Steinkamp SW1: The bullpup double rifle / shotgun
Of all the guns which I have written about this year, few have been as interesting as the Steinkamp SW1. The sleek polymer bullpup stock of the SW1 looks like something out of a Sci-Fi movie, and yet it is a double rifle, a type of firearm that is most associated with hunting in the 1800s and early 1900s.
Many of you are now asking yourselves "Why?". I say to you "Why not?". Double barrels rifles and shotguns are still popular and very useful. It is simply a very short double barreled rifle with modern ergonomics and great balance.
At first glance is appears that the rifle has dual triggers, but this is not the case. The lower trigger-like lever unlocks the action. The spring loaded buttplate then opens and the ejectors fling the empty cartridges out of the gun. The reloading process is quick and can be accomplished without the operator having to take their hand off the pistol grip.
The trigger guard doubles as a cocking lever. This feature allows it to be safety carried loaded but uncocked in the field, yet be quickly cocked if a shot presents itself.
Currently the SW1 can be purchased chambered in 8x57IRS, 8x68S, 9.3x74R, 20 gauge and 12 gauge but the company says that other calibers can be requested. The SW1 weighs 7.5 lbs.
The Launch Edition is priced at $4.998. Although it was available for order in 2008, the first rifles only started shipping last month.
Looks like something Flash Gordon would use.
$5000 seems extreme. I’d expect to pay more for a good hunting rifle, but does the polymer and bullpup and neat levers really add that much?
I was pleased to see German engineering made in the USA.
Steve – Sorry to point this out but: “duel triggers”. It is nice to have a rifle handy in case I offend the governors wife but I don’t think they’ll let me use a rifle on the town green to settle the dispute.
Now that looks fun. I’ve always liked double rifles as “I don’t need a gun out here unless I get stuck and need to eat something” guns, particularly when you get a rifle round and a shotgun round in them. This one is nice and compact!
-Don
Freiheit, ah, fixed. Thanks.
Looks like a nice update of the military double-barreled rifle & 410 shotgun survival guns.
Do they / can they come as a rifle & shotgun combo, instead of a rifle & rifle and shotgun & shotgun set?
Too bad it costs so much.
Considering what most double rifles cost, $5,000 seems fair. In this case you’re trading off aesthetics for innovation.
It may not stir the souls of traditionalists, but I love the way it combines old with new.
Nice idea in principle, but a rifle and shotgun combo would be better IMO, and $5k is w-a-a-y too much money for what you get.
It will be interesting to see if it finds a niche in the market.
With those over sized controls and compact size it would make a decent home defense shotgun. If the price point could come down, it would fill a niche similar to that of the stoeger double defense that was reported on here not to long ago.
It seems to me it would be difficult to get both barrels lined up properly while manufacturing these (rifle/rifle version, I guess a shotgun is less sensitive).
For whatever reason they seem to follow in the strange tradition of many bullpup manufacturers in making a weird trigger/hand guard. I’m still not sure why this seems so popular on bullpup designs.
I think I’ve seen the patent or patent application for this. I’ll see if I can track it down for you.
The deal breaker on this is the eject release right on top of the trigger and SHAPED like a trigger. Under stress, it’s a pretty good bet you’ll hit the wrong “trigger” at least once in your life.
Daniel, thanks, I would appreciate that.
Looks like it’s intended for Europeans looking for something modern/flashy.
Patents:
http://v3.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/originalDocument?CC=DE&NR=202008006401U1&KC=U1&FT=D&date=20080717&DB=EPODOC&locale=de_EP
http://v3.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/originalDocument?CC=DE&NR=202005009446U1&KC=U1&FT=D&date=20061026&DB=EPODOC&locale=de_EP
both in german but with drawings
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http://v3.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/originalDocument?CC=US&NR=2008005951A1&KC=A1&FT=D&date=20080110&DB=EPODOC&locale=de_EP
in english
Why are the optics mounted so high?
i must admit that i like the wood version better…
The more I look at it, the more interesting it becomes. I’d love to see one in .470 Nitro Express. Although at 7.5 lbs. the entertainment would be in watching someone else shoot it!
It’s made from modern polymers which means the main body probably does not cost much to actually make.
It doesnt have that complicated an assembly since it’s onyl a single shot dual barrel.
I’m sorry, but this thing looks like it is barely worth $1000 let along $5000.
I’d have to agree with the earlier poster. This thing’s only real selling point is it’s fanciness. I’d rather just spend 500 on a nice double barrel shotgun.
Heath, I am not sure. They can be mounted lower on the gun.
Heath, I am not sure!
keith: actually… big pieces of polymer can be rather expensive. because when you use injection moulding the larger the object the more faults you get. and that one is mabe of pretty much plastic! annoyingly much actually. if they made the body as 4 pieces (pistol grip, hand guard, “stock” and butt) they could probably reduce the price rather much.
I like it. No need to spend 10 or 20 grand on aesthetics. 5 grand is a little expensive but it sure is cool.
I had an idea for something similar to this in shape, I’d like to see a semi-automatic bullpup with a tubular magazine that fires .40 S&W (because of it’s flat nose, it would stack up well), ejection would be downward.
The EPS link to the US patent application appears to be broken. Here is the Google link to the US patent:
http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=VeuzAAAAEBAJ
Daniel, ah, thanks for that!
Interesting, indeed…
A fairly elegant – and VERY expensive – answer…to a question that a) no one really seems to be asking, and b) probably does not need to be asked to begin with.
That “double trigger” that is used to open the action, however, can be easily seen to be a product-liability suit looking for a place to happen – makes it far too likely that the user will inadvertently open the action – thereby disabling the whole thing – just at the moment when a second or followup shot is most required.
Trust a German company, in the end, to over-think and over-engineer almost anything…
i have testfired one of these (rifle version) and they appears to be worth the money when it comes to accuracy and eae of use dont know how reliable they are. I shot 2 “mags”