The Firearm Blog

About time! Remington have launched a new trigger called the “Adjustable X-Mark Pro Trigger”. A great feature is that it is externally adjustable. No more taking the rifle out of the stock, putting it back, testing how it feels and repeating the procedure.

From the press release:

Since its introduction in 2007, the Remington X-Mark Pro trigger, utilizing advanced technological manufacturing processes and extremely tight production tolerances, may be considered the finest production trigger in the marketplace. With virtually no creep and its clean, crisp “breaks-like-glass” feel, the X-Mark Pro delivers enhanced accuracy and unmatched shot control. Now, our best production trigger just got better – for 2009, Remington is proud to introduce the Adjustable X-Mark Pro Trigger with external adjustment for trigger pull weight. This user-friendly, externally-accessible adjustable trigger is set at the factory to a pull weight of 3 ½ pounds with a 2 pound range of adjustment (3 to 5 pounds).

The key components of the X-Mark Pro trigger feature mirror-like surface finishes for crisper trigger pull. Electroless nickel plating enhances corrosion resistance and further improves surface finish. The result is an ultra-crisp feel with no creep. The X-Mark Pro Adjustable trigger operates like the current Remington fire control and features a safety that blocks the sear and trigger. The advanced design allows for consistent 3 ½ pound trigger pulls set directly from the factory. Should you feel the need; the trigger can be externally adjusted within a range of 2 pounds (3 to 5 pounds) with the included tool.

The X-Mark Pro Adjustable Trigger now comes standard on all new 2009 Model 700™ and Model Seven™ bolt-action rifles. For true custom performance in a production-grade rifle, look for Remington centerfire rifles with the new X-Mark Pro Adjustable Trigger.

This makes the seconds “premium” factory bolt action trigger to be released this year (the other being the Mossberg LBA)

X-Mark Pro Adjustable

Rumors of the Sig P238 have been floating around the ‘net for a while now. They have turned out to be true. Sig Sauer P238 is a remake of the single action Colt Mustang which was discontinued just over a decade ago.

Sig Sauer P238 .380 ACP. Two tone. Click to expand image.


Colt Mustang .380 ACP. Photo by HiVelSword.

It is a single action pistol with an aluminum frame and a steel slide. From the press release:

With an overall length of just 5.5 inches a height of 3.96 inches, and weighing just under a pound, the SIG SAUER P238 is the ultimate firepower in an all metal frame concealed pistol. The P238 is built on an anodized alloy beavertail style frame with fluted aluminum grips for comfort and a secure hold during rapid-fire usage. The stainless steel slide features the popular SIG SAUER slide serrations and improves overall performance and accuracy.

It will come in two finishes, Black Nitron and Two Tone. Two sights will be available: contrast sights or SIGLITE Sights. This makes a total of four models. Pricing is below:

238-380-B MSRP $ 515.00
Black Nitron finish, Contrast Sights

238-380-BSS MSRP $ 558.00
Black Nitron finish, SIGLITE Sights

238-380-T MSRP $ 529.00
Two Tone, Contrast Sights

238-380-TSS MSRP $ 572.00
Two Tone, SIGLITE Sights

1200773 – Extra 6 round magazines MSRP $ 44.00

This should really appeal to 1911 fans, especially Colt Mustang fans. Time will tell if it is enough to compete with the plethora of sub-compact .380 pistols out there.

I will update this post as more information becomes available.

UPDATE: High quality photo from Ken.

Photo Copyright Ken Lunde. Used with permission.

UPDATE: The specs from the press release:

Frame Material: Aluminum
Frame Finish: Black Hard Coat Anodize
Slide Material: Stainless Steel
Slide Finish: Nitron or Natural Stainless
Length Overall: 5.5”
Height Overall: 3.9”
Width Overall: 1.1”
Barrel Length: 2.7”
Sights: Post & Dot Contrast, SIGLIGHT Night Sights
Sight Radius: 3.8”
Weight w/out mag: 15.2 oz.
Mag capacity: 6 rounds.

Reacting to many requests from the marketplace for a subcompact SIG SAUER pistol, engineers designed the new P238 as a smart looking, small handgun built with the same accuracy and reliability as large frame SIG SAUER pistols. With an overall length of just 5.5 inches a height of 3.96 inches, and weighing just under a pound, the SIG SAUER P238 is the ultimate firepower in an all metal frame concealed pistol. The P238 is built on an anodized alloy beavertail style frame with fluted aluminum grips for comfort and a secure hold during rapid-fire usage. The stainless steel slide features the popular SIG SAUER slide serrations and improves overall performance and accuracy. Additionally, the contrast or SIGLITE® Night Sights are removable and adjustable for windage. The sear and trigger return spring are redesigned to prevent spring over-ride of the ejector during assembly. Two finishes are available; Two-tone and corrosion resistant Nitron®. The new SIG SAUER P238 is shipped in a lockable hard case with one 6 round magazine at an MSRP starting at $515.00 for the Nitron® with contrasting sights. For more information, log on to www.sigsauer.com.

Press release photo

Hat Tip: 1911Forum, SigForum and GHG

Just when I though tactical bolt actions were going out of fashion and being replaced with autoloaders everyone seems to have launched a new model or line. Savege, Kimber, Ruger and now Remington with their Model 700 Target Tactical.

Model 700 Target Tactical. Click to expand.

The rifle is available chambered in .308 Win. and features:

* Triangular barrel
* X-Mark Pro Adjustable trigger (adjustable from 3-5 lbs).
* Tactical style bolt handle.
* 26″ barrel utilizing 5-R tactical target rifling as using on the M24 sniper rifles.
* Bell and Carlson Medalist Varmint/Tactical composite stock (notably not H-S Precision)

Action: Bolt/Short
Barrel Length: 26 inches
Overall Length: 45 3/4 inches
Avg. Weight: 11 3/4 lbs
Stock Material: Composite – Aramid Fiber
Stock Finish: OD Green/Black Webbed
Barrel Finish: Matte Blue

The MSRP is $1972.

Remington have taken the popular Model 700 VTR concept onboard and beefed it up for a medium / large game version called the Remington Model 700 (XHR) Xtreme Hunting Rifle.

Model 700 XHR. Click to expand.

It features:

* Distinctive triangular barrel (like the VTR) which is patent pending.
* 24″ barrel on standard action and 26″ for belted magnum and Rem Ultra mag cartridges.
* Counter bored muzzle.
* Real tree camo
* Hogue rubberized stock
* SuperCell recoil pad system.
* Jeweled bolt.

Further enhancing the performance of the Model 700 XHR is the new X-Mark Pro™ Adjustable trigger. The advanced design allows for consistent 3 ½ pound trigger pulls set directly from the factory. Should you feel the need; the trigger can be externally adjusted within a range of 2 pounds (3 to 5 pounds) with the included tool.

Specs:

Action: Bolt/Short, Long, Magnum and Ultra Mag
Barrel Length: 24 inches, 26 inches (Ultra Mag)
Overall Length: 44 1/2 inches, 46 1/2 inches (Ultra Mag)
Avg. Weight: 7 lbs, 7 1/8 lbs (Ultra Mag)
Stock Material: Synthetic w/Overmold
Stock Finish: Realtree AP HD
Barrel Finish: Blasted Black Oxide

The MSRP is $879 (Short/Long) and $905 (Magnum/Ultra Mag).

I previously reported that a new line of AKs will be developed by Izhmash. Pracda.ru confirms this:

Anatoli Isaikin, the Director General of the state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, met recently with the creator of the Kalashnikov rifles, the head of the Izhmash Company, Mikhail Kalashnikov. The meeting’s objective was to look into developing a new generation of AK-100 series rifles.

The rifles in this series share a number of innovations that were introduced to the models AK-47, AK-74 and later. Like the AK-47, AK-100 models operate on the explosion of gas produced by the firing of ammunition. The gases eject the used cartridge and insert new ammunition into the chamber.

The models AK-101 and AK-103. AK-101 already use the standard NATO 5.56 mm caliber. AK-103 – Size: 7.62mm. Kalashnikov is a milestone in terms of small arms, especially because of its recognized and insurmountable resistance to all kinds of abuse by users even today. In other words, they are the best in the world. Besides this much appreciated characteristic, the weapon is also easy to maintain and use.

Hat Tip: THR.us

The new line of Ruger M77 Hawkeye Compact Rifles are very very cool. They are 16.5″ carbines chambered in the intermediate .223 Rem, 7.62x39mm and 6.8mm SPC cartridges as well as the .300 Ruger Compact Magnum, .243 Win. 7mm-08, .308 Win. and .260 Rem.

Ruger M77 Hawkeye Compact 6.8mm SPC.

They feature a shorter stock and proportionately shortened forends and buttstocks. This shortened forend makes the rifle look longer than it is in the above photo. The intermediate caliber rifles weight 5 3/4 lbs.

I think these will be big sellers, especially the models chambered in intermediate cartridge where the short barrel will not have a significant impact on performance.

From the press release:

These 16-1/2 inch barreled rifles have an overall length of 35-1/2 inches, making them ideal hunting rifles for rugged terrain and heavy brush. The Hawkeye Compact rifles are available in a Hawkeye Matte Blued with an American walnut stock or the Hawkeye Matte Stainless model with a black laminate stock. The slim American walnut stock offers wrap-around cut checkering on the forearm and more rounded contours on the bottom of the stock and top of the pistol grips.

The Ruger M77 Hawkeye Compact rifles are offered in eight short action calibers, including .300 RCM, 7.62X39 and 6.8SPC. The walnut and blued models weigh approximately 5.75 pounds, while their laminate and stainless counterparts average 6.25 pounds each. Magazine capacity is 4 rounds.

The M77 Hawkeye Compact rifles feature the smooth and crisp Ruger LC6™ trigger, Mauser-type controlled feeding and a powerful claw extractor. A 3-position safety, hammer forged steel barrels and Ruger patented scope rings (provided at no charge) that install on the integral mounts and never shoot loose are also standard fare on all Ruger M77 Hawkeye rifles. The steel floorplate, bearing the distinctive Ruger logo, provides easy unloading and eliminates accidental “dumping” of ammunition.

Word on the ‘net is that Cooper have been bought by Wilson Arms.

Wilson recently open a large new manufacturing plant and Cooper has just come out of the cooper-gate scandal. It makes sense. Cooper’s tarnished name gets polish by the Wilson brand and Wilson move into the custom and semi-custom hunting market

Read this thread at RFC has many people confirming the rumor.

H&K fans rejoice. The HK416 / HK417 piston driven AR-15 derivatives are finally coming in a semi-automatic form for civilians. The civilian 5.56x45mm HK416 is called the MR556 and the 7.62x51mm HK417 civilian equivalent is the MR762. They are expected to arrive in late 2009.

5.56x45mm MR 556

From HK:

A direct descendent of the HK416, the MR556 is a semi-automatic rifle developed by Heckler & Koch as a premium level commercial/civilian firearm. Like the HK416, the MR556 is a major product improvement of conventional AR-type carbines and rifles.

Using the HK-proprietary gas piston system found on the HK416 and G36, the MR556 does not introduce propellant gases and carbon fouling back into the rifle’s interior, making it the most reliable of any AR-type firearm.

The MR556 will be produced at Heckler & Koch’s new manufacturing facility at Newington, New Hampshire from American and German made components. To conform to German export regulations, certain design changes made in the MR556 prevents the rifle’s upper receiver from being used on other AR-style firearms.

So in other words this is not an AR-15 and in theory would not be banned as a named rifle on AWB 2.0.

Specs for the MR 556

Caliber: 5.56 x 45 mm NATO
Length, maximum (stock extended): 37.68″
Length, minimum (stock retracted): 33.90″
Overall width: 3.07″
Height: 9.45″
Barrel Length : 16.5″
weight (without magazine): 8.60 lb
Trigger pull : 7.64 lb
Barrel Profile: 6 lands & grooves, right twist, 1 in 7 in
Sight radius : 14.60″

Oddly enough both models are being shipping with 10 round magazines … AWB 2.0 fears?

7.62x51mm MR 762

Specs for the MR 762
Length, maximum (stock extended) : 39.10″
Length, minimum (stock retracted) : 35.94″
Overall width: 3.23″
Height : 8.36″
Barrel Length: 16.6″
Weight (without magazine): 9.60 lb
Trigger pull: 7.64 lb
Barrel Profile: 6 lands & grooves, right twist, 1 in 12 in
Sight radius: 16.14″

I will update this page as more information becomes available.

Ruger really is going tactical this year. The Ruger M77 Hawkeye Tactical is a new line of M77 bolt action rifles.

They feature
* 20″ heavy barrel
* Hogue OverMolded stock
* Harris bipod! Yes, they actually come standard with a harris bipod.
* A newly designed two stage target trigger.
* Built-in magazine, an odd choice for a tactical styled rifle.

Three calibers are on offer: .223 Rem., .243 Win. and .308 Win.

Specs for the .308 model:

Capacity: 4 Rounds
Finish: Hawkeye Matte Blued
Stock: Black Hogue® OverMolded®
Barrel Length: 20″
Groove: 6
Twist: 1:10″ RH
Overall Length: 40″
Weight: 8 3/4 lbs
Front Sight(s): None
Rear Sight(s): None
Other Features: Two-Stage Trigger; Three-Position Manual Safety
Miscellaneous: Harris Bipod included.

MSRP is $1138.

Crimson Trace have launched a laser and light grip for AR-15 / picatinny rail’d rifles.

From Crimson Trace:

White light equipment for AR-15 and other picatinny rail-equipped rifles has for years involved clamping a rather large flashlight to the rails, and attaching an activation pad to the foregrip via an external wire. Enter the MVF-515 Modular Vertical Foregrip, with its compact and rugged design and our total instinctive activation system which allows the shooter to activate all combinations of light & laser, instinctively, while maintaining their natural shooting grip. And there are no external wires or loosely attached activation pads

Retail price: $479