Special Purpose

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

Like most Beretta’s we’ve opened a box on, the Teknys Gold Sporting is immediately eye-catching. Our sample sported a chocolate-cherry piece of wood that while not fancily figured, showed some very handsome striation. With an oil finish that’s polished enough to look like a lacquer finish, this stock is nice enough that it justifies the gun’s steeper price tag.

Thompson/Center Arms Company Inc. has begun shipping the new Triumph® Bone Collector™ Series of muzzleloaders. The series consists of two .50 caliber magnum muzzleloaders that carry the look, feel and attitude of Michael Waddell’s “The Bone Collector” series currently airing on The Outdoor Channel.

The problem of reliably driving one bullet into the center of a target at long range has plagued riflemen ever since the first rifled arm was created. In the quest for this holy grail, thousands of shooters have fired millions of groups over the years, and from time to time these groups have achieved incredibility. Still, after generations of riflemen, the problem is still with us.A group of products, generically called tactical rifles in their use by law enforcement and military sharpshooters, purports to solve this problem. Instead of tactical rifle, we prefer the moniker “precision rifle,” for such a firearm is built to put one or two shots—precisely—into a very small target at very long range. These precision tools are generally heavy-barreled scope-sighted bolt-action rifles with synthetic stocks, which themselves have adjustments for length of pull, buttpad position, and comb height. The rifle typically will have an optional bipod, adjustable target-type sling swivels, and whatever else the shooter thinks will aid his task.

The reason many shooters should prefer 20s for home defense over a bigger 12 gauge is that they’re noticeably lighter than 12s. In the September 2005 issue, we tested the Remington Model 870 Express Synthetic 12 Gauge Magnum No. 25077, $345, which weighed 7.25 pounds, and the Mossberg Persuader Model 590A1 12 Gauge Magnum No. 51411, $443, which weighed 6.9 pounds. The 20 we tested weighed three-quarters of a pound to nearly 2 pounds less than the counterpart 12s. But they don’t give up much in terms of hall-clearing power or capacity.

So, you’ve got that brand-new AR-15 sitting in front of you. What better way to get familiar with your new gun than with American Tactical Imports’ brand new AR-15 Combo Tool? An entire AR can essentially be assembled and disassembled with this one tool.

For home defense, the focus is usually on 12-gauge shotguns, but we recently tested two 20 gauges that for many—if not all—folks would be better choices because of their lighter weight and reduced recoil. One of our test products was the Mossberg 500 Persuader/Cruiser 3-Inch 20 Gauge 6-shot No. 50452, $388. In their commercial form, the Persuaders are virtual duplicates of the Mossberg military 500 and 590 models. Persuader shotguns are available in both 18.5-inch and 20-inch barrel lengths, traditional blued or non-glare matte finishes, and some come with Ghost Ring sights. Available in .410 bore, 20- and 12-gauge models, Mossberg Special Purpose shotguns feature an anti-jam elevator, dual extractors, black synthetic stocks, and drilled and tapped receivers (20 and 12 gauge only) for scope base and optics installation. The Persuader/Cruiser models come with standard stocks, but also include a Cruiser-style pistol grip kit, which we didn't use in our testing.

GEORGETOWN, Texas -- STI International has joined the ranks of AR-15 builders with its new Sporting Rifle, an $1800 unit that comes in Competition and Tactical dress. The Sporting Rifle is available 5.56mm NATO.

The Rock River was a well-made, shorty version of the AR-15. Some slight feature differences would make the ultimate choice up to you. In both cases, we think the shorty AR-style rifles are better choices than the similar Ruger Mini-14.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has approved select models from Smith & Wesson Corp.'s Military & Police (M&P) Pistol Series as authorized firearms.

PHOENIX – AWC Systems Technology's redesigned Agenda Six suppressor is a lighter, smaller-diameter unit than the previous Agenda Six suppressor.

To the basic rifle price ($2,500) must be added the prices for the gorgeous McMillan M3A stock ($600), the ARMS steel scope mount ($150), extended rail ($100), bipod ($70), swivel package ($100), and a leather sling ($50). There was also a Krieger barrel ($200). The total package, less scope but with mount and rings, came to $3,770. With the Leupold scope, the tag would be about $4,620 as tested. We got our prices out of the maker’s catalog and may have missed a few things, so it’s best to contact Fulton for an exact quote on your needs. We had the loan of some scopes with state-of-art add-ons set up specifically for the M14 that bear close scrutiny.Fulton’s Peerless rifle was easily the most impressive-looking of this test trio. When we pulled it out of its box, we were struck by its purposeful beauty. Everything about the rifle was flat black except for the exposed Krieger stainless barrel, which was in the white, with a decent but not glaring polish. The McMillan M3A stock felt just great. Its pistol grip was acutely angled to give near-perfect trigger control.