WHEN Kahr Arms introduced its sub-compact MK9 semi-automatic in9 mm Luger (March 1998, p. 38),

it was designed with a compound recoilspring strong enough to do its job, litheenough that the slide could be retracted andcompact enough to fit in the limited spaceprovided without “going solid” duringrecoil. Although that’s a tall enough orderfor a pistol chambered for the 9 mm Luger,it did not deter Kahr’s designers fromaccepting the challenge of adapting the newmodel to .40 S&W caliber—the MK40.

The MK40 retains all the hallmark stan-dard features of Kahr’s other semi-auto pis-tols such as stainless steel construction,blended edges and fixed steel sights dove-tailed into the slide. It is a short recoil-operated, striker-fired, double-action-only(DAO) with no second-strike capabilityshould a misfire occur. Like most DAO pis-

tols, there are no exter-nal, manual safeties asa long, deliberate pull ofthe trigger is nec-essary to fire thepistol. There is,however, an inter-nal, passive strikerblock that keepsthe striker frommoving forwardshould the MK40be dropped. Afterthe last shot, theslide is automati-cally held open bythe slide release.The magazinerelease button liesin the familiarM1911 location on

the frame’s left side just behind the trigger.On our sample pistol, magazines were eject-ed with authority when the MK40’s releasewas depressed.

We fired the MK40 for accuracy using avariety of defensive-specific, hollow-pointbullet ammunition with the results shown inthe accompanying table. Kahr recommends

®

The American Rifleman has used the phrase “DopeBag” at least since 1921, when Col.Townsend Whelenfirst titled his column with it. Even then, it had been inuse for years, referring to a sack used by target shoot-ers to hold ammunition and accessories on the firingline.“Sight dope”also was a traditional marksman’s termfor sight adjustment information, while judging windspeed and direction was called “doping the wind.”

CAUTION: Technical data and information con-tained herein are intended to provide information basedon the limited experience of individuals under specificconditions and circumstances. They do not detail thecomprehensive training procedures, techniques andsafety precautions absolutely necessary to properlycarry on similar activity. Read the notice and disclaimeron the contents page. Always consult comprehensivereference manuals and bulletins for details of propertraining requirements, procedures, techniques andsafety precautions before attempting any similar activity.

MANUFACTURER: Kahr Arms (Dept.AR), 184 Prescott St., Worchester, MA01605; (914) 353-5996

CALIBER: .40 S&WACTION TYPE: recoil-operated, striker-

fired, semi-automatic pistolCONSTRUCTION: stainless steelFINISH: natural stainless steelOVERALL LENGTH: 5.35"BARREL: 3" stainless steelRIFLING: polygonal, right-hand twistWIDTH: 11⁄8"HEIGHT: 4"WEIGHT EMPTY: 24 ozs.MAGAZINE: stainless steel, single-

column, detachable box,five-round capacity

SIGHTS: post with white-dot front, squarenotch rear drift adjustable for windage

TRIGGER: non-adjustable, double-action-only, 63⁄4-lb. pull

STOCKS: wrap-around, two-piece, blacknylon with pebble texture

ACCESSORIES: six-round extendedmagazine, black plastic carrying box

SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $605

KAHR MK40

KAHR ARMS MK40 PISTOL

Kahr’s designers accepted the chal-lenge of adapting the compact sizeof the MK9 9 mm Luger pistol to .40S&W caliber. The resulting modelvariation is the MK40,reviewed here.

.40 S&W Vel. @ 15' Energy Recoil Smallest Largest AverageCartridge (f.p.s.) (ft.-lbs) (ft.-lbs) (ins.) (ins.) (ins.)

Federal P40HS4 1056 Avg. 334 5.6 2.74 4.42 3.67135-gr. H-S 25 Sd

Hornady 9136 836 Avg. 279 6.1 3.00 5.63 4.29180-gr. XTP 12 Sd

Win. X40SWSTHP 1027 Avg. 363 6.8 2.93 4.49 3.63155-gr. STHP 15 Sd

Average Extreme Spread: 3.86

Measured average velocity for 10 rounds from a 3" barrel. Range tem-perature: 68o F. Humidity: 72%. Accuracy for five consecutive, five-shotgroups at 25 yds. from a sandbag. Abbreviations: H-S (Hydra-Shok), Sd(standard deviation), STHP (Silvertip hollow-point), XTP (ExtremeTerminal Performance)

SHOOTING RESULTS

46 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • November/December 1999

a break-in period of at least 200 rounds,so after the required break-in, functionfiring was performed with ammunitionof various types including cartridgeswith flat- and round-nose profile bullets.There were no malfunctions of any kind,and accuracy was certainly good for acompact design intended for out-of-viewcarry. Trigger pull was exceptionallysmooth with no stacking or creep. Let offwas crisp at a respectable 63⁄4 lbs. pull.

Overall, the MK40 appears well madeand dependable. It’s design is simple andrugged. As the popularity of Kahr pistolscontinues to grow, its product line con-tinues to expand with well-made pistolsthat meet customer demands.

IN response to the increasing demandfor lightweight hunting rifles,Weatherby introduced a Mark V rifle in

1996 that weighed a scant 63⁄4 lbs. (May1998, p. 48). The following year,Weatherby’s weight-reduction plan wenteven farther with the announcement of a53⁄4-lb. Accumark Ultra Lightweight, fol-lowed in 1998 by the new Mark V UltraLightweight of the same heft. AlthoughWeatherby’s guns were getting everlighter, except for the .240 Wby. Mag.chambering, a hunter couldn’t get an ultralight Weatherby chambered for a magnumcaliber. But,who would want such a light riflechambered for a hard-kicking magnum car-tridge, especially a truly powerful Weatherbycaliber? Further, beefing up an ultra light-

weight to handle a Weatherby cartridgewould make the gun heavier, whichdefeats the purpose.

Apparently enough hunters want-ed the combination of lowest possibleweight and Weatherby magnum car-tridge performance to get the compa-ny’s designers to give it a shot. Theresult is Weatherby’s new Mark VUltra Lightweight Magnum (ULM)rifle in .257, .270, 7 mm and .300 Wby.Mag. chamberings, as well as 7 mmRem. Mag. and .300 Win. Mag. cal-ibers. Yes, it weighs more than a non-magnum Ultra Lightweight, but at 63⁄4lbs., it weighs more than a pound lessthan any other Weatherby rifle cham-bered for a Weatherby magnum cartridge.

C o n s i d e r a b l ethought has been putinto reducing weightwithout compromis-ing strength or dura-bility. The stock is alightweight compositeof Kevlar and fiber-glass with an integralaluminum beddingplate. This one-piece,CNC-machined bed-ding plate engages the

recoil lug like a good glass bedding job andcontinues back toward the butt. Two armsextend along each side of the magazine welland form a web section between the triggerhousing and magazine well. The arms con-tinue along both sides of the trigger housing,merge at the rear tang to form a pillar andcontinue through the wrist of the stock. Seenas a whole, the bedding platform providesmetal-on-metal contact between action andstock that reportedly stiffens the receiverarea of the rifle when the barrelled action ismounted. A Monte Carlo cheekpiece ishand-laminated to raise the shooter’s eye inline with a scope while a Pachmayr

WEATHERBY ULTRA LIGHTWEIGHT

For hunters who scrutinize every ounce of gear, and want thelegendary power of a Weatherby magnum cartridge,Weatherbyhas delivered with the new Mark V Ultra Lightweight Magnum.

Like the Kahr MK9, the biggest challenge tomaking the MK40 is in the recoil spring. Byusing a double-nested assembly, the unit isstrong enough to do the job, lithe enough thatthe slide can be retracted easily and smallenough that it doesn’t “go solid”during recoil.

Kahr pistols require a 200-round break-inperiod. During and after this period, weobserved no malfunctions firing the MK 40with any of the ammunition used in the test.

Ultra Lightweight Magum stocks are made around a one-piece,CNC-machined, aluminum bedding plate, which provides metal-on-metal contact between action and stock and stiffens thereceiver area of the rifle when the barrelled action is mounted.

Where Weatherby’s non-magnum Ultra Light-weight rifle saved a few ounces by going with sixbolt-locking lugs, the Ultra Lightweight Magnumretains the familiar nine-lug array of the firm’sstandard Mark V action.Bolt lift remains 54 degrees.

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • November/December 1999 47

Decelerator recoil pad helps tame felt recoil.Stock finish is matte grey with contrastingblack spider webbing and, steel QD slingswivel studs are standard.

Minor points of weight reduction that addup include a semicircular relief cut at the for-ward edge of the ejection port in the blued,chrome-moly receiver. The ULM’s bolt bodyflutes are deeper and wider than on standard-weight Mark V rifles, the bolt handle knob ishollow, and the bolt shroud has a large reliefcut on its top. Non-stressed parts like the mag-azine follower, hinged floorplate and trigger-guard assembly are of lightweight alloy. Eventhe area of the trigger blade contained withinthe trigger group is relieved on its sides to savea few fractions of an ounce. Where the non-magnum Weatherby Ultra Lightweight rifle

saved a few ounces byusing six bolt-lockinglugs, the ULM retainsthe traditional nine-lug array of the stan-dard Mark V action.Bolt lift remains 54degrees.

Arguably, loppingoff several inches ofbarrel would be acheap and easy way toreduce weight, but ashort barrel doesn’t leta Weatherby magnumattain its full level ofballistic performance. Perhaps for this reason,Weatherby ULMs have 26" stainless steelbarrels in Weatherby chamberings, and 24"tubes in 7 mm Rem. Mag. and .300 Win. Mag.

calibers. Regardless of length, ULM barrelstaper drastically, and the already-thin barrelis further lightened by weight-reducing flutes.Flutes not only reduce weight, but providemore surface area to help dissipate heat quick-ly. They also tend to stiffen the barrel for lessvibration. To help aid accuracy, the muzzlecrown is a stepped, target type.

We received a Weatherby UltraLightweight Magnum in .300 Wby. Mag.

caliber for testing. We fired the rifle foraccuracy at 100 yds. with Weatherby andSpeer ammunition. True to the Weatherbyaccuracy guarantee, the ULM consistent-

ly kept three shots from acold barrel within 11⁄2" withWeatherby factory ammuni-tion. After those three shots,the barrel got quite hot, andgroups opened slightly.Function firing was withseveral brands of ammuni-tion with bullets weighingfrom 110 grs. to 220 grs.with no malfunctions of anykind. As would be expectedfrom a .300 Wby. Mag.-cal.rifle weighing little morethan seven pounds scopedand loaded, felt recoil isquite noticeable. While theDecelerator pad does anadmirable job of reducingthe kick, it can only do somuch, thus, firing this gun is

not for the recoil-shy. However, if you’rea hunter who scrutinizes every ounce ofgear and wants the legendary power of aWeatherby magnum cartridge, Weatherbyhas delivered.

MANUFACTURER: Weatherby (Dept.AR), 3100 El Camino Real,Atascadero, CA 93422; (805) 466-1767

CALIBER: .257 Wby. Mag., .270 Wby.Mag., 7 mm Wby. Mag., .300 Wby.Mag. (tested), 7 mm Rem. Mag.,.300 Win. Mag.

ACTION TYPE: bolt-action repeating rifleRECEIVER: forged, chrome-moly steelFINISH: medium blue receiver, natural

stainless barrelOVERALL LENGTH: 465⁄8" (445⁄8" for

7 mm Rem. Mag and .300 Win. Mag.)BARREL: 26" (24" in 7 mm Rem. Mag.

and .300 Win. Mag.), fluted, No. 2Mod. contour, stainless steel

RIFLING: 1:10" RH twistWEIGHT: 63⁄4 lbsMAGAZINE: three-round capacity,

hinged floorplate, double-column,steel box-type

SIGHTS: none, receiver drilled andtapped for scope bases

TRIGGER: single-stage, non-adjustable,51⁄4-lb.-pull

STOCK: Kevlar/fiberglass composite withCNC-machined, aluminum beddingplate; Monte Carlo cheekpiece;Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad;blued, steel, QD sling swivel studslength of pull, 135⁄8"; drop at heel, 11⁄2";drop at comb, 1"

SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $1,299

MARK V ULM

.300 Wby. Mag. Vel. @ 15' Energy Recoil Smallest Largest AverageCartridge (f.p.s.) (ft.-lbs) (ft.-lbs) (ins.) (ins.) (ins.)

Speer 24516 3194 Avg. 4078 40.0 1.54 2.79 1.95180-gr. GS 12 Sd

Weatherby THA1729 3336 Avg. 4078 38.6 2.06 2.77 2.08165-gr. PT-EX 13 Sd

Weatherby THA1727 3198 Avg. 4089 40.1 1.68 2.67 2.25180-gr. PT-EX 18 Sd

Average Extreme Spread: 2.09

Measured average velocity for 10 rounds from a 26" barrel. Range temperature: 68o F. Humidity:72%. Accuracy for five consecutive five-shot groups at 100 yds. from a sandbag. Abbreviations:GS (Grand Slam), PT-EX (pointed expanding), Sd (standard deviation)

SHOOTING RESULTS

Minor points of weight reduction that add up include a semicir-cular relief at the front of the action’s ejection port, deeper andwider bolt body flutes, hollow bolt knob and relieved bolt shroud.

Needless to say, a .300 Wby. Mag. rifle weighing little morethan 7 lbs. scoped and loaded kicks hard. Even so, thePachmayr Decelerator recoil pad makes the punishmentmeted out by the Ultra Lightweight Magnum less severe.

To shave off even more weight withoutcompromising quality, non-stressed partson the Ultra Lightweight Magnum, like themagazine follower, hinged floorplate andtrigger guard,are made of lightweight alloy.

48 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • November/December 1999

WHEN the first Browning Citori wasfirst featured in these pages (Oct.1973, p. 66), it was a no-frills, no-

nonsense hunting gun overshadowed by themore expensive Superposed. From thatunpresumptuous beginning, the basic Citoribox-lock has become a platform for variousversions, gauges and grades numberingaround 100. The latest addition to thealready well-rounded Citori line is the newFeather series: the Superlight Feather andthe Lightning Feather. We received the for-mer for test and evaluation.

Mechanically, the Superlight Feather istypical Citori. A transverse-mounted, full-width, tapered locking block engages a

full-width, taperedlump at the bottomrear of the monobloc.By using a taperedbolt, the bolt seatsgradually deeper withuse. Being full-width,this system enhancesbarrel alignment andresists barrel torqueduring firing.

To help achievethe Feather’s light, 6lb., 6 oz. weight, thegun’s one-piece actionbody is milled from asolid block of 7075-T7 aircraft-grade alu-minum. It has a silvernitride finish as do allother exterior metalsurfaces save theblued steel barrelsand gold-plated trig-ger. Our sample hadGrade I ornamenta-tion with a tastefullyconservative amount of scroll engraving.A gold-filled Buck mark on the triggerguard and a gold feather on the bottom ofthe receiver complete the decoration.

There are no surprises inside thereceiver, either. Coil springs powerhammers retained by sears that arepinned in the top tang. Cocking thehammers is by a linkage that connectsthe fore-end iron to the L-shaped cock-ing lifter that rotates up and pushes thehammers back.

Ejection of the Superlight Feather isselective, and determined by the for-ward movement of the hammers. Studson the hammers engage trip rods thatpass through the action body to activatethe ejector sears located in the fore-end.When a barrel is fired, the trip rod entersa cut out in the fore-end iron, and releas-es the ejector hammers when the actionis opened to kick out the fired shell.

A tang-mounted, manual safety alsoserves as the barrel selector. The singletrigger resets to the other barrel by aninertial block.

MANUFACTURER: Miroku Firearms Mfg.Co., 537-1 Shinohara, Nangoku, KochuPref., Japan

IMPORTER: Browning Arms Co. (Dept.AR), One Browning Place, Morgan,UT 84050; (800) 333-3504

GAUGE: 12, 23⁄4"ACTION TYPE: break-action, over-under

shotgunRECEIVER: 7075T aluminumFINISH: silver nitride receiver, blued

steel barrelsOVERALL LENGTH: 421⁄2"BARREL: 26"WEIGHT: 6 lbs., 6 ozs.TRIGGER: single-selective, 5-lb. pull

upper barrel, 51⁄4-lb.-pull lowerbarrel

STOCK: American walnut, straight gripstock, schnabel fore-end (pistol gripand semi-beavertail available): lengthof pull,141⁄4"; drop at heel, 25⁄8"; drop atcomb, 13⁄4"

CHOKE SYSTEM: Browning InvectorPlus choke tubes

ACCESSORIES: full, modified, improvedcylinder choke tubes, choke tubewrench (other tubes available at addi-tional cost)

SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $1,592

CITORI SUPERLIGHTFEATHER

BROWNING CITORI FEATHER

The new Browning Citori Superlight Feather, designed for upland hunting, trims theover-under’s weight down to a mere 6 lbs., 6 ozs. The biggest weight savings isaccomplished by using an aluminum receiver that is attractively silver-nitrided.

Ejection of fired shells on the SuperlightFeather is selective via studs on the hammersthat engage trip rods in the action body to acti-vate the ejector sears in the gun’s fore-end.

AVERAGE OF 10 PATTERNS AT 40 YDS.

15 18 25 19

34 39 23 26

21 23 20 18

9 11 10 7

Full Tube Modified Tubex=Point of Hold

Federal P128-6 Premium Magnum 12-ga.23⁄4"—11⁄8 oz.—No. 6 lead

Average Pellet count—253Measured Velocity @3-ft.—1352 f.p.s.

Remaining Energy Per Pellet @40 yds.: 2 ft.-lbsRecoil: 31.5 ft.-lbs

Total Hits 170 (67%) Total Hits 148 (58%)21" Inner Circle 117 (46%) 21" Inner Circle 87 (34%)30" Outer Ring 53 (21%) 30" Outer Ring 61 (24%)

CITORI FEATHER

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • November/December 1999 49

Like all current-production 12-ga. Citoris,the Superlight Feather has back-bored bar-rels. Solid side ribs separate the 26" barrels,which are threaded to accept Browning’sInvector Plus choke tubes. The rib is low,unta-pered, .24" wide and has a .150" white metalbead at the muzzle. Chambers are 23⁄4".

Our sample’s stock is well-figured wal-nut with a gloss finish and features a straightwrist and schnabel fore-end. The buttplateis hard, black plastic with a smooth bordersurrounding a finely checkered center sur-face. In addition to the straight-grip config-uration we received for testing, Browning

also offers the Super Lightweight Featherwith a pistol grip buttstock and a semi-beavertail fore-end.

The Citori Super Lightweight Featherwas function fired with PMC, Remington,Rottweil and Winchester target loads atsporting clays and patterned at 40-yds. withFederal field loads as shown in the accom-panying table. There were no failures of anykind. The Superlight Feather handledextremely well, and the balance point wasjust forward of the breech’s pivot pins. Thehandling dynamics were different due to theweight savings being in the receiver, but the

gun swung as well as its short 26" barrelswould allow. The gun came to the shoulderwell, and the barrels were light and easy toswing without being “whippy.” Recoil withfield loads was stout—the price to be paidfor the gun’s 6 lb., 6 oz. weight.

For the upland hunter who covers manymiles in pursuit of birds, the CitoriLightweight Feather will be a welcome,unburdensome addition.

50

MIDWAY’S PISTOLERO portable hand-gun shooting rest is an affordablepiece of range equipment for shoot-

ers who want to informally test handgunaccuracy. The Pistolero’s wide range ofadjustment allows the unit to be used forshooting everything from a snub-noserevolver to the largest single-shot or bolt-action pistol.

Construction of the Pistolero is almostentirely of heavy, durable ABS plastic.Both the barrel cradle and butt platformare covered with 1/2"-thick rubberizednylon to protect the firearm’s finish fromdamage during recoil. Further, these sur-faces are slightly compressible, so the guncan recoil naturally and not throw off theshot as can happen when the butt bouncesoff a hard surface. Four rubber feet on thebase ensure the rest will not slide aroundon the shooting bench.

The distance between the cradle andplatform can be adjusted over a range of 4"by the user, and the Pistolero’s cradle has31⁄2" of possible vertical adjustment. Tomake horizontal adjustments with the unit,simply lift the rear of the platform by itshandle, slide the platform forward or back-

ward until the gun’s muzzle overhangs thecradle, then snap the catch into the nearestof the five half-moon locking slots provid-ed in the base.

Vertical adjustments are made by loos-ening the metal ram lock screw on the leftside of the Midway Pistolero, then rotating

the ram adjustment spanner to the left orright to lower or raise the cradle for the pis-tol’s barrel.

The Pistolero is available for $29.99from Midway USA (Dept. AR), 5875 W. VanHorn Tavern Road, Colombia, MO 65203;(800) 243-3220.

A transverse-mounted, full-width, taperedlocking block engages a full-width, taperedlump of the monobloc. By using a taperedbolt,the bolt seats gradually deeper with use.

The Lightweight Feather handled andswung well on sporting clays targets. Thegun’s minimal 6-lb., 6-oz. weight carriedwell, but recoil was stout with field loads.

The Super Lightweight Feather’s one-piece action body is milled from a solidblock of silver-nitrided aluminum. A feath-er is inlaid in gold on the receiver’s bottom.

MIDWAY PISTOLERO REST