx has a five-shot cylinder,and there is clearance for a speed-loader. Notice the grips hard plasticstrip that prevents friction when

using a speedloader.

Ruger offers the HogueTamer Monogrip, whichhelps considerably toabsorb recoil.

8/9/2019 Gun World 201407


Lets face it: The Ruger LCRx isnot that big of a gun, measuring 6.5inches overall and 4.5 inches from

top to bottom. Up here in theNorthwest, where down parkas and

vests are stylish pretty much allyear long, you could carry this hand-

gun in a pocket with a couple ofspeedloaders in the other pocketfor balance and nobody would be

any the wiser.A few other folks have tested

this gun and reported on it, but Icarried it for a while out there and

one does not get experience with agun until, well, one gets experiencewith it.

WHY THE HAMMER?

Considering the success of the

hammerless LCR so far, one mightbe compelled to wonder why the

company introduced an exposed-hammer version. My thought runs

counter to that: Why didnt it intro-

duce this model to begin with?Ive always preferred exposed-

hammer revolvers, though I own a

Notice the transfer bar,

which provides an extradegree of safety againstaccidental discharge inthis revolver. The rearsight is a traditionalU-notch and on the

test gun, it lined upwith the front sight fordecent accuracy.

gun world 201407

Documents