A REAL WINNER BREDA

A shotgun that concentrates on what matters ITH L ZEN SHOW

REPORT
10 PAGES of the
latest products from
this year's BRITISH
SHOOTING
SHOW

HOWA 1500
41 YEARS AS THE UK’S BIGGEST & BEST SHOOTING MAGAZINE CARBON
STALKER
INCORPORATING:

Hunting, Firearms, Ammo,

Night Vision, Reloading KEEPING
& MUCH MORE! IT LIGHT
A carbon-clad
hunting rifle
from Howa

BARGAIN
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An affordable all-in
kit from Milbro
THE TARGET MASTER

THERMALS
We check out the
new Pulsar Proton
FXQ30 and Kahles
Helia TI-25

GUNMART.NE
Volume 41 April 2022 £4.75
0 4
T
9 770956 660191
THE LARGEST GUN & SHOOTING KIT REVIEW SITE ON THE WEB

MILITARIA THE PAK 36 ANTI-TANK GUN • DIARY DATES • CALDICOT CASTLE & ANTIQUE GUNS!
GM04.22/CV1/f
GM04.22/69/g
 CONTENTS APRIL 2022

IN THIS ISSUE
39 YEARS AS THE UK’S BIGGEST & BEST SHOOTING MAGAZINE

G U N M A R T. N E T
Gun Mart is published monthly
by Aceville Publications Ltd, and
goes on sale the third Thursday
of the month preceding the
cover date.

PUBLISHER: Tony Phelps

EDITORIAL:
MANAGING EDITOR
Ed Jackson
EDITORIAL AND FIREARMS CONSULTANT,
VIDEO, WEBSITE, AND MAGAZINE
Pete Moore
Email: shootingsports1@outlook.com

EDITORIAL & ADVERTISEMENT OFFICE

21-23, Phoenix Court, Hawkins Rd,
Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY.
Telephone: 01206 506247
Fax: 01206 500226 038
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ADVERTISING TEAM:
GROUP ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER
VANESSA ENGLISH – 01206 506247
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SARAH COLLINS - 01206 506242I
SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES –
01293 312215
E-mail: gunmart@servicehelpline.co.uk
COVER PHOTOGRAPHY:
MARK CAMOCCIO
PRINTED IN THE UK
NEWS TRADE SALES 038 Gun Test: Pete Wadeson tests the Air Arms
Frontline Ltd. Tel: 01733 555161 NEWS
EDITORIAL - Care is taken to ensure 06 News: The latest information S510 TDR and reckons once assembled,
that the contents of the magazine are from the shooting industry it makes for a superb hunting tool
accurate, but the publishers do not
accept responsibility for any errors that 08 Kitbox: Essential products and FIELD CUTLERY
may occur. Articles published in this information for the well-equipped shooter
magazine are based on contributors’ 048 This month’s round-up of all the best
personal experiences using specific 010 Best On Test: Our expert
tools, accessories and equipment, and cutting-edge tools of the trade
reviewers bring you a selection of
should not be relied on as a guide to
safe practice in conditions over which shooting’s top new products FIREARMS
the publishers have no control. Readers
018 Wardrobe: Our round-up of what the well- 052 Show Report: Chris Parkin checks
should satisfy themselves as to the
safety of specific guns, ammunition and dressed shooter in the field is wearing out the latest firearms, scopes
uses. Readers should also familiarise
AIRGUNS and accessories from the BSS
themselves with all relevant legislation
before attempting to purchase or use 020 Round-Up: Fancy a PCP for hunting? 060 Gun Test: Chris Parkin gets his hands on
any gun. If in doubt, ask at your local
Mark Camoccio shows us a
police station, or consult one of the a GSG STG 44 in .22 semi-auto format
shooting associations. selection of what's available
SUBMISSIONS - Readers are invited to 026 Show Report: Mark Camoccio 064 Product: Chris Parkin gets to grip
submit articles, letters and photographs with another thermal imager;
for publication. The publishers reserve
takes a look at all things airgun
the right to amend any submissions, at the British Shooting Show the Kahles Helia TI-25
and cannot accept responsibility for
loss or damage. Articles published will 030 Gun Test: Mark Camoccio 112 Reloading Basics: This month Mark
be paid for at our normal rates. builds an affordable kit from Underwood considers the importance
ADVERTISEMENTS - Whilst reasonable Milbro; the Target Master
care is taken when accepting of lubrication when resizing rifle brass
advertisements, the publishers cannot
116 Show Report: The British Shooting Show is
accept responsibility for any resulting
unsatisfactory transactions. They
will, however, investigate any written
1000s OF REVIEWS
& VIDEOS AT the ultimate showcase for NV and Thermal
complaints. GUNMART.NET kit. Jules Whicker does the rounds.

4 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022


100
070 Gun Test: Pete Moore
reviews Ruger’s compact
Ranch Rifle from their
budget, American range
and is very impressed
074 Night Vision: Jules Whicker
checks out Pulsar’s
ground-breaking sub-
£2K thermal clip-on; the
Pulsar Proton FXQ30
080 Product: Pete Moore tests
the H.M.S. Bone Bipod
088 Product: Chris Parkin looks
at the Viper-Flex Styx PRO
Scope Test: Chris Parkin
takes a look at the
brand-new B2 range of
scopes from Blaser
100 Gun Test: Chris Parkin
explores a lightweight
rifle option from Howa;
the Carbon Stalker
APRIL 2022
090
118
COUNTRY & SHOTGUN
118 Gun Test: Ed Jackson heads to the
clay ground to smash some clays
with the Blaser F16 Sporting
122 Gun Test: Bruce Potts tests a
shotgun that concentrates on what
matters; the Breda Zenith L
128 Show Report: Jules Whicker
gives us his pick of the smooth-
bores at this year’s BSS
ANTIQUES & MILITARIA
132 Place of Interest: Caldicot Castle
140 Diary Dates: We look at what's
coming up this month
144 Re-Enactment: John Norris
takes a look at the German
army's Pak 36 anti-tank gun
148 Antique Gun Test: Derek Landers
takes a look at an Italian reproduction
of one of his favourite percussion
revolvers; the Model 1861 Navy
154 INDEX TO ADVERTISERS
CONTENTS
EDITOR'S
COMMENT
With the April 2022 issue of
the magazine, we've worked
hard to bring you reports of
the latest airguns, shotguns
and firearms seen at this year's
British Shooting Show. I have
put them in the appropriate
sections of the magazine, so
get stuck in and take a look!
This month, Chris Parkin has
reviewed the GSG STG 44 in .22
semi-auto format, the Howa
Carbon Stalker bolt-action rifle,
Blaser's brand-new B2 range of
scopes, the Kahles Helia TI-25
thermal spotter and the new
carbon fibre Viper-Flex Styx
PRO. I have also included a test
of the H.M.S. Bone Bipod and
Ruger’s compact Ranch Rifle by
Pete Moore. Plus, Jules Whicker
has written up Pulsar’s ground-
breaking sub-£2K thermal clip-
on; the Pulsar Proton FXQ30.
In the shotgun section, I
have reviewed the Blaser F16
Sporting, while Bruce Potts
has put a piece together
about the Breda Zenith L.
If you fancy a PCP that is
suitable for hunting then check
out the Hunting PCP Selection
Special in the airgun section.
There is also a review of the
Milbro Target Master by Mark
Camoccio and the Air Arms
S510 TDR by Pete Wadeson.
In the militaria section, John
Norris has written all about
Caldicot Castle and has done
a piece on the German army's
Pak 36 anti-tank gun. If you
want to know what events
are coming up in April, then
it's worth checking out the
diary dates page. Finally, Derek
Landers has taken a look at
an Italian reproduction of one
of his favourite percussion
revolvers; the Model 1861 Navy.
Enjoy, and as always,
safe shooting!
Ed Jackson
Managing Editor
APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 5
 NEWS
GUN MART
news
All the latest news and views from the shooting world
HFT MASTERS
We've just had news of two
HFT competitions for 2022.
The first is to be held at the
Northern Shooting Show at
Harrogate. The show is on
the 7th and 8th of May, with
Sunday the 8th being the
date for the one day shoot.
Kick-off for the morning
session will be 9.15 am,
with the second session to
follow after the end of the
morning shoot. Cup trophies
and prizes will be awarded
to the winners of both A and
B groups, and the course
will be to HFT masters rules.
Please contact the Northern
Shooting Show at www.
northernshootingshow.
co.uk with entry to the
TIME FOR A NAME CHANGE
› What started life as a
small local show at South
Yorkshire’s famous Doncaster
Racecourse 8 years ago, the
South Yorkshire Shooting
Show has grown to become
a very well-stocked, well-
attended event. Now
attracting big names in the
shooting world, and visitors
from all over the UK, the
show’s organiser, Richard
Brook, has decided his show
is ready for a name change, as
it’s no longer a localised show.
He is proud to announce the
South Yorkshire Shooting
Show is now called the
‘Yorkshire Shooting Show’
(YSS) and insists the 2022
show is going to be the
best yet. There will be more
products, more attractions
and more money-saving deals.
6 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022
Make sure you put the new dates in your diary
show covering the cost
of the shoot. Any queries
call Ian on 07816421334.
The second date is the
7th August 2022, which
takes us to Cloybank,
Scotland, where the
Over the years, the
show at Doncaster has
become well-known for
its deals and Richard
encourages exhibitors
to offer them at the
show. Despite the name
change, the addition
of new attractions and the
signing of new sponsors to
the event, the entry fee and
exhibitor stand prices will
remain the same. Richard
said: “I’m not a greedy
person. It’s more important
to me to create a show that
everyone is happy with. Our
stand prices are a lot lower
than other shows, which I
think encourages retailers
to offer more deals for
visitors. So everyone wins”.
Previous shows have
seen exhibitors selling out
course will again be set
to HFT Masters rules. The
shoot starts at 10.30 am.
Camping is free, so turn up
on the day or book in early
with Kenny at Cloybank.
www.cloybank.com
Introducing the Yorkshire
Shooting Show!
of products. In 2019, King’s
Ginger sold out on the very
first day and had to restock.
Plus, at the last show in
2021, Swillington Shooting
Supplies had entirely sold
out of digital night vision.
With the Yorkshire
Shooting Show being held
in late September, it’s the
perfect time for buying night
hunting gear. In fact, on Friday
24th September 2022, Night
Master will be holding a
demonstration evening at the
THIS MONTH ON
TV
We have some exciting
new content appearing
on Gun Mart TV this
month. The latest
uploads include:
Blaser R8, 22
Long Rifle, Rimfire
conversion
Weihrauch HW57
under-lever air rifle
Weihrauch HW45
Bronze Star air pistol
Blaser's new B2
rifle scope series
Milbro Target Master
SMK Synergy
Supergrade B19-36
Haenel Jaeger 10
Varmint Sporter Forest
Kral Puncher NP03
multi-shot PCP
Cometa Fenix 400
USC Laminate
Ruger American
Ranch Rifle
New videos are being
added all the time so check
out the channel:
youtube.com/GunMartTV
Doncaster Racecourse venue
to allow people to see and test
the latest high-power lamps,
night vision and thermal
imaging products. This will
take place at the unique
Optics Viewing Area on the
grandstand, which provides
views of over a mile and is
the perfect place for trying
equipment before you buy.
The 2022 Yorkshire
Shooting Show will take
place on the 24th and 25th
September. As always, parking
is free, under 16s get free
entry (when accompanied
by an adult), BASC members
get £5 off the entry fee and
dogs are very welcome. Book
your tickets online at www.
yorkshireshootingshow.com
 NEWS

NEW OWNERS QUICKFIRE

› The Northern Shooting
› MyOutdoorTV.com (MOTV),
Show has been acquired by
is set to release a second
events and media company,
season of the hugely-popular
Stable Events Ltd for an
northern European adventure
undisclosed sum. Stable
hunting series, ‘Nordic
Events Ltd bring with them
Wild Hunter’ on Friday 4th
the organisational team
March 2022. Sponsored by
behind The Game Fair, GWCT
gunmaker, Savage Arms and
Scottish Game Fair and
leading optics company,
World Gunmakers Evening.
Leupold, ‘Four Seasons’,
The Northern Shooting
follows Norwegian hunter
Show will take place for the
Kristoffer Clausen as he
5th time from the 7-8th
heads alone into the forests
May 2022 at The Yorkshire
of Norway and Sweden.
Event Centre, Harrogate. The
www.myoutdoortv.com
uniquely placed venue also
has room to accommodate › After the rigorous judging
expansion of the event of over 100 entries into the
and a favourable ‘free car inaugural Rigby Dagga Boy
parking’ policy which is Award, 78-year-old hunter,
critical for high visitor Franklin D. Cean from New
The Northern Shooting Show will take place on the 7th and 8th May York state was presented
attendance. The two-day 2022
event expects to welcome with the trophy at a small,
around 20,000 shooting a vital event for the industry commercial and but well-attended event
enthusiasts this year. and was sorely missed during organisational experience. on the London gunmaker,
James Gower, Managing the COVID hiatus. We will be We are delighted to be John Rigby & Co.’s booth
Director of Stable Events Ltd bringing our passion for the working alongside this during the Dallas Safari Club
said: “Myself and the team countryside and our event new team to deliver the Convention (DSC) 2022.
are pleased to have secured expertise to develop the most comprehensive, www.johnrigbyandco.com
the running of The Northern show, whilst maintaining its dedicated shooting › Following the Agents’
Show in May and will ensure specialist shooting focus.” show in Great Britain” Symposium, which was
the show continues to go “Stable Events Ltd bring added Paul Whitelam, attended by a member of
from strength to strength a wealth of marketing and Show Organiser. www. M&S’ agriculture team, the
for many years to come. It is PR strength, alongside northernshootingshow.co.uk retailer has announced it
will stock game that is both
lead-free and British Game
Assurance-certified. M&S
MORE EDUCATION has stated its intention to
Thousands of children from across the lead the way in the sale of
country will have an opportunity to meet sustainable game, which
the people and organisations that help to is why the retailer has
protect our stunning moorland landscapes Children to learn more about moors at UK’s scrutinised and adopted
largest annual upland education event the BGA’s standards. www.
and species, when the UK’s largest
upland classroom returns this summer. 4-8th July. This year’s theme will be britishgameassurance.co.uk
Let’s Learn Moor provides interactive 'protection' - the protection of people › Following the triumphant
lessons that engage children and teachers and communities, carbon, and wildlife. 63rd edition of The Game
about the wonderful species on our More than 6,000 children have Fair last Summer, BASC will
moorlands, from spongey sphagnum attended Let’s Learn Moor events since continue as a major partner
mosses to the iconic bent beaked curlew. the project was launched in 2017. It is of the event, which takes
Children will be 'rescuing' their teachers coordinated by Countryside Learning place this year from the 29th
with the mountain rescue, solving rural and the British Association for Shooting to 31st of July at Ragley Hall,
crimes with the police and learning about and Conservation (BASC). Events have Warwickshire. The much-
the importance of the precious carbon-rich been hosted at multiple venues involving loved event will welcome
peatlands below their feet. They will also get more than 50 partner organisations. BASC members in their
to sample the delicacies of wild food with Part-funded by BASC legacy funding, droves as complimentary
venison, pigeon and grouse on the menu. the day is free to all schools involved, access is once again
Let’s Learn Moor 2022 will be held ensuring that there are no financial offered to all members.
at eight locations in England from the barriers to participation. www.basc.org.uk www.thegamefair.org

APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 7

 NEWS

KIT BOX
All the finest kit and caboodle for the seriously savvy shooter…

Beretta has launched the updated A400 Xcel sporting semi-auto shotgun

Clay Buster
PRICE:
£1900

› Beretta is pleased to
announce the launch of
an updated version of
one of their most popular
sporting clays shotguns
- the A400 Xcel Sporting.
Built on the revolutionary
A400 action, the updated
shotgun features enlarged
controls, the innovative
Blink gas operating system
for 36% faster follow-up
shots and Beretta’s Kick-
Off recoil reduction system
for enhanced stability,
comfort and control for
faster target acquisition.
“Improving such a
technologically advanced
shotgun, already at the top
of a very crowded product
segment, seemed to be
an impossible mission
to undertake,” Carlo
Ferlito, General Manager
& C.O.O. of Fabbrica d'Armi
Pietro Beretta S.p.A. and
Member of the Board of
Directors of Beretta USA,
Corp., said. “However,
we accomplished this
feat and are proud to
introduce the A400 Xcel
Sporting - crafted by
the Beretta engineering
team with updates made
based on customer
input. The final result
is here - the best sporting
semi-auto ever built.”
The main features include
a new receiver shape, an
Aqua Tech Shield Grey
coating with laser engraving
on it, a new pistol-grip
design with palm swell, an
extended bolt handle and
release, a new competition
shell carrier, a shooting cap
design with aftermarket
weights for gun balance, a
new top rib design, a new
forend and ergonomics, 3x
OCHP Black edition 20mm
extended chokes and a Kick-
Off plus wood stock that
reduces felt recoil by 40%.
The Beretta Steelium
barrel is available in 28”,
30” and 32” lengths,
characterized by deep
drilling, cold hammer forging
and vacuum relieving. The
special geometry, with
its 80mm double forcing
cone, is designed to offer
outstanding performance
and uniform patterns,
reducing at the same time
felt recoil. Vittoria model
stocks are available for
consumers looking for a
model that fits a smaller
stature, with a shortened
length-of-pull and stock
dimension. www.gmk.co.uk

Maximum Protection PRICE:

› Shooting glasses offer protection
from hot gasses, malfunctions,
debris and even ricochets. The SR-
Ricochet Shooting glasses from
Napier are designed by shooters and
offer an unhindered 180° field of
view. The kit includes five optically
correct, interchangeable lenses that
can be swapped over to suit the
ambient lighting conditions. They
are manufactured from high-quality
polycarbonate to offer maximum
protection. The case includes one
CR39 performance frame, a cleaning
cloth and various coloured lenses.
£119.65
The grey ones work
in high light level
conditions as they
reduce eye fatigue,
provide true colour
perception and minimise glare.
The Vermilion colour is ideal for
With all shooting disciplines, it is recommended
low lighting, as it enhances orange that participants look after their eyes with a
clays, improves visual depth, reduces quality pair of shooting glasses
eye strain, enhances visibility and
also offer the greatest amount of the Bronze variant enhances
contrast. The Sodium lens filters out contrast and contains a red element
blue light, working well in fog, haze to improve depth perception. Finally,
and extreme weather conditions. For the Lilac ones are good for low
general use and everyday conditions, light levels. www.napieruk.com

8 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022

 NEWS

Do you feel lucky?
› Since its unveiling in early 2021, this fully-licensed
airgun has been the subject on everyone’s lips for
almost a year. More recently, Umarex announced
this rifled-barrel pellet model. Distributor, John
Rothery Wholesale is happy to confirm the 6.5”
barrel model has arrived in the UK. It has been
one of Rothery’s most requested products ever.
“We first saw details of this pistol back in
early 2021. Since then, it’s been our most talked-
about pistol since the introduction of the Glocks”
comments Claire Haskett, Marketing Executive
at John Rothery Wholesale. “Nothing can prepare
you for just how good this pistol looks and feels in
the hand. The bluing finish to the steel is excellent
and the action and trigger shoots like a dream.
From loading the removable shells with .177
PRICE:
£229.95
pellets to cocking
or shooting in double-
action mode, it’s a dream to
shoot. Combined with its instant
appeal from the very famous film, I’m
sure UK shooters won’t be disappointed!”
Consumers can find out more from their
local retailer. Further details can be found on
the John Rothery Wholesale website, where
there is also a handy dealer locator. If you don’t
follow them already, John Rothery Wholesale The much-
anticipated Umarex
regularly posts announcements and other useful S&W M29 pistol
information on their social media channels. has arrived in the
Find them on Facebook and follow them on UK, with 6.5” rifled
Instagram to keep up-to-date with all things barrel for .177
pellets
Umarex and much more. www.bisley-uk.com

PRICE:
Get dressed £65.95

› Just like the symbolic
representation it was
named after, Swazi
Apparel’s Totem merino
t-shirt bares the company’s
clan logo, as a stamp of
quality on this wardrobe
staple. It is available in
sizes XS – 3XL and the
colours Olive or Iron Sand.
Made from revolutionary
NuYarn merino wool, the
Totem is ideal for the hugely
energetic as it is thermal
regulating, wicking away any
clammy moisture. Odour
neutralising at the same
time, pack it for hunting trips
when washing is limited
and energy output is high.
The highly sustainable
NuYarn merino will dry
five times faster than
conventional merino,
as well as offering 35%
more thermal retention,
so it keeps your core at
a constant temperature,
even when wet. With 35%
more elasticity, the Totem
regains its original shape.
Highly impervious to
wind, this next-to-skin layer
is ultra-soft and lightweight
but resistant to pilling and
holes. Vented side panels
improve vapour permeability,
while the extra-long length
cut keeps vitals warm and
protected, plus prevents the
top from riding
up during active
movement.
Davey
Hughes, founder
and creative director
of Swazi, commented:
“Hard-yards doesn’t even
begin to describe our
new Totem. No matter
the weather, this top is
all business and plenty
of party at the same
time. Engineered with
the latest smart fabric
technology, it is ideal
for the adventurer who
depends on quality kit to Swazi’s Totem active
help keep him at the top of t-shirt towers above
his game.” www.swazi.co.nz. the rest

Lintran K9 award winning dog, gun and equipment transport systems

GM04.22/29/g

APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 9

 NEWS BEST ON TEST

BEST ON TEST
Our experts bring you reviews of the top shooting products and services

| Jack Pyke Metalware Collection

› Badges, motifs and
emblems have long been
an indication of people’s
interests, work duties and
hobbies. In the country
sports leisure and work
sector, gamekeepers, beaters
and shotgun shooters
have long worn certain
trinkets that identify them
with the specific quarry
they seek or gun they use.
On the other hand, some
people just like to wear
them to show their passion
for the great outdoors.
Jack Pyke's ‘Metalware
Collection’ is an interesting
and quite eclectic mix of
not only pin badges but
also items that will be of
use around the home. They
are very well made, with
some being manufactured
from cast zinc alloy, while
others are made from
stainless steel. Some also
have weatherproof silver
or brass effect finishes.
Pinned
Pin Badges are widely worn
amongst the country sport/
shooting fraternity and
Pin Badges are widely worn
amongst the country sports and
shooting fraternity
Jack Pyke definitely has
quite a varied selection on
offer. The pins available
include a countryman pin,
shotgun, stag, brace of
partridge, duck, woodcock,
pheasant, cartridge and
even their own Jack Pyke
logo moniker crafted into
the outer base of a shotgun
cartridge. All and any will
look good pinned to any
jumper, pullover or fleece.
How very formal
As we’re all aware, formal
shirt and tie events require
a certain dress code. For
these occasions, Jack Pyke
can supply suitable country-
Any of the company’s
practical bottle
stoppers will help
keep the wine fresh
Corkscrews and bottle openers
are always useful!
style or monikered clothing
accessories. These include
cartridge cuff links and
a pheasant motif tie clip.
These can be purchased
on their own but there’s
also a special gift set that
includes a tie, hanky and cuff
links with a cartridge motif
- ideal for formal country-
related and outdoor-themed
dinners or functions.
Drink up
For any social event that
involves drinking at the
shoot lodge, you can still
show your passion for the
great outdoors by using a
traditional country-style
corkscrew or bottle opener.
The JP options include
chrome-plated corkscrews
or bottle openers with a
stag or pheasant design.
Stop It
While the need for a
corkscrew or bottle opener
is obvious, never forget
the importance of a wine
stopper! The characterful
Jack Pyke pheasant, stag
or cartridge wine stopper
makes the perfect dining
table addition for a country-
style themed night.
Any of these practical,
stainless-steel wine bottle
stoppers will keep the
drink fresh for the duration
of a lengthy meal.
There’s even a salt and
pepper pot set, which are
styled as shogun shells, and
they are easily refillable
thanks to a screw-on
cartridge cap top. They have
a stainless steel polished
finish and a 35ml capacity.
Some items come
mounted on a backing
card, while others are
stylishly gift packaged. GM
REVIEWER: PETE WADESON

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Name: Pin Badge, Cufflinks, Pheasant Tie Clip, The
Tie, Hanky Cufflink set, Corkscrews, Bottle Openers,
Wine stoppers and the Salt and Pepper Set
Price: £3.50-£12.95, £12.95, £9.95, £27.50,
£17.95, £17.95, £15 & £45, respectively
Contact: Thatchreed Ltd - www.jackpyke.co.uk

10 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022


| Wisport 120+ Rifle Case
› As rifle cases seem
to carry more and more
equipment alongside a gun
and ammunition, there has
been a large shift towards
the more tactical drag
bags, some of which open
out to be used as a range
mat. For those wanting to
combine storage capacity
with easy carriage and more
discreet looks, the Wisport
120+ is a perfect solution.
Details
With overall dimensions of
125 x 33 x 8cm, it’s made
from 750 Cordura and is
available in Olive Green,
Brown, Black or several
camouflage patterns (some at
an additional cost). Lined with
30mm of removable egg box
foam it’s destined to protect
your equipment. There's a
3-sided bi-directional zipper
to open the bag out fully to
make a ground mat, either
to spread your kit out or lie
on to shoot. Each side has
a fabric trim to retain your
rifle and there are three
lateral elasticated straps to
secure your gun in place.
Wisport also makes a
100cm version for smaller
guns, while this 120+ cm
version also has a zippered
pocket that extends 21cm to
allow longer barrelled rifles
(up to 145cm) to fit in. It
This Wisport 120+ Rifle Case
is 5-years old and still in A1
condition after a lot of use
perhaps does not offer as
much protection as a longer
case overall but is handy in
certain circumstances. You
can actually fit two guns into
this case and Wisport now
supplies a padded divider
to slip between the two
for close comfort without
scratches and dings.
Features
The two large pockets on the
outside each measure 40
x 35cm (4.5-litre capacity)
and incorporate smaller
internals. So, there's plenty of
room for ammo, binoculars
and spare clothing etc. Each
outer pocket also supports
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Name: Wisport 120+ Rifle Case
Price: £143.95
Contact: Military 1st - www.military1st.co.uk
BEST ON TEST
PRICE:
£143.95
a buckled strap to attach
further gear and the now,
de-rigeur Velcro square sits
on the front to attach your
own moral patches to.
The material is durable,
doesn’t snag too much and
also folds nicely, which
makes long term storage
easier. There are twin
adjustable rucksack shoulder
straps and a waistband for
longer carries, but unlike
some heavier duty cases, they
are not padded. The 50mm
wide straps are intended
for occasional use rather
than everyday carry. The
middle handle is reinforced
and supports the long rifle
uk.hawkeoptics.com
APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET
NEWS
The shoulder straps would
be slightly better if mounted
more centrally but are fine
for occasional use
case well and the bag itself
comes in at 2150-grams.
Conclusion
For larger sporting rifles or
even a pair, I think it combines
all the required factors well
while remaining discreet. I
have run one of these cases
day in, day out for almost
5-years with an assortment of
rifles and have really grown to
appreciate its capabilities and
more importantly, the chance
to get a true idea of long term
durability. For ease of picking
the right case from the truck,
I have now chosen the Olive
Green version. However,
the older one is still in daily
service carrying expensive,
loaned test kit that I cannot
afford to get scratched. I
rely on the Wisport! GM
REVIEWER: CHRIS PARKIN
GM04.22/26/g
11
 NEWS
| Hawke Endurance
ED 8X32 Binoculars
PRICE:
£229
Highly portable and
supremely functional -
Hawke's Endurance ED
Binoculars
› Binoculars are a key
tool for many outdoor
enthusiasts, and shooting
applications are many
and varied. Surveying the
landscape and monitoring
prospective quarry has to
be high on the list. However,
as any hunter will testify,
just being out in our glorious
countryside and enjoying
nature up close, can on
many occasions, be reward
enough. Quality binoculars
can bring this world alive,
but certain design features
can make a big difference
to the overall experience.
12 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022
BEST ON TEST
Slick spec
On show here are the
Hawke Endurance ED
8X32 binoculars, and
the specification is a
nice balance in terms
of performance versus
compactness. ED stands for
Extra-low Dispersion glass,
which is designed to reduce
colour fringing. Fully multi-
coated lenses are also used,
as is fairly standard these
days. As for the internals,
Hawke specifies the system
as utilizing 'High resolution,
phase corrected BAK-4 roof
prisms', which if I'm honest,
Subtle ergonomics
are at play here It's worth protecting these quality lenses
leaves me not entirely any
the wiser! One thing is for
sure though - real-world
performance is the result.
So, what exactly do
you get inside the smart
protective packaging? Well,
first there's the binoculars
themselves, supplied in
smart green for the test,
although you can specify
black. Then, there's a stiff
case, complete with an
adjustable carry handle, an
adjustable padded strap for
the binoculars, front and
back lens covers, instruction
booklet and lens cloth.
Set-up
The first job is to thread
the carry strap through the
clips on the binocular body.
It's worth taking time to do
this fiddly job properly and
securely, as then you won't
have to worry in the field. The
rear lenses get a neat, dual
flexible rubber cover, and
whilst this easily pulls off, it is
something to lose if you're not
careful. For this reason, I would
thread them onto the strap,
so they are linked in. The front
lenses get their own flip-down
covers, so no such worry there.
With the strap sorted, it
is worth just checking that
the binoculars are set to your
eyes. This is easily done as
per the instructions. With
the dioptre set to the centre,
first, cover up the front lens
on the right-hand side, and
using the central focus wheel,
turn until the image in the
left eyepiece is sharp. Now,
cover the left lens and turn
the rear dioptre adjuster until
the image is sharp. I followed
this routine as instructed,
but the dioptre was only just

off centre. Worth taking the
time though nonetheless.
Hands-on
Handle these Endurance EDs,
and the initial impression
is of a slick, robust and
nicely made product. The
rubber textured feel to the
magnesium alloy body offers
real grip, and with subtle
ergonomics, such as the
small indents on the reverse
for the thumbs and those
side panels of moulded
'chequering', the body feels
just right in use, plus can be
confidently handled whatever
the weather. As with any
binoculars, the two barrels
are gently pulled apart or
pushed together to suit the
individual's eye position. In
use, the movement offers
just the right amount of
resistance, so is firm and
smooth. When it calls for
'ultra compact', simply
dispense with the case and
twist the tubes together, so
that the binoculars are just 4”
across and are easily dropped
into an overcoat pocket.
The stiff case offers
protection and easy
carriage
Dioptre
adjustment
is here if you
need it
Eye relief is listed as 0.7”,
and whilst I often picked
up these binoculars and
viewed without thinking (or
knowingly experiencing a
problem), a quick twist of
those ultra-slick 'twist-up'
eyecups at the rear keep
your eyes at just the right
distance for a full image.
Indeed, use them to set
the eye relief, then mark
their setting, or even tape
them, and comfortable
viewing is assured.
Vibrant
Take these binoculars into the
field and the image quality
is quite superb. The depth of
field has to impress but add
in that effortless focussing
and these Endurance EDs
get a big thumbs up. The
image is ultra-crisp as well
as clear, and as it stands, at
£229, I reckon these Hawke
binoculars would stand up
to much more expensive
opposition. 'High resolution,
with no loss of detail', is
how Hawke's marketing line
goes for this model, and take
BEST ON TEST NEWS
Smooth control
at your fingertips,
note the
specifications
A padded strap is
a nice touch
one look through, and I defy the product to be free of
anyone to not be bowled over. defects in materials and
We are talking easy, workmanship for the lifetime
smooth operation, with of the original owner (10
stunning visuals. Where binos years within Europe), which
are concerned, what more all sounds pretty fair to me.
could you ask for? As for the As mentioned, binoculars
negatives, all I can come up are an invaluable piece of
with is the fact that there's hardware, called upon to do
no tripod mounting point, a serious job. These Hawke
which whilst handy, isn't vital. Endurance EDs are a great
design, with a satisfyingly
Quality guaranteed compact specification. They
It should come as no surprise are well thought out, with
that these field glasses are an air of quality that makes
also waterproof and fog them ideal for any serious
proof (nitrogen purged), country enthusiast. GM
plus Hawke's warranty
states that they guarantee REVIEWER: MARK CAMOCCIO
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Name: Hawke Endurance ED 8X32 Binoculars
Field of View: 388ft @1000yds
Length: 5.6”
Minimum Focus: 6.6ft
Weight: 19oz
Eye Relief: 0.7”
Supplied Accessories: Carry Case, Padded
Strap, Front & Rear Lens Caps
Colours: Green or Black
Price: £229
Contact: Hawke Optics - www.hawkeoptics.com
APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 13
 NEWS
| Hornady Lock-N-Load Bolt Ball
› Hornady’s Lock-N-Load
Bolt Ball is a superb little
accessory that improves
the handling characteristics
of most rifle types, with
a seemingly 'show-off'
appearance, yet provides
incredible improvements
to bolt handle operation
and tactile dexterity. The
rubber ball is hollow and
simply shuffles and wriggles
into place as it stretches
over the metal or polymer
bolt handle on your rifle.
It allows bolt operation
with less likelihood of
slipping when rushing.
On a rimfire with a 17mm
ball handle close into the
stock, this cover enabled
bolt access and operation
with just the index fingertip.
Simply flick it open, cock the
action and expel the fired
| Klean Kanteen TKWide Insulated Flask with Twist Cap
› US company, Klean
Kanteen has brought
us a host of innovative
insulated drinking vessels
for keeping liquids and
food hot. Recently, they
brought us the TKWide
insulated range of flasks,
which all feature their
revolutionary TK Closure
internal thread design
and Climate Lock double-
wall vacuum insulation.
The latest addition is
the Klean Kanteen TKWide
Insulated Flask with Twist
Cap. The USP of these
models (of which there
are three sizes and various
colour options) is the
very ingenious leak-proof
twist cap system that also
includes a carry loop.
The main screw-top fill
point can remain closed
because an ABS collar at
14 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022
BEST ON TEST
case, before closing forward
with a new one chambered
for the next shot. The white
Hornady logo won’t last
forever, yet the tough rubber
sphere will last a long time.
These things are really
handy and for what they cost,
it's folly to not try one and
see if it improves the effort-
free ergonomic interaction
with your rifle in the warm
and dry. When cold and
wearing gloves, the Hornady
Lock-N-Load Bolt Ball really
comes into its own and
offers up plenty of extra grip.
It’s also well worth noting
they can also be trimmed to
avoid any undesired stock
interaction, thus making
sure that short bolt handles
still close securely. GM
REVIEWER: CHRIS PARKIN
the very top
of the cap can
be turned to
reveal a pop-up
tubular rubber
mouthpiece.
This is attached
internally to a
built-in, reusable,
stainless-steel
tube/straw that
extends to the
very bottom of the
flask. This unique
design results
in these flasks
being able to keep
drinks hotter
or colder longer
than ever before.
A hot drink will
maintain its temperature
for almost 48hrs, depending
on how many times you
use the Twist Cap to
take a drink. The flask is
PRICE:
£9.99
Easy to fit and far handier than bare
steel when cold or wet
Once fitted to a CZ thumbhole
laminate, the bolt could be operated
with a single finger
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Name: Hornady Lock-N-Load Bolt Ball
Price: £9.99
Contact: Edgar Brothers -
www.edgarbrothers.com/shooting-sports
Here we see the 592ml Klean
Kanteen TKWide Insulated Flask
with Twist Cap in the closed (left)
and open position (right)
manufactured from 18/8
food-grade stainless steel, is
BPA free, has a chip-resistant
Klean Coat matte finish,
plus won’t retain or impart
flavours to the drink stored.
It's also dishwasher safe.
Incidentally, for those
who already own TKWide
flasks with the Café Cap or
standard Loop Cap fitted, the
Twist Cap and straw can be
purchased separately.  GM
REVIEWER: PETE WADESON
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Name: Klean Kanteen TKWide Insulated Flask with Twist Cap
Price: £25.95 (355ml), £27.95 (473ml), £29.95 (592ml)
Twist Cap Only: £9.95
Contact: Whitby & Co - www.whitbyandco.co.uk
 BEST ON TEST NEWS

| Olivon 8-24x40 CF Zoom Monocular

› A monocular will often
mimic a popular size
of binocular such
as 8x20, 8x42,
10x42 etc, but more
recently we are
seeing monoculars
with a high zoom
magnification
capability. The
lightweight 8-24x40 CF
Zoom Monocular weighs
200-grams, measures 155
x 50 x 50mm (LxWxH)
when closed, then extends
to 190mm. It's obviously
not the most compact
monocular on the market,
but you’re still getting an
observation device with a
large amount of available
magnification that will
fit into a jacket pocket.
The optical device
features a fast focus
The Olivon 8-24x40 CF Zoom Monocular is lightweight, boasts
superb image clarity, is user friendly and is very well priced
ocular, while the
magnification (zoom) ring
is positioned just forward
of it. For focusing, simply
turn the outer edge of the
objective, which quickly
brings objects targeted
into pin-sharp focus.
All the rings, except the
rubber ocular/eyepiece,
feature rubberised
ridging for ease of use.
PRICE:
£54.99
The multi-coated lenses
give an impressive sight
picture, even in low light
conditions. This is aided
by the body diameter as it
allows a greater amount
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Name: Olivon 8-24x40 CF Zoom Monocular
Price: £54.99
Contact: Optical Hardware - www.opticalhardware.co.uk
of light to enter the
unit. The Olivon
uses a quality
BK-7 glass roof
prism for increased
image clarity. Depth
perception and the
field of view (FOV) are also
quite impressive, plus the
close focus of 1.6m further
adds to its versatility.
The monocular features
a tripod fitting that's
neatly protected by a
screw-in lanyard, plus it
comes with a neck strap
and a carry case. GM
REVIEWER: PETE WADESON

| Wasp Pellets
› Wasps were a favourite
go-to general purpose pellet
in the 70s and the classic
dome-headed, waisted
profile has served shooters
admirably over the years.
The original oversized
specification of 5.6mm in
.22 calibre, shot better in
British spec barrels back in
the day, but with breaks in
production and a change
in distributor, the brand
had taken a back seat for
a while. Well, that famous
logo is now back, and whilst
the new incarnation bears
little resemblance to the
Wasp of old, it looks very
well made and proved
consistent in weight on test.
Gone are the ribs on the
body and the domed head
is shallower, but with a top
German pellet manufacturer
now behind the scenes, the
new Wasp pellets should
find an army of fans. At
14.66-grains (the listed
weight for the .22), the new
pellet is heavier. However, our
test sample actually came in
around 15-grains, although
variation pellet to pellet was
Wasp
pellets are
competitively
priced and are
well worth
a try
impressively low, just from most gunshops via the
like the .177 version. Bisley Shooting Products
Available in handy dealer network. GM
screw cap tins, the new
Wasps should be available REVIEWER: MARK CAMOCCIO
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Name: Wasp Pellets
Available Calibres: .177 (4.5mm) and .22 (5.5mm)
Listed Pellet Weight: 8.18-grains and
14.66-grains, respectively
Prices: £5.39 per 500 and £6.99 per 400, respectively
Contact: John Rothery Wholesale - www.bisley-uk.com

Note the ribs on the body are now gone

APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 15

 NEWS

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 GM03.22/61A/f GM04.22/54/a

GM04.22/71/a
 NEWS
THE WARDROBE
All the finest kit and caboodle for the seriously sartorial shooter…
Seeland Avail Jacket, Trousers and Cap
› Seeland is known as the
sister company to Harkila but
is very much an entity in their
own right and not a brand to
be considered as a cheaper
alternative. The reason being,
they certainly don’t scrimp
on quality of manufacture
or materials used.
Some new additions to
their range are the Avail Jacket,
Trousers and Cap, which are
designed primarily with the
deerstalker in mind. They are
very useful for Autumn and
Spring, when the weather
is milder, though, during
the colder months, they’re
still a quality partnership
over a layering system.
Brush up
The garments are
manufactured from brushed
tricot, one of the most
well-known and respected
materials used in the
manufacture of clothing for
the hunter. This is because it's
very soft and more breathable
than both polyester and nylon.
However, although Tricot
jackets tend to be heavy,
warm and good at wicking
away sweat, in this instance,
Seeland has managed to
produce a tricot jacket and pair
of trousers that aren’t heavy
but still afford the protection
required from wind and rain.
Plus, they are highly breathable
and very quiet in use.
They both feature
Seeland’s 2-layer build, which
includes the windproof
and waterproof, SEETEX
Membrane. This has a water
column pressure rating of
10,0000/10,000mm, meaning
18 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022
THE WARDROBE
it’ll keep you dry in all but the
heaviest, prolonged downpour.
Starting at the top
The Avail Jacket features a
generously sized removable
hood with an extended
curved brim. It also has a
high stand-up collar and
the hood, when attached,
uses elasticated drawcord
PRICE:
£149.99
adjusters, plus a wide front
Velcro fastening neckpiece.
Storage is catered for by 2x
large front pockets and a radio The Seeland Avail Jacket is
pocket on the left upper chest, soft to the touch and silent in
use, plus it has a high level of
all with waterproof zips. There’s weatherproofing
an inside pocket with a press
stud closure for items such as PRICE:
a mobile phone or rangefinder. £29.99
The jacket has a two-way
PRICE:
£109.99
heavy-duty zip opening with
chin guard, Velcro strap cuff
adjusters, an elasticated
drawstring lower hem, plus all
zips have cord pull assists.
The Avail Trousers perfectly
The Avail Cap is manufactured complement the jacket. They are
To the bottom from the same materials as the comfortable to wear and very
The trousers feature a metal other garments practical
button fastened zip fly,
generous waistband and drawstring at the rear to ensure which helps give a stylish look
wide belt loops. Storage is a perfect fit, complimenting as well as breaking up what
catered for by 2x slanted the other attire perfectly. would be a full uniform colour.
front pockets and a large Although specifically designed
pocket on the left thigh, all Conclusions for the deerstalker, seeing as
featuring waterproof zips with The Seeland Avail garments are every hunter requires stealth,
cord pull assists, so they’re extremely well manufactured I can see these garments
easy to access with gloved and certainly fit for purpose. being of interest to other
hands and/or cold fingers. Both Jacket and trousers hunting disciplines. GM
They also have well-sized feature contrasting side panels
Velcro-adjust ankle straps. of a different shade of green, REVIEWER: PETE WADESON
The baseball-style Avail
Cap is manufactured from the TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
same materials as the other Name: Seeland Avail Jacket, Trousers and Cap
garments in the series and Price: £149.99, £109.99 & £29.99 respectively
therefore has the same level Jacket and Trousers Sizes: EU48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58 & 60
of wind and waterproofing Cap Sizes: M, L, XL
protection. It also features Contact: Seeland - www.seeland.com
an elasticated toggle adjust
 THE WARDROBE NEWS

Jack Pyke Technical Neck Gaiter

› Jack Pyke is a company that
is always looking to better an
existing product or to bring
us something that proves
to be quite special. In that
respect, this is the case with
their Technical Neck Gaiter.
As most know, many
outdoor clothing companies
offer neck gaiters, which
are best described as a tube
of fabric (usually fleece)
designed to protect your neck
and face from the elements.
Now it makes sense, the
thicker the fleece used, the
less ‘give’, so when pulled up
over the nose, heavier duty
ones can feel restrictive
but these high insulating
gaiters do have their uses.
The Technical Neck
Gaiter has been designed to
PRICE:
£10.95
design and the top/rear toggle adjust
be lightweight and very
unrestrictive. This is due
to it being manufactured
from water-resistant and
moisture-wicking, 100%
polyester strip fleece.
The 230-gsm fleece
used also allows for a
good amount of stretch
while affording a decent
level of insulation.
The JP Neck Gaiter is well
designed, note the integral nose and
mouth mesh vent, long front-facing
When pulled up to partially
cover the face, it allows easy
breathing due to it having a
nose and mouth mesh vent
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Name: Jack Pyke Technical Neck Gaiter
Price: £10.95
Size: One size fits most
Contact: Thatchreed Ltd - www.jackpyke.co.uk
integrated into the build.
Again, this gives a very
unrestricted feel, making
it very comfortable to
wear. Once in position, an
elasticated drawstring cord
allows for easy adjustment.
Also, the design is such
that the front part of the
gaiter reaches well down
to fully cover the neck
and be tucked inside your
upper garments. GM
REVIEWER:
PETE WADESON

Swazi Severn Top PRICE:

£126.56

› New Zealand clothing The high stand-up collar

company, Swazi is famous for
producing top-quality, high-
performance outdoor wear,
which for a good few years
has been available at select
retail outlets throughout
the UK. Recently launched
is a very interesting, Swazi
Severn Top. Rarely do we
see apparel specifically
designed to fulfil a ‘niche’ area
amongst outdoor clothing
but in many ways, the Severn
proves to be ‘one of a kind.’
Manufactured from Swazi’s
own Aegis windshield fleece,
in actuality, the Severn is of
a 3-layer build. The softshell
fleece face fabric has a
PU breathable windproof
membrane that's laminated
between its two super-soft,
yet tough, 100% polyester
fleeces. The outer and inner
layers provide total all-around
wind protection, with added
warmth and comfort.
boasts a ¾ length zip neck for
temperature regulation, but its
USP is an optics pocket on the
upper left breast. This design
negates the need for using
a bino harness or even neck
strap, as it's roomy enough to
hold a medium-sized pair of
binoculars. It boasts a generous
over-flap closure that secures
down with twin, toughened
ABS snap buckle holding straps.
If not used for storing optics,
it can be used for storing a
reasonable amount of gear.
The lightweight Severn
Top also boasts a double side
entry front kangaroo pocket,
The Swazi Severn Top is windproof, breathable and comfortable, plus has a
with pull assist zip closures very useful designated optics pocket
for keeping hands warm and
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
also for extra storage.
This top is as stylish as it Name: Swazi Severn Top
is practical and offers superb Sizes: S – XXXL
performance and protection, plus Colour: Olive
Price: £126.56
it's very comfortable to wear. GM
Contact: Swazi - www.swazi.co.nz
REVIEWER: PETE WADESON

APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 19

 AIRGUNS HUNTING PCP SELECTION SPECIAL

HUNTING PCP

SELECTION SPECIAL
Fancy a PCP for hunting?
Mark Camoccio shows us a
selection of what's available
The lure of the pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) is for many,
too great to resist, and having little to no recoil when the
shot is released, means all of us can shoot to a higher level
more easily. They're not necessarily more accurate than
traditional spring-powered models, but they are simply
easier to shoot, with less technique required. On show here
is a collection of PCPs designed predominantly for hunting,
and my selection is a good cross-section, with a mixture of
specifications and RRPs. So, something for everyone, whether
experienced or just looking to get involved on a budget.

WALTHER ROTEX
RM8 VARMINT PRICE:
£485
Contact: John Rothery Wholesale -
www.bisley-uk.com

I
t was a looker from the start,
but the trend for black tactical
airguns inevitably lured Walther's
design team down that route.
This Walther is actually made by
Umarex in Germany and a quick check
of the specifications sees much the
same action as the original spec. That
means a totally free-floating barrel
that's threaded, a ported muzzle brake,
8-shot rotary magazine, manual safety
catch, 2-stage adjustable trigger,
200cc buddy bottle, manometer, Picatinny
accessory rail, scope rail and bolt action cycling. This model even comes
regulated and consistency on test confirmed as much. So yes, this new Varmint version of the popular RM8
certainly gets the thumbs up, as that new synthetic stock feels very different from the standard model. Slickly
made, attractively styled and highly functional, sums it up nicely. Add in the super-sweet trigger, plus some half-
decent down range performance and this model starts to look great value. Accuracy - sub 1/2” at 35 yards.

20 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022

 HUNTING PCP SELECTION SPECIAL AIRGUNS

PRICE: COMETA ORION SPR

£655 Contact: Anglo Spanish Imports -
www.a-s-i.co.uk

S
panish brand, Cometa are
an old family-run business,
known more for their
traditional spring-powered
airguns. However, they now make several
PCPs too, with the SPR perhaps the
most traditionally styled among them.
The conventional barrel-over-cylinder
configuration comes with a multi-
shot bolt action mechanism including
cassette-style magazine, an adjustable
DAYSTATE HUNTSMAN REVERE walnut sporter stock, respectable
2-stage trigger, sling swivel studs, sound
Contact: Daystate - www.daystate.com
moderator, pressure gauge and quick fill

T
he Huntsman is Daystate's best selling model and upgrading this
mechanical classic with a silky smooth side-lever, instead of a
bolt, was only ever a matter of time. The right-hand dedicated
walnut stock is an exquisite piece of work, with wrap around
laser chequering and an English-style rubber butt pad. There's a new
gate-style magazine and at 6 lbs total heft, this is clearly the perfect tool
for a day in the field. A full length shrouded Lothar Walther barrel gets
ART (Airgun Research Team) spec credentials, where the factory liaises
with the barrel manufacturer to fine-tune the design. The muzzle is
threaded to take a moderator, there's a 2-stage adjustable trigger, side-
lever action as mentioned, twin manometers, HUMA regulated action
and the option of single-shot or magazine feed, with both included.
All the metalwork is treated to matte black finishes too, so practical
field use dictates play at every turn. Accuracy - sub 1/4” over 40yds.
air valve. The action here isn't technically
regulated, but on test, consistency was
outstanding, so end of story. The walnut
sporter stock is very attractive and the
inclusion of an adjustable cheekpiece
and extended forend, means comfort and
handling are well catered for. Laser-cut
chequering adorns both the pistol grip
and the forend, and this is both stylish and
perfectly executed. Factor in how quiet
this model is with that moderator in place,
and all in all, it has much to recommend.
Accuracy on test – 1/2” over 35 yards.

PRICE:
£1122

BSA ULTRA CLX

Contact: BSA Guns - www.bsaguns.co.uk

B
SA's brand new Ultra CLX caused quite a stir last year
when it hit the market. At a quick glance, the profile
may look familiar but this model actually represents
a seismic shift in BSA's approach to engineering. It's
all-new save for the Bolas bolt and trigger guard. At the heart PRICE:
of the CLX is the new receiver, which is effectively an exercise £609
in precision CNC engineering. BSA's own Cold Hammer Forged
barrel is fitted, along with that stylish new muzzle brake. Fancy a
silencer? Then the 1/2” UNF thread allows for that. The CLX also
features a large manometer and stainless steel pellet probe for added reliability. There's a new
all-metal magazine and this features a small magnet to snugly locate it into the mag slot. There's
also a shot count window in the facing side. Additional features include a rocker-style safety
catch and the enhanced 2-stage trigger is fully adjustable. Accuracy – 1/2” over 40 yards.

APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 21

 AIRGUNS HUNTING PCP SELECTION SPECIAL

AIR ARMS S510 CARBINE

WALNUT PRICE:
Contact: Air Arms - £959
www.air-arms.co.uk

W
inner of the 'Airgun
of the Year' award at
the British Shooting
Show in 2020, this
hunting machine from top British
manufacturer, Air Arms needs
little introduction. It's a multi-shot
design that utilizes the company's
well established 10-shot cassette
magazine system, in a side-lever
configuration that is about as slick
and smooth in operation as it gets.
The specification includes a full-
length barrel shroud, yet this model tips the
scales at a modest 6.4 lbs, meaning, even scoped, the total
heft is manageable. Again, that delicious walnut sporter stock "…in a side-lever
is right-hand dedicated as standard and the eye-catching
Fleur-de-lys chequering and graceful lines are backed up by a configuration that is about
well-shaped, rosewood capped pistol grip. Air Arms always fit
top-class Lothar Walther barrels and it's this, coupled with a as slick and smooth in
consistent power plant and a genuine 2-stage trigger unit, that
so often sets their models apart. Accuracy- 0.3” at 35 yards. operation as it gets"

BENJAMIN KRATOS
Contact: Range Right -
www.range-right.co.uk

W
hen Benjamin (part of the Velocity
REXIMEX MYTH Outdoors group in the USA) launched
Contact: Range Right - their Craftsman Series a while back, three
www.range-right.co.uk new models hit the market, all sporting
PRICE:

R
eximex is a Turkish
£650
brand that began trading and
manufacturing PCP airguns in 2015.
The Myth is a very stylish little rifle
and has an intriguing configuration since it sports
dual air tanks. It runs a conventional air cylinder
below the barrel up front, whilst the butt section
is built around a rear-mounted buddy bottle. Both
air supplies feed centrally and are filled from the
one valve, at the front of the cylinder. The result,
unsurprisingly, with a combined 380cc air capacity,
is a sizeable shot count. It comes with a dedicated
hard case, two cassette-style magazines, a single-
shot tray, dual size scope rail, filling adaptor, Allen
keys and even a power adjuster, for when low
power and more shots make sense. The matte
black finish is highly practical, as is the synthetic
two-part stock, which allows for push-button
adjustment of both the cheekpiece and rubber
butt pad. Accuracy - sub 3/8” at 40 yards.
rather smart Turkish Walnut stocks and a host of features
for the enthusiast to get excited about. The Benjamin
Kratos (meaning a God of war in Greek mythology) comes
slickly packaged alongside two cassette magazines,
Allen keys, a filling adaptor and even a small Picatinny
accessory rail for the forend. Buddy bottle-fed, this
model also comes fitted with sling swivels, a full-length
barrel shroud, adjustable trigger shoe, in-guard safety,
adjustable cheekpiece, side-lever and a power adjuster. On
test, a large shot count proved pretty consistent too, but
dial down the power adjuster and you can expect a huge
number on low power, which is handy for practice sessions.
Factor in the slick side-lever plus beautiful stock and the
Kratos can't fail to impress. Accuracy - 3/4” at 40 yards.
PRICE:
£675

22 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022

 HUNTING PCP SELECTION SPECIAL
PRICE:
£450
HATSAN GLADIUS
Contact: Edgar Brothers -
www.edgarbrothers.com/shooting-sports
T
he boldly styled, Gladius is the only bullpup
in the lineup. It comes supplied in its own
specially padded hard case that includes
shaped recesses for the airgun and a scope.
There are also storage wells for accessories and
tools etc. The gun itself is a striking piece of design
and comes crammed with features, including a fully
adjustable synthetic thumb-hole stock complete
with mag holders, side-lever action, 10-shot
magazine system (4 mags included), full-length
barrel shroud, sling swivels, sling, 2-stage trigger and
even a detachable front grip. The height-adjustable
cheekpiece acts as a cover that helps shield the face
from the action, plus it sits right over both sides of
the receiver, meaning left-handers are catered for
too. More adjustment comes with the butt section,
and here, the pad can be raised, but also, the length
of pull can be altered by up to an inch. So, a great
value option then. Accuracy - 5/8” at 30 yards.
PRICE:
£510
AIRGUNS
WEBLEY RAIDER CLASSIC
Contact: Highland Outdoors -
www.highlandoutdoors.co.uk
T
he Raider has been a big seller
for Webley in one guise or
another. This latest incarnation,
with the 'Classic' branding,
mirrors some of the stock features
given to Webley's 'Classic' springers.
The ambidextrous design includes a
well defined, prominent cheekpiece on
both sides. There's an adjustable butt
pad and a form of stippling, laser-cut into
the grip and side panels. The end result
is not only attractive but impressively
functional. Perhaps the most satisfying
feature is the elevated thumb groove that's
cut in the grip, and the clever bit is how
the back plug of the receiver continues the
support. All the metalwork gets attractive
chemical bluing that's carried out to a good
standard, and overall, the Raider feels good
in the hand, with excellent wood to metal
fit and a pleasing standard of finish overall.
There's a neat little single-shot tray and also
two magazines. Accuracy - 5/8” at 25 yards.
WEIHRAUCH HW110K
Contact: Hull Cartridge Company –
www.weihrauch.co.uk
W
hen Weihrauch launched the original HW110,
the radical use of ballistic polymer for the
receiver was a massive departure for the
company. It was a seemingly risky strategy,
given their standing and perception as an ultra-traditional
manufacturer. Yet, with its use now commonplace in the
firearms world, the HW110 should be seen for what it is
- a top-class hunting airgun and a modern masterpiece.
The HW110K uses the same regulated action but shows
a shorter cylinder. Obviously, the shot count is lower but
the impressive consistency is still there. Weihrauch's
own silencer comes as standard and with a host of other
features aimed at the serious shooter, this model
gets a good start in life. A super subtle 2-stage
trigger, two 10-shot magazines, a side-lever and a PRICE:
£785
Picatinny scope rail all
make the spec sheet. As
for the ambidextrous
sporter stock, the
black is actually
rubber-coated wood
that's cosy yet highly
functional! Accuracy
– 1/2” at 40 yards.
APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 23
 AIRGUNS

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24 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022
GM04.22/59/g
 AIRGUNS
Airguns at
THE GREAT
BRITISH
SHOOTING
SHOW 2022
Mark Camoccio takes a look at
all things airgun at the BSS
Starved of shows for some while, just the
thought of the British Shooting Show was enough
to set off an involuntary chuckle. Admittedly,
Storm Eunice tried to poke her nose in, but she
couldn't stop this one! Here are my highlights, and
as usual, due to space limitations, apologies for
any omissions.
- Air Arms'
Genuinely mouthwatering
ship XTi- 50 - com ing soon
new flag
AIR ARMS
The Air Arms S510T Tactical model,
shortlisted for best airgun at the show,
was on display. As for the much-
anticipated XTi-50 flagship, the launch
date is getting ever nearer according to
company MD, Claire West. Now expected
tail end of the season 2022! An ultra-
sophisticated regulated PCP action,
complete with stabilizer system, muzzle
brake and all the extras as standard. It
will be available with full FT spec stock,
as an HFT version (simplified Hamster
and shorter grip) or interestingly,
action-only. There will be a choice of
truly dazzling match stocks too!
Contact: Air Arms - www.air-arms.co.uk
26 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022
ASELKON
Raytrade is the
new UK distributor
for Aselkon, and
this Turkish brand
David West from distrib
stylish Aselkon Emper
utors Raytrade, with the
ador
produces a
variety of spring
piston models
and PCPs. Of the more aesthetically pleasing is the Emperador LS,
and it certainly caught my eye. A full-length, blued barrel shroud just
looks the part. Add in an adjustable match trigger shoe, side-lever
cocking, plus that oh so classy walnut stock and we have a great
looking PCP that looks a serious proposition.
Contact: Raytrade UK - www.raytradeuk.co.uk
BSA GUNS
BSA had all their rifles on display, but the gun causing the
biggest stir was their prototype version of the BSA Ultra CLX
– the 160. Stephen Greenacre, Design Engineer at BSA, was on
hand and he was clearly proud of their new baby, which has
all the great features of their excellent relaunched Ultra, but
in a side-lever format. Having handled it, I can't see them not
putting the 160 into production.
Contact: BSA Guns - www.bsaguns.co.uk
BSA's Ultra CLX could be
getting a side-lever version in
the form of the 160
Cometa's latest includes
the new Fenix 400 USC
in grey laminate
COMETA
Cometa has recently revamped their range and that includes spring-powered
airguns as well as an ever-growing number of pre-charged models. ASI's
stand had a good selection and one that stood out was the new Fenix 400
USC Laminate - a really cool customer, with USC standing for Ultra Short
Carbine. Laminate stocks are popular and the grey/black sporter stock fitted
to this break barrel even features an adjustable cheekpiece.
Contact: Anglo Spanish Imports - www.a-s-i.co.uk
 AIRGUNS AT THE GREAT BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW 2022 AIRGUNS

Hatsan's dramatic-
FORM RIFLE STOCKS looking Factor K should
English stock maker, Form were at the find plenty of fans
show and it's not an exaggeration to say
that the sheer craftsmanship of their
work stopped me in my tracks.
Apparently, sales of their custom made
Chieftain stocks have really taken off
and many customers are fitting these to
quality springers such as the Weihrauch
HW97 and Air Arms TX200, transforming
handling at a stroke. The grey/black
stock (pictured) had everybody drooling.
Contact: Raytrade UK -
www.raytradeuk.co.uk
HATSAN
British stock maker For Hatsan's range of airguns is very large and the latest version of their Factor FDE - the
m
was on hand, and don
't new Factor K, was at the show. As the name suggests, it's a carbine version. A sizeable
they look superb!
buddy bottle and tactical rear stock with full adjustment will tick the right boxes for
many, but there's also a raft of options over which to ponder - action finish, blacked or
sand and carbon fibre bottle or steel.
Contact: Edgar Brothers - www.edgarbrothers.com

Hawke's Jamie Ransome

HAWKE OPTICS was chuffed with their
Hawke is always a big award at the show
player at the show and UK
Sales Director, Jamie
Ransome, was in a
buoyant mood, with the
brand having just won
HIGHLAND OUTDOORS 'Optics Product of the
At Highland Outdoors I saw the rather
Year Under £1000'. The
flashy, Diana 54 Airking in striking red/
FFP version of the new
grey laminate. Sales and technical guru,
Sidewinder had won it,
Ryan Charlton showed off a new brand of
and that was some
airgun from Turkey - Effecto. It's aiming
achievement given the
fairly and squarely at shooters who
level of competition.
appreciate a great finish and build quality.
The Airmax range has been revamped, with the illumination now
The Effecto PX-5 Pro shows a full
side-mounted to leave room at the rear for night vision. Also, a new 34mm body
shrouded barrel, bolt action and laminate
Frontier range is coming.
or timber furniture. Next up was the
Contact: Hawke Optics - www.hawkeoptics.com
Trigger Cam System, which works in
conjunction with a scope, where the
shooter can not only relay the image
seen to a mobile phone but also record
footage. RUAG AMMOTEC
Contact: Highland Outdoors - Anschutz has been a top-end
www.highlandoutdoors.co.uk mover in the airgun scene for
years, and their 9015 model is
aimed at the serious competition
shooter. Alongside the familiar
target specifications, there was a
new Benchrest version on display,
with a dedicated, adjustable,
Kev Sayer from RUAG
wooden bench rest style stock. For
shows off their new
owners of the other 9015 models, laminate stock for the
supplied with factory fitted Anschutz 9015
aluminium chassis stocks, RUAG, the
UK distributor, can now offer an attractive new laminate stock option. This
stunning grey/black design includes an adjustable comb and butt section.
The Effecto PX-5 Pro
Contact: RUAG Ammotec - www.ruag.co.uk
is a high-grade gun
built in Turkey

APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 27

 AIRGUNS AIRGUNS AT THE GREAT BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW 2022

SPORTSMAN STOEGER
GUN CENTRE Word on the street here was all
There was a buzz in the air on about the new Italian designed
the Sportsman stand, as the FX springers from Stoeger. The RX20
Impact MK3 had just won the is a break-barrel model, available
Airgun of the Year 2022 award. with either a wood or synthetic
Understandably, this modular stock, and features include a flared
super-gun was there, with many synthetic suppressor assembly.
models from the highly The RX40 is the latest full power
innovative FX stable. Sportsman Super moddy! The fixed barrel model. It comes
Fat Boy moderator complete with fibre optic sights
also markets the incredible Fat system, made in the
USA by Donnyfl
Boy Silencers, made by Donnyfl and an attractive synthetic
in the USA, and this 3-part foresight/catch assembly. Both
creation is intended for FAC models have a distinctive and
airguns. The modular, 3-part design is priced at £173.99 (Main Unit), £51.99 classic Stoeger look, but that, as
(Extender) and £38.99 (Muzzle Brake), so serious kit for a serious job. you'll see, is a definite plus point.
Contact: Sportsman Gun Centre - www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk Contact: GMK - www.gmk.co.uk

Several new Stoeger airguns

were on show, including the
fixed barrel RX40

Weihrauch's HW100 KT ADJ LAM offers

all-new adjustable woodwork
UMAREX
Umarex has had huge stands at the
WEIHRAUCH last few shooting shows and their
The Weihrauch stand is always exciting and this year there was plenty to see. Newly vast range of replica-style CO2
revised woodwork for the HW90K sees chequering and stippling combined, whilst the powered airguns, made under
specialist HW98 break-barrel now gets a neatly threaded bull-barrel with removable license, always attracts big crowds.
section. Pride of place though was the new HW100 derivative - the ADJ LAM, denoting Of interest this time around was
an adjustable laminate stock, biathlon side-lever, Picatinny rail and an adjustable butt the brand new Umarex Reign MKII,
and cheekpiece. It's one hell of a gun. which is a super-compact carbine
Contact: Hull Cartridge Company – www.weihrauch.co.uk version of their popular-pint sized
bullpup. Release for this model, I'm
told, is imminent.
Contact: John Rothery Wholesale
- www.bisley-uk.com
AIRMAKS
AirMaks are a relatively new
name to the airgun scene, and
pride of place here was the
tactically styled, Katran C, with
aluminium chassis, adjustable
wooden cheek and drop-down
grip sections. It's a regulated
multi-shot action and given that
it's manufactured in the Czech The latest Katran mo
Republic, it utilizes a CZ barrel. del from Czech
based AirMaks includ
es a folding stock
Real versatility and practicality
come with the folding stock
design and light weight overall.
Contact: Blackpool Air Rifles - www.airgunbuyer.com The brand new Umarex Reign MKII
created plenty of interest

28 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022

 AIRGUNS

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GM04.22/10/g

APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 29

 AIRGUNS MILBRO TARGET MASTER

An Airgun with
bargain status

Mark Camoccio
builds an affordable
PRICE:
£180
kit from Milbro;
the Target Master

Milbro (Millard Brothers) are a
brand name that is synonymous
with airguns, and whilst they form
part of the extensive portfolio
of companies under the SMK
(Sportsmarketing) umbrella here,
it's still a welcome reminder,
certainly to shooters of a certain
age, of guns from our youth.
Several models are available as
'kits' and on test here is the Milbro
Target Master, an all-in deal for
£180. There's a 4x32 scope, mounts,
silencer and bipod set, so on the
face of it, it's stonking good value.
Starter for ten
This Milbro is a traditional break-barrel
spring-powered airgun with some
unconventional features included.
Pick up the Target Master and the first
thing that becomes apparent is just
how dense the stock material is. It's a
weighty airgun, but not in a bad way.
Piecing the kit together is the
first move and with that sizeable
moddy already in place, the next
task is to get the scope and mounts
bolted into position on the dovetail
rail. Yes, the 4x32 scope is fairly
basic, but it does the job. See it as a
starter scope and progress to better
optics further down the line.
Big & bold
Whilst the moderator has a plastic
body, once it's tightened in place
there's no rattle and it all works well.
The 'reflex' design means that the
unit actually slides over the barrel and
secures via an internal thread onto
the muzzle. At the point at which it
tightens in place, it is actually sitting
5” back over the barrel, with the
idea being that it effectively only
adds about half its length to the

Dense synthetics are used for the stock, note the finger wheel
which adjusts the height of the comb Unusually, the rear-mounted auto-safety is pulled back to fire

30 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022

 MILBRO TARGET MASTER AIRGUNS

overall combo length. It still acts as an correct lubrication - something that

expansion chamber, mainly forward of
the muzzle inside this one, but as I've
often highlighted, the decibel eating
properties when fitted to a spring-
powered model, of any moderator, are
far less apparent than when fixed to
a pre-charged pneumatic, due to their
respective airflow dynamics/ delivery.
Stock options
Setting the cheekpiece height is a
slick affair, given that finger adjuster
wheel. The comb can be raised by
around 1.25”, which is a huge bonus.
The thread is very fine, so adjustment
is just the right side of irritating!
I'm nit-picking of course, and this is
undoubtedly a great feature, allowing
eye/scope alignment to be set spot-on.
As mentioned earlier, super-dense
composite material is used to form
the stock and this adds significant
weight to the outfit, which will be a
plus point for many and a possible
detraction for others. However, set
up the rig complete with those bolt-
on bipod legs and the sniper feel and
deadweight start to fall into place.
OK, so let's take a look at the bipod
in more detail. Twin legs come supplied
and these fit straight onto the Picatinny
specification side-mounted accessory
rails. Hand tighten the bolt heads, then
nip them up securely with a small
coin if deemed necessary. Thereafter,
the bipod legs themselves can be
adjusted via the spring catch, to sit up/
forwards and out of the way or sit down
to support the gun. Unscrew the tips
and the ends are then spring-loaded,
which can aid with absorbing recoil and
movement, plus also help achieve a
level shooting position when on uneven
ground. Leave them open as 'active'
Picatinny
accessory
rails are
mounted
on the
sides and
can be
used to
mount the
bipod legs
sprung legs or tighten up each end to
the desired height via the screw tips.
Granted, shooting from a hard
surface is never going to be quite
as successful with a recoiling
gun but there's no doubting the
fit and feel of this combo holds
much appeal for versatility and a
different shooting experience.
Shot sensation
Cocking the action is fairly easy, given
the extra leverage afforded by that
whopping moderator. Push a pellet
home flush in the breech and lock
the barrel closed again. At this point,
the unusual auto-safety catch at the
rear of the cylinder needs to be pulled
rearwards, to the 'fire' position.
The trigger is a pseudo-2-stage
affair and given the broad, ridged
synthetic blade, the release pressure
is acceptable, after squeezing
through the initial creep. As for the
shot sensation, the action of my test
rifle was surprisingly lively given
the gun's weight. There was plenty
of spring resonance and recoil, but
for anyone wishing to push the
Target Master to its limit in terms of
performance, the spring piston action
would respond I'm sure, to a tune and
rarely happens at the factory stage.
Facts & figures
Billed as a 'high power' model on the
box, this claim I have to say didn't quite
materialize. Great consistency though,
using the newly released Wasp pellet in
.22, with 7 FPS posted over a 10-shot
string. As for the energy figures, 9.2 ft/
lbs with the Wasps and 9.1 ft/lbs with Air
Arms Diabolo Field was about the best
I could muster on test, which did seem
just a little disappointing. These models
will often vary quite considerably from
one example to another, however, so
I could just have been unlucky with
the gun I had through for test.
Accuracy wise, expect 1” groups
over 30 yards, which is sort of par
for the course from this grade of
hardware. For the record, I managed
those groups shooting from my
favoured over-arm FT sitting position,
as this allows the gun to naturally
recoil and absorbs much of the kick.
Box of tricks
So to conclude, given this model's
bargain status, it would be well worth
getting the action tuned and played
with, to calm it down and raise the
energy levels slightly if necessary.
Then, upgrade that low mag scope.
Remember the all-in asking price
though, and it's hard not to see the
Milbro Target Master as a good deal.
Plus, if you like your airguns big and
bold, then this model undoubtedly
has plenty of character and appeal
for general purpose target work and
close range pest control on a budget.
Thanks to Range & Country
Shooting Supplies in Sleaford, Lincs,
for the kind loan of this rifle. GM

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Name: Milbro Target Master
Type: Break-Barrel, Spring-Powered
Calibre: .177 available, .22 on test
Weight: 10.5 lbs with scope, silencer and bipod
Length: 49.75”
Barrel: 19”
Stock: Synthetic Adjustable Sporter
Trigger: 2-stage, Adjustable
Energy: 9.2 ft/lbs on test | 11 ft/lbs claimed
Price: £180
Contact: Sportsmarketing - www.sportsmk.co.uk

Simple but effective, the plastic

trigger blade does the job

APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 31

GM04.22/55/a
GM04.22/55/a
GM04.22/55/a
 AIRGUNS AIR ARMS S510 TDR
Pete Wadeson tests the Air
Arms S510 TDR and reckons
once assembled, it makes
for a superb hunting tool
Piece
by
PRICE:
£1009
piece
I’ve long had an Air Arms S410 TDR (Take-Down at 20 ft/lbs in .177 and 25 ft/
Rifle) in my armoury and it’s served me well for lbs in .22 calibre. I’d wager it’s
many years in a range of hunting scenarios and mainly our US cousins who’ll
pest control duties. I mention this as the roster be the main patrons for that
at the company has obviously grown with very niche gun, so time to get
progression, in particular and of relevance here, back to the here and now.
is we now have the side-lever action, S510
family of PCP sporters. So, it follows that the No separation issues
company would and have, in more ways than The S510 TDR comes in three
one, made the model available in TDR format. separate sections. There's the
Note I used the term ‘in more ways than rear assembly that includes
one’, well, that’s because the TDR is available a cheek rest and butt pad,
with a non-regulated (as per rifle on test) or an action/mainframe/forend
a regulated action. Plus, there’s also an XS and finally, a secondary
version for certificate blessed shooters - rated moderator. The latter refers
to the company’s Q-Tec sound
moddy that comes already
screwed onto the muzzle.
This is accommodated in the
newly designed case the rifle
is supplied with, which is now
made from high-quality ABS
with a thick foam lining.
Assembling the rifle is a very
easy affair, as the front of the
detachable butt section simply
pushes into the rear of the
action, behind the pistol grip.
The un-sprung, 10-shot removable Three steel prongs locate into
magazine is a very reliable unit mating holes in the block. It’s
secured in place by pushing in
38 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022
against spring tension, then
turning the large knurled
wheel that's positioned just
forward and at the top of the
adjustable rubber butt pad.
When all put together, you
can clearly see the high-grade
walnut used for the stock.
The forend is attached to the
barrelled action, while the
cheek rest is ‘isolated’ on
the rear assembly, which (as
previously mentioned), also
holds the sliding, adjustable
rubber butt pad. And the good
news is, due to the very well
thought out design, it doesn’t
feel alien or awkward in the
hold when assembled.
Starting at the rear, the
tubular alloy butt section has
an ambidextrous, chunky,
medium-height cheekpiece
that makes for a more than
adequate headrest. Plus,
before moving on, I must
say that the adjustable butt
pad is a very thoughtful
inclusion, as it helps the
shooter to achieve perfect
head-eye-scope alignment.
 AIR ARMS S510 TDR AIRGUNS

As well as an accessory
rail integrated into the
underside of the forend,
there’s also a neat air gauge

Note the steep drop-down

pistol grip, short forend
and the safety button
located in the trigger blade

Another neat feature is in
the underside of the cheek
rest. It shows a large recess,
with two spring clips that are
designed to retain and store
spare magazines. Useful,
even if you only use them for
storing empty spare mags
while the rifle is in the case.
The fore section of the
stock has a steep, drop down,
full stippled pistol grip, which
offers a very solid hold for the
shooting hand. The forend is
short but quite deep in profile,
though quickly tapers sharply
upward to run parallel with
the slim air reservoir. The
forend also has an accessory
rail integrated into its
underside for fitting a bipod,
laser or sling swivel stud.
Filling up
Once the cover cap at the
front of the air reservoir is
unscrewed, it reveals the
very safe and now familiar
fill point that Air Arms uses
for all of their PCPs. It is a
chunky stainless-steel fill valve
housing, with a ‘T’ bar-shaped
securing point for the push-
over fill adaptor to securely
mate up with. The rifle takes
a 190bar fill and is specified
as giving approximately 55
shots in .177 calibre (on test)
and 70 in .22. There’s also a
neat but generously sized
air gauge deeply recessed
into the underside of the
stock, so at a glance, you
can check your air status.
Bit on the side
Without a doubt, the side-lever
cocking mech has more than
been accepted by the general
shooting public. The ergonomic
design as well as the ultra-
smooth operation of the S510
TDR’s lever makes it one of
the most efficient to use.
In the closed position, it sits
very neatly and unobtrusively
alongside the rear right-
hand side of the receiver. To
release the 10-shot ‘un-sprung’
magazine or to cock the rifle,
you hook your forefinger
under the front of the side-
lever, which has an inner
outward curve for ease of
access, and with very little effort, draw it
back whereupon it locks fully rearward. To
remove the magazine, you have to pull back
a tad further, so the probe fully exits the
magazine, then the mag can be manually slid
out from the left-hand side of the action.
Loading the 10-shot, perspex fronted
magazine is a simple affair. Simply rotate
the inner alloy drum, dropping a pellet into
each empty chamber as it arrives to be
seen through the open access hole, which
is located bottom right of the cover plate.
When all chambers are filled, replace the
magazine back into its housing in the action
until it butts up to the angled stop block
on the opposite side. Once the magazine
is back in the housing, you can now return
the lever to its original closed position.
This operation has now cocked the
rifle and probed a pellet directly into the
semi-free-floating, 16” Lothar Walther
tube. A noteworthy feature is that the
inner side of the cocking lever has a disc-
shaped Delrin buffer, to prevent it from
making any noise when you manually
relocate it back alongside the action.
Blade & button
The 2-stage trigger is adjustable for first
stage pull weight, sear engagement and
second stage pull weight. It also has the
now familiar, manual ‘thru-blade’ cross-

Detail of the prongs The isolated walnut cheekpiece is of a

locating into the rear medium height and is generously sized
of the receiver as well as ideally positioned

APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 39

 AIRGUNS AIR ARMS S510 TDR
The ergonomic design
and ultra-smooth
operation of the side-
Detail of the magazine lever is amongst one of
clip retainers the most efficient
bolt safety button, which is the norm on any Air that would follow the
modern Air Arms PCP sporter. Simply, push pellet on firing is directed
over from the right to engage it and back in down, back inside the barrel
from the left to put into live fire mode. The shroud, to exit out through
trigger unit is a very precise one and can three vent holes positioned
easily be adjusted to suit all preferences. just forward of the raised
The bull barrel shroud isn’t just cosmetic. It action block. However, as
holds a primary silencer in the forward section. the TDR comes with the
company’s highly respected,
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION Q-Tec (calibre specific) can
Name: Air Arms S510TDR (Non-Regulated) already spun onto the screw
Type: Multi-Shot PCP cut muzzle, you’d be a fool not
Stock: 2-Piece Walnut to take advantage of the very
Overall Length: 40.75” efficient sound suppression
Barrel: 16” properties. The report on firing
Weight: 6lbs (un-scoped) is reduced to a mere whisper.
Trigger: 2-Stage, adjustable with
manual safety button Nice pair
Calibre: .177 on test, .22 available I scoped up with an MTC
Price: From £1009.00 3-12x44 Mamba-Lite, which
Contact: Air Arms - www.air-arms.co.uk during testing proved a
very nice pairing. The good
news is that you don't have
to worry about your zero
shifting, as when broken
The TDR is described perfectly by its name
and when it’s put together, it quickly
transforms into a fully specced hunting rifle
40 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022
down and put back in the case,
the scope can be left on the
action. So, when reassembled
you’re still on target.
As for accuracy, do you
really need to ask? Just feed
the rifle quality ammo and like
its full-bodied close relative,
it gives stunning results out
to 40 yards. Specifically,
shooting from a rested
position it regularly returned
ragged pellet sized groups
out to my 30 yard set zero.
Now, although I haven’t as
of yet tested a regulated TDR, I
must mention that regulators
don’t make an air rifle more
accurate, they just make
them more air efficient. So, I’d
say the accuracy speaks for
itself and as for shots per fill,
I can’t say I was left wanting.
Conclusions
In my opinion, the Air Arms
S510 TDR is a serious hunting
tool and deserves to be
treated as such. It should
certainly be at the top of the
list if you’re on the lookout
for a take-down. If I had one
‘niggle’, it would be the button
safety in the trigger blade.
However, having said that you
do quickly get mindful of how
you use it and adapt to suit.
So, to sum up. When it’s
all put together, you have
a very lightweight, fast
handling, versatile sporter
that boasts one of the most
efficient calibre specific
cans currently available. GM
Thanks to T & J. J McAvoy LTD
for supplying the rifle on test.
GM04.22/32/f
 AIRGUN
DEALER
GUIDE
EAST YORKSHIRE CAMBRIDGESHIRE
PHOENIX
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AIRGUN SUPPLIES
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BERKSHIRE SOUTH YORKSHIRE

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Firearms
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LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY DURHAM

You can have
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Extensive range of new and used air rifles and air pistols.
All major brands in stock. Good selection of airgun accessories. Used
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Always 150 or more Airguns in stock.
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and target practice. Over 70 different models of air pistols!! Ammo and Accessories Tel: 01751 476904
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NORTH YORKSHIRE WORCESTERSHIRE SOUTH YORKSHIRE

DAVEY & SON -
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The Old Post Office, Wykeham, Yorkshire YO13 9QP www.shootingsuppliesltd.co.uk
New & Used Airguns & Air Pistols by all major manufacturers. 38 Sherwood Road Bromsgrove B60 3DR • Extensive range of all leading Airguns, Scopes & Accessories
Huge range of scopes and accessories and pellets. (Just off the A38, 300yds from Morrisons) • Come and see our showroom
Plus stockists of clothing & footwear. Shotguns, rifles, air guns, cartridges, ammunition, reloading Please call for our opening times
Tel: 01723 865039 equipment, scopes, accessories, clothing and footwear Mooredges Road, Thorne, Doncaster
Email: info@daveyandson.co.uk Tel: 01405 741706
www.yorkshireairguns.co.uk
01527 831261
Tues-Sat 9am to 5.30pm Late night Fri ’til 7pm www.mooredges.com TRADE MEMBER

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Leading supplier of Air Rifles and Pistols
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Your Guide to your

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GM04.22/44/a
 AIRGUNS
• SMITHS GAS AIR AND SPRING GUNS.
1978 £75. Airgun Digest, R. Beeman 1970’s
£30. Airguns and Air pistols, L. Wesley 2
ADVERTISERS
copies £30 each. Redfield revolution scope
4-12x40 boxed as new £180. W&S MK1 air
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• FOR SALE DAISY 44 Powerline 6" barrel date shown below.
£80. Umarex CP99 silver top + 3 mags +
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break barrel £80. Luger PO8 repro (desert
COPY DEADLINE FOR
yellow) finish £70. “Legends” broomhandle
THE MAY 2022
Mauser poly body version (metal-mag) EDITION IS
£85. Contact Barry. Call: 079302 25504.
Kent. 02/22/g
1st April 2022
21/23 Phoenix Ct, Hawkins Road,
• WANTED PRE WAR GREENER airgun Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY.
rifle Gerald Fitzgerald 59 Park Lane
Basingstoke RG225HE. Call: 01256 Tel: 01206 506247
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sandr.fitz@hotmail.co.uk. Hampshire. COPY DEADLINES
02/22/g

• AIR ARMS SS10 BULL PUP night sight

VGC .22 spare mags bi-pod silencer • VINTAGE AIR RIFLES
£1000 ono. Weihrauch HW100 bull pup and Air pistols wanted.
.22 silencer VGC spare mags sights £700. Also old signs, pellets
Tony Wells Tanglewood, Howells Close,
West Kingsdown, Sevenoaks TN15 6EE. and related items,
Call: 07931 857604. Kent. 02/22/g collections purchased,
Antique flintlock and
• WEIHRAUCH 100 IN EXCELLENT
CONDITION. Comes with 3 mags, bipod percussions. Guns also
and an AGS 4 to 16 x50 scope with wanted. Will travel.
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and metal is 100% it’s deadly accurate
and powerful. Will make a wonderful
Mob: 07831 398114. (P)
TO BUY YOUR 2021 COPY PLEASE CALL: present. £750. Call: 078169 95624.
Nottinghamshire. 01/22/g • AIR ARMS MK3 TX200HC OWNED

01293 312215 • 2 AIRSOFT RIFLES. First is ASG’s

Scorpion Evo, immaculate condition.
OR VISIT: Not modified, 3 hicap magazines, fitted
from new. Walnut stock Hawke Airmax
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Shoots really niceley. Possibly one of

www.gunmart.net in ASG’s purpose made case. 2 LPO

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P.D.W. M4 Action fully adjustable sights
the very best around £490. Mike. Call:
07748228961. Kent. 09/21/g

OR POST: and stock. 1M4 hicap mag, brand new • SAM K14 COMPETITION AIR PISTOL
rifle still in box. £250. Call: 07748 two cylinders instruction and case
Gun, Unit 6 The Enterprise Centre, Kelvin Lane, 228961. Kent. 12/21/g good condition £290 buyer to collect.
Manor Royal, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 9PE • WEIHRAUCH HW100 KT FSB LAMINATE
Information David. Call: 01572 757225.
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.22 carbine fsb Action. Weihrauch laminate
(Cheques made payable to Aceville Magazines Ltd.) stock. Totally unmarked, genuine, as new
Please send me The Sporting Airgun Handbook 2021 edition for £8.99 + condition. Sold with two magazines, Never miss
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GM03.22/L/f
 AIRGUNS

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Airgun Spares
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Official stockist of
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GM04.22/38/g

GM04.22/24/f
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USED AIR RIFLES
(INCLUDING CLASSIC AIR RIFLES)
AIR ARMS S400 .22, with silencer and 3-9x40 scope, as new .....................................................................................£369
AIR ARMS TX200 .177 with silencer & 8 -32 x 50 scope, VGC .....................................................................................£379
BSA AIRSPORTER .177, good condition ............................................................................................................................... £198
BSA AIRSPORTER MK II .22 GC.............................................................................................................................................£249
AIRWEAPON SPECIALISTS BSA AIRSPORTER MK IV .22, late 60’s-71, VGC ............................................................................................................. £325
BSA LIGHTNING GRT .177 with 4-12 x 50 scope, GC ....................................................................................................... £198
BSA SUPERSPORT .22, with 3-12 x 50 illuminated scope, as new ..............................................................................£249
BSA SUPERTEN .22 with 3-9x40 scope, good condition ................................................................................................£349
BSA ULTRA SE TACTICAL .177 Multi/shot, with silencer and 3-9x40 scope, as new ............................................£425
BSA METEOR MK IV .22 .............................................................................................................................................................£89
CAREER 707 MKII .22 with silencer and 3-9x40 Hawke Scope, good condition.....................................................£379
DIANA 78 series 70, .22, good condition ...............................................................................................................................£69
DIANA MODEL 54 .22 UGC .....................................................................................................................................................£399
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RELUM TORNADO .22 GC ....................................................................................................................................................... £129
SLAVIA 631 .177 GC ......................................................................................................................................................................£98
SPORTSMAN RS2 SERIES with .177 and .22 barrel, 3-9 x 32 scope and case, GC ..................................................£98
WEBLEY MK III .22 VGC........................................................................................................................................................... £289
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WEBLEY VULCAN .22 (Birmingham made) with BSA 4 x 32 scope, GC ................................................................... £149
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BARRELS WEIHRAUCH HW97 K/T .22 with 3-9x40 scope as new ................................................................................................£399
.22 Walther Polygon Barrel, 20” blacked, machined to fit WEIHRAUCH HW97 K/T TACTICAL, .22 with 3-9 x 40 scope, as new ......................................................................£369
Theoben Rapid and also threaded .............................£159
.22 Walther Polygon Barrel, 21” in the white, machined
SPECIAL OFFER - NEW AIR RIFLES
GUN ONLY PRICES (A MASSIVE SAVING)
to fit Theoben Rapid, fitted with UNF adaptor ...........£129
AIR ARMS S500 Beech .177 .................................................................................................................................................... £626
.22 Walther Blank barrel, 24” in the white, diameter
AIR ARMS S510 Beech .177 .22 ..............................................................................................................................................£746
16mm .......................................................................... £110
AIR ARMS S510 Walnut .177 .22 .............................................................................................................................................£839
.22 Walther Blank barrel, 22” in the white, diameter AIR ARMS S410 Beech .177 .22 ............................................................................................................................................. £666
16mm .......................................................................... £110 AIR ARMS S410 Walnut .177 .22 .............................................................................................................................................£759
.22 Barrel machined to fit Theoben Rapid, blacked 24”, AIR ARMS S410 L/Hand Walnut .177 .22 ..............................................................................................................................£773
possibly Anschutz, very small marks..........................£159 AIR ARMS S510 Take Down Rifle .22 .................................................................................................................................. £906
AIR ARMS S400 Beech .177 .22..............................................................................................................................................£492
Quickfills fitted to Rapids in AIR ARMS S400 Walnut .177 .22............................................................................................................................................ £586
block or buddy bottle AIR ARMS S200 Beech .177 .22............................................................................................................................................. £466
RING FOR PRICES AIR ARMS TX200 Beech .177 .22...........................................................................................................................................£453
AIR ARMS TX200 Walnut .177 .22.......................................................................................................................................... £519
GOOD PRICES PAID FOR FEINWERKBAU AIR ARMS PRO-SPORT Beech .177 .22 ............................................................................................................................... £560
AND ANSCHUTZ SPRING TARGET RIFLES, AIR ARMS PRO-SPORT Walnut .177 .22 .............................................................................................................................. £626
AIRSPORTERS, THEOBEN RAPID 7 Mkls, AIR ARMS S510 SUPERLITE .177 .22 ....................................................................................................................................£786
SHARP ACE and INNOVAS and AIR ARMS S410 SUPERLITE .177 .22 ....................................................................................................................................£706
FEINWERK-BAU 127 & 124s AIR ARMS S400 SUPERLITE .177 .22 ...................................................................................................................................£533
LARGE SELECTION OF PELLETS BSA R10 SE .177 .22....................................................................................................................................................................£778
INCLUDING SPECIALIST PELLETS BSA ULTRA M/SHOT SE Tactical .177 .22 ...........................................................................................................................£464
BSA ULTRA CLX MULTI /SHOT Beech, in .177 and .22 ................................................................................................. £518
BSA LIGHTNING SE....................................................................................................................................................................£203
BSA LIGHTNING SE GRT (Gas Ram) .....................................................................................................................................£242
BSA LIGHTNING XLSE GRT.................................................................................................................................................... £258
BSA LIGHTNING SE GRT (Gas Ram) ..................................................................................................................................... £261
BSA LIGHTNING XLSE Tactical.............................................................................................................................................. £258
BSA LIGHTNING XLSE GRT Tactical (Gas Ram) ................................................................................................................ £261
GAMO MAXIM ELITE M/SHOT BREAK BARREL Beech .177 .22 with silencer & 3.9x40 scope .........................£239
GAMO MAXIM ELITE M/SHOT BREAK BARREL Tactical .177 .22 with silencer & 3.9x40 scope .......................£239
GAMO PHOX with scope & silencer .177 .22.......................................................................................................................£339
GAMO COYOTE M/SHOT with silencer & 3.9x40 scope .177 .22.................................................................................£389
WEIHRAUCH HW100 .177 .22................................................................................................................................................. £894
WEIHRAUCH HW110 .177 .22 ..................................................................................................................................................£720
WEIHRAUCH HW80 with silencer .177 .22 .......................................................................................................................... £415
WEIHRAUCH HW995 .177 .22 ................................................................................................................................................ £225
WEIHRAUCH HW95 .177 .22 ...................................................................................................................................................£364
WEIHRAUCH HW97 K Wood................................................................................................................................................... £419
WEIHRAUCH HW97 K/T Wood.............................................................................................................................................. £509
WEIHRAUCH HW97 K/T Synthetic .177 .22 .........................................................................................................................£399
WEIHRAUCH HW30 KIT (JUNIOR) .177 .22 ........................................................................................................................£222
COMBO AVAILABLE ON NEW AIR RIFLES £59.99 EXTRA
COMBO CONSIST OF 3-9 X 40 SCOPE, MOUNTS GUNBAG &
PELLET UPGRADE SPECIAL OFFER NIKKO STERLING
3.9 X 50 MIL DOT P/A SCOPE COMBO PRICE £69.99
NEW AND USED PISTOLS
NEW BERETTA 92FS Black .177...............................................................................................................................................£178
NEW BERETTA 92FS Nickle .177 ............................................................................................................................................. £151
NEW CROSMAN 2240 .22 ......................................................................................................................................................... £76
NEW CROSMAN AMERICAN CLASSIC .177 pump up ....................................................................................................... £79
NEW WEIHRAUCH HW45 .177 .22........................................................................................................................................ £285
NEW WEIHRAUCH HW45 BLACK STAR .177 .22 .............................................................................................................£302
NEW WALTHER CP88 Black .177 ............................................................................................................................................£178
NEW WALTHER CP88 Nickle .177 ......................................................................................................................................... £205
NEW WALTHER CP99 Black .177 ........................................................................................................................................... £142
NEW WEBLEY TYPHOON .177 .22 semi-recoiless .............................................................................................................. £84
NEW WALTHER PPK/S BB .........................................................................................................................................................£96
NEW WALTHER CP99 Compact BB ....................................................................................................................................... £115
NEW GLOCK 17 BB ..................................................................................................................................................................... £135
NEW GLOCK 17 GEN 4 BB ........................................................................................................................................................£173
NEW GLOCK 17 Dual ammo ..................................................................................................................................................... £144
USED WALTHER CP99 .177, good condition ........................................................................................................................£89
SPECIAL OFFER NEW 300 BAR BOTTLES
WITH HOSE & GAUGE
3 LTR - from ................................................................................................................................................................................... £159
5 LTR - from................................................................................................................................................................................... £169
7 LTR - from ................................................................................................................................................................................... £189
12 LTR - from .................................................................................................................................................................................£249

SPECIAL OFFER SPECIAL OFFER SPECIAL OFFER

THEOBEN SPECIALISTS
GM04.22/46/ff

NEW BSA ULTRA CLX, .177, .22, COMEMMORATION MODEL -

NEW BROCOCK JUBILEE MULTI SHOT PCP, NO. 6 OF 50, .22
DELIVERY FROM £15.99 160 YEARS, GREY LAMINATE WITH 3-9 X50 SCOPE, SILENCER, USED DIANA, MODEL 54, .22 AS NEW...................................£379
WITH SILENCER AND 3-9 X 40 SCOPE...................................£589
PRICES CORRECT AT 01/03/22 PELLETS & HARD CASE .........................................................£769

46 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022

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 FIELD CUTLERY KNIFE TESTS

FIELD CUTLERY
Our team offers advice on all the latest knives and tools

| Leatherman FREE T4 Multi-Purpose Tool

› The Leatherman FREE
series consists of multi-
purpose knives and a
selection of new design
multi-purpose tools. There
are two designations of
tool in the range, lettered
‘T’ or ‘K.’ The former
denotes tool, while the
latter is for the models that
follow a more standard
knife-oriented design.
The T4 is the flagship
model of the T-series and
due to the number of colours
it’s available in, it’s obviously
a very popular piece of kit.
Due to tools being accessed
from both sides, it follows
the design of the iconic Swiss
Army Knife. It measures 3.6”
in the closed position, holds
a 420HC, 2.2” clip point
fine edge knife and weighs
4.3oz. Tools include scissors,
awl, bottle opener, package
opener, Phillips screwdriver,
medium screwdriver,
extra-small screwdriver,
pry tool, wood/metal file
and a pair of tweezers are
housed in the frame.
The USP of the K and
T series is they feature
a magnetic opening and
closing mechanism. The
knife blade has an elongated
thumbhole for single-handed
deployment, while all other
tools are deployed by using
their individual lugs.
All of them lock out
securely and can only be
returned back into the handle
by operating the recessed
levers, positioned just behind
the pivot points at both
ends of the T4’s frame.
The T4 has
a removable
pocket
clip and is
available in a natural
stainless finish or in colours
of Evergreen, Crimson,
Navy, Arctic and Lunar. GM
REVIEWER: The Leatherman FREE
PETE WADESON T4 Multipurpose Tool is
a very useful bit of kit
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Name: Leatherman FREE T4 Multipurpose Tool
Coloured Models Price: £84.95
Natural Stainless Price: £74.95
Contact: Whitby - www.whitbyandco.co.uk

| Smith’s Adjustable Angle Pull-Thru Knife Sharpener

› Smith’s selection of knife
and scissor sharpeners
range from basic, fixed
angle pull-through
types to sophisticated
precision sharpening
kits. Plus, their offerings
include both manual and
electrical sharpeners.
This sharpener allows the
user to adjust the angle of both
the coarse and fine sharpening
slots at the same time
The Adjustable Angle Pull-
Thru Knife Sharpener offers
some innovative features
never before seen on a
manual knife sharpener and
gives functional performance
that's unmatched by
standard blade edge
maintenance products.
It offers two stages of
sharpening (coarse and fine)
for all types of straight edge
knives with a grind on both
sides of the blade, and a fixed-
angle slot for sharpening
serrated blades.
The ‘coarse’
slot uses
diamond
stones to
sharpen
dull and
damaged
knives, while the ‘fine’ slot
offers ceramic stones for
finishing the edge and light
touch-ups. Alternatively, the
serrated fixed-angle slot uses
crossed ceramic stones that
are specifically designed to
sharpen into the serrations
of this type of blade. It will
precisely re-sharpen a wide
variety of knives by simply
adjusting the angle of the
abrasive components to
match the angle of the
original factory grind.
This is achieved by turning
the Angle Adjust knob, which
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Name: Smith’s Adjustable Angle Pull-Thru Knife Sharpener
Price: £34.95
Contact: Whitby & Co - www.whitbyandco.co.uk
allows the user to adjust
the angle of both the
coarse and fine sharpening
slots at the same time. Just
turn the dial to one of the
six angles offered, then
pull your knife through the
appropriate slot or slots.
This model of
sharpener will be a
huge asset to any knife
enthusiast’s maintenance
kit and is also ideal for
use in the home. GM
REVIEWER:
PETE WADESON

48 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022

 FIELD CUTLERY

18

GM04.22/51/g

APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 49

 FIELD CUTLERY

BLADES–UK.COM
PURCHASING BY MAIL ORDER RETAIL CUSTOMERS

THE LAW

The mail order sale of firearms, shotguns and airguns is banned

under the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 and the The Violent SWORDS - MARTIAL ARTS EQUIPMENT
Crime Reduction Act 2006, but this type of sale is still legal for
de-acts, replicas, reproductions and knives or other edged tools. - MOVIE REPLICAS -
However there are minimum age restrictions of 18 years for
CAMPING & UTILITY KNIVES.
ownership/purchase of non-FAC airguns and edged tools (as
defined in the Offensive Weapons Acts 1996 and 2019),
(as follows);
18+

GM03.22/43/f
(a) any knife, knife blade or razor blade,
(b) any axe
(c) any other article which has a blade or which is sharply TEL: 01945 701022
pointed and which is made or adapted for use for causing
injury to the person.
Please mention
BEST PRACTICE MAIL ORDER GUIDELINES

For these reasons all our advertisers have chosen to operate an

‘over-18’ policy for all sales of edged tools or collectable, arms
and armour. To assist other advertisers in operating this policy if
they so wish, we offer the following guidelines (kindly supplied
by Heinnie Haynes) in the form of a flowchart.
In addition, we would suggest that if any orders are placed from a
school, college, hospital or similar, that the Administration Office
for the relevant institution be contacted to ensure that you are
dealing with a member of staff and not a pupil, student or patient.
These ‘over 18’ guidelines are mandatory for sales in Gun Mart,
and if implemented correctly they will ensure a greater degree of
security and safety, while also presenting a more responsible and
acceptable image to the public at large.
when responding to advertisements

Pocket & Lock Hunting Throwing

Knives Knives Knives
We have hundreds of We have a large range Throwing knives,
pocket and lock knives to of fixed blade knives in amazing fun. Test your
fit any budget. a variety of sizes and skill and aim with these
styles. balanced knives.

Jack Pyke Machetes New Knives

Knives Bolo machetes, parangs, The latest knives added
Jack Pyke have been gurkhas, kurkis, small and to knife Warehouse.
involved in the outdoor large machetes. We are continually
market for over 20 years. adding more.

Swords Archery
Knifewarehouse have Bow and arrow sets for
a range of beautiful UK any ability at affordable
legal swords. prices.
GM04.22/39/g

www.knifewarehouse.co.uk

50 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022

 FIREARMS
DEALER
GUIDE
CORNWALL HERTFORDSHIRE
Rifles, Shotguns, Air rifles, Ammunition.
Various stock arriving Weekly.

SOUTHPOINT FIREARMS www.cgfirearms.co.uk

3 Biscombes Lane, Callington, Cornwall, PL17 7LB.
Contact us for more info:
01579 308 444
Military • Sporting • Hunting
southpointfirearms@gmx.co.uk sales@cgfirearms.co.uk
southpointfirearms.co.uk Tel: 01582 461769
NORTH WALES WORCESTERSHIRE
DRAGON FIELD SPORTS LTD
SHOTGUNS, AIRGUNS, FIREARMS, AMMO www.shootingsuppliesltd.co.uk
EXPERT - FRIENDLY - CHEAP 38 Sherwood Road Bromsgrove B60 3DR
All Sorts of Ammo, Accessories & Clothing (Just off the A38, 300yds from Morrisons)
www.dragonfieldsports.co.uk Shotguns, rifles, air guns, cartridges, ammunition, reloading
equipment, scopes, accessories, clothing and footwear
21 Pentre Felin, Wrexham LL13 7NB
Tel: 01978 290990 01527 831261
Tues-Sat 9am to 5.30pm Late night Fri ’til 7pm

NORTHERN IRELAND NORTHERN IRELAND

Maryland Country Sports You can have
18A Maryland Industrial Estate one of these
Crossnacreery, Moneyreagh Tober Road, Knockahollet, Cloughmills,
County Down BT23 6BL Ballymena, Co. Antrim, BT44 9BE
spaces from
Tel: 02890 448598 www.lavinguns.com just £30
www.maryland-country-sports.co.uk 02827 641204

YORKSHIRE SOUTH YORKSHIRE SUNDERLAND

WAKEFIELD RIFLE PRACTICAL SHOOTING SUPPLIES Mayfair Shooting Centre
practicalsportingsupplies.co.uk H.O. Approved Club – Membership Now Open!
& PISTOL CLUB Suppliers of Innovative and marketing leading Shotguns, Smallbore, Fullbore – All are Welcome
WAKEFIELD COLLEGE GROVE, WAKEFIELD, WEST YORKSHIRE Rifles, Airguns and accessories dedicated to the 9 Lane Indoor Range with electric targets.
For details see our website: for details of the club practical outdoor sportsman. Gunshop & Lounge -
Unit 17, Churchill Business Park, Churchill Road,
www.wrpc.co.uk Doncaster, South Yorks, DN1 2TF T: 0191 564 1966 E: mayfairsc@hotmail.co.uk
Tel: 07736 574160 01302 730052 | info@practicalsportingsupplies.co.uk www.mayfairshootingcentre.co.uk

NORTH YORKSHIRE EAST YORKSHIRE

PICKERING GUNS You can have MK FIREARMS
www.pickeringguns.co.uk one of these Lincoln, Ruger, Armsan, Uberti, Magtech, Thompson,
Parker Hale, Heckler & Koch.
Huge array of new and used Airguns, Shotguns, Rifles Huge discounts on rifles, shotguns, revolvers.
and Ammunition. Part exchanges welcome.
Email: info@pickeringairguns.co.uk
spaces from Package deals on scopes, moderators, accessories and
spares. Lots of used guns to clear.
Tel: 01751 476904
7-8 Birdgate, Pickering, North Yorkshire, YO18 7AL
just £30 Part exchange welcome. Gunsmith Services.
Mon-Sat 9-5 pm. Closed Weds. Tel : Bridlington 01262 671521

PEMBROKESHIRE YORKSHIRE DEVON

Always something interesting for www.swillingtonshootingsupplies.co.uk
shooters and collectors. We consider * Deerhunter * Harkila * Laksen * Dubarry * Rivers West * Swazi
* Musto * Barbour * Diotto Boots * Le Chameau * Swedteam
part exchange and gold and silver coins.
Anything considered.
RIFLES OPTICS
HAENEL BLASER SWAROVSKI SCHMIDT
We wish all our customers and their families a
safe passage through these difficult times.
BROWNING SAKO TIKKA
MAUSERSAUER STEYR
ZEISS KAHLES BUSHNELL
NIGHTFORCE HAWKE MINOX
www.sportsmanguncentre.com
MERKEL CZ ETC MEOPTA ETC info@sportsmanguncentre.com
Email Dscheeres@aol.com Tel: 0113 286 4097 - Tel & Fax: 0113 287 5685
www.pembrokefinearms.co.uk
Tel: 01646 680391 / 07969 132060
Email: info@swillingtonshootingsupplies.co.uk
Home Farm, Wakefield Road, Swillington, Leeds, LS26 8UA Tel: 01392 354854
COUNTY DURHAM NORTH YORKSHIRE DERBYSHIRE
DAVEY & SON -
EAST COAST FIELD & STREAM
The Old Post Office, Wykeham, Yorkshire YO13 9QP
New & Used Centrefire & Rimfire Rifles by all major
Telephone 07448 177009 manufacturers. Huge range of scopes and ammunition.
FIREARMS DEALER GUIDE/04.22/a

Plus stockists of clothing & footwear.

Email: enquiries@dpteuro.co.uk Tel: 01723 865039
Web: www.dpteuro.co.uk Email: info@daveyandson.co.uk
www.yorkshireairguns.co.uk

Please contact our advertising department now on

01206 506247/506 242/506246
 FIREARMS
Firearms at
THE GREAT
BRITISH
SHOOTING
SHOW 2022
Chris Parkin checks out the latest
firearms, scopes and accessories
from the BSS
As a reviewer, the opportunity to see and handle
what the makers had busied themselves with for
the last two years was refreshing. There were
many usual variations on a current theme in terms
of stock options, colours etc. plus one or two
fundamentally new highlights that certainly
quenched my thirst for innovation!
The super-
lightweight
MDT carbon/
magnesium
stock shows
futuristic
styling
HIGHLAND OUTDOORS
Among a plethora of Howa and Lithgow
rifles, Highland was keenly promoting
MDT stocks and rifle accessories. The
highlight was the latest HNT26 stock,
which weighs just 26oz. This carbon
fibre and magnesium creation is
beautifully made and if you ever fancied
a chassis for a stalking rifle, this is it. It
almost floats in your hands, yet remains
thoroughly rigid in all locations, including
the folding buttstock. New copper
bullets and Aguila rimfire ammunition
were strongly promoted, along with the
latest Triggercam 2.1 scope camera.
Contact: Highland Outdoors -
www.highlandoutdoors.co.uk
52 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022
ACCURACY
INTERNATIONAL
AT-X
This was possibly the
first public opportunity
for Accuracy
The latest AI AT-X chassis
compatible format
in Tikka T3/T1
International to show
the AT-X competition
rifle, and although I have shot and briefly reviewed it, I found it
refreshing to see that they have released front upper rail accessory
carriers as well as a long-awaited Tikka T3/T1 inlet for the semi-
custom rifle crowd.
Contact: Accuracy International - www.accuracyinternational.com
BERGARA
The growing
Bergara range on
the RUAG stand
continues to offer
excellent rifles at a
Everyone
modest cost and
the highlight would
loves a
quality rimfire
seem to be the BMR rimfire, a straightforward, and their
lightweight, synthetic stocked hunter’s rifle at popularity
£560. The styling cues follow on from the HMR never dwindles
genetics that still impresses in centrefire
format, which is now also applied to more hunting rifles, like
the 18” barrelled Wilderness Ridge centrefire - everything
needed to hunt medium game for just £1030.
Contact: RUAG Ammotec - www.ruag.co.uk
HAENEL
Haenel’s straight-pull Jaeger NXT
surfaced online a few months ago,
seen here in laminate stock format
with heavily promoted use of
recycled materials. The rifle handled
nicely with fast, assured bolt Straight-pull reload and de-cocking
operation and the ability to carry the capability from Haenel’s new NXT
action un-cocked, yet prepared is a
fantastic safety feature. The trigger pull was crisp and the rifle demonstrated fast
pointability from its neutral weighting. Integral Weaver bases make scope setup simple
and the barrel comes screwcut. This is a creative step for Haenel and I’m looking
forward to seeing one.
Contact: Viking - www.vikingarms.com
Capability just got more com
LEICA pact and
lightweight at Leica
The latest Geovid Pro 32 is a delightfully
compact binocular rangefinder. It
accommodates all the excellent ballistic
capabilities of its older brothers in
superb proportions for the hill or
mountain hunter wanting to save
weight. A 2300m rangefinder with
+/- 23cm accuracy is an assured
companion in the field and it will also
couple to the Kestrel 5700 for superior long range shooting performance. It's
available with 8 or 10x magnification and weighs 820-grams.
Contact: Leica - www.leica-camera.com
 FIREARMS AT THE GREAT BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW 2022 FIREARMS

HAWKE
Hawke has continued to further their
superb mid-market ranges. The latest
Frontier 34, 5-30x56 FFP tactile/
precision optic looks like it will
increase the performance and appeal
beyond its smaller 30mm brother.
Reliable tracking and excellent price
point optics with clear reticles is
what I love about Hawke, so this 29
This .22WMR MRAD elevation enabling unit, with a
semi-auto minimum 15m parallax capability, for
from Guncraft
exudes build £999, should appeal to multi-range Hawke’s latest Frontier 34 offers a
quality and shooters and I can’t wait to use one. greater mechanical range
creative Contact: Hawke Optics -
design www.hawkeoptics.com
evolution

BLASER
The R8 Ultimate X was announced
recently and seemed to polarise online
GUNCRAFT opinion, as fans weren’t really sure of its
Surely any UK shooter will love the purpose. So, to clarify, it’s a long range/
higher energy available from .22WMR precision rifle with a greater shot
over the .22LR? Well, this AR-15 capacity. I wondered if the stock/receiver
format rifle from a UK maker hits the extension would compromise
spot. An 18.5” medium weight Border ergonomics and have studied the
barrel with 14” twist rate couples to a dimensions in detail, yet can happily say
7075 aluminium upper and lower. that you hardly even notice the
There is plenty of KeyMod and extended layout change, which
Picatinny for accessories as well as a encapsulates a magazine in front of the
6-position telescopic collapsing trigger, rather than above it - fantastic!
buttstock. They haven’t quite Contact: Blaser - www.blaser.de/en/
perfected last round hold open on the
The R8 Ultimate-X was among many
14-round mags yet, but final
developments on show from Blaser
modifications are in process on a rifle
for which first impressions were very
positive.
SCHMIDT & BENDER
Contact: Guncraft -
S&B displayed the 6-36x56 incantation of
www.guncraftltd.co.uk
the PMII line. It showed a 6x erector tube to
encompass the magnification range, with
updated illumination controls external to the
left side parallax dial, rather than on the rear/
left side of the tube (which limits ring spacing).
This is coupled with either double-turn or
multi-turn elevation turret options and a new,
3-position turret locking lever allows free travel,
locked or a new intermediate stage engaging an
'MTC' (more tactile click) every complete MRAD. S&B are always
Contact: Schmidt & Bender - www. pushing the optical and
mechanical limits
schmidtundbender.de

MAUSER
Four years ago, I walked away from BSS with the new entry-level M18 in .243, and
what a fantastic rifle it has been. Well, now a stainless steel version is available that
is seen as ideal for the UK. Most common calibres are on offer, starting with .223,
.243 and .308. Perhaps the fastest 60º turn bolt rifle in the business (and I have
sampled a few), with a reliable twin stack polymer magazine, it looks set to take on
the omnipresent Tikka T3 head on!
Contact: Mauser - www.mauser.com

A stainless version of the M18 is perfect for the UK market

APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 53

 FIREARMS FIREARMS AT THE GREAT BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW 2022

TIER-ONE
This West Yorkshire manufacturer was showing their
prototype ELR competition bipod. It's not an
unfamiliar design concept for precision shooters but
certainly UK made to the lowest possible tolerances
from superior materials. It's designed to attract
shooters choosing minimal unwanted play in
adjustment axes, as well as versatile positioning
capability for rifles with Picatinny rails. This unique,
V1 prototype was popular and so the V2 (with minor
detail changes) goes into manufacture imminently
and will fit ARCA rails as well.
Contact: Highland Outdoors -
www.highlandoutdoors.co.uk Fast-paced development and product
improvement from Tier-One

Schmeisser’s new 9mm straight-pull

may carve a new niche in the UK

SCHMEISSER
I have found Schmeisser SP-15s to be excellent rifles. They are built to a very good
standard using high-quality materials. Their latest 9mm version is going to be very
popular, as the ammunition is surprisingly good value thanks to massive bulk
manufacture for pistol use. I suspect this gun may even be attractive to pest
controllers and I can’t wait to see what it may do with subsonic ammunition. A whole
Fierce firearms may well capture the
new challenge for handloaders with solid lead bullets?
UK long range shooter’s desires
Contact: Edgar Brothers - www.edgarbrothers.com

FIERCE FIREARMS
This US manufacturer is supplying
their Fury rifles with twin-lug bolt
H&N PELLETS actions showing a 70º lift, plus
AND SLUGS exotic carbon stocked layouts.
H&N were one of the few
They look like a great asset for
international exhibitors, with
Raytrade. The 'Fury' carries a half
technical experts to discuss all
MOA guarantee and is available in
your airgun ammunition woes
the current precision calibres like
and requirements. Hot topics
6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC and 28
were non-toxic, tin pellets that
Nosler, for those pushing the
are in constant development to
ranges with a conventional hunting
assure our shooting future, plus
rifle. There are lots of trick colour
high ballistic coefficient airgun
options and ceramic finishes to
slugs in all popular calibres.
choose from.
Contact: John Rothery
Contact: Raytrade UK -
Wholesale - www.bisley-uk.com
Ballistic jewels for the future of air gunning www.raytrade.co.uk

54 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022

GM04.22/68/g
 GM04.22/22/a

OPENING TIMES:
Monday - Friday: 9am - 5pm
Saturday & Sunday: Closed
 We understand that there is no substitute for physically
seeing an item, particularly one as unique as an antique.
Therefore, if you buy an antique from Henry Krank &
Company and for any reason you are unhappy with your
purchase, simply contact us and we will arrange for the
item to be collected and a refund will be issued.

Alternatively, if you would like to see more photographs

of an item, simply email one of our team and we will
happily supply more.

Henry Krank & Co Ltd Opening Times:

100 - 104 Lowtown, Pudsey Monday - Friday: 9am - 5pm
West Yorkshire, LS28 9AY Saturday & Sunday: Closed
GM04.22/22/a
 FIREARMS GSG STG 44
From t he
HALL OF FAME
Was there such a thing as an 'Assault
Rifle' before the Sturmgewehr 44,
was it a truly pivotal rifle in both
military and cultural history of our
pastime? I think so, and regardless of
its performance on targets in modern
.22 semi-auto format, this was a rifle
I have always wanted to investigate.
The original
The muzzle has a slightly recessed
crown on the 17.75” hammer-forged
barrel. The rifle's tall foresight is a sharp
blade within a protective halo and
the stepped profile of the barrel soon
disappears into the frontal handguard.
There's a protruding extension that sits
above the barrel and would have been
the gas piston used to cycle the original
action. There are further vestigial
recesses and shapes to the stampings
and mouldings of the forend in multiple
materials, all finished with an almost
indistinguishable greying/black patina
from well-worn blued steel. The shape
is delightfully hand-sized, easy to grasp
securely and truly tactile in profile.
The rear sight is a notch to align
with the foresight and shows windage
adjustment as well as marked, tactile
notches for extending ranges to '1000'.
One must presume metres if somewhat
hopefully on the original 7.92x33mm
chambering, never mind a .22 rimfire,
60 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022
PRICE:
£499.00
Chris Parkin gets his
hands on a GSG STG 44
in .22 semi-auto format
although you will surely appreciate
the speed, assured return to position
and extended shooting range they
will enable on larger rimfire targets.
Fire freely
Below and to the right, a hinged dust
cap protects the top of the magazine
and breech area as well as the front
of the reciprocating bolt within. This
is pretty standard stuff for a 22-semi
auto with twin extractor claws on the
controlled feed face, which seems
to easily cycle and enthusiastically
spit rounds from the right side every
time the trigger is squeezed.
Swapping to the left side, you can
see the circular serrated mag release
above the 25-round magazine. This
is a snug fit in the well and needs
a firm shove into position but will
no doubt wear in a little, this was
literally a 'box fresh rifle'. Using a
gentle draw to remove the magazine,
it shows a lateral, thumb operable
follower to ease spring tension when
loading, as well as give some tactile
identification of remaining contents.
Close resemblance
The detail of the mouldings that
complement the design factors
stamped into the original steel rifles
are wonderfully recreated, yet are
radiused. They are never painful to
encounter and carry such character.
Bolt operation is via a handle that's
positioned above the mag well, at the
top of the rifle. Simply draw it back,
before releasing to cock the action if
not already primed. You can lock this
upward in place too, in order to keep
the bolt open and to show clear.
The trigger shows two stages. They
are not particularly precise but certainly
in character. The second stage break
is not the crispest of encounters but
realistic, breaking at 2340-grams.
Reach to the grip is generous at
85mm, so you get a really good hand
position for consistent control and there
is a 2-position lever safety on the left-
hand side. A sprung cross pin holds on
the rear/butt of the stock to the central
action. With this slid off the action,
the gun hinges open, paying careful
attention to the internal springs and
follower layout for detailed cleaning.
Exceptional ergonomics
With a generous length of pull over
14.3”, it anchors perfectly into your
shoulder, with what is effectively a
low bore line, originally set to direct
the multi-shot recoil impulse linearly
into the shoulder with minimal muzzle
flip. The cheekpiece remains high
for ideal, and I mean utterly superb,

head/eye/sight alignment for
precision use that mocks most
modern rifles. Plus, it's certainly far
superior, in my opinion, to the AK47's.
The butt is beech with grooves at
the curved rear for grip. There is no
recoil here in a .22LR but all the same,
one of the most naturally comfortable
guns I have ever shot. There is a slight
bump at the front of the comb but
for low recoil cartridges, I doubt it's
ever likely to cause concern. The last
features are the forward sling lanyard
on the left side of the handguard and
the rearmost slot to thread through.
Visionary design
How did it shoot? Well, it’s open sighted
(old school) and totally down to the
user but with subsonic ammo, managed
an average of 1020 FPS. In use, it will
reliably cycle ammo as long as you
keep it clean. Photos captured some of
the natural flickers of burning powder
as the bolt was moving, just to remind
you of the fundamentally dirty nature
of semi-auto rimfire blowback actions.
The magazine needs a firm shove into its well, note the circular mag release
button (Top Right) Semi-auto bolt operation - no silly fiddly catches, just
handfuls of handle! (Bottom Right) Note the bold left-hand side safety lever and
the angle of the pistol grip
GSG STG 44
Steel butt plate protection
of simple-looking, yet ideal
ergonomics far beyond its peers
Weight and overall dimensions are
within millimetres of the original and
although recoil is lower, what a superb
fun gun. At 50m free-standing, 100mm
groups were possible with a whole mag
rattled onto freshly painted steel.
Conclusion
With all other factors aside, the one
factor I cannot fail to concentrate on is
the ergonomics of this gun. Regardless
of recoil, the lower bore line coupled to
a superb set of open sights and linear
stock geometry still stand out today
as not just a weapon of raw firepower,
but a tool to complement the skill
applied to its use. I have never had an
FIREARMS
open sighted rifle with such ideal head
position and foresight detail exposed to
the rear notch, nor the attention paid to
elevation and windage control and the
precision with which it can be applied
on target. They knew what they were
doing 80 years ago and yes, I’m sure in
the larger centrefire chamberings, the
bump between action and stock may
have bitten the cheek of a few young
recruits, but it is key to just how well
this gun mounts up and points. This
isn’t one of the most accurate or best
guns in the world, but it’s one of the
most emotive and striking examples of
timeless perfection I have ever seen in
ethos alone. I’m left with one thought, I
want to try an original. Perhaps it’s not
the AK47 masterpiece of cheap mass
production and international stardom
that followed in its wake, but definitely a
hall of famer. It has been emotional. GM
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Name: GSG STG 44
Calibre: .22 Long Rifle
Barrel Length: 17.75”
Overall Length: 37”
Length of Pull: 14.4”
Overall Weight: 4.6kg/10.1lbs
Magazine capacity: 25-rounds
Price: £499
Contact: Edgar Brothers -
edgarbrothers.com/shooting-sports
APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 61
 FIREARMS
• WANTED. LARGE BORE OVER AND
UNDER “Howdah” Pistol. Six inch plus
barrel preferred. Please phone Tony. Call:
01282 438947. Lancashire. 04/22/g
• MAS 45 .22LR FRENCH MILITARY
BOLT Action Training Rifle. Mint,
unused condition, complete with  5rd.
box magazine and original military
sling. Parkerized finish, mirror bright bore,
heavy barrel with a Mauser action.. £600
(GBP) OBO. Call: 07798 638313 / 01273
553475. Brighton. 04/22/g
• BERETTA ‘OLYMPIA’ .22LR ITALIAN
Military semi-auto/bolt action training rifle.
Unblemished,  blued finish and flawless
stock, complete with  5rd. Box magazine
and military sling.  19.5″ extremely heavy,
fully floated target barrel with mirror bright
• MORINI CM84E ELECTRONIC TRIGGER
•22 rim fire ISSF olympic competition L.R.
pistol. F.A.C. needed. Fire red only 600
rounds since new. Mint condition. Only
£995. Call: 07530 737676. Gloucestershire.
04/22/g
• FOR SALE UBERTI 1858 REMINGTON
new model army. 6 shot, •44 cal, 8″ Barrel,
black powder revolver. Like new and with
very nice hand made leather holster. Still
has its box and instructions from when
purchased new (2017). £230. Call: 01362
694088. Norfolk. 04/22/g
• SPRINGFIELD 1903 30.06 NATIONAL
match version + sling dies + SK scope
mount £600 ONO. 375 H&H mag
Winchester mod 70 + Leupold scope
+ dies £650 ONO. Email: steve.c223@
hotmail.com or Call: 01634 723343. Kent.
• FOR SALE FOUR HENRY KRANK
REPRODUCTION GUNS. 3 band Enfield • VINTAGE AIR RIFLES
rifle. Brass 18 inch barrel Blunderbus. and Air pistols wanted.
Brown Bess carbine. Brass framed Also old signs, pellets
engraved blank firing Navy revolver. All as
new. £450.00. Call: John 07904 091186.
and related items,
03/22/a collections purchased,
• WANTED WEATHERBY MARK XXII Antique flintlock and
.22 RIFLE, semi-auto tube magazine.
older model with rosewood tip stock. Also
percussions. Guns also
wanted. Will travel.
wanted: Weatherby scopes, Weatherby
O/U shotguns. Call: 0141 812 4669 or Tel: 01908 526666 /
07949 341417. 03/22/a Mob: 07831 398114. (P)
• FOR SALE DAISY 44 Powerline 6" barrel
£80. Umarex CP99 silver top + 3 mags + 2x Sportsmatch 1” medium extended
silencer + case £120. Webley Typhoon mounts £12 each. Sportsmatch 1” mounts,
break barrel £80. Luger PO8 repro (desert CZ527, 1x low/med 1x med/high £8 each,
yellow) finish £70. “Legends” broomhandle
both sets £14, plus carriage Call: 07740
Mauser poly body version (metal-mag)
£85. Contact Barry. Call: 079302 25504.
724397. Kent. 01/22/g

bore. £500 (GBP) OBO. Call: 07798 638313
/ 01273 553475. Brighton.
• G.33/40 7.92 X 57 MM GEBIRGSJAEGER
KARABINER. Outstanding, professional
restoration. This rifle was previously
displayed in the BundesWehr Museum in
Germany before being imported into the
UK. £2,550 (GBP). Call: 07798 638313 /
01273 553475. Brighton. 04/22/g
To advertise in
FIREARMS
please call
Vanessa on
01206 506247
04/22/g
04/22/g
• FOR SALE REMINGTON P.S.S .308 black
laminate stock comes with a scope, bipod,
heavy barrel, very good condition, dies new
cases included. £550 ono. Call: 07746
611841. Doncaster. 03/22/a
• ONE RUGER No ONE in .458 win mag
with cases, in good condition. Buyer must
collect. £300. Call: 01757 704585. North
Yorkshire. 03/22/a
• SPRINGFIELD 30.06 NATIONAL MATCH
version with sling dies £600 ono. 375
H&H Mag, Winchester Mod 70 with
Leupold scope + dies £650 ono. Email:
stevie.c223@hotmail.com or call: 01634
723343. Kent. 03/22/a
• SWAP UBERTI NICKEL PLATED 7 1/2
INCH BARREL revolver for any Uberti
deactivated black powder percussion
revolver, even if worn condition. Call: John
07904 091186. 03/22/a
Kent. 02/22/g
• 500 NITRO EXPRESS 3 die set NFDS.
• CZ 452 .22LR BOLT ASSEMBLY VGC £50. Call: 07710 259810. Cardiff. 12/21/g
complete, hardly used £60. Lee powder
measure kit, little use, boxed £16. Sako
TRG muzzle brake good condition £50. ADVERTISERS
RCBS powder trickler, like new £6. All plus
carriage, Call Andy: 07740 724397. Kent.
02/22/g
• 90 ROUNDS IMI ISRAELI tracer ammo All advertisement copy
cal 7.92 £50 or will swap for same amount must be received prior to the
7.92 mil. spec. ball. FAC required Call: date shown below.
01883 343176. Sussex. 02/22/g
COPY DEADLINE FOR
• RUGER 77/22 A/W .22 MAGNUM THE MAY 2022
stainless bolt action rifle with synthetic EDITION IS
stock, matching Weaver stainless scope.
One owner, mint condition with trigger job.
1st April 2022
Leather sling with some ammo available 21/23 Phoenix Ct, Hawkins Road,
£350. Call 07702 604120. Staffs. 01/22/g Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY.
Tel: 01206 506247
• SAKO TRG MUZZLE BREAK £50, Weaver
classic rimfire 1” scope. 3-9x32 AO
Japanese optics like new boxed £140.
COPY DEADLINES

GM04.22/11/g

62 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022

GM04.22/64/f
 FIREARMS KAHLES HELIA TI-25
The clean appearance immediately
strikes you when first handling the
Kahles. There are just four controls in
total, with only two being buttons. The
rearmost one powers up the unit and
it takes about seven seconds to come
completely to life after a five-second
hold. Once in operation, short presses
move you through three colour palettes:
white, black or red equalling hot. A
three-second hold turns the unit off.
The front button controls digital zoom,
with short presses swapping between
1, 2 or 4x magnification above and
beyond the 1.7x optical magnification
applied by the 25mm objective lens.
Kahles also offers a larger, 35mm
objective lens model for those wanting
improved optical capability, should
their budget allow. A longer hold of
Note the ocular lens focus wheel for internal
screen clarity. In use, the OLED screen showed
superb optical clarity
64 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022
PRICE:
£1830
Just what you
need Chris Parkin gets
to grip with another
thermal imager; the
Kahles Helia TI-25
the front button initiates the menu The internal screen shows a
structure, which is clearly illustrated mainly black and white design, with
with minimal options to choose orange details characterful to Kahles
between. The first is five levels of themselves. Plus, there is a remaining
screen illumination intensity, the power indicator icon in the upper
second is five more of image contrast, right corner for the internal lithium-
the third selects automated or manual ion battery. This is charged using a
sensor refresh and the fourth controls supplied USB-C cable that plugs into
automated positional screen on/off. the rubber covered underside port
that shows a red/green, charging/
There's more charged light. Battery life is advertised
Mechanical controls include the rear at 8-hours, but this is dependent on
internal screen focusing wheel, used to internal screen brightness and actual
adapt to your own eyes, followed by the operating temperatures, just like any
front objective collar that focuses the battery. The unit is certified capable
thermal image onto the 384x288 pixel between -20/+50 degrees, yet I
sensor with 17-micron pitch. Sensitivity suspect thermal imaging capability on
is listed as <35mK, with a 50Hz warm-blooded quarry might be a bit
refresh rate to minimise any latency or of a challenge at high temperatures.
staccato movement of quarry in motion. Any unit is fundamentally dependent
Detail of the USB-C charging port The rubber objective lens cap attached to
the sling

on temperature variation to apply
'texture' to what the sensor detects,
before internal software processes it
to be displayed on the OLED screen.
Ergonomics
The external dimensions show a
198mm overall length, paired to an
almost square profile of 68/63mm
width/height. The warranty lasts three
years, which seems comparable to
market competition and the overall
weight comes in at 430-grams. To
be fair, I’m not keen on kit that is too
small to remember where I put it,
so I quite liked the hand-filling size
with easy to reach, tactile access
to the 13mm buttons up top, which
can be felt through gloves, helping
to avoid any accidental presses.
A neoprene padded neck strap is
supplied and this threads into twin
underside anchor points that encourage
the unit to remain flat against your
chest when slung around your neck.
Being a monocular, I like the fact it
is truly ambidextrous, with perfect
functional equality from either eye at
any time. Plus, there is a symmetrical,
overall rectangular rubber eyecup
connected to the ocular lens.
You can choose whether the unit
automatically turns off when slung
vertical and if you do, it prevents the
internal screen illumination from
shining up onto your chin and offering
a ghoul-like appearance to any sharp-
eyed quarry. It also saves battery life
as well as your night vision between
uses. If you stay manual, turning
the unit on/off temporarily is a two-
second operation, so I was happy
either way and found the internal
gyroscopic-type sensor fast to initiate
and reliable in gauging orientation.
Performance
The ocular lens reflects well upon the
Kahles name, with superb clarity and
Objective focusing is beneficial for I.D. but
rarely immediately critical to initial detection
if set around 100m
KAHLES HELIA TI-25 FIREARMS
consistent focus from all positions. become a voyeuristic distraction
You never find yourself unfocused on from the hunt. Here, your money
the screen due to switching eyes or buys excellent core functionality and
after a minimal positional change. although Chinese made, it certainly
I was getting a good 6-hour seems to align with the Kahles
run time at 0 and 3-degree winter name for premium optics. They also
temperatures and found the image assure `waterproof` specifications
both well-textured, simple to control if no specific 'IP' type rating.
and perhaps most importantly, it
showed evolution in the computational Conclusion
processing capability with respect to Kahles has targeted a simpler
graduation of image texture/thermal approach, which is more bang for
gradient and exposure levels. This was your buck, and although no doubt
most noticeable when scanning close sharing internal technologies with
to the skyline, where some full frame, other brands, they clearly chose to
'metering' units dim down so much keep the Helia a tool for hunters
that you lose all foreground texture with intuitive simplicity the pure
compared to the darkened, cold sky. functional focus. It might not be a
The field of view is broad, with a great 'showman' like those with video
26m span @100m when using the base, capability, but for the hunter, it's an
1x digital/1.7x optical magnification. ideal choice. More money buys more
Plus, I was able to detect foxes beyond features and perhaps finer sensor
500m over short foliage, with defined capability, but we are close to the
identification around 300-350m. The point here where you don’t need more
image tracking was smooth and I if remaining within sensible quarry
didn’t feel the f1.0 objective lens was engagement ranges. I have used
weak in terms of depth of field when weaker capability than this and shot
scanning. I only occasionally tuned no fewer foxes for the compromise. GM
the focus to maximise detail
for specific mid-range The control buttons remain tactile
if wearing gloves and
identification, otherwise are silent
leaving it well alone.
Specifically, some
closer range shooters
will likely need to focus
a little more regularly, but I
hardly remember re-focussing for
anything other than experimentation
purposes between 75m and infinity.
I didn’t miss Wi-Fi connectivity
for smartphones and tablets or
filmmaking capability, which can easily
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Name: Kahles Helia TI-25
Objective Lens: 25mm, F1.0
Sensor Resolution (pixels): 384×288; 17μm
Thermal Sensitivity – NETD (mK): <35
Display Resolution (pixels): 1024×768
Display Frame Rate (Hz): 50
Field of View (m/100m): 26
Optical Magnification: 1,7
Digital Zoom: 1x, 2x, 4x
Battery Life: up to 8h
Length x Width x Height (mm): 198 × 68 × 63
Weight (g): 430
Waterproof: Yes
Focus: Manual
Colour Modes: White Hot, Black Hot, Red Only
Warranty: 3-years
Price: £1830
Contact: Kahles - www.kahles.at/en
APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 65
 FIREARMS

SLi-Series Jet-Z™ North Star

We Stock the following ASE UTRA Sound Moderators: Jet-Z CQB & Compact; SLi-series (SL5i, SL6i, SL7i); NorthStar; DualFifty; BoreLock System
Trade Enquiries
Distributed by Tel: +44 (0) 1644 470223
Fax: +44 (0) 1644 470227
Glenswinton, Parton, Castle Douglas DG7 3NL
United Kingdom

GM04.22/29/a
www.jacksonrifles.com

GM04.22/33B/f

66 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022

Compact thermal clip-on - Pulsar’s Proton FXQ30

The next
step
forward
Blaser's brand-new
B2 range of
riflescopes

LIGHTWEIGHT
Sweet SHOOTING
STICKS
& Neat
RUGER RANCH RIFLE
THE VIPER-FLEX
STYX PRO
A light and handy carbine that's
capable as well as affordable

Maximum ort THE H.M.S. BONE BIPOD

Supp
GM04.22/A/a
GM04.22/K/f
 SHOOTING SPORTS | RUGER AMERICAN RANCH RIFLE
Sweet
& Neat
A
lthough short barrels mean reduced
velocity with a subsequent drop in
energy and effective range
capability, there’s something about any
carbine that’s just so appealing! A point in
case is a model from Ruger’s American
centrefire series, the Ranch Rifle.
Spoilt for choice
For years, Ruger’s only bolt-action option
was their M77 series, pretty much a
value-engineered copy of the great
Mauser M98 action. It offered a solid and
reasonably classic build, with a few of
their own ideas thrown in: dedicated
scope mounting system, 3-position safety
and a standard floor plate magazine
system. I’ve owned one or two M77s in my
time, with few complaints.
70 SHOOTING SPORTS MAGAZINE
However, I’ve also noted that the
prices have climbed dramatically over the
years too. And with other US
manufacturers now fielding what I would
term budget-type rifles, that substituted
nice woodwork for plastics and a more
affordable and easier to produce design.
Despite what you might think of this
concept, it makes financial sense and has
now been perfected to offer more than
capable firearms. And some time ago,
Ruger got on that train too, with their
American series in both rimfire and
centrefire options.
The short American
The standard build shows a synthetic
stock, tang-mounted safety catch and a
detachable, 4-round magazine. Most rifles
Pete Moore checks
out Ruger’s compact
Ranch Rifle from their
budget American range
and is very impressed
have a Picatinny rail included and there
are options on colour and finish. Barrels in
the majority of cases and calibres are 22”
and there are a number of dedicated
models - Standard, Predator, Hunter,
Compact and the subject of this test, the
Ranch, which offers some very interesting
calibres.
The Ranch is best described as an
ultra-carbine, and with an average barrel
length of just 16”, it comes across straight
away as a very handy little piece and it
proved to be so. Something also attested
to by its calibre choice, you get: .300
Blackout (Blk), .350 Legend, 6.5 Grendel,
.450 Bushmaster, 7.63x39mm and
5.56x45mm NATO, for that read .223 Rem,
which I had on test. Depending on the
calibre, capacities vary from 3 to

10-rounds and where possible
use a Magpul P-Mag for numbers
like Blackout, Grendel and 223.
Eye-catching, the Ranch comes with a
decent polymer stock with inset gripping
sections, a generous recoil pad, with an
overall, FDE (flat dark earth) finish, which
seems to be the colour of choice these
days. The barrel and receiver are in black
and the muzzle is threaded 1/2x28” UNEF,
same as the AR15. Seriously, I like that
look and had my S&W M&P15/22 semi,
FDE’d in Cerakote by Riflecraft a good few
years ago.
Included
Another house point for the Ranch is that
Ruger fit it as standard with a Picatinny
rail, so no problems with scope mounting.
Importers, Viking supplied a Leupold
3-14x50 VX3 HD and 30mm rings. I added
a Harris BRS (Bench Rest Swivel) 6-9”
bipod with adjustable cant and a
compact, Barton Gunworks, muzzle-
mounted moderator that I normally use
on my 6.5 Grendel.
Controls feature a tang-mounted
safety (my favourite design on a rifle this
type), push forward to FIRE and reverse
for SAFE, right under the thumb, it’s easy
and instinctive to use. The trigger is
Ruger’s Marksman model and adjustable
from 3-5 lbs. All you do is remove the
action from the stock and there’s a screw
at the front of the mechanism, wind it in
for more pressure and out for less. It’s
not that subtle but does make a
difference.
AR advantages
As the 5.56 Ranch uses AR15 magazines,
the mag well is more like a short version
RUGER AMERICAN RANCH RIFLE | SHOOTING SPORTS
Ammo-up
As is my way, I selected a cross-section
of an ARs, with a release button rear- of ammunition, both factory and a
right. Easily operated by the trigger reload, to see what the Ranch might like.
finger, just reach forward and press it With its short barrel, I was expecting a
and the mag falls free. Although primarily definite drop in velocity. The four loads
a compact small deer and varmint rifle in were Hornady 55-grain steel case FMJ
the UK, the possibility of using larger 20 BT Training, Geco 53-grain soft point,
or 30-round mags would allow it to Hornady 40-grain Superformance
compete in disciplines like Service or V-MAX and my standard AR15 load;
Practical rifle at a fraction of the cost of 24-grains of Ramshot TAC under a
a dedicated straight-pull. 69-grain Sierra BTHP Match bullet.
Plus, the light/medium barrel shows a I was not expecting the V-MAX to be
1-8” twist rate, so it should handle putting round-on-round, as the 1-8”
heavier bullet weights, like 69-grains, rifling twist would be way too tight for it.
that would allow it to reach out with However, I was keen to see what sort of
good accuracy. At 16”, too short you velocity it would produce, as there
might think? But the majority of ARs used would be a significant drop from the
in these disciplines are the same length Hornady-quoted 3800 FPS. As it
and have no problems. You might get happened, the short 16” tube
some funny looks if you turned up with a unsurprisingly took its toll on velocity
Ruger Ranch, but that would stop when with all loads, which is the payoff on any
you started shooting, as with the right carbine.
ammo it can deliver the goods!
Locked
One slight anomaly is that on an AR15, the
magazine offers an automatic, last round
hold-open facility, with the platform
rising to actuate the hold open catch. The
same occurs with the Ranch, but here
the bolt is simply blocked from moving
forward until the empty is removed. Not
a problem, but it takes a bit of getting
used to. You could, I imagine, file the rear
face of the mag platform to stop this
from happening.
Weighing in at a mere 6.1 lbs (bare
backed) and measuring just 36” muzzle
to butt, the Ranch is a sweet and handy
carbine with bags of shootability. Even
Detail of the tang-mounted safety and cocked action
when fully bombed-up with moddy, full indicator
mag and scope, handling is not an issue.
Note the design of the Ruger Marksman trigger and the The big bolt offers a 3-lug head and a low 70⁰ lift angle,
moulded trigger guard plus feed and ejection was 100%
71
 SHOOTING SPORTS | RUGER AMERICAN RANCH RIFLE

From the box, the trigger was quite

firm, so I wound it down to minimum, which
helped. Handling was excellent as it’s just
so light and easy to manoeuvre. The tang
safety, as always, was brilliant and the
action fed smooth and easy plus didn’t
miss a beat. One anomaly was the
unexpected last round hold open, which I
initially found annoying. But that was a
very minor niggle on my part.

Performance
Hornady 55-grain FMJ BT Training:
Although light for the 1-8” twist, this ammo
was achieving 1” groups at 100m, with an
average speed of 2858 FPS and 1007 ft/lbs
of energy. Extreme velocity spread (ES)
was 81.6 FPS. Velocity drop was 257 FPS
from the quoted 3115 FPS.
Geco 53-grain Soft Tip: Once again,
light for the twist. The groups opened up to
1.3”, so not too terrible. Geco quotes a
muzzle velocity of 3213 FPS, but the actual
figure was 2847 FPS for 964 ft/lbs and an
ES of 22.8 FPS.
69-grain Reload: Sierra’s 69-grain
BTHP Match is a known performer and
despite slower speed, it didn’t disappoint.
Average velocity was 2671 FPS and 1101 ft/
lbs, plus some sweet 0.5” groups (good as
any AR15!). ES was 27 FPS. OK, a target
round, but substitute a ballistic or soft tip
It is what it is!
OK, the Ranch is what it is, a light and
handy carbine, but in the right calibres, it
can shoot well. Of these, the 5.56/223 gets
my vote, as you have good accuracy
potential. Yes, speed is down, but not to
such levels that make it useless. Oh yes,
and a sweet little rifle with a price tag of
around £700 and that includes a Picatinny
scope rail.
Last round hold-open is unusual for a Being a 6.5 Grendel shooter, I’d love to
bolt gun, but it does use AR mags!
try a Ranch in that calibre, as it’s a
cartridge that punches well above its
expected! Average speed was 2951 FPS weight. Although, I think you’d need at least
for 782 ft/lbs, with a massive ES of 167 a 20” tube to make it large deer legal.
FPS. It does illustrate the need to match
your projectile to the correct rifling twist. P-mag detail, note the AR-style mag button. The
ranch will also take 20 and 30-rounders too
I’m a bit dubious of Hornady’s claim of
this load doing 3800 FPS, as even in a
1-12” twist, 22” barrel, I was only getting
3163 FPS, but in this case some sweet
0.6” groups.
Thoughts
The V-MAX load aside, which was totally
wrong for the barrel, the Ranch in
5.56/223 Rem shoots well enough and
meets the requirements for small deer
and vermin species. Plus, with match-
type bullets, it can shoot the groups.
At £700, you not only get a
sweet rifle but a Picatinny
rail thrown in as well

bullet of the same weight and watch out

small deer species and Charlie.
V-MAX: The 40-grain V-MAX shot 2-3”
groups, not good, but actually, better than I

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
> NAME: Ruger Ranch Rifle (model 26965)
> CALIBRE: 5.56x45mm NATO
> CAPACITY: 10-rounds
> BARREL LENGTH: 16” (light/medium)
> THREADED: 1/2x28 UNEF
> TWIST RATE: 1-8”
> LENGTH: 36”
> WEIGHT: 6.1 lbs
> STOCK: Synthetic Sporter in
Flat Dark Earth (FDE)
> TRIGGER: Ruger Marksman, Adjustable
> PRICE: £718
> CONTACT: Viking Arms Ltd
www.vikingshoot.com

72 SHOOTING SPORTS MAGAZINE

GM04.22/F/g
 SHOOTING SPORTS | PULSAR PROTON FXQ30
Jules Whicker
checks out
Pulsar’s ground-
breaking sub-£2K
thermal clip-on
Dinky
but no
F
ront-mounted (a.k.a 'clip-on')
night-vision attachments are now
part of the repertoire of every
self-respecting manufacturer. Good digital
examples exist, particularly Pulsar’s F455
model, but the majority are rear-mounted,
sensibly letting the day-scope do the
major acquisition and alignment
operations before processing the
transmitted light to produce a workable,
and video-able, image.
With thermal, however, rear-mounting
is not an option, as regular glass/scope
lenses block the wavelengths that thermal
sensors need to produce an image.
Consequently, front-mounting is the only
way to access the flexibility add-ons
deliver. It brings advantages, too, with no
adjustment to the shooter’s hold or head
position required, plus no recoil-related
concerns over eye relief. Moreover, freed
from the constraints of a day scope's
eye-box, a clip-on’s designer can prioritise
performance over compactness.
Historically, clip-ons provoked
anxieties regarding zero-shift caused by
inconsistent alignment that were hard for
manufacturers to dispel. Today,
74 SHOOTING SPORTS MAGAZINE
Toy
improvements in
optical design and
precision
manufacturing have
made this a thing
of the past,
radically
simplifying the
alignment
process along
the way. More
on this later.
Putting the Proton alongside the Krypton
This one or that one shows how much more refined and compact
Pulsar’s latest offerings are
Pulsar currently offers two
thermal clip-ons: the Krypton your quarry at under 100m, the principal
FXG50 and the Proton FXQ30. I reviewed difference between the two units will be
the former a couple of years ago and liked measured in image quality, not bag-size.
it so much that I took a deep breath, bit the The Proton possesses several
bullet of its £4K price tag, and now take it ergonomic and aesthetic advantages.
for granted that I can make any of my Most obviously, it is considerably smaller
hunting rigs thermally capable in seconds. (by 24 x 35 x 1mm) and lighter (by
When Pulsar followed up with the sub-£2K 150-grams). Secondly, the Proton has the
Proton, I was naturally itching to find out latest Axion-style body, rather than the
how good it was. And now I know. Spoiler legacy housing the Krypton shares with
alert: performance-wise the Krypton aces the F455, though both are made from the
the Proton across the board – no same lightweight magnesium alloy. Thirdly,
surprises there - but if you take most of it has a better control interface, with just 2
 PULSAR PROTON FXQ30 | SHOOTING SPORTS
Groups: (Top) the Proton is shooting ½” high.
(Bottom Centre) 10 alternating shots. (Bottom Right)
buttons (POWER: on/standby/off and 10 shots canted at 45 then 315º. Not bad!
RECORD: photo/video/record/pause/stop),
plus Pulsar’s multi-function scroll-and-
click dial for quick brightness/contrast
adjustment and to take you through the
menus. Finally, you get a full suite of 8
colour palettes, to suit all conditions and
uses, whereas the Krypton offers only
white-hot and black-hot.
All the controls are located together
on the lower left-hand side of the unit,
where in principle they can be operated
by the shooter’s forward hand. In
practice, however, I found this awkward
(both left and right-handed) preferring to
use the included Bluetooth remote
control, which puts all the device’s
functions at your fingertips, wherever
they may be. Because the remote works
with all Pulsar’s weapon sights, it also
gives you a universal interface,
maximising speed and minimising
mistakes, regardless of which unit you’re
running. Making it ideal for reviewers and
serial purchasers alike!

Going into detail

One control absent on the Proton is a
focusing dial. Initially, I regarded Pulsar’s
choice of a fixed-focus 30mm lens as the
Proton’s 'Achilles Heel'. I’ve rarely tested,
and never owned, a fixed-focus thermal,
so I kept instinctively reaching for the
non-existent focus control to optimise
the image, and being frustrated when I
couldn’t find it. Also, knowing that the
Proton’s sweet spot was at 70m, I “The Proton is compatible with Pulsar’s
reckoned it would be OK for calling-in
foxes and for rimfire rabbiting, but not 5x30 optical monocular and can be purchased
ideal for shorter and longer-range work.
As the test period progressed, however, I with it as the Proton XQ30. ”
found it more versatile than anticipated,
became less concerned by the lack of battery is topped-up in situ by uncovering AP5 requires a separate clip-on cap to
adjustment and even came to appreciate the USB-C port on the right-hand side and lock it into the battery compartment, so
having one less thing to fiddle with! plugging in the supplied cable. you’ll need to add these to your basket if
Nevertheless, it is clear that the The port also supports external power buying additional batteries. The grip
fixed-focus lens belongs to a design brief banks, which will charge a battery while surface on the cap is minimal, so a battery
shaped around maximising the Proton’s powering the device, and keep it running swap is probably a gloves-off moment.
attractive price advantage over the while you hot-swap APS5s. Unusually, the
Krypton (as well as a performance
differential that favours the Krypton).
Three simple controls
Consequently, a degree of cost-trimming give easy access to
is apparent elsewhere, as the package exceptional functionality

doesn’t include either a spare battery or

a charging dock.
This brings us to power. Like their new
Axion XQ monocular, the Proton uses
Pulsar’s latest compact-but-capacious
(4,900 mAh) rechargeable APS5 battery.
This gives an impressive 6-hour run-time
but lacks backwards compatibility with
the APS2/APS3 batteries used in the
Thermion and Digex series and other
Axion models. Absent a charging dock, the

75
 SHOOTING SPORTS | PULSAR PROTON FXQ30

Muntjac or fox? Sometimes you really need Two rabbits at 70m. No mistaking these for Switching palettes can optimise a given A roe doe and her kids in black-hot mode at
to wait and watch to ensure a 100% positive anything else. They were lucky I was after scene. These roe deer looked great in blue. 70m. This is about the perfect distance for
ID before shooting. It’s a muntjac a fox! The red equivalent reduces eye strain nicely! the Proton’s fixed-focus lens

The Proton is compatible with Pulsar’s

The Proton (L) and Krypton (R)
5x30 optical monocular and can be use the same PSP adapters. These
purchased with it as the Proton XQ30. It’s a incorporate a pivoting bushing for
aligning the display
nice item, but the 5x magnification is
overpowered for the high-resolution
Krypton and doubly so for the lower-
resolution Proton, masking much of the
image and leaving the rest blocky.
Personally, I found it more informative to
look directly at the Proton’s small,
unmagnified but always sharply-focused
display. As for compatibility with day-
scopes, Pulsar advises a maximum of 4x,
but 3x is preferable and 2.5x would be
perfect.

Get it on
To fit the Proton to your day scope you will
need to buy a suitable PSP Ring Adapter.
Three sizes (42/50/56) are available to fit
scopes with objective bell diameters from
45.5-65.6mm. Each adapter comes with a
set of numbered polymer bushings and is
itself adjustable for tension, making it easy
to achieve the perfect fit, provided there’s
at least 7mm of clearance between scope
and barrel.
Set up the ring adapter first, using the
cam lever to lock it to the objective bell
with the lever at 3 o’clock. Then, loosen the
adapter interface screws, screw the
Proton into the front of the ring as far as it
will go, back it out to vertical (battery
uppermost) and lightly tighten the screws
so it is supported but can still pivot. Now,
switch on the device, push the dial to
reveal the main menu, centre the menu in
the scope’s reticle, nip up the adapter
screws (6.5-7.5 Nm) to maintain the
alignment, and you’re done!
To fit the proton to another scope
that’s compatible with the same ring
adapter, simply insert the correct bushing
and install, tweaking the screen alignment
if desired. Clever lens geometry means
alignment doesn’t affect point-of-impact,
merely which part of the screen you see,
since the scope’s narrower field-of-view
masks much of the display, except at very
low magnifications.
Before taking the Proton hunting, I
wanted to be confident there was no point
of impact (POI) shift after mounting the
device. An initial comparison of two 5-shot
groups shot at 25m with and without the
Proton fitted did show a small offset. So, I
entered the calibration screen (via a long
press of the control knob) and quickly
dialled out the error, confirming this via a
further group of alternate 'with' and
'without' shots that showed perfect
consistency between the two conditions.
I went on to shoot groups with the Proton
canted at 45 and then 315º and
experienced no POI shift there either, and
this remained true even when switching
the device between rifles. At longer
ranges, the Proton groups opened up
more rapidly due to resolution limitations
but remained centred on the point of aim
(POA).
A key benefit of an add-on like the
Proton is that you can use it as a hand-
held spotter to cover a wide arc, then
instantly fit it to your scope once you
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
> NAME: Pulsar Proton FXQ30
> DEVICE TYPE: Front-Mounted Thermal Clip-On
> LENS: F30/1.2 (fixed focus)
> SENSOR: 384x288 pix. @ 17 µm (NETD <40 mK)
> DISPLAY: 1024x768 AMOLED
> PRICES: FXQ30 £1,919.95 / XQ30 £1,999.95 (includes 5x30 B monocular)
> SUPPLIED ACCESSORIES: Wireless remote control, carry case, APS5 battery & lock cover, USB-C charging cable & mains
adapter, lens cloth
> OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES: PSP-42/50/56 Ring Adaptor £119.95, APS5 battery pack (£39.95), APS5 battery lock (£7.95), APS5
Battery Charger (£44.95), 5x30 B monocular (£99.95)
> CONTACT: Thomas Jacks - www.thomasjacks.co.uk
have identified a target. Target ID was no
problem on treetop squirrels or farmyard
rats, but differentiating between foxes,
badgers and muntjac required a bit more
patience in observing their movements,
unless something was running into a call.
Conclusion
So, do I wish I’d waited for the Proton
before buying my Krypton? No. Because
the Krypton’s bigger lens and sensor
make all the difference when it comes to
longer-range results. That said, the
Proton is undeniably smaller, lighter and
better-looking, with multiple palettes and
updated connectivity. Plus, it's literally
half the price! And, if you keep ranges
sensible, practice properly prior to
hunting and hunt responsibly, it has what
it takes to deliver some very satisfying
sorties.

76 SHOOTING SPORTS MAGAZINE

GM04.22/D/f
 GM04.22/L/g
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78 SHOOTING SPORT S MAGA ZINE
GM04.22/J/a
 SHOOTING SPORTS | H.M.S. BONE BIPOD
H.M.S. Bone
Bipod
The bipod showing extendable
legs, plus spiked and rubber feet
B
ack in the day, if you wanted a
decent bipod you went out and
bought some form of Harris
Engineering model. Their Benchrest
Swivel (BRS) with 6-9” adjustable-length
folding legs, base with lockable cant
facility and QD scissors clamp was about
as good as it got. I now have three and
rate them as the best, general use pod
ever designed, attested to by the plethora
of inferior copies that the market has
become infested with. Yes, there were
other designs, but not really in the same
class or more importantly, ability!
2014
In 2014, I think, everything changed, as a
then-unknown company called Spartan
Precision Engineering launched their
Javelin bipod system. This lightweight
design made use of modern materials like
carbon fibre and titanium and used a
revolutionary, magnetic attachment
system. No longer did you need the pod
on the rifle all the time, just push it in or
pull it out, with no buttons or catches to
operate.
Spartan went on to expand and refine
their system and also produce more
dedicated models for long range shooting
and other needs, plus military work. They
also designed pods for Blaser, Sauer and
other companies.
Pete’s got the bone
Doubtless, this set the tone for future
bipod development from many other
manufacturers and on test today is the
latest system from an Austrian company
called H.M.S. Präzisionstechnik GmbH.
80 SHOOTING SPORTS MAGAZINE
Pete Moore looks at a
sophisticated and highly
practical bipod system from Austria
and thinks, what’s in a name?
Being British, we are known for our
ribald sense of humour, so when I was
told the new pod was called the Bone,
well, I had to smile. I guess the irony is
lost on the Austrians. Speaking to the
importers, RUAG Ammotec UK indicated
that H.M.S. said the name alludes to the
strength of a backbone, not in the UK it
doesn’t Mein Herr! No matter, what you
have here is something, in my opinion,
that’s partly influenced by the Javelin
and other sources too, but what’s on
offer is, without doubt, a clever and
practical system.
Spigot to me
The design uses carbon fibre, stainless
steel and hi-grade aluminium alloy. It
consists of a mounting yoke that the legs
not only hinge on but in certain positions,
articulate around, which as we shall see
The H.M.S. is quite useful. Taking a lead from the
Bone multi- Accu-Tac design, they can fold forward
functional bipod
system, note and back to stow parallel with the forend,
the Picatinny
adaptor on this or at 45º, which drops the height and also
GRS Bifrost moves the point of ground contact
stock in the
vertical position nearer or further from the shooter, as
required. Plus, you have the main, vertical
position too.
Attachment is by a horizontal spigot,
a bit like the old VersaPod, that is
positioned under the front of the forend.
Here, the yoke has a mounting socket
that slides over the spigot and is retained
by a spring-loaded catch, for fast and
easy removal and replacement. However,
unlike the VersaPod, which had a big and
Detail of QD stud engagement ungainly polymer hand stop, the Bone
system. I found that the locking
ring gets loose all too quickly offers seven different mounting options,
as to forend types.
 H.M.S. BONE BIPOD | SHOOTING SPORTS

Articulate
At the base of the yoke is a thumbscrew
that is used to tension it on the spigot, so
you have a decent cant ability that can
be as tight or loose as you need. The
more modern bipod systems normally
incorporate a bit of traverse on the
mount, which gives you the ability to
track targets or conversely bring the
rifle to bear on it. The Bone does this in
what I initially thought was a bad bit of
design, but further use proved it to be
rather clever.
With the legs deployed vertically,
they feel a bit wobbly but inspection and
use showed they were spring-loaded
and the movement present was
deliberate. This, then allows you to
traverse 20⁰ from the central position,
once on target, pushing forward or
pulling back slightly locks them solidly in
position. So, you are covered for both The amount of spigot adaptors
makes this a very versatile
changes in target angle and cant - neat! system - Picatinny, QD stud,
M-LOK and Blaser R8

Too tall sir

The legs are sprung as well as pre-
notched and are extended by pushing in
the locking catches, where they
“At the base of the yoke is a thumbscrew that
automatically spring out and have to be
manually returned. The adjustment is used to tension it on the spigot, so you have
length is 7.5” (stowed) to 10.5” fully
deployed. Even at the minimum 7.5”, I did a decent cant ability that can be as tight or
find them a tad high, with any bipod,
Harris BRS-excepting, which is 6” at its
shortest, they all feel a bit too tall.
loose as you need.”
The feet are rubber and they can be
slipped off, but are retained by straps to Detail of the yoke assembly
reveal very aggressive looking spikes, showing the cant, tension
screw and sprung locking plate
which can cope with different surfaces.
Both are Spartan Javelin features.
Weighing in at a pleasing 270-grams, the
Bone is not heavy. It is exceptionally well
built and after a bit of time, I really
started liking it!

Mix & match

OK, the Bone is a cool looking and
practical design, but what puts the icing
on the cake are the versatile mounting
systems, and you get the choice of seven
options. All use the spigot as described
but in different ways.
First up is the Picatinny adaptor
which weighs 72-grams. It shows a
one-piece build that clamps onto any
Picatinny rail positioned under the rifle’s
forend. The next one is M-LOK. This is
again a one-piece design weighing in at
48-grams and will suit rifles like AR15s
etc. Plus others with free-float forend
tubes. Near identical in looks and
application is the KEYMOD version
(45-grams). Then there’s the Universal
Adaptor, which weighs 48-grams. This

81
 SHOOTING SPORTS | H.M.S. BONE BIPOD

can be screwed directly into any wood or Getting technical it’s down to you, to decide if they are value
synthetic forend. Out of interest, I compared the Bone to for money given your needs. To put it in a
So far so good, then you have two sling Spartan’s ProHunt TAC bipod, which is a bit more perspective, my favourite Harris
swivel QD stud adaptors for European similar design and at £329, it’s more 6-9” BRS is now nearly £130, when I
(6mm) and US fittings (8mm) at 53-grams expensive. Looking at their adaptors bought my first one, which I still have, it
apiece. They fit via a cup that’s pinned over shows similar prices, some up and some was under £60 as I recall.
the QD stud, with a rubber pad underneath, down a bit. Truth is, these and others like it Would I get a Bone bipod and
the adaptor is placed on and a big nut is are high-end systems that offer a lot and adaptors? Probably, yes!
wound down to secure it all. And finally,
the Blaser R8 converter, with this rifle the
spigot replaces the sling swivel in the tip
of the forend.
As a Blaser R8 owner, I use their
Carbon bipod (Spartan-type) in the
modified, replacement forend cap and
have to say I prefer the Bone system,
which offers greater rigidity and
adjustability and an equally easy, ON/OFF
system.
RUAG supplied five of the seven
mounting systems - Picatinny, M-LOK, both
QD stud adaptors and the Blaser spigot.
Three proved solid and secure, but the QD
studs got loose all too quickly and I reckon
H.M.S. need to re-think that one!

The price is right? The legs position forward or back at

What with us leaving the European 45⁰ and parallel, plus when upright,
you get 20⁰ of sprung traverse
Community and the general rise in the
cost of living, the price is not
inconsiderable, plus the adaptors are
extra. The Bone alone costs £270 and the
adaptors as follows: Picatinny £84, M-LOK,
KEYMOD and Universal £59, QD stud £90,
and the Blaser R8 one is ironically the
cheapest at £57.
Not trying to justify the cost, but you
have to consider that the one bipod can be
adapted to any number of rifles. So, given
the artillery I use then, I’d get the Picatinny
and Blaser adaptors and fit Pic rails to my
Remy 700, Benelli Lupo, Tikka T1x and
Ruger M77/17 All-Weather. This way, I
would be fully covered and just chop and
change as required.

The 45⁰ position not only lowers the height

but also allows you to take advantage of
the support you have available

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
> NAME: H.M.S. Bone bipod - Standard Length
> CANT: Yes, 30⁰
> SWIVEL: Yes, 20⁰
> LENGTH-ADJUSTABLE LEGS: Yes, 7.5-10.5”
> WEIGHT: 270-grams
> REMOVABLE RUBBER FEET
Detail of > ANTI-SKID, HARDENED STEEL SPIKES
the leg > 0, 90 AND 45⁰ FOLDING LEGS
catches. The
extendable > PRICE: £270
sections are > SPIGOT ADAPTORS: £57 to £90
pre-notched > CONTACT: RUAG Ammotec UK LTD - www.ruag.co.uk

82 SHOOTING SPORTS MAGAZINE

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86 SHOOTING SPORT S MAGA ZINE

 Double Deuce Club Range
● Full and probationary
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● Home Office Approved Range
● Calibres including .22lr,
.22WMR, 9mm, .357, .38, .44
and .300 AAC blackout
● Fully electronic target retrieval
system with target cameras
on each lane
● Bench rest and standing
positions at all firing points
● Exclusive range access
for members
● Open all year round 7 days
a week
● Easy access - 1.5 miles
from junction 10 of M6
● On site parking

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opening hours or contact us on 01922 277050.

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ammunition and accessories, supplying a range of brands
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 SHOOTING SPORTS | VIPER-FLEX STYX PRO
Viper-Flex
Styx PRO
Reviewer:
Chris Parkin
I
have been using Viper-Flex quad sticks
for almost 9 years and always found
them a truly enabling tool to improve
shots from standing positions. After a few
iterative evolutions, I’m wondering where
Claus can go next, because he listens to
his customers, only improving function
and never any ostentatious detailing.
Carbon fibre
I was sworn to secrecy when I received
these over a year ago and in fairness, I
have been using them ever since, with
nobody even noticing or commenting on
them. When you close in, detail reveals
that they are now carbon fibre. Elsewhere,
this could be seen as a simple marketing
tool but here, you get the key functional
benefits of weight saving, noise reduction
(the adjustment holes are now wrapped in
a thin rubber sleeve) and perhaps most
noticeable, the carbon fibre doesn’t draw
the heat from your hands, so they never
feel icy cold. As a secondary benefit,
mechanically induced noise from
vibrations, bumps or heavier foliage is all
minimised by the natural resonance
dampening of the material, rather than a
‘ringing’ aluminium tube.
Trust me
These factors will be appreciated by
current users but if you have never used
quad sticks, these are all truly beneficial
functions with no performance
compromises! The official launch was held
back over a year as the rubber sleeves
were developed and manufacturing
equipment was in place to satisfy likely
customer demand. Plus, of course, COVID
delayed things as well. This gave time for
88 SHOOTING SPORTS MAGAZINE
The rubberised front and rear supports offer assured rifle
positioning
The fifth leg option clipped in place for greater stability
Claus (Viper-Flex owner) to listen to his
prototype shooters and in fairness, we
didn’t have much to critique. The only
addition from the prototype to the finished
item is that the laser engraved length
indicators will now benefit from subtle
white lettering, to aid visibility when
returning to any of the 15 known length
settings.
Core factors
Each set of legs features twin spring
catches, enabling extension from 1084 to
1807mm in 50mm stages to suit user
height. The overall weight for the carbon
version is 965-grams, with an additional
209-grams if you opt for the additional
fifth leg accessory. This enables an
entirely hands-off capability and
improved shot stability if you have the
extra seconds to arrange it. It clips on/off
quickly as desired and will remain solidly
in place with the four legs if not of use.
When clipped together, they make a
superb stiff walking aid over uneven
terrain, with approximately a 10% weight
saving but infinitely greater comfort and
lessened noise. A broad-winged, front
rubber lipped yoke allows lateral tracking
and the deep rubber ‘V’ rear remains
assured in position. I stand at 5ft 11” and
use position 12 of the 15 available. Plus,
because the yokes offer a broad
immediate angle change when
positioning the spiked feet, you can
instantaneously alter the height to the
shot elevation and terrain angle
underfoot.
Verdict
An already superb product now
benefiting from an updated material to
further cement its leading market
position - less weight, noise and cold.
These travel with me everywhere!
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
> NAME: Viper-Flex Styx PRO
> OPTIONAL EXTRA: Carbon Fibre 5th Leg (£80)
> PRICE: £335
> CONTACT: Viper-Flex - www.viper-flex.com
 SHOOTING SPORTS | BLASER B2 RIFLESCOPES
A step
FORWARD
B
laser’s new B2 range consists of
three scopes to encompass the bulk
of hunting requirements, with
interesting additions to accommodate
both current and future technologies.
Essentially, all three scopes offer similar
internal mechanical core functionality,
with 1cm@100m clicks on the elevation
and windage turrets, the latter of which is
on the left side of the central saddle. The
right side shows illumination control. It's a
collar shrouding a CR2032 battery
compartment that clicks out/in for on/off.
Rotating it up/down controls the intensity
of the single central dot on the 4A reticle
in the second focal plane. The iC system is
incorporated, so with a suitable Blaser R8,
the illumination turns on/off as you cock/
de-cock the rifle. With the B2, Blaser now
offers additional flip-up lens caps front
and rear, the latter of which incorporates a
removable magnet within, and on a non-iC
rifle, turns the reticle on/off similarly.
Three steps to requirements
The 2-12x50 option with similar controls
and 6x erector tube for magnification
range and reticle layout is now more
acceptable to hunters over the 1-6x, which
shows key functionality for driven game.
The 2-12x can be fitted with the additional
90 SHOOTING SPORTS MAGAZINE
Chris Parkin takes a look at the brand-new
B2 range of scopes from Blaser
QDC+ option, which is a replaceable upper
elevation turret, supplied with 10 ballistic
rings to suit your cartridge. It offers 80
clicks of immediate elevation control to
adjust for extended range shots out to
500m (calibre dependant). The standard
turrets are under caps, whereas the QDC+
lifts to unlock. As well as 10 suggested
setups and an easy to navigate ballistic
menu, an unmarked turret dial is supplied
to make your own. Blaser cleverly reminds
you to test these ballistic solutions on
targets and mention the possibility of 4
'negative' clicks to compensate for
ammunition changes.
QDC+
The 2.5-15x56 variant will suit shooters
looking to maximise low light performance,
with the large objective lens and still
relatively modest magnification. The
adjustable parallax control is fitted on the
right side (wrapping the illumination
controls), with click detents at 50 and
100m, before moving to infinity.
Both the 2-12x and 1-6x show a fixed
100m parallax setting because of the
lower magnification (although parallax
error is always possible in any optic). It’s
generally far less noticeable below 12x
magnification and is more likely to be
The Blaser B2 2.5-15x56iC riflescope in use
confused with focus, which is also less
critical as magnification decreases.
When marketing gets it right!
Moving on, at this price, you get superb
image resolution, contrast and colour
rendition. Plus, razor-sharp reticle focus
from the fast focus eyepiece at the rear
and a nice bright picture. There are no
broken vignettes in the spacious eye box,
which shows 90mm of eye relief to suit
most sporting rifles. There is no tunnelling
and eye relief variation through the mag
range is unnoticeable.
Blaser’s main marketing step here is to
discuss in detail how they have on average
(hard to ascertain with the broad range of
optics on the market), generally shortened
the scope’s overall length by 40mm.
Compact is nice if no optical compromise
is suffered and that would appear to be
true here.
Blaser’s master step is to appreciate
the likely limits of daylight optical
technology from the decades' long pursuit
of glass quality and coatings. They have
seemingly accepted (as the laws have
changed, specifically in Europe and
Germany), that front-mounted thermal for
night shooting is the future. That may not
sound too revolutionary, yet Blaser have
 BLASER B2 RIFLESCOPES | SHOOTING SPORTS

I was lucky to get all three

models simultaneously in 2021
before their official launch

QDC+ turret install on the 2.5-15x56iC riflescope

Ten ballistic rings are offered to suit your cartridge. The blank
one allows you to mark your own

Simple scope setup and the Right-hand side, backlash-

tools are supplied along with a free parallax control on
detailed printed manual! the 2.5-15x56iC riflescope

hit the `X` and has publicly stated how although no Liemke attachments were Blaser logo on the windage turret cap
zero shift is a problem, the retention of available, I will trust them on this, as it’s a realigns level every time! Does this
zero is difficult with collar wrapped/ bold claim that they can’t make lightly. matter? No. Does it indicate attention to
clamped-up add-ons, there are ergonomic Secondly, all other manufacture tiny detail? Yes, absolutely.
compromises caused by the long reach throughout and specifically, the QDC+ Retaining a 30mm tube with blissfully
forward to control some of these thermal turret configuration, has revealed smooth hard anodising makes for simpler,
imagers, plus there is the physical intelligent design, minimised use of tiny more compact mounting and there is also
likelihood of disturbing said attachment. I components and smoothly cut threads, a rail option available for each model.
agree wholeheartedly, as it’s a point I have with an absolute precision feel. Even the Blaser saddle mounts return to zero
brought up for 5 years in my reviews and
frankly, I take my hat off to Blaser for being
the first to approach and attack this The crisp 4a
reticle is perfect
concept. This is why they have gone for precision shot
placement when
shorter and now offer a custom range of hunting
thermal adaptors for the B2 and Lemke
thermal optics, which screw into the
objective body, offering perfect alignment.
There's now no likelihood of clumsily
nudging it offline when stretching for
controls in the dark, and it gives the user
the confidence to take it on/off as
scenarios or legalities dictate.

Homogenised design
These adaptors cooperate with the
optional objective lens cap, no removal
required, and the lens cap even has a
rubber buffer to prevent it 'tapping' the
scope body when casually flipped open
- tiny details addressed again! Blaser
guarantees 100% return to zero and

91
 SHOOTING SPORTS | BLASER B2 RIFLESCOPES

Windage is on the left. The Allen key

loosens two grub screws to spin
silently back to the '0' mark centre
position, once zeroed

The CR2032 battery is fitted with a subtle insulator to

prevent discharge - don’t forget to take it out!

reliably. Frankly, if you go in at the premium It was particularly notable on the 1-6x Conclusions
end, you must provide mechanical how flatly the image was portrayed in an Blaser’s latest B2 range of
perfection to live beyond mere marketing optical variant so easily appearing riflescopes has to me, made a subtle
association, a stage which Blaser (envy or somewhat globular in use when panning and logical move in addressing
not), seems to have gained. For example, moving terrain or game. On the two larger riflescope market needs. Although we
the tolerances between the 30mm tubed optics, the full field of view remained still like and appreciate the best
scope and saddle mount are minuscule, totally 'flat', with no focal disruption around quality optical and mechanical
literally the thickness of a £10 note. the circumference. Everything is adjustment possible, the 2-12x and
Clearance is mandatory but zero space is comparable and I think seeing bullet holes 2.5-15x models have notably
wasted. in the paper when zeroing, especially addressed the likely acceptance that
among complex target prints (specifically glass coatings will only get us so far
Current requirements darker black bullet holes within a black in the darkness. The burgeoning
Low-light performance while fox shooting print), is a sure factor of optical resolution world of digital capability is the future
was as good as I could have hoped for. and contrast. Here is where the B2s of low-light and no-light shooting as
Light transmission is marketed at 94% in jumped out at me from the first moment I laws are changing. Making the scope
daylight and 92% in darkness. I’m not able began zeroing them in daylight. Pure image physically more compact and
to test this outside of a laboratory but it’s resolution was a contributing factor to my adaptable to these additions is a
not hard to believe as dusk descends. I’m overall appreciation of all three opics, so notably logical step, one for which my
looking forward to adding a Liemke ideally focussed on driven, driven/ respect level in any manufacturer
thermal to further review the B2 concept, intermediate and longer range/low light increases as I see them step forward
as I think others will now have to hunting requirements. of the crowd, not just run to catch up.
cohesively address the Blaser principle.
I don’t personally mind windage on the
left but I’m not a huge fan of parallax on TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
the right, as I find it something most likely
> MODEL: 1-6X24 IC 2-12X50 IC 2.5-15X56 IC
requiring adjustment during steady rifle > MAGNIFICATION: 1-6x 2-12x 2.5-15x
and scope manipulation, but horses for > OBJECTIVE LENS DIAMETER: 24mm 50mm 56mm
courses, we all have some ergonomic > EXIT PUPIL: 9.8-4mm 9.8–4.2mm 9.8–3.7mm
> EYE RELIEF: 90mm 90mm 90mm
sided preferences. > DIOPTRE ADJUSTMENT: -3/+2dpt -3/+2dpt -3 +2dpt
I didn’t deliberately immerse the scope > FIELD OF VIEW @100M: 40-6.7 m 20-3.3 m 16-2.6 m
but 4m submersion resistance is specified. > NITROGEN PURGED: Yes Yes Yes
What I can say is that the very wet > WATERPROOF: 4m 4m 4m
> ELEVATION/WINDAGE @ 100M: ±150/±150cm ±125/±125cm ±125/±60 cm
weather did encourage appreciation of the > ELEVATION WITH QDC+: – 80cm@100 m 80cm@100 m
'SLP' (Smart Lens Protection) hydrophobic > ADJUSTMENT PER CLICK: 1cm@100 m 1cm@100 m 1cm@100 m
lens coating, which certainly shed the > PARALLAX ADJUSTMENT: 100m 100m 50m-∞
> OVERALL LENGTH: 273mm 330mm 327mm
raindrops quicker than I expected. > WEIGHT WITHOUT/WITH INNER RAIL: 590/615g 735/760g 800/825g
Nitrogen purging is almost assumed from
any scope, but I will add, the B2 seemed > PRICES:
particularly resistant to fast temperature > RRP- RING MOUNT/RAIL MOUNT £1702 / £1754 £1933 / £1985 £2043 / £2096
> EXTRAS: Flip-up Ocular £125, Flip-up objective £149, QDC Turret £245
changes, although our winter has still not > CONTACT: Blaser - www.blaser-group.com
been particularly cold this year.

92 SHOOTING SPORTS MAGAZINE

GM04.22/X/a
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94 SHOOTING SPORT S MAGA ZINE

GM04.22/E/f
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APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 99

 FIREARMS HOWA 1500 CARBON STALKER
Keeping it
Chris Parkin takes a look at a lightweight rifle option from
Howa; the Carbon Stalker
The Legacy Sports website doesn’t divulge
masses of manufacturing detail, so from what I
can observe through disassembly and inspection
of the stock, it’s a clamshell wrap with 'foam'
core filler. The receiver is held captive by
twin T30 Torx screws spanning the underside
floorplate magazine. Removal shows cleanly cut
threads with minimal friction and when released,
the flat-bottomed action shows a tapered
recoil lug with a central threaded hole for the
action screw, with the rear maintaining tension
at the back of the tang. Howa’s HACT 2-stage
trigger operates with a crisp 998-gram break.
This is adjustable, yet sealed with thread lock
to discourage the procedure. Inspection of the
stock’s inlet shows neat machining of the core
that is wrapped by the carbon skins for stiffness.
Immaculate inlet
The floorplate magazine fits snugly underneath,
with an internal folded steel mag box liner that's
snugly slotted through the stock and nestled into
the receiver’s underside. This needs a wriggle
when re-assembling to assure correct location,
followed by correctly re-tensioning the action
screws which spin freely to a firm stop as the
action physically meets its inlet. It is appealing to
feel the torque immediately rise and then 'click'
as it peaks, without mushiness and bending of
the action meeting inlet surfaces. There appears
to be no movement when testing bedding
100 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022
LIGHT
stress, indicating a stress-free
fit. However, the barrel itself
does not fully free float.
Howa still offers an MOA
assurance as well as a lifetime
warranty with their rifles. Testing
confirmed the combination of
this unstressed (yet contact fit
barrel) with a very stiff stock
seemed to give no problems
for the first three shots.
Seam without stress
The stock’s underside, butt
and grip show its central seam
finished flat where the carbon
meets. The two halves of a
clamshell have their flanges
bonded together before filling,
which when hardened is
machined to create the inlet.
You get the delightful carbon
fibre weave with a polished
smooth finish, 'flattened' slightly
to minimise reflectivity. No
chequering or similar stippled
inlays are added to the forend or
open radius grip. I didn’t have any
tactile issues, but this is never
going to be quite as assured as
one of the former finish types.
Secure sling studs on the
forend and butt are fitted. The
Limbsaver butt pad is 18mm
thick, without excess bulk into
the shoulder pocket and not
spongy at all. .243 recoil is no
great test but the handling
character was very mild. I have
no doubts it would transfer
well into the larger calibres.
A relatively tall comb shows
a slim upper radius to fit under
the cheekbone without displacing
the jaw, and the internal filling
minimised any undesirable
recoil harmonics and noise.
You can keep your head/eyes
securely located to maintain
sight picture through recoil.
Calibre conventions
Howa’s long, short and mini
action lengths guarantee an
appropriate fit for your chosen
cartridge and the barrel of this
.243 shows a 17mm diameter
and is threaded ½”x20. Highland
supplied an RCC Carbon 44
moderator and the similar
materials complemented
the rifle. The barrel shows
 HOWA 1500 CARBON STALKER FIREARMS

Detail of the 3-position safety and simple, 75-grain Hornady SST certainly proved the Detail of the twin lug push feed bolt
functional bolt handle proportions MOA guarantee

a matte blued/black finish
with no specific coatings.
The rifle features a twin lug,
push-feed bolt and the 62mm
bolt handle shows an 18.5mm
teardrop tip that lifts 90º to
cock and unlock the action.
Primary extraction is plentiful
and travel is relatively smooth.
Rounds fed smoothly from the
floorplate, plus all extraction and
ejection duties were performed
faultlessly by the right-side claw
and upper-left sprung plunger.
The 17.2mm diameter bolt runs
along twin laterally broached
raceways within the receiver. A
bolt stop actuator sits to the left
of the tang, behind the rear action
bridge, whose threaded holes
are Remington 700 compatible.
Howa supply two Weaver type
bases along with the rifle, as
well as a padded rifle slip.
The trigger blade is 6mm wide
with tactile grooves and I find
the HACT triggers, regardless of
weight, well-timed and easily
judged for confident shooting.
The safety catch is forward
for FIRE, centre position for
SAFE with locked trigger and
rearward for SAFE with bolt lock.
It’s a folded steel lever that's
hard to nudge accidentally,
tactile in use and quiet.
.243 characteristics
At 100m, I ran through several
ammunition types suited for varied
.243 usage. After a run in and
zero, the first serious targets were
tackled with 95-grain Winchester Extreme Point,
which gave satisfactory energy but didn't meet
the MOA accuracy standard. After cleaning and
moving to familiar 100-grain soft-nosed Hornady
Interlocks, the magic minute was reliably achieved.
This exposed lead core bullet remains modest in
overall length to stay within the realms of stability
for the Howa’s 10” twist rate barrel. Performance
is just as variable around temperature variations
as it is ammo brands when twist rate stability is
borderline. Technically, muzzle energy at 1648 ft-
lbs is weak from a legal standpoint in some regions
though, and a factor to consider with shorter
barrelled 243s. I was a little surprised as this isn’t
usually a problem on a 22” .243 tube, but on a cold
damp day, perhaps not the tested and suggested
environment the ammunition was developed in?
Stalker/foxer?
The 90-grain ELD-X is perfect .243 territory for
many UK shooters and here, performed delightfully

The barrel does not free

float, note the carbon
fibre weave

Detail of the stepped

recoil lug inlet

Detail of the 2-stage The 5+1 floorplate magazine is effective,

trigger. Howa lightweight and impossible to lose
discourages any
adjustment

APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 101

 FIREARMS HOWA 1500 CARBON STALKER

The Howa 1500

Carbon in .243
Winchester - a great
balance of weight
and cost
PRICE:
£1209.99

AMMO TABLE:
Ammo Average Muzzle Muzzle Energy Cold Bore 3-round balance point. It was fast to
Velocity (FPS) (Ft-lbs) groups (MOA) twirl up onto the sticks from
the sling, yet never too floaty or
Hornady Interlock 100-grain 2724 1648 1.0
(2950 FPS advertised) delicate when aimed. The barrel
profile complemented the stock
Hornady 90-grain ELD-X 2927 1712 0.86 ergonomics and physical mass.
(3150 FPS advertised)
Sako Gamehead 55-grain 3639 1617 1.1 Overall
(3940 FPS advertised) Carbon fibre is a superb material
Hornady SST 75-grain 3185 1689 0.45 for stocks and well worth
(3580 FPS advertised) spending the money on to save
weight. I’m wary of low-cost
Winchester Extreme 2854 1718 2.3
Point 95-grain (3100 carbon fibre barrels, whose
FPS advertised) weight might seem attractive,
but performance is yet to truly
with reducing group sizes on target, acceptable given the overbore cartridge convince me (until the big £££
velocity and energy as we draw towards the dimensions for a light 6mm come into play), so I see carbon
middle ground for bullet weight in 243. Note, bullet, highlighted just how much stocks, whose price is always
very few ammunition velocity measurements velocity can be advertised yet falling, as the logical way forward
achieve what is stated on the box, regardless not achieved in the real world if the mass is the considered
of chambering and it’s not a huge worry factor from shorter tubes. If you want factor. It’s also noticeable
but can consider every barrel somewhat unique, to start precisely computing how the inherent stiffness,
including test barrels with whatever twist rate better ballistic solutions to test, without bulk, avoids problems
they have and specific rifling tolerances which you should always chronograph with forend movement.
may or may not create more pressure and speed. ammunition rather than just I think to sum up the gun, it’s
I personally like 75s for foxing in .243 and believe the box. I experienced no a solid, honest, reliable choice
the SST from Hornady was the star of the show, problems with any ammunition without excessive hype. There
producing a 0.45 MOA group at 100m (9% further type with regards to chambering, are no specifically creative
than 100 yards remember). Velocity was 3185 FPS headspace, extraction or ejection. or ground-breaking hidden
and it shoots well over easily measured longer gems in terms of engineering
ranges, better resisting wind for hard to read Alternate aspirations creativity, but on the other hand,
night-time foxing forays at just under 1700 ft-lbs. The non-floating barrel didn’t no demons brushed under the
I tried some 'light for calibre' 55-grain Sako bother me and I shot the rifle carpet, out of view within the
rounds, which performed well enough but freehand, bipod mounted and stock, which here, looks good
from sticks. I found that so on another Howa that can be
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION long as it was handled with built modularly, at modest cost
Name: Howa 1500 Carbon Stalker reasonable care and not brutally, to suit your needs. Perhaps a
Calibre: .243 Winchester (on test) it never caused a point of impact little more inlaid texture grip on
Barrel Length: 22” shift issue. Cleaning showed the stock would be an addition,
Overall Length: 44” up no concerns with excessive but it never seemed to cause
Weight: 6.52lbs coppering smeared into the problems for me. There isn’t
Muzzle Thread: 1/2”x20 rifling or fragmentation, and a palm swell, so it’s totally
Stock: Carbon Fibre a borescope inspection had ambidextrous, which I like in
Length of Pull: 13” shown a barrel of above-average a sporting rifle. The length of
Trigger: 2-stage, HACT manufacturing standard. So, pull is quite short but you can
Safety Catch: 3-position
no excessive machining marks add spacers. Doing so would
Magazine: 5+1 Capacity
to strip or retain copper. The not make the gun appear out
Price: £1209.99
crown was precise and sharp. of proportion. The butt’s overall
Contact: Highland Outdoors -
www.highlandoutdoors.co.uk Given the lightweight build, shape is well profiled to the
the gun definitely seemed action, barrel and forend for
confident to carry, with a central streamlined aesthetics. GM

102 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022

GM04.22/33A/f
 alanrhone
Mount Your Scope Properly | Talk to the Experts
We offer expert advice for all scope mounting issues, with a reliable fitting service and a fast turn around time.
Call us today on 01978 66 00 01 or see all of our products at www.alanrhone.com
Trade Enquiries Welcome
the full Recknagel catalogue is available at alanrhone.com
Picatinny Rails CZ 550
Precision made, model specific picatinny rails. All rails come complete with all £87.00
necessary screws and wrench for fitting. Simple to fit yourself at home, with no Sako 75/85
gun smithing work needed. We also provide full support and advice on any £111.00
scope mounting enquiry.

Sauer 202
£63.00

Tikka T3
£63.00

Picatinny Blank
Aluminium Rails Remington 700 Short - £63.00 Tikka T3 - £57.00 204mm Steel
Anschutz 1780 - £63.00 Remington 7400 / 7600 - £63.00 Winchester 70 - £57.00
Antonio Zoli 1900 - £63.00 Remington TAC - £63.00 Winchester WSM - £57.00 £77.00
Benelli ARGO - £63.00 Remington 783 Long - £63.00 Winchester WSSM - £57.00
Browning BAR - £63.00 Remington 783 Short - £63.00 Winchester SXR Vulcan - £57.00
Browning A-Bolt - £63.00 Rossler Titan 3 / 6 - £63.00 Winchester XPR - £57.00
Browning X-Bolt - £77.00 Rossler Titan 16 - £63.00
CZ 550 Dovetail - £87.00 Ruger 10 / 22 - £63.00
Haenal Jager 10 - £63.00
H&K SLB 2000 - £63.00
Sako 75/85 XS, S, SM - £111.00
Sako 75/85 M, L - £111.00
Steel Rails
Browning BAR/Maral - £77.00
Picatinny Blank
Howa 1500 - £63.00 Sauer 101 - £63.00 Mauser 98 - £77.00 204mm Aluminium Picatinny Blank
Krico 700 / 900 / 902 - £63.00 Sauer 202 Standard - £63.00 Mauser M12 - £77.00
Marlin 1894 - £63.00 Sauer 202 Magnum - £63.00 Remington 700 Long - £77.00
£63.00 404mm Aluminium
Marlin 1895 / 336 / 338 - £63.00 Sauer 303 - £95.00 Remington 700 Short - £77.00 £86.00
Mauser 98 - £63.00 Savage Short - £63.00 Sauer 202 Standard - £77.00
Mauser M12 - £63.00 Savage Long - £63.00 Sauer 202 Standard - £77.00
Remington 700 Long - £63.00 Steyr-Mannlicher - £63.00 Sauer 202 Magnum - £77.00

Weaver Bases Picatinny/Weaver Rings

High quality, precision made, strong aluminium rings. Fit directly onto your
The popular separate Weaver bases. Lightweight with low profile, available for
weaver or picatinny rail. Available in either Tri-Nut, or Quick Detachable.
most rifles with a drilled and tapped action top. Separate bases do not obstruct
the ejection port. Compatible with Recknagel Picatinny/Weaver ring sets, Tri-nut
and Quick detachable, and all other dedicated weaver mounts. £143.00

Tri-Nut
Ring Diameters: Heights Available:
1 inch 6.0mm, 9.5mm, 14.0mm, 19.0mm, 22.0mm
30 mm 6.0mm, 9.5mm, 12.0mm, 14.0mm, 19.0mm, 22.0mm
34 mm 6.0mm, 9.5mm, 12.0mm, 14.0mm, 19.0mm, 22.0mm
36 mm 7.0mm, 9.5mm, 12.0mm, 14.0mm, 19.0mm
40 mm 8.0mm, 12.0mm
Aluminium Bases
Anschutz 1780 Rossler Titan 3 / 6 / 16
Benelli ARGO Sauer 80 / 90 / 92
Browning A-Bolt/X-Bolt Sauer 200
Browning T-Bolt Sauer 202 £143.00
Browning BAR/BLR Savage
Browning BBR Steyr-Mannlicher S, M, L from
Browning Eurobolt Swiss Arms SHR-979 Quick
Browning Mauser Weatherby Mark V / 300 £38.00 Detachable
Heym SR 20 / 21 / 30 / 40 Winchester 70 Std / Mag
Ring Diameters: Heights Available:
Howa 1500 Winchester 70 WSM
Krico 700/900/902 Winchester 70 WSSM 1 inch 6.0mm, 9.5mm, 14.0mm, 19.0mm, 22.0mm
Mauser 94 / 96 / 98 Winchester 88 / 100 30 mm 6.0mm, 9.5mm, 12.0mm, 14.0mm, 19.0mm, 22.0mm
Merkel SR1 Basic Winchester SXR Vulcan 34 mm 6.0mm, 9.5mm, 12.0mm, 14.0mm, 19.0mm, 22.0mm
Remington 700 PLUS MANY MORE.......
36 mm 7.0mm, 9.5mm, 12.0mm, 14.0mm, 19.0mm
40 mm 8.0mm, 12.0mm

alanrhone | tel: 01978 66 00 01 | email: sales@alanrhone.com | web: www.alanrhone.com

Alan Rhone Ltd, 6 Coed Aben Road, Wrexham Ind. Est. Wrexham, LL13 9UH, United Kingdom
 alanrhone
Tip Off Mounts

Picatinny Tip Off Mounts for Picatinny Tip Off Mounts for
Swarovski Rail Scopes Zeiss Rail Scopes (45º)
Tri-Nut Fixing [57053-0050] Tri-Nut Fixing [57945-0700]
£191.00 £191.00
Quick Release Lever [57553-0050] Quick Release Lever [57545-0700]
£191.00 £191.00

Picatinny One Piece Tip Off Picatinny One Piece Tip Off
Mounts for Rail Scopes Mounts for Ring Scopes
for: Swarovski / Zeiss / S&B 1”, 30mm, 34mm, 36mm & 40mm

Nut Fixing - £230.00 Nut Fixing - £230.00

Quick Release Lever - £230.00 Quick Release Lever - £230.00

Pivot Mounts
Recknagel pivot mounts are high quality, quick detachable and feature excellent
return-to-zero with low mounting height. The very low construction starts at 10.8 mm
(including the base) for 26mm, 30mm, 34mm, 36mm or 40mm rings.
Mounts for Zeiss ZM, Swarovski SR, Schmidt & Bender Convex are also available.

Pivot mounts are made for a wide range of popular rifle models including:

• Browning (A-Bolt, Euro Bolt, X-Bolt), Price Depending

•
•
Howa,
Mauser,
on Model, from
• Remington, £354.00
• Sauer (80, 90, 202, 101),
• Steyr Manlicher, A Picatinny rail can also be mounted with your
• Winchester existing pivot system to facilitate night vision
• and many more. scopes and red dot sights.

8mm 6mm
SECURA Magnum SECURA US or EURO
Detachable Swivel Detachable Swivel
[22011-9500] [22011-3000]
Part & Accessories £58.00 £36.00

Recknagel produce a wide range parts and accessories

such as Sling Swivels, Swivel Studs, Grip Caps, Sights,
Detachable
Triggers and Safety Mechanisms. Swivel
Mechanism
There are various sizes and model types for each type
Quick Release (KDR) Quick Release (KDR) Quick Release (KDR)
part, giving you a better choice. This is ideal for custom
Sling Swivel Magnum Swivel Swivel Socket
builds or specialist modification of your gun. [T0510-0001] [23000-0000] [23000-1010]
£25.00 £18.00 £7.00

Recknagel
Catalogue
Quick Release (KDR) Quick Release (KDR) Detachable
The full range
Swivel Socket Swivel Socket Sling Swivel
of Scope Mount hardware,
[23220-0000] [23100-5010] [22000-1000]
Gun Furniture, Swivels and
£27.00 £25.00 £24.00
Parts are available from
the Recknagel Catalogue.

Visit our website Swivel Screw Swivel Screw Swivel Screw

alanrhone.com Width 8mm, Ø 3.5mm for 6mm, Ø 3.0mm for 8mm, Ø 3.5mm
for information. or Width 6mm, Ø 3.0mm [20205-0022] [20290-0026]
[20240-0022] £6.00 £8.00
£7.00

alanrhone | tel: 01978 66 00 01 | email: sales@alanrhone.com | web: www.alanrhone.com

Alan Rhone Ltd, 6 Coed Aben Road, Wrexham Ind. Est. Wrexham, LL13 9UH, United Kingdom
 alanrhone
Picatinny Ring Mounts Adjustable
Inclination Mount
Picatinny One-Piece Mount Adjust the MOA Elevation
30mm / 34mm / 36mm Options from 0-70 MOA in
With UNIVERSAL-Interface increments of 10 MOA
With UNIVERSAL-Interface
Nut Fixing - £335.00
Lever Fixing - £407.00 Ring Options: 30 / 34 / 36mm

Tri-Nut Fixing
£549.00
Picatinny One-Piece Mount Lever Fixing
Extended Version £620.00
30mm / 34mm Options
With UNIVERSAL-Interface
Now Available in MRAD
Nut Fixing - £356.00 from 0-20 MRAD in
Lever Fixing - £427.00 increments of 5 MRAD

Picatinny Ring Mounts NEW

Ultra Lightweight
Ultra Lightweight
Ultra Lightweight Picatinny One-Piece
Picatinny One-Piece Extended Version
Starting from 122 g Starting from 146 g
30mm / 34mm Options 1 Inch / 30mm / 34mm Options
Nut Fixing - £234.00 Nut Fixing - £234.00

Picatinny Ring Mounts Picatinny Ring Mounts

Special Use Two-Piece

For S&B 5-20x50 PM II Picatinny Rings

30mm / 34mm Options
Picatinny One-Piece With UNIVERSAL-Interface
(Reduced Ring Spacing)
With UNIVERSAL-Interface Nut Fixing - £315.00
Lever Fixing - £386.00
Nut Fixing - £334.00
Lever Fixing - £427.00

Addons for UNI-Interface

Ring with UNI-Interface Picatinny Rail, 35mm - £33.00
[T0903-0008]
To fit to mid-tubes or objectives Picatinny Rail, 55mm - £33.00
[T0905-0008]
1 Inch [03680-5726] - £87.00
Picatinny Side Adaptor - £53.00
30mm [03680-5730] - £87.00 [T0913-0000]
Adaptor for Docter Sight (Centric) - £57.00
34mm [03680-5734] - £87.00 [T0920-0005]
36mm [03680-5736] - £87.00 Adaptor for Aimpoint - £64.00
[T0970-0000]
48mm [03680-5748] - £121.00 Bubble Level - £89.00
[T0940-0002]
56mm [03680-5756] - £121.00
ACI-Angle Cosine Indicator - £274.00
57mm [03680-5757] - £121.00 [T0941-0000]

62mm [03680-5762] - £121.00 ACI-Bubble Level Adaptor - £107.00

[T0940-0000]

alanrhone | tel: 01978 66 00 01 | email: sales@alanrhone.com | web: www.alanrhone.com

Alan Rhone Ltd, 6 Coed Aben Road, Wrexham Ind. Est. Wrexham, LL13 9UH, United Kingdom
 alanrhone SUPERIOR BARREL
CLEANING

Cleaning and caring for your gun is a big part of accuracy, even if seen as a necessary evil.
Cleaning should take as little time as possible. After all, one doesn’t shoot for the pleasure of the
subsequent cleaning.
VFG have developed a unique and easy to use cleaning system comprising calibre specific felt
pellets. The pellets fit onto an adaptor on your regular cleaning rod.
The pellets are a close fit to the bore of your rifle and, when pushed through, expand to fit right into
the bottom of the valley between the lands, ensuring no fouling is missed. In most cases, cleaning
solvent is not required and is not recommended.
For stubborn copper fouling, VFG produce an ‘intensive’ felt pellet. This pellet is green in colour
and is impregnated with phosphor bronze particles, the same material a phosphor bronze brush is
No need to buy a new rod!
made of. Easily and thoroughly removes copper fouling with no risk of damage to the bore of your Adaptors available for all popular
rifle. American and British rods
Cleaning is as simple as running the white felts through until clean, a couple of scrubs with
Dedicated rods also available if required.
the intensive felt, if required, and then once through with a light oil to protect from rust
before storage. Easy and fast!
Cleaning Rod 4 - 4.5mm
1 Piece Steel Rod (£48.82) 66801

Match Pocket Set 4-4.5mm - 167291 Cleaning Rod .22 - 6.5mm

Pocket Pull Through - suitable for all calibres of rifle
and shotgun. A plastic covered steel wire (the flexible
“cleaning rod”) and a grip disc are part of the set.
£23.30
1 Piece Alu Rod 354509 (£31.90) / 3 Piece Alu Rod 354440 (£36.80)
1 Piece Steel Rod 66889 (£61.33) / 3 Piece Steel Rod 66890 (£68.70)
Cleaning Rod 7mm and Over
1 Piece Alu Rod 354511 (£31.90) / 3 Piece Alu Rod 354442 (£36.80)
1 Piece Steel Rod 66893 (£63.79) / 3 Piece Steel Rod 66894 (£73.60)

VFG Cleaning Rod for 4-4.5mm / .22 - 6.5mm / 7mm and above Barrels (Approx. 910mm cleaning length)

VFG Adaptors for your existing Cleaning Rods

English Rods (e.g. Parker Hale) Female Thread
- Adaptor for .22 - 6.5mm (66807) - £4.91
- Adaptor for 7mm and Over (66806) - £4.91

STANDARD Calibre Box (Qty.) Code Big Box Code

CLEANING 4 - 4.5mm (.17) £7.12 (100) 332066 -

.22 £7.24 (80) 331881 £26.99 (500) 331884
FELTS 6 mm (.243) £7.36 (50) 331885 £25.76 (500) 331948
6.5 mm £7.36 (50) 331952 £31.89 (500) 331953
These small felt pellets, which are
7 mm (.270) £8.59 (50) 331954 £33.12 (500) 331956
calibre specific are used with the VFG
7.5 mm (.30) £8.59 (50) 331957 £33.12 (500) 331958
Adaptor to clean your barrel. The felts
8 mm (.338) £8.59 (50) 331959 £33.12 (500) 331960
screw onto the cleaning rod tip and
9.3 mm (.380) £7.36 (40) 331963 £39.25 (500) 331964
the rod is then passed down the barrel
.375 (H+H Mag) £9.82 (40) 331965 £41.71 (500) 331966
to give a smooth and effective clean.
10.3mm (.40 Cal) £7.36 (30) 331971 £41.71 (500) 331973

Available in 9 sizes to .44 (.44 Mag) £8.59 (30) 331974 -

suit all popular calibres
Available in both small box quantities
.45 (.45 Mag) £8.59 (30) 331976 -
and also bulk quantities of 500.

INTENSIVE Calibre Box (Qty.) Code Big Box Code

CLEANING Intensive 4 - 4.5mm (.17) £12.26 (100)

£8.59 (80)
332068
331999
-
£35.57 (500) 332000
Intensive .22
FELTS Intensive 6 mm (.243) £12.26 (50) 662001 £55.20 (500) 332002
Intensive 6.5 mm £12.26 (50) 332004 £61.33 (500) 332006
Intensive felts, impregnated with Intensive 7 mm (.270) £13.49 (50) 332007 £63.79 (500) 332011
phosphor bronze particles, for Intensive 7.5 mm (.30) £13.49 (50) 332018 £63.79 (500) 332020
rapid, safe removal of copper Intensive 8 mm (.338) £13.49 (50) 332020 -
fouling without the need for Intensive 9.3 mm (.380) £14.72 (40) 332023 -
aggressive solvents. Intensive .375 (H+H Mag) £14.72 (40) 332027 -
Intensive 10.3mm (.40 Cal) £12.26 (30) 332029 -
Available in both small box Intensive .44 (.44 Mag) £12.26 (30) 332031 -
quantities and also quantities of Intensive .45 (.45 Mag) £12.26 (30) 332034 -
Intensive give a more
thorough clean
500 in certain calibres.

alanrhone | tel: 01978 66 00 01 | email: sales@alanrhone.com | web: www.alanrhone.com

Alan Rhone Ltd, 6 Coed Aben Road, Wrexham Ind. Est. Wrexham, LL13 9UH, United Kingdom
 alanrhone Contessa
Steel Picatinny Rails Picatinny Rings - Fixed
Made from hardened steel and available in different MOA options for all (Steel or Ergal)
popular rifle models. The rails fit straight on to your rifle, with no The picatinny rings in diameters:
gun smithing required and are pre-drilled for a perfect fit. 1 inch, 30mm, 34mm, 35mm,
Each rail comes complete with screws and wrench. 36mm and 40mm.

Steel/Ergal from £113.00

Available in the following Models:
Anschutz 54/64 (0/10/20 MOA) - £81.00
Blaser R8/R93 (0 MOA) - £152.00
Browning A-Bolt (0/10/20 MOA) - £81.00
Browning BAR (0 MOA) - £81.00
Browning X-Bolt Super Short (0 MOA) - £81.00
Browning X-Bolt Short (0/20 MOA) - £81.00
Browning X-Bolt Long (0/20 MOA) - £81.00
BRNO 98 (0 MOA) - £81.00
CZ 452/455 (0/10/20 MOA) - £81.00
CZ 527 (0 MOA) - £125.00
CZ 550 Standard (0/20 MOA) - £125.00
CZ 550 Magnum (0/20 MOA) - £125.00
Howa 1500 Short (0/10/20/30 MOA) - £81.00
Howa 1500 Long (10/20 MOA) - £81.00
Remington 700 Short (0/10/20 MOA) - £81.00
Remington 700 Long (0/10/20/30 MOA) - £81.00
Rossler Titan 6 (20 MOA) - £81.00
Sabatti Rover Short (0 MOA) - £81.00
Sabatti Rover Long (10 MOA) - £81.00
Sako A7 Short (0/20 MOA) - £81.00
Sako A7 Medium (0/20 MOA) - £81.00
Sako A7 Long (0 MOA) - £81.00
Sako 75/85 X-Short (0 MOA) - £125.00
Sako 75/85 Short (0/10/20 MOA) - £125.00
Sako 75/85 Medium (0/10/20 MOA) - £125.00
Sako 75/85 Long (0/10/20 MOA) - £125.00
Sako 75/85
in X-Short, Short, Lightweight Alloy from £81.00
Medium and Long
Picatinny Rings - QD
Sako TRG 22/42 (10/20 MOA) - £81.00 These steel picatinny rings come
Sauer 100 / 101 (0 / 20 MOA) - £81.00 in 30mm diameter and 8mm
Sauer 200 (10 MOA) - £81.00 or 12mm height options.
Sauer 202 (0/10/20 MOA) - £81.00
Sauer 202 (0/10/20 MOA) - £81.00 £158.00
Savage 12 Short (0 MOA) - £81.00
Savage 12 Long (10 MOA) - £81.00
Tikka T3 (0/10/20/30 MOA) - £81.00 75mm Rear Extension
Weatherby Mark V Short (0 MOA) - £81.00
Weatherby Vanguard Short (0 MOA) - £81.00
Winchester 70 Short (10/20 MOA) - £81.00
Winchester 70 Long (10/20 MOA) - £81.00
Winchester 70 X-Long (0 MOA) - £81.00
Winchester XPR (0 MOA) - £81.00
EXTENDED Sako 75/85 X-Short (0 MOA) - £166.00
Chrome Finished Picatinny Rails: EXTENDED Sako 75/85 Short (0 MOA) - £166.00
Howa 1500 Short (0/10/20 MOA) - £96.00 EXTENDED Sako 75/85 Medium (0 MOA) - £166.00
Howa 1500 Long (10/20 MOA) - £96.00 EXTENDED Browning A-Bolt 3 (0 MOA) - £107.00
Remington 700 Short (0/10/20 MOA) - £96.00 EXTENDED Browning X-Bolt (0 MOA) - £107.00
Remington 700 Long (0/10/20 MOA) - £96.00 EXTENDED Mauser M12 (0 MOA) - £107.00
Tikka T3 (0/10/20MOA) - £96.00 EXTENDED Sauer 100 / 101 (0 MOA) - £107.00
Sako 75/85 (0 MOA) - £138.00 EXTENDED Tikka T3 / T3X (0 MOA) - £107.00

Quick Release Mounts for Picatinny

Precision made quick release mounts designed to fit onto the picatinny
QD Picatinny Mount for
system. The various options allow you to secure a variety of scopes onto
your existing picatinny rail, whether it be a ring mounted day scope or a rail ATN X-Sight II
mounted scope such as Zeiss or Swarovski Rail. Also fits the Thor HD and Mars HD

£306.00
QD Picatinny Mount - Rings
Simple to fit, attaches straight to your picatinny rail. The ring
mount is ideal for day scopes. Available in various heights:
1”Rings in 2.5mm / 5mm / 7.5mm
30mm Rings in 2.5mm / 5mm / 7.5mm
34mm Rings in 6.5mm / 8mm QD Picatinny Mount for
36mm Rings in 5mm Yukon Photon
£324.00 Set with rearwards extension and
optimum clearance height.

£324.00

QD Picatinny Mount -
Extended Picatinny
Attaches straight to your picatinny rail and provides QD Picatinny Mount for
an extended section of picatinny rail, forward or
rearwards. Ideal for Night Vision Scopes.
Pulsar Night Vision
Set with rearwards extension
£324.00 and extremely low height.
Extension 95mm
£306.00
Total Rail Length 175mm

QD Picatinny Mount for QD Picatinny

Zeiss Rail Scope Mount for ATN 4K
Also available in A quick release mount for Blaser which
• Schmidt & Bender Rail accepts the New ATN 4K. With Universal
• Swarovski Rail Interface picatinny mounted on the NEW
front ring for lamp mounting.
£324.00
£356.00

alanrhone | tel: 01978 66 00 01 | email: sales@alanrhone.com | web: www.alanrhone.com

Alan Rhone Ltd, 6 Coed Aben Road, Wrexham Ind. Est. Wrexham, LL13 9UH, United Kingdom
 alanrhone Contessa
Scope Mounts
QD Mount - Rings for Blaser
Simple to fit, attaches straight to your Blaser rifle. The ring mount QD Mount - Picatinny Rail for Blaser
is ideal for day scopes. Available in the following heights: Forward or Rear extended rail options, ideal for mounting Night Vision
1”Rings in 2.5mm / 5mm / 7.5mm Scopes to achieve optimum eye relief.
30mm Rings in 2.5mm / 5mm / 7.5mm Fits Blaser models
34mm Rings in 6.5mm / 8mm R8 & R93
36mm Rings in 5mm
40mm Rings in 6mm £342.00
£342.00

Fits Blaser models

R8 & R93
QD Mount - Extra Extended Picatinny Rail
Simple to fit, attaches straight to your Blaser rifle. The added benefit of an
Fits Blaser extra extension on the picatinny rail, thus allowing a greater range
models of placement. The longest model even has lateral rails
Picatinny Rail for Blaser (0 MOA) R8 & R93 for mounting torches to it. Ideal for night vision.
A fixed picatinny rail option. Standard Rail length of 123mm,
Extended Rail length 174mm, all with a low height of 9.5mm. 420mm Rail
Standard Rail - £152.00 £490.00
Extended Rail, 0 MOA - £186.00
Extended Rail, 20 MOA - £202.00
256mm Rail
£360.00
327mm Rail
£403.00
QD Mount - ATN X-SIGHT II QD Mount - ATN 4K Universal
Interface

for Blaser for Blaser

A quick release mount for Blaser which accepts A quick release mount for Blaser which
the ATN X-SIGHT II, plus the Thor HD / Mars HD. accepts the New ATN 4K. With Universal
Extends back 114mm from the Blaser rear Interface picatinny mounted on the
mounting notch. front ring for lamp mounting.
£326.00 £376.00

Quick Release for 12mm Euro Rail Ring Mounts £295.00

The Contessa Quick Release system is based around the 12mm Multiple Ring Sizes Quick Release Mount
‘Euro Rail’ system and comprises of an adapter that fits to your rifle and Height Options: with choice of ring size
to provide the 12mm Euro Rail platform. Once fitted, a multitude of 1 Inch - 2.5 / 5.0 / 7.5mm
30mm - 2.5 / 5.0 / 7.5mm
different mounts can be instantly attached and removed without the
34mm - 6.5 / 8.0mm
need to re-zero. 36mm - 5.0mm
40mm - 6.0mm
Mounts are available in most ring sizes and heights, Zeiss and
Additional Rings - £66.00
Swarovski Rail, Burris and others.

The Picatinny rail mount is available in standard and extended ATN X-SIGHT II Mount
lengths, front or rear extension, for use with night vision. New from Contessa. This mount allows you to
mount your X-SIGHT II to the 12mm Eurorail system
Please note: you need both the euro rail base, listed below, and
with an ultra low mounting height and 110mm
the quick Release mount. The euro rail adapts your rifle to take the extension to the rear.
12mm Euro Rail System. Some rifles will already be equipped with the
Euro Rail as standard. If your dovetail measures 12mm across the top £281.00
and has a horizontal slot for a recoil lug, it is probably a Euro Rail.
Picatinny Rail Mounts
Available 12mm “Euro Rail” Bases £295.00
Extended Length
169mm
Standard Length
117mm

£295.00

Anschutz 11mm Dovetail £78.00 Merkel Helix £89.00 Mounts for Rail Scopes
Bettinsoli £62.00 Remington 700 Short £66.00 Zeiss Rail
Browning BAR £54.00 Remington 700 Long £66.00 £297.00
Browning X-Bolt Long £66.00 Sako 75/85 £89.00
Browning X-Bolt Short £66.00 Sauer 202 Standard £66.00
Browning European £66.00 Sauer 202 Magnum £66.00
CZ 550 (19mm Dovetail) £89.00 Tikka T3 £66.00
CZ 527 (16mm Dovetail) £89.00 Winchester 70 £66.00 Burris/Nikon Swarovski Rail
CZ 452 (11mm Dovetail) £89.00 Winchester 70 WSM £66.00 £328.00 £297.00

alanrhone | tel: 01978 66 00 01 | email: sales@alanrhone.com | web: www.alanrhone.com

Alan Rhone Ltd, 6 Coed Aben Road, Wrexham Ind. Est. Wrexham, LL13 9UH, United Kingdom
 alanrhone
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alanrhone | tel: 01978 66 00 01 | email: sales@alanrhone.com | web: www.alanrhone.com

Alan Rhone Ltd, 6 Coed Aben Road, Wrexham Ind. Est. Wrexham, LL13 9UH, United Kingdom
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 FIREARMS RELOADING BASICS
Stuck without it
This month Mark Underwood considers the importance of
lubrication when resizing rifle brass
If you have ever got a case stuck
in a resizing die you will know how
near-impossible it is to get it out
again. You will probably need to buy
a specialised tool to remove it or,
unfortunately, just end up writing the
die off. However, it is possible to drill
out the primer pocket, thread it, then
remove the brass from the sizing die
that way. The best way to avoid this
happening in the first place is to ensure
you lubricate your brass correctly.
Pistol brass
Most modern pistol-calibre resizing
dies have carbide inserts, which are
extremely smooth, so do not need
the cases to be lubricated in any way.
The only possible exception to this is
the very large pistol calibres, like .500
S&W Magnum, which feature relatively
large surface areas and so may
require a small amount of lubricant.
Rifle dies
Rifle calibre full-length sizing dies tend
not to be carbide lined. It is possible
112 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022
to buy rifle die sets with carbide
inserts but they still require the use
of a lubricant. This is due to the larger
area of surface contact between the
brass and the die, so there is no real
advantage in using them. Carbide rifle
dies are much more expensive than
standard steel and are only really
an advantage where hundreds of
thousands of rounds are being produced
and wear of the dies may be an issue.
If you are using a neck-only
resizing die there is no need to use any
lubrication, as they work completely
differently, with little or no friction.
Going inside
It is important to remember that pistol
dies work differently to rifle dies.
Pistol die sets only touch the outside
of the brass, while rifle resizing dies
touch the outside of the case and the
inside of the case neck. The depriming
pin in a rifle sizing die has a widened
section on it that is designed to re-size
this part of the case. For this reason,
it is important to lightly lubricate the
Case lubrication is a must to avoid rifle
cases getting stuck in the resizing die
inside surface of the necks of rifle
cases, otherwise, the resizing section
of the depriming pin can get stuck in
the case. Also, the neck area of the
case can be stretched upwards as the
thickening on the pin is withdrawn.
Where to lubricate
The most important issue with rifle
brass is where to, and where not to,
apply the lube. Obviously, the largest
and most important area of the case
to lubricate is the straight-walled
section, because this is where most of
the friction will occur during resizing.
The shoulders of cases should
definitely not be lubricated. The
shoulder on rifle brass acts as a gas
seal, so that the high pressure and
extremely hot gases generated when
a round is fired do not leak past this
point and back into the chamber. This
would eventually cause erosion of
the chamber surface. Any case lube
on the shoulder or outside neck area
of the rifle brass can be hydraulically
compressed in the sizing die, causing

Lube pads allow you to coat several cases at a
time, speeding up the process
dents in the surface of the brass,
rendering the case useless. If you were
to reload and shoot cases damaged in
this way, the gas would leak past those
dents. Applying too much lube to the
main body area of the cases can cause
the excess to get squeezed into the
shoulder area, where it would cause
the sort of damage detailed above. It
can also cause a vacuum when trying
to remove a sized case from the die.
The inside of the case neck should
be lubricated to allow the smooth
passage of the thickened section of
the depriming pin as mentioned above.
Only the very smallest amount of
lubrication should be applied to this
surface and it should be removed after
the case has been resized so that it
does not affect the grip that the case
has on the bullet once it is seated.
Lubrication methods
Using a very small amount of case
lube on a cotton bud, it is possible
to apply a thin coating of lube to the
inside of the case neck, where you
want to be using as little as possible.
To lubricate the outside of the cases
there are several different methods
Case lube on the shoulder can cause dents,
which renders the case unusable
RELOADING BASICS
Lubricating each case by hand ensures you get
the right amount in the right place
you can use. A lube-pad is a soft
sponge that you soak in lubricant
and then roll the cases across it
so that all of the case walls are
coated. With this method, you have
to ensure that you do not use too
much lubricant and that it does not
get onto the shoulders of the cases.
Spray lubricants can be applied
to cases while they are either stood
up or laid down but again you have
to be sure not to coat the shoulders.
Standing the cases upside down in
a loading tray, so that the shoulders
are not exposed to the spray, is a
good way of avoiding them getting
coated. This type of lube should be
left for a few minutes to allow the
solvent to evaporate off, leaving
behind a coat of lubricant.
For relatively small numbers of
cases, by far the best way to lubricate
Spray lubricants are quick and easy to use
FIREARMS
The inside surface of a rifle case neck
needs lubricating to allow the decapping
pin shaft to resize it easily
them is with your fingers. If you
place a few drops of lube on the back
of one hand, then you can dip your
finger into it and apply a tiny amount
to each case, exactly where you want
it. The big advantage of this method
is that you can control very precisely
both the amount and the location of
the lube you are applying. The cases
should feel slippery but there should
be no drops of lube visible at all.
Lube removal
Views differ on whether you
should remove case lubricant after
resizing, but if you lubricate, resize
and then clean your brass, you
will have nice clean cases ready
to reload. This means that no dust
or contaminants will stick to your
cases, your dies will not get clogged
with lubricant and the case tension
your brass has on your bullets will
not be compromised by lubricant
left in the case mouths. GM
Contacts
Lee Precision Reloading Equipment
and Berry’s Lubricant
Henry Kranks - www.henrykrank.com
APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 113
 FIREARMS

WORCESTERSHIRE
Severnside Arms
S1 Rifles, Shotguns & Pistols S2 Shotguns
S3 & 5 Pistols & Revolvers for Humane Dispatch
S7.1 & S7.3 Collector’s Pistols & Revolvers
New and Used Rifles, Shotguns, Pistols, Air Rifles and Air Pistols in stock plus a
good range of Ammunition, Scopes, and Accessories.
Please phone for details or for a quotation:

www.severnsidearms.co.uk 07968 952428

Email: severnsidearms@spbutler.plus.com
A selection of Our Stock, there are many others, please phone for details!
.177 & .22 Hatsan Breaker 900X Air Riles New ........ £99 .22 ERMA Mi Carbine Mod E with Scope ............... £250
12 Bore Greeners GP Single Barrel Shotgun .......... £225 .243 Parker Hale rifle with Scope .......................... £275
12 Bore SKB S/S S/T BL Ejector mint .................... £250 .45 LC Rossi Pumaa Lever Action Octag barrel ...... £450
.22 Ruger 10/22 with Scope & Moderator .............. £250 12 Bore Denton & Kennell SLE Side by Side ........... £450
12 Bore Fausti M/C Over & Under Shotgun ............ £350 .303 BSA SMLE Mk 111 1916 wyith Bayonet ......... £900
12 Bore Samuel Nock S/S Hammer Gun ................ £600 12 Bore Squires Bingham P/A Shotgun 28” ........... £150

12 Bore Winchester Mod 101 O/U Shotgun MC...... £450
.357 Rossi Lever Action Rifle with Scope .............. £450
12 Bore Rotweil Self Loading Shotgun .................. £150
12 Bore Remington 11/87 Semi Auto M/C ............... 600
12 Bore Thomas Bland S/S BLNE 28” VGood ......... £950
GM04.22/15/gg
.303 Long Branch No.4 Mk1 B/A Rifle ................... £550
.22-250 Ruger M77 B/A Rifle with Scope ............... £350
12 Bore Joseph Bourne Side by Side BLE .............. £350
7.62 P14 Winchester / Parker Hale Target Rifle .... £195
9mm Anschutz Bolt Action Shotgun ..................... £175

GM04.22/27/g

GM04.22/18/g

114 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022

 FIREARMS

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APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 115

 FIREARMS
NV & Thermal at
THE GREAT
BRITISH
SHOOTING
SHOW 2022
The British Shooting Show is the
ultimate showcase for NV and
Thermal kit. Jules Whicker does
the rounds.
Thermal is the new gold rush, with brands piling in
to challenge Pulsar’s lead on price or features, or
simply to offer existing customers quality-assured
access to this fast-moving technology. In night
vision, where digital has now decisively upstaged
tubed technology, a similar contest is playing out
at a more affordable level. There’s no better place
to check out the challengers than the BSS.
INFIRAY
Now distributed by Highland Outdoors, Chinese brand, InfiRay
offers unabashed cut-price copies of Pulsar’s Thermion and
Digex C50 models. However, just because they’re knock-offs
doesn’t mean they’ll disappoint. Until Highland let me review
them, however, I can’t say for sure. Also available are InfiRay’s
original clip-on devices and monoculars. They have a good
range of these, whether you prefer the Guide-inspired
tear-drop form-factor or, as I do, their compact LRF-equipped
Finder series. Best of the lot is the Zoom series, which
features a switchable 19/38 focal length and resulting dual
optical zoom, a top-spec 1440x1080 display and shutter-less
calibration. The detachable battery packs and massive 32GB
onboard storage are nice too!
Contact: Highland Outdoors - www.highlandoutdoors.co.uk
InfiRay’s tube series of thermal
and digital NV scopes emulate
Pulsar’s Thermion/Digex
formats but the brand has
some great original designs too
116 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022
Pulsar’s new Talion XQ38 is a sub-£2K
riflescope that speaks volumes about their
ability to keep redefining thermal optics
PULSAR
'Big blue' has integrated laser-rangefinding into their flagship
Thermion 2 XP50 Pro riflescope. The LRF binnacle excludes a focusing
ring, so you now get a knob on each side of the objective bell. A
fantastic device, but also the most expensive on show. Totally new is
the Talion, a more affordable scope with a beautifully-compact
form-factor including easy focusing, flip-up battery insertion, a
versatile mount and ambidextrous controls. There are three new Axion
models, too, from the entry-level Axion XM30F to the impressive
Axion 2 XQ35. Pulsar’s new units also offer enhanced image
processing, battery life and WiFi speed.
Contact: Thomas Jacks - www.thomasjacks.co.uk
BLASER
& LIEMKE
Liemke is Germany’s
best-established
night-vision
specialist, so a
partnership with
Blaser Group is
right up their
autobahn. Their
Luchs-1 and Merlin
Made for each other. By design,
clip-ons carry the Blaser’s new B2 riflescopes are
'made in Germany' legend, the perfect match for Liemke’s
lifting them above the tide Luchs and Merlin clip-ons
of Chinese imports. Liemke’s
units were also integral to Blaser’s B2 scope project to
produce a series of compact, lightweight, second-focal-plane
riflescopes as part of a coherent daylight/thermal package.
B2 zoom ranges are 1-6x, 2-12x and 2.5-15x, so perfect for
clip-on use, as 2.5x and below allow the user to see the whole
display. This system is also the only one I know of that’s
compatible with LPVO optics. Prices reflect the origin and
values of these premium brands.
Contact: Blaser & Liemke - www.blaser.de & www.liemke.com
 NV AND THERMAL AT THE BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW 2022 FIREARMS

Despite its derivative

Thermion-Esque
form-factor, Optical
Solutions’ Ares 360
offers a suite of
leading-edge features,
including a dual-FOV
objective lens
OPTICAL SOLUTIONS
The original distributor of InfiRay’s
products, Cliff Ray of Optical solutions,
is proving to be something of a talent
scout for far-eastern thermals and is
now importing some very interesting
and keenly-priced Cyclops monoculars
and Ares riflescopes from ThermTech.
The form-factors are the familiar
tear-drop and Thermi-wannabe ones, but
the monoculars feature a handy
thumb-stick button, and (like the InfiRay
Zoom) the larger Ares 360 riflescope
has a compound objective lens that
enables switching between optical
magnifications of 2x or 6x with a simple
twist of the wrist. Other advanced
features are artificial-intelligence-based
rangefinding, automatic one-shot
zeroing and WiFi connectivity that lets
you connect to the device and the web
simultaneously. Ares models also run off
removable 18650 or 18500 cells,
irrespective of which way round you
insert them, which is neat.
Contact: Optical Solutions -
www.opticalsolutions.uk
LEICA
One of the very first premium
optics brands to enter the thermal
arena, Leica’s Calonox range
comprises two devices: the View
monocular and the Sight clip-on.
Their look and feel exude
refinement. The View’s upscale
spec includes a 42mm/2.5x lens,
640x512/12 µm sensor, with
output processed through Leica’s
own image optimization system
before arriving at the 1280 x 960
LCOS display. There’s also 16GB
of on-board storage and BT
connectivity to a smartphone Leica’s Calonox Sight clip-on
has great
app. The Sight shares these aesthetics and an image-o
ptimisation system
features, but drops down to 1x developed in-house by this
premium brand
magnification, a 384x288/17
µm sensor and a 1024x768
OLED display. Batteries are built-in, charged via a power-bank-compatible
USB-C port and deliver an 11-hour run-time.
Contact: Leica - www.leica-camera.com/en-GB
GUIDE
Guide’s primary focus is on units for
industrial use, making their products
uniquely easy to put through the books
as a business expenditure! On MSRP
alone, it’s a uniquely affordable route
into thermal, with the TD210
monocular coming in at under £600
and their T120V camera, featuring
switchable picture-in-picture thermal
and daylight cameras as well as
powered focus, at just £360! The
TD210 could be a valuable asset in the
field, while the T120V is more game-
finder or farmyard rat-and-feral-finder
than a spotter.
Contact: Thomas Jacks -
www.thomasjacks.co.uk
Guide’s TV120V is a low-cost thermal
camera with potential applications in the
hunting field – especially as a game-finder

GERMAN PRECISION OPTICS

Distributed by Raytrade in the UK, GPO’s new Spectra TI 35 thermal
clip-on has a 35mm/F1.0 lens, 384x288/17um/<35mK NETD sensor and a
1024x768 OLED display, plus 16GB on-board storage, USB-C and WiFi
connectivity. Body shape and spec suggest it is a rebadged HikMicro
Thunder TH35C (no bad thing). Most notably, it can be mounted directly to
the objective bell of GPO’s Spectra 50mm scopes, but also comes with a
RUSAN adapter for mounting to other day-scope models and makes. The
objective lens cover is a rugged Tenebraex item. The GPO Spectra is a version of the
Contact: Raytrade UK - www.raytradeuk.co.uk HikMicro Thunder clip-on that's
neatly configured to fit their 50mm
Spectra scopes

APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 117

 COUNTRY & SHOTGUN BLASER F16 SPORTING
A
SMASHING
OPTION
Blaser has been manufacturing shotguns for a
while now and it has been a few years since I
last used one. So, with that in mind, I thought it
was about time I took a closer look at their F16.
For those of us who require a shotgun that
can be carried around in the field all day, the
F16 Game is the obvious choice. As standard, it
comes with a bare steel receiver in grey, silver F16
logo, nickel silver front bead and grade 3 walnut
wood, which can be upgraded to grade 4. Just
like the F16 Sporting (on test), if you want more,
then you can move up to the Grand Luxe, which
shows significant engraving on the receiver and
selected grade 6 wood that can be upgraded to
grade 8. However, the most opulent choice is the
Heritage. Here, the engraving extends past the
receiver and onto some long side plates, plus the
furniture is selected grade 8 walnut, of course.
If you have a go with the Blaser F16
configurator online, there are lots of options
available. As well as the standard Game and
Sporting stock layouts, you can also opt for
an adjustable comb on either one. There is
even a dedicated Monte Carlo stock design
for women called 'Intuition' and it shows
a higher comb, reduced pitch angle, extra
soft recoil pad, reduced stock length and an
ergonomically optimized pistol grip – nice!
Anyway, time to have a closer look
at the Sporting version on test.
118 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022
Ed Jackson heads to the clay
ground to smash some clays
with the Blaser F16 Sporting
Action
So, at the heart of the shotgun is
the same bare steel receiver as
the Game version, with the only
visible difference being the red
F16 logo. The low profile design
keeps the centre of gravity low,
which not only benefits recoil
characteristics but also positively
impacts the way the shotgun
handles. The application as well
as the quality of the grey nitride
finish covering the action is
superb and I would expect nothing
less from this German brand. I
have been let down by finishes
on some guns, so I don't take
a quality finish for granted!
The 'ejection ball system'
ensures that the ejectors cock
when the gun has been fired and
is then opened, ensuring that the
system maintains its strength
over time. As they are not cocked
on closing, the amount of effort
required to close the gun is
reduced and the idea is that the
whole process is smoother and
more natural. In use, I found the
resistance remained consistent
PRICE:
£3,878
The primary highlight
of the Blaser F16
Sporting is the way
that it handles
when opening and closing the
gun and that the ejectors were
enthusiastic when it came to
flinging out the empties. Also,
any unfired cartridges were
well presented for retrieval,
even while wearing gloves.
With the gun open, the action
face shows a removable plate
that is secured via two Torx
screws, which allows easy access
to the firing pins for servicing.
Controls
The trigger sits in a generously
sized guard and is pitched as one
of the F16's primary strengths - it
doesn't disappoint. The system
is mechanical rather than
inertia, which means it operates
independent of recoil and is
therefore utterly dependable.
The trigger breaks at around 3.5
lbs (1,650-grams) and resets
nicely for the second shot. The
blade itself is fitted to a short
section of dovetail, meaning
that it can be moved forwards
or backwards to help optimise
the position of the fingertip in

Detail of the dovetail that the trigger
blade sits on and the barrel selector
switch that sits in front of it
Remove the forend and you gain
access to the barrel balancing
system – just add weights!
relation to the blade. Just
loosen a small Allen screw,
make your adjustments
and tighten it back up
– it's all in the details!
The barrel selector is
positioned just in front
of the trigger blade and is
easy to use. Simply push the side
of the lever marked with 'U' to
ensure that the bottom barrel
fires first or 'O' for the top barrel.
Sitting on the top strap, behind
the well-presented top lever, is
the manual safety catch. It shows
a grooved surface for grip and
markings underneath that display
the shotgun's status. Forward
for FIRE and Rear for SAFE.
The barrels
The F16 Sporting comes in
12-gauge only, is chambered
for 3” (76mm) cartridges and is
available with either 32 or 30”
(on test) barrels. As well as being
manufactured from high-quality,
heat-treated steel, these are also
cold-forged and chrome-plated,
making them highly durable and
BLASER F16 SPORTING
resistant to corrosion. The quality
barrels show a solid mid-rib
and a tapered, ventilated top-
rib that goes from 9 to 7.5mm
in width. This then terminates
with an illuminated red bead,
which is ideal for clay shooting.
The shotgun comes with
five flush-fitting chokes that
are proofed up to half for
steel. However, if you fancy
some extended types, then
you can opt for a set of Briley
Spectrum chokes that can be
swapped out by hand or with
the supplied choke key.
With the forend removed,
the Sporting's barrel balancing
system is exposed. This looks
like an independent section
of mid-rib with a series of
tapped holes on either side,
COUNTRY & SHOTGUN
The F16 comes with five flush-fit chokes
but you can upgrade to a set of extended,
Briley Spectrum ones if you want. Note
the Hi-Viz bead
The standard length of pull comes in
at 14.75”, note the chequering and the
effective rubber recoil pad
and using a series of weights and screws,
the user can fit up to four weights to help
achieve the handling that they prefer. Nice!
Furniture
Taking a close look at the F16, the wood to
metal fit throughout is superb. The forend
fits particularly snugly, with no movement
whatsoever and is released via a push-button
located at the tip. Incidentally, this offers ample
resistance to prevent accidental manipulation.
There is some basic diamond-style chequering
that wraps around the underside of the forend
for grip and it shows an attractive layout.
The semi-pistol grip shows a right-hand
palm swell and an individual panel of the same
chequering on either side. I found the dimensions
very comfortable and was able to achieve a
consistent, repeatable grip when shooting.
The gun comes fitted with a removable,
rubber butt pad and this conceals Blaser's stock
balancer. This system consists of a threaded rod
APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 119
 COUNTRY & SHOTGUN BLASER F16 SPORTING
Note the removable Detail of the push
plate that allows easy button used to
access to the firing remove the forend
pins for maintenance from the gun
you can spin weights onto to further customise
the balance of the shotgun, depending on
your requirements. Obviously, this works in
conjunction with the barrel balancing system.
Including the butt pad, the Sporter's standard
length of pull (LOP) is 14 3⁄4”, but using the
configurator, you can select 15”, 15 1⁄8” or 15 3⁄8”.
Being 6ft 6, I found the standard LOP a bit short
and therefore I would opt for some extra stock
length. However, this option does not come cheap,
adding £640 to the price of the gun. Alternatively,
there is a stock extension kit (3 x 10mm) that
fits both the Blaser R8 and F16. It costs £102.
For those shooters who know their
measurements, the dimensions for the standard
sporting stock show a drop of 1 1⁄2” at the front of
the comb and 2” at the heel. Cast measurements at
the comb, face and heel come in at 1⁄8", 1⁄4" and 3⁄8”.
The pitch is advertised at 84º.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Name: Blaser F16 Sporting
Type: Over & Under
Barrel Length: 30” (32” available)
Calibre: 12-gauge only
Stock: Walnut (Grade 3 or 4)
Choke: Multi Choke (5 supplied)
Weight: 7.75 lbs
Trigger: Single, Mechanical
Safety: Manual
Length of Pull: 14.75”
Price: From £3878.00
Contact: Blaser - www.blaser.de/en/
120 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022
As standard, the Sporter comes
with grade 3 wood and there's
the option to upgrade to 4 for an
additional £295. To me, it looks like
the test gun is fitted with grade
4, and this would be my choice
as shows a combination of dark
and light colours that are more
befitting of a gun at this price point.
Smashing clays
Before heading to the clay
ground, I spent a fair amount of
time mounting the Blaser and
soon added an extension piece
to the stock to achieve the fit
I was after. For the test, I fitted
a ¼ and ½ choke and I used up
some Lyalvale Express Power
Blue 28-gram #8s, before moving
onto some Gamebore Velocity +,
28-gram #8s with a fibre wad.
I tackled a wide variety of
targets, starting with a few low
and slow incomers and some
rabbits but found myself quickly
moving through the stands with
some solid shooting from the F16.
I always shoot from the high-ready
position, no matter what target I
am shooting at, and my biggest
takeaway from the morning was
that the Blaser brings a level of
effortlessness to this style. This is
then reinforced when taking the
gun out of your shoulder, breaking
Note the style and layout of the
chequering, plus the quality finish
applied to the receiver – it's all
very smart
Detail of the plain grey receiver,
note the wood to fit finish and
the red F16 logo that identifies
this as the sporting version
it, reloading, then closing it
again – it's smooth, predictable,
consistent and enjoyable.
On top of this, felt recoil was
minimal and this probably goes
some way to explaining why I
just kept on shooting the gun
and didn't seem at all fatigued
at the end of the session.
The only downside for me was
that I could see a bit more rib than
I would like, but this is down to
gun fit and completely depends
on the individual. I later got the
opportunity to do a pattern test
at 30 yards and this showed
that the gun favoured high in
my hands. This possibly goes
some way to explaining some
of the targets that I missed!
Conclusion
As a shotgun, the F16 handled
and manoeuvred exceptionally
well, making it a pleasure to use
and very capable. Being a Blaser,
the overall build quality and
finish are obviously excellent
but the plain styling won't be to
everyone's taste. Plus, opting
for the Grand Luxe or Heritage
will have a significant impact on
your wallet. Overall, it’s a shotgun
that is well worth looking at
and one that offers natural ease
of use. Watch out clays! GM
 SHOTGUN
DEALER
GUIDE
BERKSHIRE
KC SPORTS Firearms
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Specialist in New & Secondhand Shotguns,
Air Rifles, Ammunition, Rifles, one of these
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Tel: 01332 862091 Tober Road, Knockahollet, Cloughmills,
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Sporting Rifles, Shotguns & Air Rifles, Barbour & Aigle
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training can be arranged on our own ground. 02827 641204

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practicalsportingsupplies.co.uk
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Gun Lights & Lasers and also Hide Nets and Decoys
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NORTH YORKSHIRE SOUTH YORKSHIRE

PICKERING GUNS SHOOTERS WORLD You can have
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and Ammunition. Part exchanges welcome.
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 COUNTRY & SHOTGUN BREDA ZENITH L

A real
WINNER
Bruce Potts tests a shotgun that concentrates on what
matters; the Breda Zenith L
When I tested the Breda 930i semi-
automatic recently, I was more than
pleasantly surprised at the attention
to detail, the robust but elegant nature,
plus the fine handing that shotgun had.
This new over and under from Breda,
the Zenith L is built with that Italian
touch of class and build quality that
seems to come so naturally to them
from their base in Val Trompia, Brescia.
This 30” model has 2 ¾” (70mm)
chambers and is proofed for steel shot,
with a fleur-de-lys superior steel proof
mark. You have fixed chokes on this
model with tight restrictions, plus long
forcing cones and chromed lined bores.
I really like the lovely grade 3
walnut stock, as its proportions really
soak up recoil and handle superbly
for a medium-weight over and
under game gun. Priced at £2700,
you will find the Zenith L extremely
well priced, putting similar marques
to shame in this price range!
What have we got?
Let’s look at the great stock. It has
had a lot of thought put into it with
regards to getting not only a fine
balance between handling, for ease
of swing, but also obtaining a perfect
eye alignment with the rib. The quality
of walnut, grade 3 in this instance, is
very befitting of this shotgun, as you
have an overall deep honey colouration
that sets off the lovely dark figuring
that swirls about the butt stock and
forend alike. The air of quality continues
with the perfect oil rubbed finish,
leaving a satin sheen over the entirety
of the walnut. No doubt, in time, this
will enhance into a warm glow.
Breda has opted for a long,
15.0” length of pull, which is
perfect. It not only balances the
longer barrels well but gives the
correct support and eye alignment
lacking in some short stocked guns
that can feel a tad cramped.
I also like the elongated pistol grip
which has a hand-filling gait to it,
with a nice right-hand palm swell too.
Left-handed versions of the Zenith
are also available. There is plenty of
room, even for the largest hand and
the combination of the lower
comb and slight cast was
absolutely perfect for me. From any
mounting in the shoulder and differing
speeds, the Zenith mounted and
aligned with my eye straight down the
rib. The soft black rubber recoil pad is
supportive and non-restrictive when
mounting, plus the cut chequering is
generous and actually works well. I
also like the way the action side plates
are mimicked to the frontal section
of the stock, with raised platforms
that add strength and look good.
The forend is similarly well-
appointed, with a classic Schnabel
profile and more trim lines. Again, there
is good chequering to a large proportion
of the surface area and a really
good polished release lever to easily
remove the forend from the barrels.
PRICE:
£2700

The action opens and

closes like a Swiss
watch, it's precision
machined and there's
nice shaping around
the chambers

122 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022


A closer look at the barrels
Talking of barrels, these Breda tubes
are again of very high quality, with a
superb deep black/bluing and polished
finish, plus nicely struck-off ends. You
have a choice of 30 or 32” lengths and
there are no ventilated ribs to the top
or midsection. The top rib tapers from
11mm to 7mm and is designed for
better alignment, superior pointability
and does not cover too much of the
target either. Being solid ribs, Breda
says it stops any ingress of water and
potential rusting causing the ribs to
lift. I have to say, it looks a lot better
and I am always dubious how much
cooling any vents actually achieve,
a bit like flutes on a rifle barrel.
The barrels are chambered for 2
¾” cartridges, not 3”. I like this, as the
internals of the barrels have had a lot of
thought put into them. They are chrome
lined for longevity and rust avoidance,
plus, as already mentioned, are handy
with steel shot. This is interesting, as
the barrels have fixed chokes of ¾ and
full, whereas, on multi-choked guns,
there is usually a limit of ½ choke
for high-pressure steel shot. Breda
has used long, gradual forcing cones
The Zenith L has a low profile
action that is tastefully
polished and has just the right
amount of adornment, so as
BREDA ZENITH L
of 75mm and even longer chokes
of 100mm to avoid any issue in this
respect, although, the bores are tight
too and do favour fibre or paper wads.
There's more
Action wise, what a beauty! In my
view, it shows a low key finish that
exudes class. No over adornment
to make up for shortcomings, the
Zenith L has a highly polished action
face with raised side panels that are
integral to the action body. They have
small geometric engraving, whilst the
top lever is left blued and the bottom
of the action has 'Zenith L' engraved
on it, along with some scroll work.
The low-profile action body utilises
two conical locking bolts that emerge
from the action face. They are actually a
U bolt arrangement that moves forward
through the breech face and locates
precisely into corresponding holes in
the chamber face when the action is
closed. You have the usual bifurcated
lumps and locking plate at the base
of the action and the barrels pivot on
The wood to
metal fit is
very good and
everything
not to be gaudy feels solid,
without
feeling bulky
The Zenith uses
two large, strong
locking pins that
protrude from
the action face
and engage the
abutments in the
barrels
COUNTRY & SHOTGUN
replaceable studs. The ejectors were
well-timed and brisk and the whole
opening and closing of the Breda was
like a Swiss watch - precise and secure.
The Zenith has a trigger plate locking
into the action bar and uses coil-sprung
hammers for longevity and increased
striking force. This is an inertia system,
so relies on the second barrel's recoil
to set the hammer for the second shot.
This is not my favourite system but
there were no issues at all during the
test. Interestingly, many of these parts
are replaceable, which is a smart move
and Breda. The manufacturer also uses
what they call a 'cross draw system',
whereby the bearing surface at the
rear of the barrel locking lumps can
be replaced when worn - nice touch.
Field Test
As soon as you take the Zenith out
of the gun bag, it just feels right. The
A more slender
Schnabel forend
with good
chequering and
excellent release
mechanism - one
of the best I have
tested
APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 123
 COUNTRY & SHOTGUN BREDA ZENITH L
The Breda Zenith is everything you want from a game gun, it offers
great handling and is superbly engineered and finished
gun balances perfectly just in front of
the hinge pins with these 30” barrels
and the very generous stock profile
suited us both very nicely, meaning
the Zenith was very comfortable to
shoot with all the different loads. It
just seems to naturally fly up into the
hands and shoulder as it perfectly
aligns. I don't often get that from a
gun straight from the box without
a bit of fiddling with cast etc.
As stated before, opening or closing
the Zenith is very precise, being easy
but not loose at all. Just a precision
fit between barrels and action face.
It’s reassuring too that the barrels
and chamber areas have a good
thickness of steel to them, although
the triggers were a little heavy in use,
but struck the primers very forcibly.
We tried some light, 21-gram
Blue Diamonds and Hulls Comp X
Fibre cartridges that all functioned
without a hitch through the inertia
Good barrels
with solid ribs
are to my liking,
as are the long
forcing cones
and fixed chokes
that produced
excellent
patterns
124 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022
The long and wide pistol grip suited me,
plus the walnut stock and oil finish were
perfect for a gun in this price range
mechanism. We also stepped up the
loadings with the usual array of 28-
gram and 32-gram loads, all of which
seemed very mild in this stout Zenith.
With its steel shot proof status, we
did not push the envelope but shot
some Bio Ammo Blue 32oz #4 and
#5 cartridges as well as some Hull
Steel Game, which is another high-
performance steel loading, but for 2
¾” chambered guns. There were no
issues with loading or stuck cases and
looking down the barrels there was
also very little evidence of pellet marks
through those long elongated forcing
cones and chokes, which is all good.
Without any pattern boards
(still on backorder), we tackled
flighting pigeons and squirrels that
were using the foliage-free tree
branches as runways. The Breda
pointed and swung effortlessly
and these non-lead loads with the
tight chokes were very humane!
Conclusion
No bones about it, Breda are not only an
excellent semi-automatic manufacturer
but their Zenith line of shotguns is a
real winner too. By keeping differing
models to a minimum, the company
has been able to concentrate on
what matters to their customers, and
that is correct design, reliability and
longevity, all wrapped up in a shotgun
with great handling characteristics.
With the Breda Zenith, you do not
have any fancy decoration masking
shoddy workmanship, you have
classic, clean lines and a gun built
for all sporting or game situations
that is just that little bit different
than the opposition. I really want
to test this Zenith on some pattern
boards next time, to see how those
chokes perform - I bet it's good! GM
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Name: Breda Zenith L
Type: Over and Under
Barrel Length: 30” (on
test), 32” available
Rib: Tapered, 10mm to 7mm
Gauge: 12
Stock: Walnut, Grade 3
Choke: Fixed, ¾ and Full
Weight: 8.0lbs
Trigger: Single
Safety: Auto, Select Barrel
Length of Pull: 15.00”
Options: Left-Hand Available
Price: £2700
Contact: Viking Arms Ltd -
www.vikingshoot.com
 COUNTRY & SHOTGUN

SHOT GUN SILENCER

The silencer is currently supplied with
a 12 gauge choke tube to fit one of the
Distributed by
following choke systems:

• Mobilchoke (Beretta, Benelli, Franchi, etc.)

• Crio Plus (Benelli M2)
• Invector (Mossberg, older Winchesters,
Weatherby) Trade enquiries:
• Invector Plus (Winchester, Browning) Tel: +44 (0) 1644 470223
• Optima HP (Beretta) Glenswinton, Parton, Castle Douglas DG7 3NL
• Remington (870, 1100)

GM04.22/19/a
www.jacksonrifles.com

APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 125

 Wilson & Wilson (Fieldsports) Ltd.
Telegraph Hill, Laundry Road, Minster, Ramsgate, Kent CT12 4HL
Tel: 01843 822242 Fax No: 01843 821162
www.wilsonandwilsonfieldsports.co.uk
RIFLES
.22 CZ 455 20” S/C lam thumbhole .............575.00
.22 Browning BL22 L/A................................£568.00
.22 Ruger American 18” S/C .......................£495.00
.22 Ruger 10/22 Standard ............................£465.00
.22 Browning T bolt sporter 16.5 L/H S/C£585.00
.22 Browning Compo stalker 16.5” S/C.....£448.00
.22 Cogswell & Harrison 20” S/C................£470.00
.22 Norinco Mini Mauser.............................£345.00
.223 Browning A-Bolt S/S with Boss .........£820.00
.243 Winchester XPO hunter S/C Camo ..£525.00
.243 Browning A-bolt combo.......................£656.00
.243 Browning A-bolt SS syn boss..............£819.00
.243 Win Mod 70 stealth HV .......................£799.00
.243 WSSM Browning A-bolt Medallion S/C ...£499.00
6.5x55 Zoli pro-battue M/B AZ1900 engraved£1995.00
6.5x55 Tikka T3 Lite S/S S/C......................£919.00
.308 Browning X-Bolt Fluted Walnut 22” ..£985.00
.308 Winchester PR comp............................£653.00
.308 Cogswell & Harrison S/C ....................£650.00
.308 Browning X-bolt Eclipse ......................£775.00
.308 Browning X-bolt GRS ........................£1050.00
.308 Winchester Coyote Lite S/C .............£1047.00
.308 Browning X-bolt SF Chassis MDT .............£1825.00
30-06 Winchester XPR 24” DM inc 3-9x40 ........£660.00
30-06 Browning Maral S/Pull Fluted S/C DM£1650.00
30-06 Browning X-Bolt Camo 21” Fluted S/C ...£899.00
30/06 Bergara 24” S/C syn..............................£699.00
30/06 Browning A-bolt 21” S/C ..................£549.00
.375 H&H CZ 550 Safari............................................£900.00
.44 Rossi ..........................................................£600.00
.44 Chiappa 1892 Lever action CCH .........£600.00
.45LC Winchester 1892 20” Underlever ...£795.00
45-70 Winchester 1886 Lever Action 24” £1110.00
44-40 Winchester model 73 24” Oct ............£1,560
6.5x55 Creedmoor Winchester XPL Strata ............
£659.00 Only one left in stock.
.17 HMR Tikka T1X MTR ...........................£638.00
.22 Tikka T1X MTR ......................................£599.00
.22 Winchester Wildcat S/A ........................£350.00
.243 Benelli Lupo .........................................£1420.00
.243 Browning grade 5 Hunter .................£1693.00
.243 Sako S20 Hunter ...................................1800.00
.22 Ruger custom house S/A .........................998.00
.22 Ruger 10-22 dulux ...................................£629.00
.22 Ruger 10-22 SPL ......................................£499.00
.22 Browning Varmin LAM .........................£579.00
.308 Browning A bolt ....................................£549.00
.308 Sako 85S varmit ..................................£1973.00
.308 Winchester XPR strata ........................£668.00
.308 Winchester XPR hunter.......................£550.00
.308 Sako S20 hunter ..................................£1800.00
.223 Browning X bolt fluted.........................£799.00
22-250 Tikka C3X ..........................................£149.00
22-250 Ruger American Predator ...............£699.00
32-250 Sako 85S Hunter.............................£1853.00
.308 Winchester Target sport ....................£1650.00
.308 Winchester Hunter ...............................1695.00
Registered Firearms Dealer No. 276 Kent. 253
SHOTGUNS
12G Browning 525 Ultra XS Adj comb Midas 30” £3299.00
Chapuis 12 gauge
12G Browning 725 Hunter 30” TD3 ........£2590.00
Artisan side by side
12G Browning 725 Sporter 30”.................£1999.00
12G Browning 525 Game LH 30” .............£1399.00
£7,479
12G Browning 525 GTS 30” ......................£1725.00
12G Winchester Energy Sporting Select 30” £1422.00
12G Winchester Select Sporting 30” .......£1274.00 Chapuis 12 gauge
12G Miroku Mk38 G6 Sporter teague 30” .£3149.00 over under C35
12G Miroku Mk38 Sporter ........................£1343.00 £2,800
12G Browning 525 Hunter Prestige 28”..£3630.00
12G Browning Maxus Duck Blind 31⁄2” 28” .£1185.00
12G Hatsan Escort V 30” Special Offer .....£299.00 Chapuis x4 30.06 ejec-
20G Hatsan Muddy Girl ...............................£420.00 tor double express rifle
20G Hatsan Escort wood 24” youth...........£405.00
single trigger
12G Hatsan misilone ....................................£680.00
£4,540
PISTOLS
Beretta 12 gauge
.22 GSG Firefly...............................................£495.00
Silver Pigeon 1 sport
.22 GSG 1911 green ......................................£388.75
30 inch barrels
5 chokes hardcase
AMMUNITION (RIFLE)
£1,830
IN STOCK ..................................................... per 100
.22 Hornet Hornady V-Max 35g ...................£73.40
.222 REM Winchester 50 gn SP....................£87.00 NEW IN: BERETTA, TIKKA, SAKO
.223 Winchester 55 gn SP ..............................£90.00 Supporting Martin Gorse Wood
22.250 Winchester 55 gn Varmint..............£128.00 Clay Pigeon Club, Dover
22.250 Winchester 55 gn SP........................£118.50 Tel: 07932638859 email: c.read@hotmail.co.uk
.243 Winchester WSSM 95gm ....................£159.50
.243 Winchester 100 gn SP ..........................£131.75
.243 Winchester 95 BST gn .........................£155.50 SAFARI SPECIAL BUSHNELL
338WM Winchester Mod 70 Rifle, custom
.243 Fedral 100gn SP ....................................£148.00
.270 Winchester 130 gn PPSP .....................£128.50 shop, one of 125 in the World .................. £3450 VORTEX SCOPES
6.5 x 55 Swedish Hornady SST 140 gn .....£175.50 8x57 Browning 525 Double rifle ............. £2999 Crossfire 6-24x50 ....................£275.00
300 Win Mag Winchester 180 PPSP..........£187.50
8x57 Browning CCS 25 double rifle with Diamond Back 6-24x50 ..........£442.50
30mm swing off mounts ........................... £9999
300 win mag powermac 150g .....................£192.50 Strike Eagle 3-18x44 ....................£427
470 Capstick Winchester model 70 safari
32.20 Winchester 100 gn LRN ......................£63.20 Strike Eagle 1-08x24 ....................£415
custom house .............................................. £3999
303 British S&B 180 G FMJ ...........................£76.40
30.06 Zoli Focus 3 Double ........................ £4500
.308 Winchester 150 gn PPSP .....................£121.00 PRIME
30.063 Winchester extreme paint 150gn ..£128.50 6-18x50 ....................................£275.00
8mm Mauser Federal 170 gn SP.................£145.00 LAPUA 50 CAL BULLETS,
8 x 57 JR (S&B) 196 gn SP ............................£106.00 750 GRAIN MATCH ELITE 4200
PT CPL1271
8 x 57 JS SMJ (S&B) ........................................... 76.50 1.25-4x24 illuminated 4A .......£468.00
.375 H&H FMJ, RWS .....................................£257.50 £50 per 20 or £200 per 100 6-24x50 Mil-Dot.......................£533.00
.416 Rigby Federal premium SP .................£995.00
.444 Marlin 265g FTX...................................£197.50
SH.50 BGN MACMILLAN M87 ELITE 6500
.450 Marlin 325g FTX...................................£238.50
5RND ADJ stock b+l elite 50 2.5-16x50 Mil-Dot....................£775.00
.458 Win Mag 500/SP ...................................£315.50 eng scope muzzle break +
470 NE Federal 500G Solid .......................£1550.00 transit case ..............£4495.00 TACTICAL
12 gauge Slug Winchester 1 ounce .............£106.0
3.5-21x50 G2DMR
Opening Hours: 9.30 am - 5.30 pm Monday to Friday (34mm tube) .........................£1273.00
Open Saturdays 9.30 am - 4.00 pm 1-6.5x24 illuminated BRT2
Postage & Packing. Phone for Price. Manufacturers Brochures A4 S.A.E. ONLY (30mm tube) ...........................£927.00
 Wilson & Wilson (Fieldsports) Ltd.
Telegraph Hill, Laundry Road, Minster, Ramsgate, Kent CT12 4HL
Tel: 01843 822242 Fax No: 01843 821162
Registered Firearms Dealer No. 276 Kent. 253
www.wilsonandwilsonfieldsports.co.uk
380 Auto ............................................................£20.50 9.3x74 R S&B ..................................................£122.80
Beretta 20 gauge 38 Special ..........................................................£28.10
Silver Pigeon 1 field 9mm Win ..........................................................£19.40 RELOADERS SPECIAL PURCHASE
9mm Luger S&B ...............................................£16.60 SELLIOR & BELLOT BULLETS
30 inch barrels 9mm Luger Winchester Brass .......................£19.40 .224 55 grain FMJ ............................. £64.00 per 500
5 chokes hardcase 10mm .................................................................£29.90 .308 147 FMJ...................................... £87.00 per 500
.357 Magnum Starline ....................................£25.00 8mm 196 FMJ ..................................£107.50 per 500
£1,710 .41 Rem Mag .....................................................£42.50 .303 180g FMJ .................................£101.25 per 500
.44 Special .........................................................£21.95
Sako .308 85s Hunter .44 Magnum Starline ......................................£32.00 BARNES SPECIALS
.45 auto ..............................................................£30.00 .224 36gr Varmint Grenade ........... £12.50 per 100
20 inch fluted barrel .17 Remington Brass .......................................£83.00 .224 45gr TSX ................................... £28.80 per 100
screwcut 18 x 1 .22 Hornet S&B and Winchester ..................£36.15 .224 50gr Varmint Grenade ............ £13.50 per 100
204 Ruger Winchester ....................................£38.50 .270 MRX 130 grain ......................... £60.00 per 100
£1,973 .220 Swift Remington .....................................£74.50 7ml MRX 140 grain ......................... £61.10 per 100
.222 Rem............................................................£41.80 7ml MRX 160 grain ......................... £62.00 per 100
.223 Winchester ...............................................£44.55
Sako 22 -250 85s .223 S+B.............................................................£40.00
ACCURATE 500grms
.223 WSSM .......................................................£80.50
Hunter 20 inch barrel No.2 ....................................................................£37.50
.22-250 ...............................................................£60.00
No.5 ....................................................................£37.50
screwcut 14 x 1 .243 Hornady....................................................£79.00
.243 WSSM .......................................................£80.90 No.7 ....................................................................£37.50
£1,853 6mm Rem ..........................................................£49.90 No.9 ....................................................................£37.50
6.5 x 55 Winchester ........................................£70.25 No. 1680 ............................................................£37.50
6.5x55 S&B .......................................................£38.90 No. 2230 ............................................................£37.50
6.5x57R S&B .....................................................£47.90 No. 2460 ............................................................£37.50
Winchester 12 gauge 25.06 Hornady ...............................................£107.00 No. 3100 ............................................................£37.50
6.5 Creedmore Hornady ................................£79.00 No. 4350 ............................................................£37.50
select energy sporting .257 Roberts Nosler .............................£75.00 per 50 No. 2015 ............................................................£37.50
£1422 .270 Sellior & Bellot .........................................£50.00 No. 2520 ............................................................£37.50
.300 WSM Nosler......................................£70 per 25 No. 5744 ............................................................£37.50
300 Win Mag ....................................................£95.20 Solo 1000...........................................................£37.50
300 H&H Hornady...........................................£85.00
UNUSUAL RCBS DIE SETS Uniflow Powder Measure ............................£112.00 ALLIANT RELOADERS
.303 British S&B...............................................£42.50
IN STOCK Powder Measure Stand ..................................£31.00 308 Lapua .........................................................£57.00 RL7 .....................................................................£55.50
Powder Trickler ...............................................£32.00 308 S+B..............................................................£43.00 RL10 ...................................................................£55.50
Ring for current pricing Uniflow Micrometer Ad Just Screw LG or SM....£56.70 .308 Winchester ...............................................£51.00 RL15 ...................................................................£55.50
22 PPC 348 Win Uniflow Small Cylinder..................................£38.20 762 x 39 S&B ....................................................£45.75 RL17 ...................................................................£55.50
5.45x39 378 WBY Mag Lube Die ............................................................£50.40 30.06 Springfield..............................................£65.80 RL19 ...................................................................£55.50
5.6x57R 32-40 Win Trim Pro Power Assembly 220V Kit ..........£404.00 30.06 Springfield Lapua .................................£89.00 RL22 ...................................................................£55.50
7mm-06 40-65 Shiloh Sharpe Scales 500 .......................................................£104.00 30.30 Win ..........................................................£50.10 RL25 ...................................................................£45.00
7mm WBY MAG 30R Blaser Scales 1000 .....................................................£182.00 32.20...................................................................£46.50 Select..................................................................£38.50
284 Win 38-55 WCF Charge Master Lite........................................£384.00 38.40...................................................................£45.00 Steel....................................................................£42.00
RCPS Load CD ...............................................£112.50 38.55 Win ..........................................................£61.00
30-338 Win 38-40 WCF Red Dot ..............................................................£39.90
Lock Out Die ....................................................£50.40 .38-55 Starline ..................................................£45.00
240 H&H Fg 500 31/4 Nitro Express Accessories Base Plate....................................£45.70 Bullseye .............................................................£39.00
7mm BR Rem 416 WBY Mag 338 Win Mag ....................................................£84.65 Herco .................................................................£38.50
Primer Pocket Swager ...................................£47.70 .338 Lapua (Norma) ......................................£170.00
7mm 08 Rem 470 Nitro 31/4 Express Case Master Measurement Tool .................£167.50 Unique ...............................................................£38.50
338-378 WBY Mag 470 Cap Stick 348 Win .............................................................£97.35 Green Dot ..........................................................£39.90
Trimmer Kit no2 ............................................£178.50 358 Win .............................................................£76.20
375 Win 404 Geffery Trim Pro 2 .......................................................£132.00 Blue Dot .............................................................£39.90
375 Win .............................................................£65.70 2400....................................................................£46.50
8mm Rem Mag 416 Regby Scale Check Weights Deluxe ........................£75.40 375 H&H ...........................................................£85.00
8mm-06 458 WM Primer Pocket Brush Combo ........................£22.75 .44.40..................................................................£38.30
.33 Win 9.3x64 Brenneke Lubra Matic Sizing Press .............................£245.00 IMR POWDERS – EXAMPLES
44-40 Starline ...................................................£35.00 1455 Enduron................................................... £46.70
340 WBY Mag 50x70 Gov Bullet Moulds Pistol/Rifle from ..................£104.00 .444 Hornady..................................................£137.00
8x72R 25x20 WCF Mould Handles ................................................£54.40 4451 Enduron................................................... £47.25
.45 Long Colt Starline ....................................£29.80
Deburing Tool...................................................£32.50 4166 Enduron................................................... £47.00
45-120 Norma.................................................£189.90
RCBS RELOADING 45.70 Govt ........................................................£70.00
EQUIPMENT EXAMPLES NEW WINCHESTER .416 Rigby Norma Brass ...............................£247.90 4955.................................................................... £46.70
Ring for current pricing BRASS CASES .................... per 100 458 Win Mag ....................................................£88.30 7977.................................................................... £44.90
Pro Melt 2 Furness ........................................£409.00 9mm Makarov S&B .........................................£17.60 .470 Nitro Express (Norma).........................£372.90
Pro 2000 Shell plate ........................................£42.30 7x57 S&B ...........................................................£37.35 5.6x50 R S&B ....................................................£48.50 HOGDONS POWDERS
Rockchucker Supreme Kit SPECIAL OFFER 762x25 Takarev................................................£21.90 7.08 .....................................................................£65.00 HP38 ..................................................................£36.30
£380.00 6.5 Creedmoor Hornady ................................£85.20 7x57....................................................................£39.70 HS6 .....................................................................£39.60
Piggy Back 3 Press Conversion ..................£474.50 .25 Auto primed S&B ......................................£19.00 7mm Rem ..........................................................£67.95 Long Shot ..........................................................£39.60
Rock Chucker Press ......................................£259.00 8x57 JRS S&B ...................................................£48.50 7mm Remington Magnum...........................£145.40 Universal ...........................................................£39.60
Turret Press Reloading Kit ...........................£679.00 .30 M1 Carbine S&B........................................£30.00 7x64 S&B ...........................................................£43.10 Clays...................................................................£34.70
Tungsten Carbide Die Sets (Pistol).....from £76.45 .30 M1 Carbine Winchester ..........................£69.30 762x54r S&B .....................................................£44.80 H110...................................................................£39.60
Standard Rifle Die Sets FL.............................£55.00 7.62x25 Tokarev...............................................£20.61 8x57JR................................................................£44.00 Lil Gun...............................................................£36.90
Cowboy Action Dies .......................................£84.00 32 Auto ..............................................................£24.60 8x57 JS S&B ......................................................£46.20 Tite Wad ............................................................£31.40
Competition Dies...........................................£136.00 32 S&W ..............................................................£26.45 9.3x64 RWS ....................................................£130.20 Tite Group.........................................................£34.70
APS Bench Prime Tool .................................£127.80 Superformance ................................................£42.90
APS Press Prime Tool .....................................£82.00 Opening Hours: 9.30 am - 5.30 pm Monday to Friday 777 FFG .............................................................£44.60
APS Strip Loader .............................................£45.60 777 FFFG...........................................................£44.60
Open Saturdays 9.30 am - 4.00 pm
GM04.22/14/g

Autoprime Tool ..............................................£130.50 Pyrodex P ..........................................................£33.00

NEW Speer No 14 Reloading Manual .........£38.50 Postage & Packing. Phone for Price. Manufacturers Brochures A4 S.A.E. ONLY Pyrodex RS .......................................................£31.40
Lyman 1200 Auto Flow ..................................£84.00 CFE .223 ............................................................£35.00
 COUNTRY & SHOTGUN

Shotguns at
THE GREAT Fabarm’s Autu
mn

BRITISH
model lets you
shoot
modern steel lo
ads in
classic style

SHOOTING
SHOW 2022
Jules Whicker gives us his pick of the
smooth-bores at this year’s BSS
It was great to be back at the NEC catching up
with all the new products and players, as well as
most of the usual suspects! My brief this year was
to root out all that was brightest and best in
shotguns - so here goes!
FABARM
Fabarm’s Autumn model is another pretty SxS gun. Its
distinctive 4-bite action is colour-case-hardened and
embellished with acanthus scroll engraving. Stocking is again
English in style, and in excellent walnut, although a pistol-grip/
beaver-tail combination is also available. Offered in 20g only,
buyers can choose between 28” or 30” barrels, equipped with
interchangeable chokes and a stylish sunken rib. No less
attractive is the new Elite Field variant of Fabarm’s round-
bodied, Elos 2 O/U. Offered in 12g or 20g, it also sports a
colour-case-hardened action, this time featuring an
accomplished game scene motif with the birds accentuated in
gold. Well-coloured, straight-grained walnut completes the
positive impression.
Contact: Caesar Guerini - www.caesargueriniuk.com

Beretta’s 690
Ultraleggero
- why save
weight with
an alloy action
when you can
combine steel
with gorgeous
polymer
inserts like
these?
BERETTA
Italy’s leading gunmakers have given their 12g A400 Xcel
competition semi-auto a major re-boot, up-sizing the
ports and controls, re-profiling the pistol-grip and forend,
re-designing the rib, re-styling the laser engraving and
adding a smart new grey AquaTechShield finish to the
action and end cap, which complements the matte-
finished barrel and Beretta-blue bolt to a 'T'. I also got my
first hands-on look at the Ultraleggero, an innovative O/U
that Beretta has trimmed to 3kg (28” version) by
hollowing out the stock, doing without the side rib and
filling in the walls of its skeletonised steel action with
decorative black polymer inserts. I love the resulting look
and feel, plus the way Beretta are positively encouraging
3D printers to create their own custom alternatives.
Contact: GMK - www.gmk.co.uk
BROWNING
I never thought I’d see the day a mainstream shotgun maker
introduced a true left-hand top-lever shotgun. However,
Browning now has no less than 10 different models in the
B525 Sporter 1 line. Fantastic for southpaws new to shooting,
but a hard re-learn for the rest of us! Also new to the Sporter 1
line is Browning’s new pick ‘n mix policy for stocks (trap,
standard, reduced-length) and forends (trap, Schnabel) as well
as barrels (28”, 30”, 32”) that permits customers to order their
gun with the precise combination they want. Barrels have the
fashionable new matte-black finish, too. There are some
properly-pretty guns too, of course. Specifically, the B725
Hunter G5 with its game-scene engraving and the G4 B525
Exquisite, whose acanthus scroll engraving runs seamlessly
between the action and forend steel, testifying to the precision
inherent in all these guns.
Contact: Browning - www.en.browning.eu
Handsome scroll engraving
on Browning’s new 525
Exquisite model seamlessly
unites the action body and
forend steel

128 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022

 SHOTGUNS AT THE GREAT BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW 2022 COUNTRY & SHOTGUN

The new Kofs Zenith is a

LONGTHORNE steel-bodied counterpart to
Britain’s most accessible bespoke gunmaker the best-selling alloy-actioned
continues to thrive and innovate, as well as to show Sceptre. Options include this
our continental cousins a thing or two about how to female-friendly stock
decorate a shotgun with both taste and flair.
Longthorne’s unique billet-machined barrel sets can
now be had on trigger-plate as well as side-lock
actions, and company founder and dynamo, James
Stewart has recently completed the world’s first and
only gun with monolithic barrels milled from
titanium alloy. The resulting gun is by all reports as
marvellous to shoot as it is to hold. This would be
enough for most people, but James has also
developed and brought to market (in the USA) an
improved and beautifully-made version of the
Browning M1935 'High-Power' 9mm pistol, called the
Dominion (engraved) and Defiance (blacked).
Contact: Longthorne Gunmakers -
www.longthorneguns.com SPORTSMAN GUN CENTRE
If you want a good-quality budget gun, the Sportsman is the place to look,
and their Kofs Sceptre range is the place to start. As fully-featured as they
are affordable, Sceptres come in all calibres from 12g to .410, in both adult
and junior versions (with full-sized stocks available separately for very
modest money). Kofs’ new Zenith series offers buyers all this but with a
steel action in place of the Sceptre’s aluminium alloy one, for those who like
a bit more weight between their hands. Model designations are still being
finalised, but a variant with female-friendly stock dimensions is very much
on the cards.
One of a kind. A truly
Contact: Sportsman Gun Centre - www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk
shootable gun equipped
with barrels milled
from a single billet
of titanium alloy, by
Longthorne. Who else?

BIO AMMO
Many of today’s gun-buying
decisions are influenced by
predictions about the
future of lead ammunition
and a resulting desire to
shoot high-pressure steel
loads. Bio Ammo is at the
centre of the move to Franchi’s Esprit evokes the
eco-friendly ammunition, 'armed nature rambles' of
e
with the most genuinely- yesteryear but in a packag
biodegradable wads and fit to face the challenges of
BioAmmo’s cartridges a lead-free future
cases yet developed.
are made with genuinely
However, they also offer biodegradable and non-
loads that perform well toxic materials
through standard-proof
barrels, using both conventional steel shot as well as FRANCHI
pellets made from a proprietary alloy that combines A theme of this year’s show was the resurgence of the side-by-
the density of steel with the softness of lead. side in platforms proofed (and future-proofed!) for high-pressure
BioAmmo’s alloy loads are more expensive than steel steel. One such is the Esprit by Beretta-group brand, Franchi. It’s a
but much cheaper than bismuth, so maybe there’s no classically-styled 12g or 20g SxS with high-gloss 28” barrels, a
need to retire your old gun after all! 12g loads are concave rib, a colour-case-hardened action with gold accents and
available now, with 20g due in time for next season. stocked in the English style in good walnut.
Contact: Bio Ammo - www.bioammo.es Contact: GMK - www.gmk.co.uk

APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 129

 COUNTRY & SHOTGUN

5 & 6 Cropper Row, Haigh

Industrial Estate, Ross-on-Wye,
ADVERTISERS • VINTAGE AIR RIFLES
and Air pistols wanted.
Herefordshire HR9 5LA Also old signs, pellets
01989 763859 and related items,
rob@rbsporting.co.uk All advertisement copy collections purchased,
must be received prior to the Antique flintlock and
Blaser 12g F3 Vantage VI 32” M/C SH ........................ £6,250 date shown below. percussions. Guns also
Perazzi 12g High Tech 3 31 ½” ¾ FULL ....................... £8,995 wanted. Will travel.
Perazzi 12g MX2000S 32” 5/8 7/8 ............................. £7,250 COPY DEADLINE FOR
THE MAY 2022 Tel: 01908 526666 /
Beretta 12g 687 EELL 30” M/C .................................. £3,450
Beretta 12g ASE Gold 29 ½” Teague ........................... £5,450 EDITION IS Mob: 07831 398114. (P)
Beretta 12g S05 ADJ 32” ¾ FULL ............................... £7,950 1st April 2022 as new, comes with hard case and tools.
Beretta 12g 690 III Deluxe 30” M/C LH SH ................... £2,350 21/23 Phoenix Ct, Hawkins Road, £900. Medallist sporting multi-choke 28“.
Beretta 12g SPI Field 30” M/C LH SH ......................... £1,195 Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY. Stored 40 years, as new, comes with hard
Beretta 12g ONYX 30” M/C ....................................... £1,095 case, tools, multi-choke kit and hard case.
Beretta 12g Silver Pigeon I Classic 30” M/C ................ £2,250 Tel: 01206 506247 £650. Call: 01244 535413. Deeside.11/21/ga
Beretta 12g A400 Excel 32” M/C ................................ £1,100
Browning 20g B525 Game One 28” M/C LH SH ............. £1,195 COPY DEADLINES • BRATTONSOUND GUN CABINET FOR six
Browning 12g B525 Game One 30” M/C SH ................. £1,195 guns with ammunition locker as new cost
Browning 12g B725 I ADJ 30” M/C ............................. £1,395 • MIROKU 12 BORE O/U 28″ barrels choked over £300-00. Collect from Chester £200
Browning 12g B525 SPT 30” M/C ............................... £1,100 cylinder, helf choke, in good condition o.n.o. Call: 019287 27653. 21 Lime Grove
with original manual. One owner from Elton NR Chester CH2 4XP. 10/21/g
Miroku 12g MK38 I 32” M/C ...................................... £1,195
new £150. Call: 07985 072912. Caerphilly.
Miroku 20g 6000III 28” ¼ ½ ...................................... £2,950 • LANBER O/U SPORTER 12 BORE 28“
04/22/g
Miroku 12g 3800 IV Skeet 26” ................................... £1,195 barrels £225. Baikal s/s 12 bore 28“ barrels
Miroku 12g MK38 V Trap 32” ¾ Full SH ...................... £2,250 • GUN SAFE FOR 6/7 GUNS as new £100. Jabali s/s 12 bore 28“ barrels £100.
Miroku 12g MK60 High Pheasant 32” F/C SH ............... £2,150 by Brattonsound. Call: 01928 727653. Call: 07359035633. Lancashire. 10/21/g
Benelli 12g 828 U Black 30” M/C ............................... £1,995 Chester. 12/21/g
B Rizzini 12g Round Body 30” M/C ............................. £2,350 • WANTED ANY FRANKLIN MINT GUNS
Fabarm 12g STL 30” ADJ M/C SH .............................. £1,650 • WANTED SPARE MAGAZINE FOR Norica John Wyne Jesse James etc Susat sight
single barrel 410 bolt action shotgun. Call for SLR. Email: blake.richard33@yahoo.
PLENTY MORE NEW & SECONDHAND SHOTGUNS, 07813 371552. Powys. 12/21/g
co.uk. West Sussex. 10/21/g
RIFLES AND AIR RIFLES ONLINE AT:
• BERETTA SILVER PIGEON Model SP111
• 17 HMR CZ AMERICAN 452-2E 16″ barrel
www.rbsporting.co.uk 28” barrells fixed choke cased. Mint
condition £800 ONO. Call: 01924 409796
silencer gunbag BSA Panther scope 4x10
+ sling £340 o.n.o. •410 Cooey shotgun
Mob: 07716 879078. W.Yorks 12/21/g
PLUS a huge range of Optics, single shot £80 o.n.o. Call: 07721036974.
SIGN UP TO OUR
Ammunition, Clothing & Footwear • ARMITALIA 10 GAUGE DOUBLE North Oxon. 10/21/g
GM04.22/25/f

NEWSLETTER
discharge over/under 44” barrels V.G.C.
£2,500. Call: 01697 351971. Cumbria. 11/21/g • PIGEON SHOOTING WANTED OVER
@rbsporting @RB_Sporting @rbsporting crops or wood experienced guns for over
• BERETTA D.T.L. 30 INCH MODEL 686 forty years willing to pay per day. Call:
Special, Gardone V.T. stored 40 years, 07851892699. Suffolk. 09/21/g

Southern Counties Sporting Guns

RUGER OLD ARMY .44 BP REVOLVERS CHOICE
OF 3 ALL VGC ............................................................£475
SNIDER CARBINES .577 CHOICE OF 3 VGC ........£575
MARLIN 1894 COWBOY U/L 38 SPECIAL
AS NEW .......................................................................£800
SPRINGFIELD TRAPDOOR 45/70 VGC...................£700
BSA CLLE .303 SPORTER .........................................£500
BERETTA 301 12B S/A ..............................................£295
BERETTA 682 12B O/U ..............................................£675
CLASSIC DOUBLES 12B O/U ...................................£450
WINCHESTER 101 XTR 12B MULTI ......................£475 Please
RUGER 22-250 U/L STAINLESS C/W MOD mention
AS NEW .......................................................................£800
AKM KALASHNIKOV 7.62X39 STRAIGHT PULL
AS NEW .......................................................................£850
MANY MORE SHOTGUNS AND RIFLES IN STOCK
when responding to advertisements

Trade Member
We are now stocking Hoggs of Fife Country Clothing To advertise in COUNTRY & SHOTGUN
FIOCCHI & LYVALE SHOTGUN CARTRIDGES, CLAYS & TRAPS
137 Almodington Lane, Earnley, Chichester, West Sussex PO20 7JR
please call Vanessa on
GM03.22/66/f

8.30-12.00, 1.00-5.00 Mon-Sat 8.30-12.00 Sat 01206 506247

Tel: 01243 512109

130 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022

 MILITARIA
DEALER
GUIDE
CHESHIRE WEST YORKSHIRE
JC. Militaria ESTABLISHED
1968
MILITARY COLLECTABLES BOUGHT AND SOLD www.andrewbottomley.com
Single items or collections - free search and valuation mail order only
service discretion guaranteed. Antique Arms & Armour
BUY - SELL - EXCHANGE. Lay-Away Scheme - Deposit Secures. EMAIL: ASBOTTOMLEY@YAHOO.COM
ALL PRICES INCLUDE UK DELIVERY Telephone: 01484 685234
www.jcmilitaria.com Mobile: 07770 398270
T: 0161 476 0436 (24hr answer phone & fax) or M: 07786 707191 The Coach House, Holmfirth,
E.Mail jc.militaria@btinternet.com. West Yorkshire HD9 3JJ

EAST SUSSEX LEICESTERSHIRE

For all your Movie & Historical Replicas
& Collectables. Many items available!
MICHAEL J NOBLE
ANYTIME (CLOSED WEDNESDAY)
www.battleorders.co.uk ANTIQUE GUNS -
Tel: (01323) 488 445 NO LICENCE REQUIRED
Email: info@battleorders.co.uk PO BOX NO 8000,
Battle Orders Ltd, Unit 12, Chaucer Industrial Estate, ASHBY-DE-LA-ZOUCH LE65 9AB
Dittons Road, Polegate, East Sussex BN26 6JF
Open Monday - Friday, 10am - 4pm. 01530 411627
STAFFORDSHIRE STAFFORDSHIRE NORTHERN IRELAND
Antique Armoury Maryland Country Sports
Buy, Sell & Part Exchange: 18A Maryland Industrial Estate
All guns are legally de-activated Genuine Antique and Deactivated Guns,
with proof house certificate. Armour, Swords, Daggers, Bayonets, Crossnacreery, Moneyreagh
Many other de-acts and militaria in stock – Helmets, Caps, Medals & Militaria
please call for details County Down BT23 6BL
www.saracenexports.com www.antiquearmouryuk.com
P.O. Box 1927, Gnosall, Stafford ST20 0WB Tel: 02890 448598
Tel: 01952 691132  Mobile: 07939 226976
Contact Dave on: 07964 858098
Email: dave.r.cooper@btinternet.com www.maryland-country-sports.co.uk
Email: sales@saracenexports.com www.saracenexports.com

NORFOLK LONDON SURREY

We Buy, Sell & Part Exchange

103 HIGH ST, ETON,
Pete Holder
01483 277788 – 07778 008008
Militaria, Deactivated Guns & Replica Weapons For Film & Theatre Use.
Nr WINDSOR SL4 6AF
Military Related Giftware & Collectables Tel: 01753 800009 PO Box 1199, Guildford, Surrey GU1 9JR
Please View Our Websites Or Make An Appointment To Visit Our Shop. NEAR TO RAIL STATIONS AND M25 –
Unit One, Walnut Tree Farm, Silver Street, Besthorpe, Attleborough, Norfolk NR17 2LF GOOD PARKING
info@peteholder.com
Tel. 01953 454744
www.grahamcurriemilitaria.co.uk www.bcmilitarytreasures.co.uk www.peteholder.com

SURREY HAMPSHIRE HAMPSHIRE

Bordon
MILITARY & POLICE
Offering a wide range of Vintage and Antique
Timepieces, Firearms and other Equipment,
formerly used by Professionals.
8 Midhurst Road,
Liphook, Hampshire,
Collectables
Always a good range of WW1 and WW2 available. Tel: 01420 478215
Please enquire GU30 7ED Email: britishbobby3@gmail.com
www.zmwmilitaria.com
07811 327010 Tel: 07435 962825 www.britishbobby.co.uk

NORFOLK WEST YORKSHIRE

You can have
BECKETTS one of these Hundreds of antiques, knives, deactivated guns,
inert muskets and pistols available to view online at:
77-79 DEREHAM RD spaces from just www.henrykrank.com
NORWICH, NORFOLK Email: sales@henrykrank.com
£30 Tel: 01132 569 163 / 01132 565 167
MILITARIA DEALER GUIDE/04.22/a

NR2 4HT 100-104 Lowtown, Pudsey, West Yorkshire LS28 9AY

www.armynnavy.com Open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat & Sun Closed.

Please contact our advertising department now on

01206 506247/506 242/506246
 ANTIQUES & MILITARIA PLACE OF INTEREST

There is plenty to visit,

especially the towers

CALDICOT
CASTLE
The Principality of Wales can boast having the
greatest concentration of castles, for the size of
the country, anywhere in the world. Indeed, there
is hardly any area that does not have a castle or
fortified structure, ranging from the magnificent
examples such as Beaumaris on Anglesey Down
to the remnants left in the town of Carmarthen.
They all have their own unique history and played
a part in shaping Wales to be what it is today.

History
One of these sites is Caldicot Castle in Monmouth,
lying close to the border with England and between
the two bridges crossing the River Severn. The
town itself is mentioned in the Domesday Book
of 1086 and is listed as an important area of
agriculture. The castle begins to appear proper
almost 100 years later, when Humphrey III Bohun,
from a powerful land-owning family in the area,
begins to build the castle in stone on the site of
a former motte and bailey-style fortification.
By 1376, having passed through successive
ownership several times, the castle passed to
Thomas Duke of Gloucester, youngest son of
King Edward III, on his marriage into the Bohun
family. In 1399, a conspiracy saw him kidnapped
and murdered and his possessions, as well as
lands, confiscated. Over the coming centuries,
the castle changed ownership several times and,
somehow, always managed to avoid involving the
castle in any conflict, including the protracted Upgraded with oak beams. This is not the
Wars of the Roses between 1455 and 1485. Although never being engaged only surprise to confront visitors.
The fortunes of the castle continued to in a prolonged conflict, the In the courtyard, a 12-pounder
fluctuate over the centuries until 1964, after successive owners of Caldicot naval cannon from Lord Nelson’s
800 years, it was acquired by Chepstow Rural Castle were able to develop it first flagship, HMS Foudroyant
District Council in 1964 for the sum of £12,000. into a comfortable, fortified faces the gates to greet visitors
The following year it was opened to the public manor house, where they could and arouses their curiosity.
and included a small museum display. Today, the enjoy all the luxuries which went The fabric of the curtain walls
castle lies within 55 acres of country park, which with the status. For example, the surrounding the main courtyard
is a popular spot for families and has become gatehouse entrance and flanking is remarkably intact and anyone
used as the backdrop to many re-enactment curtain walls are faced on the interested in the development
events, including the multi-period ‘Fortress outside with dressed stone. Many of military architecture of the
Wales’ and military vehicle shows. It has also windows also pierce the walls, period will find plenty to study
been used as a film location for period dramas. which indicates this was a castle here. In plan-view, looking down
The fabric of the castle and its immediate of comfortable residence as from a bird’s-eye view, the walls
surrounding grounds prove perfect for such events opposed to a centre for military are laid out in polygonal design,
and, in fact, the next such event, called ‘Wartime operations. Passing through into not really following any set
Wheels 2022’, is to be held over the weekend of the courtyard, the transformation design, to create an enclosure
1-2 May this year, organised by the South-East is remarkable as it becomes a that roughly resembles an oval
Wales branch of the MVT. Visit www.mvt.org.uk Tudor-style red brick building pattern measuring nearly 330ft

132 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022

 PLACE OF INTEREST ANTIQUES & MILITARIA

in length and 216ft at its widest

point. Examples of both square
and circular-plan towers still
survive and the keep is built
on the original motte. This
construction is impressive, with
its walls measuring 9ft thick,
with a diameter of nearly 35ft
and a height of over 42ft. From
the top, the view it affords
is superb and it is possible
to see the Bristol Channel.
Caldicot Castle lies close to
the River Neder, which was once
navigable, and together with the
Bristol Channel, the castle would
have served as a vantage point
overlooking the maritime trade
passing along these waterways.
During the Civil War, it was briefly
occupied by a garrison of the
Royalist army, but there is little
evidence that points to the castle
being invested and besieged.
What is certain is that it was
‘slighted’ by Parliamentarian
forces sometime in the 1640s, an
act which rendered it unsuitable
for use as a military base.
Renovations in the 19th
century and later periods were
undertaken very sympathetically
and many of the original features
were preserved. For example,
the openings used by archers,
the original dry ditch which
surrounded the site and the
dungeon which remains inside
the keep at the basement level on
the motte. This curiosity intrigues
visitors who speculate the fate of
prisoners kept in such a place and
what crimes they had committed.
What else?
The small, on-site museum
features displays from the
Roman period, through the
Middle Ages and into the 19th
century, covering both local
and social history to span
the castle’s complete time
frame. When special events are
hosted at the site, including re-
enactment and military vehicle,
the participating groups present
their own displays of equipment,
weapons and other objects
relevant to specific periods.
Even on ordinary weekends, when there
are no special events, there is a lot to see
at Caldicot. Of course, the length of time
spent on site is down to the individual, but
I recommend at least 2 hours. Once the
interior of the castle, with all its towers,
stairways and rooms have been visited, there
is the exterior of the walls to be walked.
Still going strong
To have survived for over 800 years of almost
continuous residence and still have the
ability to attract attention says much for the
history of the site on which Caldicot Castle
stands, having witnessed so many periods
from Roman to Victorian, albeit by which
time it was more of a grand country house
than a castle. Nevertheless, it stands out and
deserves to be visited. On a closing note, if
you should be planning a visit, don’t forget
your camera because this is one place the
memory of which you will want to keep. GM

The Keep Tower

Even the ruins are impressive
is impressive and
the dungeon is in
the basement

The view from the

top of the Keep
looking over a
vehicle show

The outside walls still look formidable

APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 133

 ANTIQUES & MILITARIA
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04/22/g (2 Miles North of KIDDERMINSTER, Worcestershire)
• WANTED. LARGE BORE OVER AND
UNDER “Howdah” Pistol. Six inch plus
10TH APRIL
barrel preferred. Please phone Tony. Call:
2022 Dates
May 15th, June 12th, Aug 14th, Sept 11th,
01282 438947. Lancs. 04/22/g
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• FAIRBAIRN SYKES 1ST PATTERN Open 9am to 1.00pm
DAGGER manufactured by Wilkinson ADMISSION £2
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Bookings and information,
Original purchase restricted to current
GM04.22/28/g
or former members of the SAS (late
contact Adrian on:
father “A” Squadron 1st SAS). Dagger 07816853878
is in mint condition, cased, one of only Find us on Facebook @ Wolverley Militaria Fair
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• VINTAGE AIR RIFLES
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REPRODUCTION GUNS. 3 band Enfield
rifle. Brass 18 inch barrel, Blunderbus.
Also old signs, pellets
and related items,
Brown Bess carbine. Brass framed
collections purchased,
engraved blank firing Navy revolver. All as
new. £450.00. Call: John 07904 091186. Antique flintlock and
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wanted. Will travel.
• SWAP UBERTI NICKEL PLATED 71/2
INCH BARREL revolver for any Uberti
Tel: 01908 526666 /
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revolver, even if worn condition. Call: John
07904 091186. 03/22/a
• ANTIQUE REMINGTOM 41-RIMFIRE
ADVERTISERS
1866 model Derringer, made 1880’s-90’s?
100% nickel-plated, replacement Lucite
grips £925 ono. Guns of the World, traders
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must be received prior to the
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decoration! £50. The Gun by Christopher COPY DEADLINE FOR
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THE MAY 2022
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03/22/a
1st April 2022
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purchased. Will travel. Call 01635 628624
Tel: 01206 506247
or 07754 444956. 03/22/a
• POLICE TRUNCHEONS COLLECTION, COPY DEADLINES
complete or split, full details on application.
Wanted genuine old cannon or mortar
barrel, any condition. Call: 07719 414572.
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To advertise in
ANTIQUES &
• U.S.A. NAVY CROSS made in U.S.A.
Navy cross is the second highest award MILITARIA
£56 present day issue. United Nations
helmet which is helmet liner blue and white please call Vanessa on
colours, fair condition with some marks
01206 506247
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Please
mention
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MILITARY COLLECTABLES BOUGHT AND SOLD
Single items or collections - free search and valuation service discretion guaranteed.
BUY - SELL - EXCHANGE. Lay-Away Scheme - Deposit Secures.
ANTIQUE & OBSOLETE CALIBRE
1800 Flintlock Baker Rifle & Bayonet .650 Service
Calibre by Barnett London ................................. £6750
Sharps New Model 1863 52-70 calibre Cavalry
Carbine, Saddle Bar & Ring ................................ £2750
1897 Marlin safety model of 1892 in .32 RF, Lever
Action, Tube Magazine .......................................... £1475
Winchester Model 1894 32-40 Lever Action Rifle,
dates to 1903. Oct Barrel ......................................£2650
Martini Henry MK11 577 x 450 Rifle by Braendlin,
mint bore, leather sling .........................................£1450
Winchester Yellowboy 1st Model 1866 .44 Henry
RF Saddle carbine & Boot ...................................£6450
George Daw Enfield 1856 .577 Trials Rifle, Conv
to bolt Action Breech Loader ............................£2400
C1860 Edward Paton, Perth, 12b Pin-Fire Dble
Damascus barrels, Best quality..........................£1375
1860 Civil War Spencer Repeating Rifle .52 cal, 7
shot mag, Excellent Cond ...................................£2450
Springfield Mod 1858 .50/70 Erskine Allin Trap
Door Rifle 1863 Conversion ..................................£1650
1860 .577 Henry Lancaster Tower Oval Bore 2
band Rifle, Aussie Regt Marks ...........................£1750
1860 Botha Cape Town, Dble .550 Cal / 15 Bore
EDGED WEAPONS & BAYONETS
C1800 British Naval Officer’s Spadroon, Ebony
Hilt, Anchor & Brass Guard .....................................£975
WW2 Japanese Shin Gunto Gendaito ‘ Naga
Mitsu ‘Best Cutting Edge Smith’ .......................£1475
1895 Scottish Folding Bowie & Sheath,
Richardson Edinburgh to Macgregor ............. £695
Manton & Co 1869-74 Joseph Rogers Spear Point
Bowie Knife & Scabbard .........................................£1875
WW2 Wilkinson Sword 2nd Patt Double Etched
FS Stiletto Blade & Scabbard .............................£1275
Victorian India Pata Gauntlet Sword 44 inches
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
Imperial Prussian Guard’s General Officer’s
M1871 Pickelhaube & Plume. Superb!........... £2850
Edwardian East Riding of Yorkshire Imperial
Yeomanry Lancer’s Officers Chapka..............£3250
Colt AR15 .223 Assault Rifle Used by Military &
Law Enforcement EU/UK Cert ........................... £1750
WW2 Mosin Nagant 91/30 Sniper Rifle, scope,
sling, lens covers UK/EU Cert .............................£1400
WW1 Medal Trio & Death ‘Penny’ to Pte 17539
Wright Scots Fusiliers KIA 1915 ............................ £425
Victorian Bingley West Yorkshire Police
CALL: 0161 476 0436 | 07786 707191 | EMAIL: jc.militaria@btinternet.com
JC. Militaria
ALL OUR PRICES INCLUDE UK DELIVERY
ML Combination Cape Rifle ...............................£2800
1850 William Powell .500 Double BPE Express
Perc Rifle, Patch Box. VGC ..................................£2400
1842 Pattern Naval Sea Service Short Rifle. .758
calibre, Lovell’s catch..............................................£2450
1854 Tower Cavalry Prize .65 Carbine Engraved
Warwick Cavalry Yeomanry ................................£1495
1810 E.I.C. British Army in India Flintlock Baker
Musket, .650 smooth barrel................................ £2750
1908 -11 Winchester Model 1898 10G Black
Powder Signaling Cannon. VGC .........................£975
1896 Winchester lever Action 32-40, Octagonal
barrel, Full Working Order .................................. £2750
1864 Brunswick .704 M.L. Perc Rifle, 3rd Patt WD
Tower Lock, Incl bayonet .....................................£4250
Elliot’s Tower Light Dragoon .62 cal Flintlock
Cavalry carbine. Outstanding ...........................£2950
1874 Westley Richards ‘Monkey Tail’ .451/ .480
capping B.L. Rifle. EXC .......................................... £1975
1844 Patt Tower Enfield, 650 Yeomanry Perc
Carbine, saddle ring & ram Rod........................ £1475
Very Rare Enfield 1851 Patt .702 Perc Minie Rifle,
39” barrel, deep rifling ........................................... £3550
1800 George III Tower Brown Bess Musket .750
cal Antrim Reg, unit I.RN.12 .................................£1895
overall 30” blade, All Original ............................... £695
WW1 British Officer’s Wilkinson Swagger /
Sword Stick, Blued & Etched .................................£575
Shinto 1600-1700 Shoto sword’ WW2 mounts,
leather covered scabbard, notes ........................£895
WW2 Japanese 1944 patt Army Officer’s Sword,
Gendaito Blade, Aki Mitsu....................................£1950
Original Early WW2 Hitler Youth dagger &
Scabbard by Carl Schmidt Solingen ................ £575
1943 1st type M3 Camillus Blade marked & dated
in original M6 Scabbard ..........................................£975
WW2 Luftwaffe Presentation bayonet, Horster,
Etched blade, Scabbard & Frog ..........................£545
Truncheon, Painted Baluster form VGC......... £295
Elkington Sheffield Large Embossed Copper
Shield Roman Gods, Spectacular ...................... £895
WW1 Colt .455 Service Revolver, D/A, inert
rounds, cocks & dry fires EU/UK cert ............... £975
WW2 Luftwaffe Fl 23421 Boxed Aircraft Compass
by V Hodek, Prague. VGC ....................................... £395
British Sniper Re-Enactor’s No4(T) rifle, case,
scope, sling, lens covers UK cert ......................£1200
C 1907 Westley Richards ‘Highest Possible’ .177
Air Pistol, Blued Finish. GWO ..............................£1275
1946-49 1 of 2000 Abas Major 3rd Type Air Pistol
by AA Brown & Sons. Near Mint ........................£1475
WEB: www.jcmilitaria.com
P/EXS WELCOME AND DEPOSIT SECURES
GM04.22/17/f
C1790 Matched Pair 13 bore Mortimer Dueling
Pistols, Set Trigger, Quality .................................£7950
Colt 1860 .44 Percussion Army Revolver,
matching numbers, dates to 1862...................£1875
Transitional .44RF Remington 1858 New Model
Army S/A Revolver, Nickel .................................... £1675
1855 Pair of Enfield Tower Short Sea Service /
Customs perc Pistols. VGC ...................................£1850
1874 Colt ‘New Line’ .32 RF Factory Nickel 5 shot
pocket revolver. Excellent ......................................£745
C 1790 English Flintlock Duelling Pistol,
Tomlinson London, Oct’gnl Barrel................... £1475
1863-64 Civil War Remington 1858 New Model
Army .44 S.A. Revolver ...........................................£1695
C1860 Cogswell Strand London, Adams / Bentley
Patt 54 bore SA Revolver ...................................... £1475
1870 Kavanagh Dublin Cased Webley Bentley 80
bore Perc Revolver & access ............................... £1975
1864 US Civil War Williamson’s Teat Fire 6 shot
Single Action Revolver VGC ..................................£595
US Civil War Metropolitan Arms .44 cal ‘Colt
Army’ Factory Nickel Revolver...........................£1895
Henry Egg London Tranter D.A. Brass Frame 5
shot .297 RF revolver ...............................................£1495
1873 Remington Smoot No2 .30 rim Fire 5 shot
1935/38 Quality Blade Japanese Shin Gunto
signed AMACH MASATSUNE ..............................£1750
1854 Patt Coldstream Guards Officer’s Piquet
sword & Scabbard Etched ......................................£975
American ‘Gambler’s Dagger’ C1870, Ames
Sword Co. Mother of Pearl Grip...........................£495
Wilkinson Sword RJH Jungle Fighting Knife &
Scabbard only 7,000 made....................................£695
Rare Original 1902 Baldock Knife Spear &
Scabbard Locke & Co London ........................... £2250
WW1 Rare German S14 Machine Gunner’s ‘Gott
Scho’ bayonet & Scabbard .....................................£895
WW2 American Western Cutlery Co Combat
Webley Osprey Super Target .177 air rifle in mint
condition Anschutz Comp Sights...................... £435
BSA Centenary 1 0f 1000 Mint Cond full Stocked
Air Rifle and all accessories .................................£1200
1943 Pak 40 7.5cm German H.V Ant-Tank H.E.
Round. Perfect Case, well Marked ....................£799
1932-38 Mauser Model 712 Schnellfeur 7.63
Broomhandle Pistol. Cocks etc Cert .............£2750
Africa Korps DAK 6 x 30 Binoculars, sand
coloured & leather case. Excellent Optics.....£495
Kriegsmarine Coastal Flak 10x80 Farbglaser
Artillery Binoculars for tripod Mounting ....... £895
WW1/ WW2 Patt 1917 .303 Remington Rifle,
S/A. Nickel Plated revolver ..................................... £575
1810 Parr London, 50 bore Flintlock, Brass action
Pocket pistol, turn off barrel .................................£475
1844 WD Enfield Tower .650 Cavalry Officer’s
Percussion Holster Pistol ........................................£695
C1840 Enfield Tower Officer’s .800 calibre
Percussion Holster Pistol. VGC ............................£975
1840 450 Officer’s Perc Holster Pistol by Samuel
& Charles Smith London .......................................£1495
C1850 Pair Ward No 471 80 bore Over & Under
Turn Over Perc Pistols ........................................... £1900
1830 Egg & Sons 18 bore Percussion Belt Pistol,
Walnut Full Stock VGC .............................................£895
1860s Manton Co London & Calcutta .750 Perc
Holster Pistol & Cudgell Butt ................................£695
1807-21 Dunderdale, Mabson & Labron 54B
Flintlock Pocket Pistol. VGC .................................. £575
1861-65 US Civil War 1st Model Savage .36 cal D/A
percussion revolver ..................................................£1875
C1865 Plant’s Merwin & Bray N.Y. .42 cal cup
Primed 6 shot revolver .............................................£975
Colt No3 .41RF nickel Derringer Pistol, excellent
original condition ........................................................£675
Knife & Sheath, Prior to KA-Bar........................... £575
C15th Ancient Blade Renaissance Rondel
Dagger, etched blade. Walnut hilt..................£1850
Victorian US. Gambler’s ‘Concealed’ Spear Point
Bowie & Scabbard, Etched.....................................£495
WW1 1913 Gurkha Kukri, 2 skinners, frog &
original Khaki Combat Cover ...............................£595
C1790 Cullen, Cutler to the King, Sword &
Scabbard. Triangular etched blade ................ £1475
1940-42 Japanese Seki sword & Scabbard signed
Soshu Toshi. With Notes .......................................£1250
bayonet and scabbard. UK Certificate............ £975
WW2 1933 & 1940 Ammunition Case for MK VII
.303 service rounds. V Scarce ............................... £475
1939 Italian Breda Model 37 8mm Machine Gun
and Tripod, all original. UK Cert ........................£1450
WW1 British Officer’s Private Purchase gas Mask
& Satchel by Waring & Gillow ................................£675
WW1 1915 Gallipoli Souvenir British 18pdr Dinner
Gong & Leather mallet ............................................. £295
1930 Webley Service MKII Air rifle, two original
barrels, .177 & .22. In leather case ......................£1675
LARGE BAYONET SECTION
NOW ON WEBSITE
 ANTIQUES & MILITARIA

ZMW MILITARIA
Vintage & Military Timepieces, Antique Guns and Militaria

A Good Tranter
British Army Double Trigger
Monocular, Percussion
c.1980 - £59 Revolver,
c.1855 - £1490

ANTIQUE GUNS
Good Cased 54B Adams Double Action Revolver, c.1855 .....................POA
Good London M1849 Colt .31 Percussion Revolver ...........................£1290
Good British Army Avimo Monoculars. We have a few at.............. £59 each
Good 54 Bore Double Trigger Tranter, c.1855....................................£1490
Good Colt .30 Rimfire Revolver, c.1870 ...............................................£620
Excellent .38 Remington Rimfire Revolver, c.1875 ...............................£590
V. Good Danish Remington Rolling Block Rifl e, c.1875........................£990
Ketland Boxlock Flintlock Pistol, c.1790 ..............................................£290
Inert Parker Hale Sergeant’s Musketoon..............................................£495
Rare V. Good US Gambler’s Rifled Boot Pistol, c.1835 .........................£595
Excellent Manhattan .36 Navy Revolver, c.1862.................................£1490
Excellent Martial Springfield Trapdoor Rifl e ......................................£1590
Good .31 Pocket Revolver By Whitney .................................................£975
1846 Short Sea Service Percussion Pistol ...........................................£820
Good Webley .32RF Revolver & Holster, c.1870 ...................................£690
Percussion Pocket Pistol c.1835.........................................................£195

GM04.22/12/g

GM04.22/30/a
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Always a good range of WW1 & WW2 Military Timepieces available – Please enquire
Visit our website: www.zmwmilitaria.com Tel: 07811 327010

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GM04.22/31/f

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Shenfield High School Alexander Lane,
NEXT FAIR: 10 APR 2022 Shenfield, Brentwood CM15 8RY
FAIR DATES 2022 SUNDAY 3RD APR
NEW
08 MAY 11 SEP SUNDAY 25TH SEP VENUE
12 JUN 09 OCT SUNDAY 18TH DEC
10 JUL 13 NOV
Time: 10.00am – 1.30pm
14 AUG 11 DEC Public Admission £3.50
7.00am - 2.00pm Traders – 6ft Table £30.00 in advance
The Historic Dockyard Chatham Kent ME4 4TZ info: www.chelmsfordmilitaria.com
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info: www.chathammilitariafairs.com Deactivated weapons, magazines, inert ammo,

and other weapon accessories available on
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Email: fairs@chathammilitariafairs.com
Events Team James on: 07595 511981 www.chelmsfordmilitaria.com

136 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022

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VCR ACT 2006 A SMALL SELECTION OF OUR STOCK
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Mint Boxed Colt Signature Army Revolver .44 Calibre Sec 1...........................£475
2nd Generation Colt Dragoon .44 Calibre Sec 1 ............................................. £500
Very Good Spencer Carbine Model 1865 ..................................................... £3,250
You can get a copy by Excellent Jacobs rifle by Swinburn ............................................................... £6,500
Mint condition nickel Remington 41 RF Deringer, outstanding ................... £2,350
joining the association Interesting Jager 18th Century Flintlock Carbine......................................... £2,250
Good Colt Roots Side hammer USA cased revolver .................................... £3,600
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£39.50 for individuals, or £24 a head for groups of three Excellent Winchester Low Wall Rifle 32/40 calibre..................................... £3,400
or more. Membership includes the Periodic Shooters’
Superb Adams 38 bore revolver................................................................... £3,600
Good Martially marked Colt Army revolver 1862 ......................................... £4,250
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shooting, battle re-enactment, living history and air soft Good Civil War Colt Army cut for shoulder stock ......................................... £3,950
purposes. All new memberships run 15 months, Good Brasher Later Sea Service Flintlock Pistol ........................................... £1,950
Fantastic Joslyn Carbine Civil War issue .......................................................£3,750
Inclusive of £10 million VCR Act compliant. Advice line Superb as new Pedersoli Sharps Rifle 45/70 S1 ............................................. £950
for firearms related problems. Rare Allan & Wheelock Centre Hammer Army Revolver ............................. £3,000
Excellent Sharps Trials Rifle 1 of only 300 50-70 calibre ............................ £8,500
Good Merrills Civil War Carbine 58 cal..........................................................£1,950
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FOR MORE INFOMATION Photographs available on request.
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Tel: 01646 680391 / 07969 132060

GM04.22/23/f
GM04.22/21/f

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WANTED
DE-ACTIVATED WEAPONS WANTED
SINGLE ITEMS OR COMPLETE COLLECTIONS
Cash waiting, can travel to collect or arrange for
courier collection. Discretion assured.
Good prices paid. Anything considered, work
carried out to bring up to latest specification.
Please call or email with details.
www.saracenexports.com
P.O. Box 1927 Gnosall Stafford ST20 0WB
Email: sales@saracenexports.com Tel: 01952 691132 Mob: 07939 226976
GM03.22/60/g

PLEASE SEE WEBSITE FOR CURRENT STOCK LIST

APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 137

 Visit our website: www.andrewbottomley.com
ESTABLISHED 1968

ANDREW BOTTOMLEY
ANTIQUE ARMS & ARMOUR
EMAIL: ASBOTTOMLEY@YAHOO.COM
T: 01484 685234 | M: 07770 398270

MAIL ORDER ONLY

An interesting priming flask, Superb black forest Stag horn, A very rare German horsemans A flintlock pocket pistol with folding
probably Russia or the Caucasus, powder-flask, with deer decoration. war hammer. trigger. By Styan of Manchester.
18th-19th century. German 19th century. Probably 16-17th century. Circa 1803-1811.

£480 Ref 8078 £1,850 Ref 9940 £2,500 Ref 1653 £750 Ref 2139

A scarce English, flintlock box-lock, A scarce 19th century A rare powder horn engraved with A rare brass framed, 18th century,
muff pistol, engraved Twigg with Scottish Highlanders, names of 77th East Middlessex flintlock tinder lighter. By Farmer Co.
brass frame. Circa 1800. full dress powder horn. Regiment. Crimean war 1854. Circa 1780-1790.

£950 Ref 2211 £950 Ref 2290 £1,650 Ref 2329 £850 Ref 2389
A very nice, quality English, A rare head, from a 19th century, A scarce American Colt No. 3 Carved African chiefs wooden staff,
Queen Anne style, Indian, all steel Ankus or Derringer single-shot pistol in Yoruba. Good condition.
flintlock box-lock pistol. elephant Goad obsolete .41 rimfire calibre. Circa 1900.

£850 Ref 2397 £360 Ref 2402 £850 Ref 2502 £450 Ref 2753
A rare, exceptional 17th-18th century, A scarce, double-barrelled, percussion A scarce English percussion An English flintlock pistol with a
authentic Indian Vijayanagara pistol. By J. Blissett, High Holborn, duelling pistol. By Blake. screw off barrel. By Lowe of Chester.
hooded katar. London. Circa 1840. Converted from flintlock. Circa 1800. Circa 1800.

£1,850 Ref 2774 £780 Ref 2810 £1,250 Ref 2871 £500 Ref 2874

ANTIQUE WEAPONS ALWAYS WANTED Email: ASBOTTOMLEY@YAHOO.COM

 ANTIQUE WEAPONS ALWAYS WANTED
FOR SALE … BY MAIL ORDER ONLY – FREE UK DELIVERIES

A scarce English percussion, belt-pistol. A very fine double barrelled English, single-barrel percussion, A very rare English, civil war,
Made by Williams Powell of Liverpool. percussion Howdah pistol. travelling pistol. By J. Parkhouse mortuary-style, basket-hilt sword.
Circa 1840. By J Blissett, London. Circa 1840. of Taunton. Circa 1830. Circa 1650. Good condition.

£1,850 Ref 2876 £3,500 Ref 2899 £850 Ref 2900 £8,750 Ref 3005
A very rare North American Indian A very rare main gauche or left-hand A very scarce American revolutionary, A rare British, long sea-service,
pipe tomahawk, iron blade, dagger. Probably English Civil War era. war era, Military horsemans sword, tower flintlock pistol.
pierced with a heart. Circa 1640. with brass hilt. Circa 1800.

£1,550 Ref 3006 £6,950 Ref 3027 £1,650 Ref 3046 £2,950 Ref 3047
A scarce French Military Officers, A rare brass-framed, An 18-19th century, A fine William IV British, Military
percussion pistol. 18th century, tinder-lighter Indian Tulwar sword with officers flintlock pistol.
Crimean war era. by Richards, London. a solid brass hilt. Circa 1830-1837. Good condition.

£980 Ref 3075 £700 Ref 3094 £350 Ref 3143 £2,450 Ref 3151

A rare iron main gauche or left-hand A fine, good quality English A superb Irish, 75-cal., percussion A scarce, sea-service officers
dagger. Possibly a Victorian, percussion pistol. Made by Monck travelling pistol. Made by W. J. Rigby. flintlock pistol, of large 70 cal.
19th century item. of Stamford, Lincolnshire. Circa 1840. Circa 1830.

£1,850 Ref 3156 £750 Ref 3167 £3,250 Ref 3216 £950 Ref 3217
A scarce Fijian carved A fine flintlock duelling pistol. A very rare iron, main gauche A 19th century,
wooden throwing club. Made by Innes of Edinburgh. or left-hand dagger. Khanjar or Jambiya dagger,
Ula. Circa 1790-1810. Circa 1700. grip of rock crystal.
GM04.22/37/a

£550 Ref 3244 £2,450 Ref 3247 £3,850 Ref 3254 £750 Ref 3301

Visit our website: www.andrewbottomley.com

 ANTIQUES & MILITARIA DIARY DATES

DIARY DATES April 2022

Event organisers, militaria dealers, museums, re-enactments groups, war
gaming & modelling clubs and organisations who wish to list their event
here, please send details to John Norris at john.norris3@btinternet.com
3: Sunday. A militaria
fair is being held at
the Shenfield High
School, Alexander Lane,
Shenfield, Essex, CM15
8RY. This is a new venue
and doors open between
10am and 1.30pm. www.
chelmsfordmilitaria.com

3: Sunday. A militaria fair

is being held at Leasowe
Castle, Leasowe Road, Wirral,
Merseyside, CH46 3RF.
Plenty of collectables for all
interests. Doors open between
9am and 2pm. www.wirralmilitariafair.co.uk
3: Sunday. A vintage, antique and militaria
fair is being held at the Midhurst Rother
College, North Street, Midhurst, West Sussex,
GU29 9DT. Wide range of collectables for
many interests. Doors open between 10am
and 4pm. www.phoenixvamfairs.co.uk
10: Sunday. The Yeovil Model Show is being
held at the Westfield Academy, Stiby Road,
Yeovil, Somerset, BA21 3EP. Demonstrations,
traders’ stands and displays, some with a
military theme. Doors open between 10am and
4pm. Email: yeovilmodelshow@gmail.com
10: Sunday. A militaria fair is being held at the
Wolverley Memorial Hall, Shatterford Lane,
Wolverley, Worcs, DY11 5TN. Collectables
available in all ranges. www.milweb.net
10: Sunday. The South of England Military
Arms and Armour Fair is being held at the
Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TZ.
Doors open between 7am and 2pm. Wide
range of collectables for most interests.
www.chathammilitariafairs.co.uk
10: Sunday. The Giant Leeds
Militaria Fair is being held at Pudsey, Civic Hall,
Danson’s Corner, Leeds, LS28 5TA. Doors open between
10am and 3pm. www.northernarmsfairs.co.uk
23: Saturday. Poole Vikings are hosting their
model show at the Parkstone Grammar School,
Sopers Lane, Poole, Dorset, BH17 7EP. Trade
stands, demonstrations and displays, some with
a military theme. Doors open between 10am
and 4pm. Email: ianwithsandra@yahoo.co.uk
24: Sunday. A militaria fair is being held at the
Keston Village Hall, Heathfield Road, Keston,
Kent, BR2 6BF. Doors open between 8am and
12pm. Full range of collectables. Further details
telephone Darren Swain on 07796 950764.
24: Sunday. A militaria fair is being held at
the Holiday Inn, Darlington, Scotch Corner,
DL10 5NR. Doors open between 10am and
2.30pm. www.northernarmsfairs.co.uk
24: Sunday. The Miliboot Militaria Boot Fair is being
held at the Bell Public House, Woodham Ferrers, Essex,
CM3 8RF. This is a car boot for militaria collectors
organised by the Essex HMVA. www.essexhmva.co.uk

10: Sunday. Peterborough Militaria Fairs will 24: Sunday. A militaria fair is being held at the Thetford
be at the Royal British Legion Club, Broadway, Leisure Centre, Croxton Road, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24
Yaxley, PE7 3NR. Doors open between 9.30am 1JD. Doors open between 10am and 2pm. Full range
and 1.30pm. Email: tedge46@outlook.com of collectables. www.thefordmilitariafair.com

140 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022

GM04.22/42/f
 ANTIQUES & MILITARIA

WATERLOO
MILITARIA
American James Warner Revolver
James Warner 2nd model
.28 calibre revolver. Original
rosewood grips. Toned steel
metal work overall with
manufactures address to
barrel and cylinder “James
Warner Springfield Mass
U.S.” Matching serial
ANTIQUE
(NO LICENSE REQUIRED)
A very nice double barrel buck and ball
gun by F.M.Lamarche ............. £1995
577 Snider 3 band rifle Excellent bore
and action ............................. £1195
WW1 Aviators Boots .442 Lancaster oval bore Military match
rifle........................................ £3995
Lancaster .451 oval bore rifle Rare 2
band model ........................... £2495
WW1 British /French
.577 LAC P53 rifled musket Very rare
aviators’ boots these are in
Board of ordnance Issue .......... £1995
stunning condition with full
Extremely rare .620 Baker cavalry
lace ups. There are leather
rifle........................................ £8995
soles and hills with counter .577 Snider carbine........................ £795
sunk nails so not to rip the .700 Double Barrel Percussion
cloth fabric of the aircraft.
Rifle ....................................... £1495 .44 Colt 1860 Army revolver ........ £2295
.40-82 Winchester model 1886 lever
action rifle.............................. £3795
A very nice .36 Colt model 1851 London
Navy revolver ........................ £2495
.577 Lancaster oval bore rifle......... £1495 .31 Colt model 1849 Pocket with
.41rf Swiss Vetterli cadet rifle .......... £895 desirable 6” barrel ................. £1595
ANTIQUE PISTOLS More antique guns arriving weekly!
(NO LICENSE REQUIRED) Section1 Black powder rifles/pistols
.32rf Hopkins & Allen Ranger No2 and shotguns always in stock!
revolver.................................... £295 AIR RIFLES/PISTOLS
.36 Colt model 1851 Navy We stock a good selection of SMK
revolver.................................. £2295 air rifles and pistols And can get any
32rf smith and Wesson no2 Army
of their items to order!
revolver.................................... £995
Buy direct from us and save on
.32RF Smith and Wesson model transfer fees! Pellets/BB’s and CO2
1 1/2 revolver.......................... £695 bulbs always in stock

GM04.22/56/f
number “6492” ........ £750 ................................... £195 Live guns for sale from Both world wars ● Loads of new stock arriving weekly.
More quality guns for sale and wanted for cash.
P.X. always considered ● Card payments accepted
1830 Model Garde Nationale Shako French Napoleonic Lance Head See us on www.greenjacketantiques.co.uk ● Tel: 01935 478368 ● Mob: 07590801972

French July Monarchy 1830

mode, officers shako of the
Garde Nationale. A good Please
clean example, having a
beaver felt body, trimmed
with silver braid and brown
One of the most feared weapons used by the French
mention
cavalry which became the reason the British army
velvet ....................... £875
adopted it after the Waterloo battle. The head is 21 ½
inches long 2 ¼ inches wide. ............................. £375

WW1 RFC Car Mascot WW1 RFC Flying Goggles

WW1 1st pattern flying

goggles. Official issue in
1914, the goggles have a
basic one-piece rubber
frame fitted with oval shaped
First World War period, Royal Flying Corps car laminated clear glass lenses.
mascot. Cast brass with nickel plated finish. Slight Simple elasticated strap with
crack to one wing which show a period repair and has clasp fastener........... £280
also been plated. A scarce mascot ..................... £390
GM04.22/13/g

Gary Lawrence 07935 324562/01708 500994

WWW.WATERLOOMILITARIA.COM when responding to advertisements

THE OLD BRIGADE

POSTAL ADDRESS: C/O Jubilee House, 32 Duncan Close, Moulton Park, Northampton NN3 6WL, England.
Tel: 01604 719389
stewart@theoldbrigade.co.uk theoldbrigade@btconnect.com
One of England’s leading dealers of original Third Reich collectors items, uniforms, medals, daggers,
swords and flags etc. Also a good selection of English antique military head dress, antique guns, swords
and other military collectors items.

We always have a good selection of WW2 German daggers A fine selection of German WW2 badges, We always have a good selection of
and swords for sale with over 100 to choose from. medals and awards always available. Antique guns available

Please visit our web site:

www.theoldbrigade.co.uk
where you will find a large & interesting selection of original Third Reich
GM04.22/34/g

and Antique Militaria for sale.

142 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022
 ANTIQUES & MILITARIA

GM04.22/67/g

GM04.22/52/g
ARMS AND ARMOUR UK
WE ARE NOW OPEN AND TAKING BOOKINGS FOR THE MAY 8TH 2022 FAIR.
PLEASE GET IN TOUCH FOR MORE INFORMATION.

THE BEDFORD
MILITARIA FAIR
THE BUNYAN CENTRE, MILE ROAD, BEDFORD, MK42 9TS

SUNDAY 8TH MAY 2022

9:30AM - 3:00PM. ADMISSION £4. CATERING. PARKING.
ANTIQUE GUNS; SWORDS; DAGGERS; ARMOUR; JAPANESE;
AVIATION; MEDALS & COINS. US WW2 ITEMS; AIR WEAPONS;
BOOKS; BADGES; UNIFORMS; HELMETS, RE-ENACTORS ITEMS.
NEXT FAIR 13TH NOVEMBER, 2022
ARMS & ARMOUR UK, 5A WEST STEET, OUNDLE, PE8 4EJ
01832 274050/07966 721033 info@arms-and-armour-uk.com
GM04.22/66/a

www.arms-and-armour-uk.com
APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 143
 ANTIQUES & MILITARIA RE-ENACTMENT
A small gun big on
HISTORY
John Norris takes a look at the German army's
Pak 36 anti-tank gun
Many weapons acquire nicknames given by
the soldiers who use them. Mostly these are
humorous familiarities, but in some cases, the
term can be derogatory, such as the German
army’s 3.7cm Pak 36 anti-tank gun, referred to as
the ‘Door Knocker’. To be fair, it was not always
known as that and in the early days of its service
life in the mid-1930s, the gun was considered
to be a very modern and effective weapon. Its
combat effectiveness as an anti-tank gun was
demonstrated to the world during the Spanish
Civil War between 1936 and 1939 and in the early
months of WWII, it remained a dominant weapon.
A closer look
In the 1920s, designers of anti-tank (AT) weapons
were trying to keep ahead of tank development
and investigated different calibres in defeating
armour protection. Even in Germany, which had
been denied specialist AT artillery by the terms of
the Versailles Treaty of 1919, companies such as
Rheinmetall began the development of a project
known as 3.7cm calibre weapon Pak L/45. The
term, Pak stood for 'Panzerabwehrkanone' and
the L/45 was the length of the barrel in terms
of calibre. Mounted on a wheeled horse-drawn
144 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022
carriage, it was available by 1928.
Into the 1930s and re-armament
of the German army, the gun
was shown to be outdated for
the emerging new tactics.
The gun design itself was
serviceable but it needed to be
modernised. This meant fitting
pneumatic tyres and configuring
it to be towed by motorised
vehicles. The result was the
creation of the Pak 35/36, fitted
with a distinctive gun shield,
which was first demonstrated
in 1934 and entered service in
1936. The calibre remained the
same, as did the barrel length
and versions of it would be fitted
to the first tanks of the German
army as the KwK36 L/45.
After witnessing its
effectiveness during the Spanish
Civil War, the reports filed by
Russian observers led to the
development of a copy known as
the 45mm calibre M1937 AT gun.
Russia also acquired the rights
to produce the weapon under
licence in the 37mm calibre,
examples of which were in service
when the country was attacked
in June 1941. Any versions of
these captured by the Germans
were designated Pak 158(r) and
used against their former owner.
When Poland was attacked in
September 1939, German units
deployed with the Pak 35/36
where it had little trouble in
defeating the light tanks of the
Polish army. At that time, the
German army had over 9,000 of
the guns in service, which would
remain in service throughout the
war and continued in production,
with a further 5,339 being
issued to the army. In addition,
a further 6,000 weapons were
produced for supply to overseas
sales. Some had been sold to
Holland before the war, which
were later captured in 1940. The

irony was the Germans re-used
these versions, giving them the
designation of 3.7cm Pak 153(h),
which identified them as having
been captured from Holland.
Lack of punch?
The Pak 36 had no problem in
defeating the armoured vehicles
in the Dutch and Belgian armies
but later in the campaign of 1940,
the gun proved inadequate against
heavier French and British tanks. It
was during these engagements that
the crews began to call the weapon
either the ‘Heeresanklopfgerat’,
which literally translates to mean
the ‘army door-knocking device' or
the ‘PanzerAnklopfKanone’ (still
Pak) to mean 'tank door-knocking
canon'. There was nothing wrong
with the gun itself, the problem lay
in the ammunition, which was too
RE-ENACTMENT
A replica Stielgranate fitted
to a Pak 36, looking very
authentic on static display
light and lacked muzzle velocity.
The projectile was a solid steel
shot, with a small explosive charge
weighing only 1.5 lbs. The muzzle
velocity was less than 2,500 FPS.
Served by a crew of five, two in
an emergency, it weighed around
723 lbs in action, achieving a
rate of fire of up to 13 rounds per
minute, due to the ‘fixed’ type of
ammunition. However, in action,
this was rarely needed. The gun
could fire three main types of
this standard ammunition, which
included the Panzergranate, the
tungsten-cored Panzergranate 40
(Armour-piercing Core Rigid) and
the 1.33 lbs high explosive round.
The projectile of the Panzergranate
40 weighed only 12.5oz but its
muzzle velocity was increased to
over 3,300 FPS and could penetrate
64mm of armour at 100 yards,
ANTIQUES & MILITARIA
BOOKSHELF
TITLE: Eben-Emael
AUTHOR: Clayton
Donnell
PUBLISHER: Pen &
Sword Books Ltd,
Barnsley, South Yorkshire
ISBN: 9781526779823
PRICE: £25.00
In 1939, the Belgian
fortification of Eben-
Emael was considered
the strongest defensive position of its type in the
world. When Hitler attacked the west the world
was stunned and when German airborne forces
captured the fortification in a lightning stroke,
military planners around the world were aghast. In
this superbly researched and highly detailed work,
the author takes the reader step by step through
the chain of events leading up to the fort’s
capture. The German preparations for the
operation are laid out, followed by the attack,
deployment and unit actions. Belgium bravely
resisted for 18 days and the author covers each
day in turn to produce a fascinating account of
Belgium’s resistance against overwhelming odds.
This is one of the finest works on the subject, full
of maps, illustrations and first-hand accounts
culminating in the country’s surrender on the 28th
May 1940. This is an absolute must-read book.
TITLE: Devon’s Military
Heritage
AUTHOR: Andrew
Powell-Thomas
PUBLISHER: Amberley
Publishing, Stroud,
Gloucestershire
ISBN: 9781445694917
PRICE: £15.99
From airfields to castles
and war memorials, this
book contains many suggestions for military
enthusiasts to consider as ideas for places to visit.
The county of Devon covers an area of over 2,500
square miles, making it the fourth largest in
England and packed into this area is a wealth of
military history covering many centuries. The
author has thoughtfully divided the area into
regions and deals with each in turn. Each site
mentioned is covered by a ‘thumbnail’ description
and a few tantalising facts to introduce them,
which allows readers to choose if it is worthwhile
visiting. This is an absorbing work that probably
only scratches the surface of a county where
much more military history lies deeper or in more
remote places. A nice, well-illustrated work, as
regards an introduction to the region’s military
heritage and perhaps the author intends to
produce a follow-up volume. If so, watch out for
more to follow.
APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 145
 ANTIQUES & MILITARIA RE-ENACTMENT

(Left) Stielgranate 41
and carrying canister
for sale at a militaria
fair

(Right) A training
exercise with a Pak
36. Note the leather
strap worn by the
man loading the gun,
it was used to man-
haul the weapon

(Left) The gun could be sited in unobtrusive positions (Center) A Pak 36 fitted to a captured
French Renault UE, to provide mobility (Right) A gun crew towing their weapon, note the boxes on
the gun shield containing ammunition

which dropped to around 40mm at 500 yards.
The maximum range to which the projectile
carried was 4,400 yards, but the effectiveness
dropped off markedly at ranges over 300 yards.
New projectile
In 1941, the Pak 36 was shown to perform very
poorly against the T-34 and by 1942, it was an
outclassed weapon. However, it remained in
service and was fitted to vehicles such as the
SdKfz 251 half-track to provide fire support to
the infantry. Fallschirmjager (parachute) units
liked the gun because of its compact design and
light weight, which allowed it to be manoeuvred
quickly. Then, in 1943 the gun was given a new
lease of life with the introduction of a new type
of ammunition called the Stielgranate 41.
This new projectile resembled a very large
mortar bomb and its shape meant it had to
be fired from outside the barrel. Weighing
19 lbs and fitted with a bulbous shaped
warhead and stabilising fins, the round was
slid over the outside of the barrel. A special
blank cartridge was loaded as normal and
on firing, the propelling gases would launch
the Stielgranate out to ranges of more than
800 yards. The shaped charge warhead with
a diameter of 6.3” contained 5.3 lbs of TNT
and could penetrate armour up to 180mm
using the chemical reaction of the explosive
charge. The projectile measured 29” in length
and was fitted with a fuse in the warhead for
direct hits and another in the tail section which
would detonate if the target was only ‘grazed’.
It had a low muzzle velocity of only 360 FPS,
which affected its accuracy when engaging
targets beyond the range of 300 yards.
The Pak 36 was copied by the Japanese
to produce an AT gun called the Type 97
and Germany’s ally, Hungary
produced a version with a
40mm calibre. Even America
was influenced by its design,
which led to the M3A1 37mm
AT gun. Most of Germany’s
allies used the Pak 36 and Italy
even produced a version under
licence, known as the Cannone
contracarro da 37/45. When
Italy capitulated in 1943, the
Germans seized these and they
were designated as the Pak
162(i). As the war progressed,
the Pak 36 was outclassed
by more powerful AT guns
developed to meet the threat
of heavier tanks. It continued
to be used throughout the
Russian campaign and some
were still in use until just
before the end of the war.
Re-enactment
Such a service history means
this small gun has a massive
interest factor to re-enactors,
weapon enthusiasts, modellers
and collectors. Scale models of
the weapon come in all sizes
and materials, from small plastic
kits to large metal kits, with
excellent detail to fit into great
scenarios. Collectors can indulge
their interest by purchasing
examples of inert ammunition,
including Stielgranate 41 rounds
which occasionally come up
for sale, ammunition boxes,
sight units and training manuals.
Ownership of an original Pak
36, like other large items, is
possible but be prepared to find
somewhere to keep it. There
are specialist websites offering
the guns for sale, including
private owners wishing the sell.
Replicas can be found for
sale online, which re-enactment
groups may consider, such as
www.military-muckabouts.webs.
com, which produces weapons
that have been used in films.
Alternatively, there is always the
option of hiring an example of a
Pak 36 for an event, if ownership
does not appeal to a group.
This service is offered by www.
gunhire.co.uk and removes the
worry of storage. Static displays
by re-enactment groups depicting
German units often include
either a real or replica example
of the Pak 36 and a selection
of types of ammunition. Some
groups also use their Pak 36 in
battle re-enactment scenarios,
where the manoeuvrability of the
weapon, which made it popular
with Fallschrmjager units, can
be demonstrated. Watching
such displays is so much more
rewarding than seeing them
static in a museum, but if that
is all that is available, then it
is still worth making the most
of the opportunity to see a
piece of history in detail. GM

146 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022


COLT
Near mint Colt Richards .44 conversion of 1860 Army revolver s/n 2392. Difficult to better ......£11,500.00
Exhibition quality, cased engraved Colt 1849 London Pocket revolver s/n 26. Please enq .........£9,750.00
Near mint Colt Richards .44 conversion of 1860 Army revolver s/n 2392. Difficult to better ......£11,500.00
Brit. Proofed Colt London-Hartford 1851 Navy percussion revolver s/n 41549 in good con ........ £2,250.00
Rare Brit-proofed Colt Model 1855 Root carbine s/n 10867 with 21" barrel in .56 cal .............£9,000.00
Colt Model 1862 Police percussion revolver s/n 26655 manu. circa 1864, 4½" barrel............. £2,850.00
Cased Colt Model 1849 London Pocket revolver s/n 1642, with 6" barrel, circa 1854 ..............£5,250.00
Colt Model 1849 percussion revolver s/n 272028/L (1865) with 6" barrel ..................................£1,000.00
Colt Model 1849 percussion revolver s/n 306227 (1868) with 5" barrel .....................................£1,050.00
Factory engraved .32 Rimfire New Line revolver s/n 9045. Plated with pearl grips................. £2,750.00
Factory engraved .30 Rimfire New Line revolver s/n 1274. Plated with pearl grips .................. £2,750.00
1851 Great Exhibition cased engraved Colt 1851 Square-back Navy revolver s/n 3550...................... POR
Colt Old House Model “Jim Fisk Model” five shot .41 rimfire revolver s/n 9395. Nice con ......... £2,250.00
Very rare Colt First Type No3 deringer s/n 928 with raised bolster in very good condition.........£1,500.00
Brit-proofed Colt No 3 Thuer derringer s/n 37528. Nickel-plated with two-piece grips. Ex.............£850.00
Very rare, factory engraved Colt No 3 Thuer derringer with two-piece ivory grips .................. £3,250.00
SMITH & WESSON
S&W Model 1½ Second Issue revolver s/n 101207. Nickel finish ....................................................£750.00
Civil War period S&W No 2 Army .32 rimfire revolver s/n 34329 in very fine condition ............£1,800.00
S&W Model 1½ Second Issue revolver s/n 87489. Nickel finish with rare short barrel ..............£1,050.00
REMINGTON
Civil War, Martial Remington New Model Army percussion revolver s/n 93297. 97% Finish........£5,750.00
Early Civil War period Remington New Model Army percussion revolver s/n 43116. ExCon........ £4,250.00
Nickel plated .30RF Remington New Model No. 1 Smoot s/n 1135. Solid recoil shield .................£875.00
Nickel plated .38RF Remington New Model No. 3 Smoot s/n 17976 with birds-head grip ...........£975.00
Two-line address Remington Over & Under derringer s/n 4938. Nickel with pearl gripsz ........ £1,700.00
Remington Rider Double Action .32 rimfire revolver s/n 7172 in excellent condition ................£1,500.00
Ex. two-line address Remington Over &Under derringer s/n 323. Nickel with pearl grips ........£1,950.00
Near mint No. 3 Remington-Hepburn rifle s/n 4509. 28" oct. bbl. In obsolete 38/40 RH ........£3,500.00
WINCHESTER
Winchester Model 1866 Saddle Ring Carbine s/n 121279, manufactured circa 1874 ................£3,500.00
Winchester Mod 1876 rifle s/n 52309 manu circa 1886 in 40/60 calibre, with oct. barrel........ £4,500.00
Winchester Model 1866 Saddle Ring Carbine s/n 154971, manufactured circa 1881 ................. £5,400.00
Engraved Winchester Model 1866 under-lever rifle s/n 36072B. Very good condition ............ £7,500.00
Minty Winchester Model 1885 High Wall rifle s/n 63850 in 40/82. Half round/oct. 30" ...........£2,500.00
Winchester Mod 1886 rifle s/n 83628 manu circa 1894 in 38/56 calibre, 23" oct. barrel ......... £2,400.00
OTHER AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS
Unfired Roger’s & Spencer Army percussion revolver s/n 650. “The best that I have seen”...... £6,500.00
Near mint special order Marlin 1893 rifle s/n 330802 in 32/40 calibre. Short mag. 26" ..........£5,600.00
Excellent Manhattan Firearms Co. percussion Navy revolver s/n 15447. Much original finish .....£1,950.00
Engraved Moore’s Patent Firearms Co. 7 shot revolver s/n 7629 with 4" barrel. 32 RF...........£2,000.00
Rare Sharps Model 1874 Sporting rifle s/n 154776 in obsolete 40 cal. ExCon........................... £7,250.00
ENGLISH & EUROPEAN
Swedish contract Remington Rolling Block carbine s/n 2511 and marked 1869 .......................... £950.00
Lefaucheux (Swedish marked) single action pinfire revolver, s/n 80105, in 11mm........................£750.00
Uncased pair of flintlock pistols by Mortimer of London, in excellent original condition ......... £4,950.00
Mauser Model 1878 zig-zag cylinder revolver s/n 2077, 5½" barrel, in obsolete 10.4mm cal ..... £5,500.00
The above is just part of my list of antique and licensed guns that are for sale.
Please telephone with regards to other items and any specific or special request.
Call Pete Holder Telephone 01483 277788
Address: PO BOX 1199, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 9JR
Mobile: 07778 008 008 email: info@peteholder.com
ANTIQUES & MILITARIA
BOWIE KNIVES
Bowie knife by Unwin &Rodgers of Sheffield.21.25cm blade with scabbard ................................ £175.00
POWDER FLASKS
Rare Dixon & Sons bag flask marked “COLTS POLICE FLASK” flask for London Police ........... £2,750.00
Dixon & Sons bag-type powder flask with lanyard ring in excellent condition ............................ £500.00
Dixon flask with charger for Colt Model 1849 Pocket stamped “COLTS POCKET FLASK”...........£750.00
Pocket flask by Hawksley with double curvature, embossed eagle & “E Pluribus Unum.” ......... £400.00
Sykes Patent bag-type powder flask with lanyard ring for Pocket revolvers. Ex. con ................. £350.00
Very rare double sided Colt Dragoon plunger flask, marked “COLTS/PATENT”. Ex. con ................... POR
Near mint Peacock flask, for Colt 1855 Root percussion revolver / small calibre revolvers ......... £1,250.00
Rare powder flask embossed with a Colt Baby Dragoon percussion revolver with lever ........... £450.00
Double sided American eagle & shield pocket flask, crossed pistols, laurel branch & spears....... £800.00
Minty double sided American eagle & shield pocket flask, crossed pistols, laurels & spears ........ £800.00
Rare Peacock flask, for Colt 1855 Root percussion revolver or small calibre revolvers .............. £550.00
Rare Peacock flask, for Colt 1855 Root percussion revolver or small calibre revolvers ...............£700.00
Dixon flask with charger for Colt Pocket Navy / Police stamped “COLTS POCKET FLASK”....... £1,750.00
Small Dixon & Sons, bag-type powder flask, for small bore British percussion revolvers ........... £400.00
GUN CASES
Original walnut case for a 5" Colt Model 1849 Pocket percussion revolver ...............................£1,400.00
Original American walnut case for a 5" Colt 1849 Pocket percussion revolver.......................... £1,750.00
MOULDS
.44 Brass bow leg mould with iron sprue-cutter for Colt Third Model Dragoon.........................£1,500.00
“WAT” inspected brass bow-legged 44 mould with iron spruecutter for 3rd Model Dragoon.....£1,500.00
“WAT” inspected brass straight-legged 44 Colt Dragoon mould with iron spruecutter............£2,000.00
“W.A.T.” inspected 36 calibre mould, sprue-cutter stamped “COLT’S / PATENT” for Colt Navy.... £900.00
REFERENCE BOOKS
(PRICES ON BOOKS INCLUDE 2ND CLASS SHIPPING WITHIN UK)
“Colt Peacemaker British Model” by Keith Cochran. 1989. Including shipping within UK..............£27.50
“Colt’s SAA Post War Models” by George Garton. First edition 1979 ..............................................£35.00
CAP TINS
Numerous cap tins, please inquire
GUN GRIPS
Pair of chequered walnut grips for a Colt New Service D/A Target revolver. Ex con ....................£375.00
Original one-piece walnut grips for Colt Model 1849 Pocket percussion revolver........................£375.00
Original two-piece walnut grips for Colt No3 Thuer pistol ............................................................ £250.00
MISCELLANIA
OIL BOTTLES
Many pewter oil bottles by various manufacturers .........................................................................£150.00
Pewter oil bottle by “G & J.W Hawksley. 40mm x 20mm. Top diameter 25mm. Ex con ..............£150.00
GUN HOLSTERS
Brown leather flap holster for Colt Model 1860 Army percussion revolver .................................. £400.00
Brown leather flap holster for Colt Model 1908 .25 semi auto pistol ..............................................£75.00
Military style, black leather flap holster for Colt Model 1860 London army revolver .................£1,250.00
Two brown leather holsters and cartridge belt .................................................................................£45.00
British style, right handed brown leather flap holster for a Colt New Line in .38 or .41 cal.......... £140.00
Brown leather holster for Colt Double Action .32 Pocket revolver with 3½ or 4" barrel ................£70.00
GM04.22/45/a
APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 147
 ANTIQUES & MILITARIA PIETTA COLT 1861 NAVY REVOLVER

The 1861 with

its 'ammunition'

SHIP
SHAPE
Note the fourth screw and
the cut-out in the recoil
shield, which is also for
shoulder stock fitment

Derek Landers takes a look at an Italian reproduction

of one of his favourite percussion revolvers, the Colt New Model
Belt Pistol, better known as the Model 1861 Navy
My introduction to 'old' guns came from the
late Brian Bailey, a collector and student of
everything Colt. His passion and enthusiasm
for the marque rubbed off on me, along with a
smattering of his knowledge. Over the years, I
have shot every Italian reproduction of Colt’s
line of percussion revolvers, including the short-
lived, Palmetto Roots. I have also bought and sold
many examples of the originals, the Paterson,
Walker and Dragoons being the exceptions, simply
because of the prices. In my opinion, Colt has
not made an ugly pistol, even the Roots has a
certain charm, but the 1861 just seems to stand
out from the rest. Perfectly proportioned, the
round barrel is an improvement on the 1851’s
octagonal version and the balance is perfect.
The revolver does not draw its name from the
fact that the U.S. Navy purchased several thousand
examples, nor from the naval roll engraving on
the cylinder, showing a representation of a fight
between the navies of Texas and Mexico (the
same scene is on the 1860 Army cylinders). For
whatever reason, it was the practice back in the
mid-19th century for manufacturers to name
their .36 calibre revolvers as
Navy or Belt models and the
larger, .44 calibre versions as
Army or Holster models.
Six shooter
Colt introduced their first Navy
size revolver in late 1850 and
the US Ordnance Department
tested the pistol, along with
various others, the pistol being
beaten in the tests only by the
larger Colt Dragoon Holster
model. The Navy revolver was
a six-shot single-action model
with a 7.5” octagonal barrel and
throughout production (which
ran until 1873) no other barrel
length was offered, despite the
'sheriff’s' models that are now
available. Nor were there any .44
calibre Navy revolvers made.
The steel frame, along with
the hammer and loading lever,
were case hardened, while the
back strap and trigger guard
were brass. Grips were one-piece
walnut. In 1861, the new model
Navy was introduced using the
frame, grip and internals of the
1851, but with a round barrel,
still 7½”, and a new loading
lever, styled on the one fitted
to the .44 calibre Army revolver
which had appeared the year
before. This new 'creeping' lever
system used pins on the lever
that located in notches under the
barrel, as against the simple hinge
arrangement of earlier pistols.
While the 1851 Navy had
appeared, along with its smaller
brother the 1849 Pocket revolver,
at a very opportune moment
for Colt, the discovery of gold in
California, this new pistol came
at the outbreak of the Civil War.
The production of small arms was

148 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022


The rear of the cylinder - note the six
safety pins
geared up to provide guns for the
military who, in general, preferred
the larger .44 calibre, with the
.36 calibre revolvers purchased
only in time of shortages of the
Army models. Thus, the success
of 1851 Navy revolver, with over
215,000 being turned out, was not
repeated with the 1861, and less
than 39,000 had left the factory
when Colt ceased production of
percussion revolvers in 1873.
All in the details
From the very first Paterson
examples, Colt revolvers had an
illustrated scene rolled onto the
periphery of the cylinder and today’s
Italian manufacturers are repeating
the process on their reproductions.
The design is engraved in reverse on
a steel plate and the cylinders are
rolled over the plate under pressure
to transfer the pattern. Today’s
models have minor differences in
1861 grips (right) compared to larger 1860 model (left)
PIETTA COLT 1861 NAVY REVOLVER
The rear sight is cut into the hammer
the scene itself and some of the
wording, presumably to prevent
these guns from being aged and
passed off as originals, but the
overall effect is still pleasing.
The Navy scene on this
example is clear, with the
engagement date easily readable.
Also included is the notation
that the scene was originally
done by W.L. Ormsby, a New York
engraver famed for his work on
banknote designs of the period.
Overall blueing on the barrel
and cylinder is good but some
feint polishing marks are visible
on the barrel lug. The frame is a
'4-screw' version, with provision
for the fitting of a shoulder stock
via the extra screws in the frame
and the cut-outs in the recoil
shield, along with the recess
in the base of the backstrap.
All edges are well defined and
the fit of the metal parts to one
ANTIQUES & MILITARIA
BOOKSHELF TITLE: The Viking Siege of
THE VIKING SIEGE Paris
OF PARIS AUTHOR: Si Sheppard
Longships raid the Seine, AD 885–86
PUBLISHER: Osprey
Publishing, Oxford
ISBN: 9781472845696
PRICE: £14.99
In the 9th century AD, the
very term Viking was
sufficient to instil fear
S I S H E P PA R D
and dread into
communities. News of their speed and ferocity
during their raids against settlements such as
Lindisfarne in 792, helped fuel their infamy and
merciless cruelty. However, as a military force,
the Vikings were very well organised and
sophisticated in their approach to warfare and
especially the investing of sieges, as this book
reveals. Tactics, weapons, plans and information
were used to great effect by the Vikings, but that
did not stop them from demanding a ransom
payment to stop their onslaught. This well-
researched book charts the attack against Paris
and how the Vikings were able to intercept the
routes along which relief forces would travel,
something which reveals their forward planning.
This book is well-illustrated and supported with
maps and after reading it, readers will form a
different opinion of Viking battle practices.
Men-at-Arms TITLE: Yugoslav Armies
Yugoslav Armies 1941-45
1941–45 AUTHORS: Nigel Thomas
PUBLISHER: Osprey
Publishing, Oxford
ISBN: 9781472842039
PRICE: £11.99
In the aftermath of WWI,
the Balkan states of
Croatia, Serbia,
Nigel Thomas • Illustrated by Johnny Shumate
& Dušan Babac
Montenegro and Bosnia,
along with several others, formed themselves
into a collective to form the country of
Yugoslavia. This book begins with a brief
historical background of that union and it
becomes obvious from the start it was a
complicated affair. When Germany attacked in
April 1941, the situation became even more
complex with rival factions engaging their
attackers, yet the author manages to convey
the history and explain the rise to prominence
of Josep Broz ‘Tito’ and his guerrilla forces. He
explains the formation of the Royal and
Yugoslavian forces, plus the difference between
the two establishments. History can be
complicated and no more so than in trying to
understand Yugoslavia’s position in the war, but
here the author does a good job. Well-illustrated
with photographs and artwork which modellers
will appreciate, but this still remains an
important historical work of reference.
APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 149
 ANTIQUES & MILITARIA PIETTA COLT 1861 NAVY REVOLVER
The base of the butt strap shows a notch for shoulder
stock attachment
another is excellent. The one-piece walnut grip
fits well to the brass straps and I find the size
of these grips just right. They are about 1/4”
shorter than the 1860 Army model. The wood
has more of a matte oiled-look finish than the
high gloss on the similar revolver from Uberti.
The ‘catch and latch’ arrangement for
retaining the loading lever in place is used on the
majority of Colt-style percussion revolvers and
this one was an extremely tight fit. The catch
wings have light knurling and the lever itself
was quite stiff to operate. The major parts of
the revolver are held together by the wedge, or
‘key’ as Colt originally called it, passing through
slots in the barrel lug and cylinder arbour, with
the two major parts lining up via a pair of pins
on the frame locating into corresponding holes
in the barrel lug. I found this wedge had been
enthusiastically hammered home and was
released only through an amount of force I would
rather not use on someone else's firearm!
Sights are as used on all of the Colt open
frame percussion revolvers, with the rear being
a v-notch cut into the top of the hammer. The
front sight is a white metal blade soldered
onto the barrel. This is an improvement on
the brass cone used on the 1851 model.
In 1850, Sam Colt had patented his 'safety'
device for this type of pistol whereby, with the
hammer at half cock, the cylinder could be
rotated to line up the hammer with one of six
pins on the rear of the cylinder, so that when the
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Name: Pietta Colt 1861 Navy
Type: Single Action Revolver
Calibre: .36” Percussion
Capacity: 6-shot
Barrel Length: 7½”
Overall Length: 13”
Weight: 2.5 lbs
Price: £330.00 (at time of writing)
Contact: Henry Krank
www.henrykrank.com
150 GUNMART.NET / APRIL 2022
Standard Colt-type catch & latch
arrangement to hold the loading lever
in place
hammer was gently let down,
the pin located in a slot in the
hammer face, thus preventing
the cylinder from turning. This
action would prevent the gun
from discharging if dropped.
Still doing the business
A couple of decades ago, I
purchased a used example of this
pistol for £50 and it served me
well for around 10 years, being the
last unaltered percussion revolver
I owned. Despite those who say
these Colt ‘open top’ designs
are weak, I would probably buy
this model again should I need
a muzzle loading revolver.
Whilst not tack-driving
guns, some very respectable
results can be obtained by those
who choose to use them for
competitions. A check on the
Muzzle Loaders Association of
Great Britain (www.mlagb.com)
will show you when and where
their events are held, along with
the rules of the game. Not as
prevalent as they were on club
shooting lines, they can still be
seen making smoke whenever the
British weather permits, albeit
generally for fun rather than with
any serious competitive intent.
My load of choice for this
model is 25-grains of Henry
Krank fine black powder behind
a .375” round lead ball, with
a thin lubricating disc – a
mixture of beeswax and candle
wax – in between the two. My
choice of percussion cap is
Remington and the No. 11 was
used on this occasion. This
load is very comfortable to
shoot and provides reasonable
accuracy at the 25 yards that
I tend to shoot these guns.
The front sight is an improvement on
the 1851 brass post
Loading is done on the gun
and I prefer to hold the pistol in
my hands, while others use some
kind of stand placed on a loading
bench. Methods of loading may
differ too, with some dispensing
the powder in all six chambers
then adding the balls one at a
time. I load the first chamber
completely with powder, wax
disc then ball, press it home and
leave the loading lever down
while I fill the next chamber. This
way, the cylinder is locked in
place for the loading sequence.
As mentioned above, the
loading lever was fairly stiff and
I only noticed a slight easing of
this in a little under 100 shots.
The hammer was easy to cock
and the pistol locked up very
tightly. There was no creep in
the trigger and it broke crisply
with not too much effort. I
did experience one 'cap in the
hammer channel' but tipping
the gun upside down cleared
it. The number of shots you
can get off with black powder
before the cylinder begins to
bind with fouling tends to vary
between individual guns. This
one managed around 40. It’s
no big deal to break the gun
and wipe the cylinder arbour
and its bore, adding a bit of
grease before re-assembling.
Clean-up back at home
is done using nothing more
than boiling water with a little
detergent, making sure every
part is completely dry and giving
it a very light coat of oil before
putting it away. As this was not
my gun, the trigger guard and
backstrap were removed to clean
the innards. I would normally
do this every other outing. GM
 ANTIQUES & MILITARIA

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10th & 11th May 2022
The sale will consist of Part 2 of a single owner
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APRIL 2022 / GUNMART.NET 151

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 advertisers index
A GMK ................................................69 P
ALAN RHONE..........................104-111 GRAHAM CURRIE ...........................151 PBIR ILLUMINATIONS ......................94
ANDREW BOTTOMLEY ............ 138,139 GREEN JACKET ANTIQUES ............142 PEMBROKE FINE ARMS..................137
ARMS & ARMOUR UK .....................143 GT SHOOTING................................. 46 PERCYS MILITARIA ........................134
ARTEMIS WEB ................................ 50 PETE HOLDER................................147
H PLATOON ......................................136
B HANNAMS RELOADING ......... 66,103,115
BATTLE ORDERS ............................153 HAWKE OPTICS.............................. 15, 79 R
HENRY KRANK ................................56-59 R&B SPORTING ..............................130
BRATTONSOUND ENGINEERING.......78
HIGHLAND OUTDOORS .................. 55, 68 RANGE RIGHT ...............................OBC
BSA GUNS ............................43, 93, 98
HULL CARTRIDGE .................................95 RUAG .............................................. 83
BY SWORD & MUSKET..................... 94

J S
C SCOTT COUNTRY .................. 77, 3, IFC
C&G ANTIQUE FIREARMS .............114 JC MILITARIA ................................135
SENTRY TRADING ............................99
CHELMSFORD MILITARIA ..............136 JMS SPORTING............................... 78
SEVERNSIDE ARMS........................114
CITY AIRWEAPONS ..........................46 SHOOT AND SCOOT .......................151
CONOR SANDVOSS...... 44, 62, 130,134 K SHOOTERS RIGHTS ASSOCIATION .137
COOLGAME UK ................................86 KAHLES ...........................................63 SHOOTING SUPPLIES ................ 29, 62
CRACKSHOT LTD .............................41 KIRKLEES GUNSHOP....................... 94 SOLWARE LTD ..................................24
CRAWLEY SURPLUS STORE............. 24 SOVEREIGN ARMS FAIRS ...............151
CUSTOM TARGETS ......................... 44 L SPECIAL AUCTION SERVICES.........151
LAAF .............................................143 SPORTING SERVICES .......................86
D LINCOLN JEFFRIES ..........................24 SPORTSMARKETING ... ...............32-37
D&B MILITARIA ..............................134 LINTRAN .......................................... 9 STS NORTHWALES ..........................49
DAYSTATE .......................................25 SWAROVSKI UK .............................. 85
DOUBLE DEUCE FIRING RANGE ........87 M
DREWS LAB ...................................114 MERSEYSIDE ARMOURY.................115 T
MIKE J NOBLE ...............................136 THE KNIFE SHARPENER GUY .......... 17
DURRANT AUCTIONEERS ...............141
THE OLD BRIGADE .........................142
MILITARY 1ST ................................ IBC
THOMAS JACKS ..............................73
E MOOREDGES .................................115
TW CHAMBERS .............................. 46
EDGAR BROTHERS ...........................89 MYFENIX ........................................ 78
ETONCASTLE ................................. 29
W
N WASP PRODUCTS LTD..................... 78
F NAPIER............................................17 WATERLOO MILITARIA ...................142
FLECKTARN ...................................143 NIGHTMASTER ................................86 WEST ST ANTIQUES.......................151
FORGE CONSULTING ................ 66, 125 NOCKOVER TARGETS...................... 86 WILSON AND WILSON............. 126,127

G O Z
GILBERT DISTRIBUTION .................. 29 OGDEN SHOOTING SUPPLIES ......... 94 ZMW MILITARIA ............................136

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