The Firearm Blog

I was very surprised when a reader email me about this new rifle from Winchester. The poor Browning BAR hunting rifle has been through yet another evolution and rebranding.

In early 2008 FN announced a tactical sniper rifle, the FNAR, based on the Browning BAR (FN owns both Browning and Winchester Arms). It added a detachable magazine, pistol grip and top, bottom and side picatinny rails.

The new SX-AR is a heavy barreled FNAR in a Mossy Oak camo finish but without the side rails and full length top rail (interestingly the bottom rail remains). It comes full circle, taking the tactical FNAR improvements back to the hunting market.

Winchester SX-AR

This rifle will have been developed to fight the new AR-10 based hunting rifles that have been coming into the market, for example, the Remington R-25. I suspect the reason it is being rebranded and marketed under Winchester, and not Browning, is so that the risk of the BAR being named in any Assault Weapon Ban (federal or state) is reduced. The Browning BAR can continue to be a "traditional" styled hunting rifle.

For comparison, there are photos of the SX-AR ancestors ...

Browning BAR

FNAR

A big thank you to Reese for emailing me about this new rifle.

Federal have produced two new loads, under the American Eagle brand, for the M1A (M14) and M1 Garand rifles. The cartridges have staked primers and the powders used were chosen with the rifle’s specific gas system design in mind.

The M1 (.30-06) load pushes a 150 grain FMJ bullet at 2740 fps fps and the M1A (7.62×51mm NATO) load a 168 grain Open Tip Match (OTM) bullet at 2650 fps.

Also from Federal is a Power-Shok hunting load optimized for AR-10 style rifles chambered in .338 Federal. The loads pushes a 200 grain soft point at 2700 fps.

After being delayed a few time the Kel-Tec RFB .308 Bullpup is now shipping.

Kel-Tec:

We are happy to confirm that the RFB is in production and shipping to distributors (yes, it’s true!). We are currently shipping small batches, however full-scale production will commence in the coming weeks! On a similar note, we have purchased three (3) new CNC machines specifically for RFB production.

More info on the RFB.

CMMG are taking pre-orders for their new stripped lower reliever that is compatible with DPMS Panther Arms .308 AR-10 style upper receivers. The lower uses H&K G3 magazine which can be bought for under $5!

G3 lower (top)

Some minor modifications are needed to the upper to accommodate the larger magazine. The price is $449.95 and it can be ordered online.

Many thanks to Tom for the info.

Mossberg have announced a new rifle for 2009 called the 100ATR Night Train II. Oddly enough Mossberg did not include this rifle in their 2009 catalog.

The rifle is a significant upgrade over the original Night Train. It features everything you can see in the above photo: a harris bipod, Barska 6-24 x 60mm variable scope, muzzle brake, neoprene comb raising kit with foam cheek pad inserts. It is a complete system.

It also features a free floating button rifled barrel and the new Mossberg LBA trigger to achieve good accuracy.

Specs:

Caliber: .308 Win.
Stock: Synthetic black or camo
Magazine capacity: 4+1
Barrel: 22″
Weight: 9.6 lbs

UPDATE: Kim @ Mossberg PR told me that the MSRP is $949 for the camo and $913 for the black. No bad at all considering that you get for that.

Hat Tip: Outdoor Wire

LMT (Lewis Machine & Tool) have developed an AR-10 version of their AR-15 CQB MRP rifle called the MTP MRP 308.

Click to expand. Photo Copyright Ken Lunde. Used with permission.

It uses the LMT Monolithic Rail Platform which is a one piece upper receiver and free floating handguard that is machined from sold aluminum.

The AR-15 MRP upper. Click to expand.

The name suggests it can handle the higher pressure .308 Winchester round as well as 7.62×51mm NATO (no, they are not the same).

I don’t have anymore info on the rifle and do not know if it uses the LMT gas piston system.

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.

The new line of Ruger M77 Hawkeye Compact Rifles are very very cool. They are 16.5″ carbines chambered in the intermediate .223 Rem, 7.62×39mm 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.

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.

[ This article was written by Sven Ortmann of Personal Defence Weapons Central, an excellent small arms resource. ]

by Sven Ortmann, lastdingo@gmx.de, 2008-01-05

Caliber: 9×19 mm and .45ACP (= 11.43×23mm)

This is the standard NATO caliber for pistols and a popular caliber for submachineguns. The only ones who seem to have a strong dislike for this caliber seem to be those U.S. Americans who continue to compare it with .45ACP.

The U.S. American problems with the 9×19mm caliber seem to include a mix of emotions (a Colt M1911 in .45ACP feels much more powerful) and poor quality of the U.S. standard issue 9mm pistols. The latter is as far as I know more a magazine production quality problem than a pistol design problem. The origin of .45ACP is said to lie in combat experience around 1900 in the Philippines where determined Philippinos weren’t stopped reliably by smaller revolver calibers. Tests on live animals in 1904 showed better effects for heavier bullets, but little improvement with velocity. Bullet design has improved a lot since then, and hollowpoint bullets that flatten their nose in soft tissue to increase their diameter are much more effective than simple soft lead bullets. A good 9mm bullet enjoys a similar advantage over a .45ACP soft lead bullet than the latter over a 9mm soft lead bullet. There’s a fundamental problem, though: There’s not much difference in effect on the target if you hit the wrong places and the permanent cavities of pistol bullets are all relatively small. Many body parts are simply not essential enough – their destruction doesn’t stop a determined opponent immediately; no matter whether you hit with .45ACP or 9×19mm.
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I try not to use words like “awesome” in the title for blog posts, so I substituted it with “game changing”. But don’t let that word change deceive you. I am *really* excited by this new stock coming out of Savage.

The Savage Accutrigger raised the bar on what consumers could realistically expect from a mass-produced factory trigger.Savage have brought custom-performance to factory-mass-produced stocks. They call it the AccuStock.

Savage explains the technology in their press release:

The AccuStock uses an aluminum spine and 3D Bedding Cradle molded into the stock in such a manner that it becomes an integral part of the composite stock.

The result is a polymer composite stock that possesses many of the same properties of high-end aftermarket stocks, bringing this high level of performance to the production rifle.

…

Rigidity – With its integral aluminum spine that runs from the action down the length of the forearm, the AccuStock is the most rigid factory polymer stock in the marketplace. No matter how hot the weather or the barrel, the forend stays rock-solid and the barrel remains free-floating.

Three-Dimensional Bedding Pressure – Pillar-bedded and v-block stocks, as good as they are, only apply bedding pressure on one axis, up and down. The AccuStock uses a wedge bolt to push the recoil lug back into the aluminum spine to prevent any movement forward and aft, while the bedding cradle literally squeezes the action from the sides when the action screws are tightened.

Initially two rifles will be available with the AccuStock:

Model 10 FCP

* AccuTrigger
* Proprietary Muzzle Brake (new from Savage)
* Detachable Box Magazine
* Oversized Bolt handle
* 24-inch heavy, fluted barrel
* Matte Finish
* Available in 308 Win. And 223 Rem.
* Left-hand models available

Model 10 FCP

Model 10 Precision Carbine

* Camo: Digital Green Camo
* 20-in medium-contour barrel
* AccuTrigger
* Detachable Box Magazine
* Oversized Bolt Handle
* Matte Black Metal Finish
* Available in 308 Win. and 223 Rem.

Model 10 Precision Carbine

No word on pricing. Unfortunately it is not yet offering rimfire models.

“tooms” posted these photos on the Shooters’ Forum. His modular Sauer 202 take down rifle has a 6.5×55mm and .308 Win. configuration as well as a .22 LR conversion kit. The .22 conversion kit cost the equivalent of US$1000.

I would assume tooms changes scopes when he switches from the 6.5×55mm or .308 Win. configuration to the .22 LR system. His scope, a Zeiss Victories, costs the equivalent of US$3000. Makes the .22 kit seem a lot less expensive in comparison!

Click to expand the photos:

Look at that wood!

More photos at Shooters’ Forum. Accurate Shooter discusses the rifle.

Hat Tip: Accurate Shooter

Good news, the civilian semi-automatic SCAR will be launched next year (2009).

Both versions will be available: the .223/5.56mm SCAR 16S (civilian equivalent of the SCAR-Light) and the .308/7.62×51mm (civilian equivalent of the SCAR-Heavy).

SCAR-Light carbine (14″ barrel). The civilian model will have a longer barrel.

I have emailed FNH USA for pricing details but they have not yet got back to me.

From the press release:

Experience the civilian-legal semi-auto only version of the rifle chosen by U.S. Special Operations Command as its first new rifle since the early 1960’s. The SCAR 16S is chambered in 5.56X45mm NATO (223 Rem.) while the SCAR 17S fires the 7.62X51mm NATO (308 Win.) cartridge. The innovative gas-operated, short stroke piston system reduces fouling for greater reliability. The side folding polymer stock is fully adjustable for comb height and length of pull and is colored authentic USSOCOM Flat Dark Earth. Both 10 and 30-round detachable box magazines(DBM) are available, and the ambidextrous operating controls instantly adapt the SCAR S-Series to any user.

Unfortunately they will not come with this …

UPDATE:

Photo of SCAR 16S:

Earlier this year Marlin introduced the value-for-money XL7 rifle cambered in 25-06, 270 and 30-06. I thought it was odd that they did not offer a short action version. John Snow reports that a short action version will be available shortly in .248, .308 and 7mm-08.

Marlin XL7 (the long action version)

John has the specs and a brief range report.