GunsAmerica Product Reviews – Rifles

The AR-31 is the latest bolt action rifle from Armalite that has been developed as a short action version of their successful AR-30 and AR-50 rifles. Unlike the AR-30 series of rifles that were chambered in .338 Lapua and .300 Winchester Magnum, the AR-31 is chambered in .308 Winchester, although more calibers may become available in the future. When I first saw the AR-31 with its black barreled action rails, and chassis, the first thing that popped into my mind is “man is that thing tactical”. The AR-31 is more than just a “tacticool” rifle though, as it’s laden with features that make it a heavy-duty precision rifle suitable for Regular Joe’s and Law Enforcement professionals alike.

Colt’s Manufacturing has a long history of working with other gun companies for Colt-branded bolt action rifles. The Colt Sauer rifle was produced by J.P. Sauer & Son in Germany from 1973 to 1984, and the 27,189 rifles that came out of it are still highly sought after by collectors. These days, Colt has updated itsgame with an American company called Cooper Firearms of Montana. Cooper was started in 1990 by ex-Kimber employees and has beena staple in the custom rifle market for more than two decades. The first Colt/Cooper came out a couple years back, called the M2012. They still make it today, and as you can see from the picture here, it looks like what it is, a high-end tactical rifle meant to look tactical. Since the introduction of the M2012, a lot of high-end shooters, especially ex-military snipers, have said that they would love a Cooper rifle that says Colt on the side (who wouldn’t?), but that what they would have in mind was something more along the lines of a US Army issue M24 or USMC M40. Colt, and Cooper, have listened, and the result is a whole new version of the M2012 that more resembles those rifles, while sacrificing nothing in performance. These rifles aren’t cheap. Our test gun as you see it here retails for $3,195. But as you will see, it is well within the world class division when it comes to bolt guns. If you are a Colt fan who just loves to see that name on the side of your gun, like back in the old Sauer days, or you are just in the market for an extremely thoughtful and well-made long range rifle, look no further than the new Colt Model 2012.

In this short-action version of the AR, Armalite shortened the receiver and has changed the forestock to get a shorter bolt action. The rifle has a 24-inch barrel and uses AR 10B magazines.

Tapco makes low-priced aftermarket parts for a lot of different guns. They define the value-oriented end of the customization market. And the R&D teams can turn around products fast. The latest offering, and one that will fly off the shelves, is a tactical stock set for Ruger’s 10/22 Takedown, one of the most versatile configurations of the venerable rimfire ever made.

3D printing is definitely the wave of the future in manufacturing. However, for the most part, what we’ve seen is novelty items or non-serviceable experiments exploring the limits of the process. As far as I know, TacStar, one of the Lyman family of brands specializing in tactical accessories, is the first company in our industry to bring a 3D printed item to market. The newest product is an AR-15 Adjustable Match Rifle Stock. This is not a toy. It’s a well engineered stock that allows you to customize the length of pull and comb height to ensure that your AR fits you perfectly. A properly fitting gun, of course, allows you to shoot your best.

Blaser introduced their super fast in-line action in 1993 as their model R 93. The R 8 is the next generation. They make a modular rifle with just about any production rifle caliber you’d care to shoot. To change calibers you simply change barrels, or, if you’re changing to a different family of cartridges, the barrel and bolt, which can be accomplished simply and quickly in the field. Their guns aren’t cheap, typically running in the $3,00 – $5,000 range. However, guns wearing synthetic stocks in lieu of exotic hardwood can be purchased for less. That’s a boon to any hunters who hunt enough to appreciate what this gun can do for them. We took a look at a couple of the new synthetic stocks. While the wood stocks are truly gorgeous, the synthetic stocks have a style that we’re not accustomed to seeing, what with all the tactical plastic in the market.

By this point in the development of tactical firearms, the bullpup seems like familiar territory. Yet Desert Tech has created a good deal of buzz with the announcement of its new multi-caliber bullpup design. The company plans to release it in .223 and .308 at first, with 300 BLK, 7.62 x 39 and 6.8 SPC to follow. It will be offered with either a 10.5” or a 16” barrel. One of the most interesting design features of the new gun is a new sighting system that will allow the user to swap between calibers without losing zero. The spent casings will eject above the magazine well forward and to the right via a short chute, which is easily accessible to clear any malfunctions.

There are lots of new product introductions at SHOT Show, not the least of which is HK’s new competition gun. With input from the HK shooting team and other competitive shooters, HK started with a stock MR556A1 and proceeded to add what competitors wanted. The result is the MR556A1 Competition. The first added component was the new 14” modular rail system. The versatility of adding rails wherever needed while keeping weight down was especially attractive. In addition, the Competition got an extended mag release for quicker reloads, a new design suppressor from Operator Suppressor Systems, and a Magpul CTR adjustable stock. The end result is a fast, competition-ready AR that shoots ½ minute of angle groups, according to HK Shooting Team captain, Jason Koon. MSRP is expected to be in the $2,950 range, and HK plans to start shipping guns in the spring of 2014.

Steyr is making some big claims for this rifle: 55 shots in under 2MOA from 50 meters. That’s solid accuracy, but incredible dependability, and it takes the Anschuetz .RX22 out of the novelty field, for sure. This is the type of rifle you can sling across your back while skiing. Pack it full of snow on when you fall. Shake it dry and shoot. The ergonomics are familiar enough to anyone who has shot a full-sized tactical rifle. Yet the accuracy will set it apart from the pedestrian rimfire rifles.