Gary Eliseo of Competition Machine is a very talented sling shooter. And Eliseo Tubeguns are used by many of the nation’s top Palma and Sling Discipline shooters. Gary has “raised the bar” with his latest Tubegun product which combines a tuned Pierce action with a modernized Eliseo chassis. Gary calls this the Universal Match Rifle System (UMRS). It can accept a variety of high-end triggers, including the Jewell and Bix’n Andy two-stage.
Gary tells us: “We’re very proud to announce our new Universal Match Rifle system, built around a special hand-tuned action made to our specifications by Pierce Engineering. The Universal Match Rifle system is crafted to the highest standards and has a full line of attachments that make it easily configured for the NRA Highpower, Long Range Prone/Palma or Precision Rifle disciplines. The Universal Match Rifle is available as a complete rifle in the chambering of your choice with your choice of a Jewell single stage or Bix’n Andy two stage trigger, it’s also available as a ‘builders kit’ where you can have your gunsmith fit the barrel and trigger of your choice. Please contact us with your questions about the UMRS, or to ask about delivery schedules and pricing”.
The Eliseo UMRS has already proven itself in competition. At the recent 2018 Berger Southwest Nationals, Allen Thomas used his UMRS to win the Overall Grand Aggregate in Sling Division. Competition was fierce, with some great shooters including many sling aces from the United Kingdom.
SWN Sling Winner Allen Thomas (left) with Capstone Precision Group’s Bill Gravatt.
In this video, Gary Eliseo explains the features of his new Universal Match Rifle System. Gary builds the UMRS and other high-quality chassis systems at his Cottonwood, Arizona production facility. Visit GotXRing.com for more information on all Competition Machine products.
There is a new book, Chambering Rifles for Accuracy, that will benefit folks who want to understand the chambering process, and potentially learn to chamber a barrel on their own. We caution, however — you really need a skilled, hands-on mentor for this this task. For someone without a lot of machining experience, chambering can be tricky, and working with lathes can be dangerous to say the least.*
With those cautions stated, this book will help any gun-owner understand how chambering is done, and what to look for when assessing chambering work by commercial gunsmiths. Chambering Rifles for Accuracy is co-authored by Gordy Gritters and Fred Zeglin. The methods detailed in this book can be used equally well by gunsmiths in a professional shop, and by skilled, well-trained hobbyists working in a home workshop. The book costs $49.95 from Amazon.
Gordy Gritters is a highly-respected gunsmith and gunsmithing instructor. Gordy has built many match-winning competition rifles so he knows his stuff. Fred is a gunsmith, gunsmithing instructor, author, and is the owner of 4-D Reamer Rentals, so he is very knowledgeable on the use and care of reamers. Fred has extensive experience building high-accuracy hunting rifles.
Fred wrote the first half of the book, which covers what is needed to prepare for and chamber high-accuracy hunting barrels. Zeglin lists all the tools needed such as reamers, micrometer reamer stops, headspace gauges, and more.
Gordy wrote the second half of the book, which goes beyond basic chambering. Gordy covers setting up a lathe for chambering barrels through the headstock, various dialing-in methods commonly used, how to deal with curvature in rifle bores, and how to deal with reamer chatter (especially prevalent in 5R-type barrels). Then Gordy covers the entire dialing-in/threading/fitting/chambering/crowning process used to build a benchrest-quality rifle. Gordy also explaines how to ream custom chamber necks, and how to throat the chamber for specific bullets or for a specific purpose.
Gordy Gritters also created an excellent DVD, “Chambering a Championship Match Barrel”. No other chambering video shows the entire chambering process step-by-step with the advanced, precision techniques used by master gunsmiths. Gordy has built several rifles that hold world records and have won National Championships. This is a professional 90-minute production from Grizzly Industrial. You can purchase this $69.95 DVD from Gordy’s website or from Grizzly Industrial.
*This Editor’s own uncle suffered a severe arm injury while working with a lathe. He was not an amateur — he had done lathe and mill work for over 40 years. But a shirt-sleeve caught in the spinning chuck. The results were horrific.
There has been a long wait, but Hodgdon H4350 powder is now showing up at vendors across the nations. Some of our favorite online retailers have H4350 in stock now, in both 1-pound and 8-pound containers.
Precision Reloading has H4350 one-pounders for $26.99 and 8-lb jugs for $216.99. You should probably act quickly, because this may sell out soon. Precision Reloading also has good inventories of other popular powders.
Bruno Shooters Supply has the large, 8-lb jugs for $222.95, with H4350 1-lb containers for $34.95. Bruno’s also has most of the other popular Hodgdon powders in stock now.
Registration is now open for all of the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s (CMP) 2018 Travel Games, featuring a variety of rifle and pistol events held around the country throughout the year. The CMP has revamped its 2018 Travel Games schedule by adding matches and establishing its own Classification System. Moreover, the CMP will take over the Creedmoor Cup Matches, and all matches will now follow CMP High Power Rifle Competition Rules. CLICK HERE for Travel Games INFO.
The 2018 Travel Games schedule now includes the Cup Matches (formally the Creedmoor Cup Matches), now administered by the CMP. These will be part of the Eastern Games and the Western Games.
Events fired at the Travel Games include a mix of modern and vintage military rifle competitions like the John C. Garand, Springfield, Rimfire Sporter, Carbine and Vintage Sniper Matches. The Travel Games also feature pistol matches, as well as a Small Arms Firing School and other training clinics taught by qualified CMP staff members.
Registration Procedures
Upon registration, competitors will choose match date, relay, relay time and rifle for the Garand/Springfield/Vintage/Modern Military Rifle Matches only. There will be different relays and relay time choices available for competitors to fire Garand (GAR), Springfield (SF), Vintage Military (VM) or Modern Military (MM) rifles. Competitors may only choose a maximum of FOUR relays per day to allow the opportunity to fire the GSM 3-Gun and 4-Gun Aggregates.
New Classification System
Additionally, the CMP has created a new Classification System. Competitor scores in the 80 Shot, 100 Shot or EIC Rifle matches will count towards CMP Classification. Competitor classifications are based on a competitor’s average scores fired in his or her most recent competitions. The CMP maintains a national database of competitors and scores that are used to establish competitor classifications. Competitors can view his/her current CMP Classification by logging into CMP Competition Tacker and clicking in his/her personal “Competitions” and “EIC Results” files.
Electronic Targets at Travel Games
As last year, rifle competitions will be fired on CMP Targets, a user-friendly electronic target system shows shot placement and records scores. This system and eliminates the need for pit duty — allowing matches to run more quickly with less physical strain.
New Pay-Back Program for Clubs
A Club Pay Back Program is also being introduced during the 2018 Games season, where $5.00 per competitor will be awarded to any CMP Affiliated Club that has five or more of their members attending and participating in the marksmanship competitions held at the event.
About the CMP Travel Games
The Travel Games are regional competitions held throughout the year, featuring exclusive CMP rifle and pistol outdoor events. A common part of the CMP schedule for the last decade, the Games are centered around recreation-oriented competition and educational activities that are designed to accommodate experienced marksmen as well as those hoping to learn more.
The Hickory Groundhog and Egg Shoot, the richest varmint shoot East of the Mississippi, is just two days away. Now in its 38th year, the popular Hickory Shoot will be held this Saturday, April 7, 2018 starting at 8:00 am. The event is hosted the first Saturday of April each year by Larry Willis of Bull’s Eye Sporting Goods, (704) 462-1948. The basic entry fee is just $25.00 per gun. That’s cheap for a chance to win a bundle of cash, plus valuable prizes such as Shehane stocks and Nightforce optics.
The Hickory Groundhog and Egg Shoot is the best event of its kind in the Southeast. Yes, conditions can be challenging (with mirage and switchy winds), but you can win big. In years past over $7,000 worth of prizes and cash has been awarded. Shooters can also compete in an Egg Shoot for cash and other prizes. The event is held near Hickory, North Carolina.
Hickory Shoot Course of Fire
The normal course of fire consists of three sets of paper groundhog targets at 100, 300, and 500 yards, and NO Sighters. They do have a bench for handicapped shooters that can not get down in the prone position. Most competitors will shoot at the head at 100 yards because the points are higher. At the longer distances, 300 yards and 500 yards, most shooters go for body shots on the paper groundhog target. The Hickory employs “worst-edge” scoring, meaning if you cut a scoring line you get the next lower score.
Anatomy of a Hickory-Winning Rig — Brady’s Record-Setting 6BR
If you wonder what kind of rifle can win the big money at the Hickory Shoot, have a look at Terry Brady’s 42-lb 6BR. In 2010, Terry won the Custom Class in the Hickory Shoot, setting an all-time record with a 99 score. Terry was shooting a straight 6mmBR rifle, purpose-built for Groundhog shoots, which have no weight limit in Custom Class. The fiberglass Shehane Tracker stock was stuffed with lead shot from stem to stern, so that the gun weighs nearly 42 pounds with optics.
Relays Run Like Clock-Work
The shoot is run very smoothly, with one relay shooting while the next relay waits outside the shooting area, ready to go. Once a relay is done, shooters grab their items and exit on one end of the shooting platform while the next relay comes in from the other end. The relays move through in rapid succession.
You must quickly set up and get ready because as soon as the target pullers get back they are ready to shoot. When the fire command is given you have two minutes to get your three shots off at that distance. When the cease fire is called you quickly grab your gear and get off the shooting platform because the next relay is coming in.
The Sureshot Armament Group (SAG) has developed a modular aluminum chassis for the vintage, straight-pull Swiss K31 rifle. This chassis transforms an old classic into a modern, fast-cycling tactical rig. The SAG Lightweight K31 Rifle Chassis is CNC-Machined from aluminum. Hard anodized, it weighs just 2 lbs. 13 ounces. It offers adjustable cheek piece and butt-pad, with a three-inch LOP adjustment range. Believe it or not, installing a vintage K31 into this SAG stock is an easy bolt-on process. No modification of the K31 action is required.
The chassis-builder SAG states: “The main idea behind the SAG Lightweight K31 Rifle Chassis was to give the shooter …ergonomics of a Tube-gun but with lines of the classic rifle. The chassis ‘wraps’ the shooter around the rifle, moving bolt operation under the shooters cheek to allow the marksman to maintain cheek weld during the whole shooting series.” The chassis design also allows a more forward optics placement for better eye relief.
SAG Lightweight K31 Rifle Chassis Features:
CNC-Machined Aluminum with hard-anodized matte finish
Easy bolt-on installation to Swiss K31
Adjustable Cheek Piece (0-30mm)
Adjustable Buttpad to set LOP (11.5” – 14.5”)
KEYMOD Interface on fore-end and buttstock
Accepts any AR-type pistol grip
Overall chassis weight: 2 lbs. 13 oz. (1280 grams)
Chassis MSRP: €950 ($1163.00 USD)
About Switzerland’s Original Karabiner Model 1931 (K31)
The Karabiner Model 1931 (K31) is a magazine-fed, straight-pull bolt action rifle. It was the standard issue rifle of the Swiss armed forces from 1933 until 1958, though examples remained in service into the 1970s. It has a 6-round removable magazine, and is chambered for the 7.5×55mm Swiss Gewehrpatrone 1911 cartridge (aka GP 11).
Wiki Photo by Bouterolle, CC BY-SA 3.0
Although the K31 is a straight-pull carbine broadly based on previous Swiss “Schmidt–Rubin” service rifles and carbines, the K31 was not designed by Colonel Rudolf Schmidt (1832–1898) as he was not alive in 1931 to do so. Mechanical engineer Eduard Rubin (1846–1920) was the designer of the 7.5×55mm Swiss ammunition for which previous Swiss service rifles and the K31 are chambered. The Karabiner Model 1931 was a new design by the Eidgenössische Waffenfabrik in Bern, Switzerland under Colonel Adolf Furrer (1873–1958). The Karabiner Model 1931 replaced both the Model 1911 rifle and carbine and was gradually replaced by the Stgw 57 from 1958 onwards.
KelTec offers a semi-auto bullpup rifle which it claims is “Left Coast Compliant”. Presumably, this “featureless” rifle can be sold in California because it does not have a pistol grip, or other “evil” features disfavored by gun-phobic California politicians. This rig, the KelTec RDB-C “Hunter”, has been offered in .223 Remington and 6.5 Grendel*.
We actually like the looks of the new KelTec RDB-C, which was first introduced in 2016. The ergonomics seem sensible, and this rifle should be easy to stow and transport. KelTec also says that the cartridge ejection system is user-friendly: “[The] downward shell ejection system eliminates the side ejection disadvantage of ordinary bullpups. The result is brass and gas that eject out of your line of sight making it a truly ambidextrous, high performance rifle for everyone.”
KelTec also includes a gas pressure control with the RDB-C. This lets you control the cycling rate to suit different types of ammo. That’s smart. KelTec explains: “The RDB is also adjustable for a wide variety of ammunition and makes for an excellent suppressor host.”
6.5 Grendel Version Tested in 2016
*When the RDB-C rifle was introduced in 2016, KelTec listed 6.5 Grendel as a chambering, along with .223 Rem. One YouTube video shows a 6.5 Grendel RDB-C reviewed and then test-fired. Watch video at 14:00 time-mark. However, this 6.5 Grendel chambering is NOT currently listed on KelTec’s website.
The new 39th Edition of the Blue Book of Gun Values is releasing this month. You can purchase this popular price guide through Blue Book Publications for $49.95. Or save ten bucks by ordering from MidwayUSA for $39.99. The Blue Book of Gun Values by S.P. Fjestad is the leading gun valuation resource. There are now 1.8 million copies in circulation worldwide. This book continues to be the “Bible” for buyers, sellers, collectors, and connoisseurs in the firearms industry.
Blue Book of Gun Values, 39th Edition, April 2018
2512 Pages with 1700 gun makers and nearly 23,000 gun descriptions
This new 39th Edition contains new-for-2018 firearms makes and models, with important pricing updates on many current and discontinued models.
Features of the new Blue Book of Gun Values:
· 2018 makes and models have been included, with many new handguns and rifles.
· 2,512 Pages covering nearly 1,700 manufacturers and trademarks, with almost 23,000 gun model descriptions.
· 500,000+ up-to-date values are provided. No other book has more.
· Important pricing updates on major trademark current, antique, and discontinued models, including Colt, Winchester, Smith & Wesson, and Ruger.
· The 80-page color Photo Percentage Grading System (PPGS) has been revised, making firearms grading even easier and more accurate.
· More information, more values, and more history than any other guide on the market.
Sample Page from Blue Book of Gun Values:
Review by Tom Gresham, Gun Talk Radio Host
“At some point, every gun owner asks the question, ‘What’s it worth?’ The leading reference for decades has been the Blue Book of Gun Values. Whether you are a seller, a buyer, a shopper, or just curious, this constantly-updated gold mine of research is your friend.”
Here’s a record-setting rimfire benchrest rifle owned by our friend Joe Friedrich.
The experts at ELEY Limited, top rimfire ammo-maker, have posted a helpful guide to cleaning rimfire barrels. We reprint highlights of the article below, but we suggest you read the full article on the Eley website: How to Clean Your Rifle the ELEY Way.
Editor’s Comment: This is not the only way to clean a rimfire barrel. There are other procedures. This is the method recommended by ELEY based on decades of experience with the top smallbore shooters in the world, including many Olympic Gold Medalists. Some shooters have been very successful cleaning less frequently, or using different types of solvents. The ELEY method is a good starting point.
Rimfire Barrel Cleaning
1. Clean the extension tube with a 12 gauge brush and felt or tissue moistened with solvent.
2. Smoothly insert a cleaning rod guide into the receiver.
3. Apply a dry felt to the cleaning rod adapter and push it through the barrel to the muzzle in one slow steady movement. As the felt is dry it may feel stiff.
4. Remove the soiled felt and pull back the cleaning rod.
“Descended from the M1 Garand, the M14 utilized multiple improvements that made it a far superior firearm for combat and a much better rifle for competition.” — Dick Jones, Shooting Sports USA.
In the April 2018 issue of Shooting Sports USA, you’ll find a good article on the civilian version of the M14, now sold commercially as the Springfield M1A. An evolution of the battle-proven M1 Garand, the M14 was designed to shoot the 7.62×51 (.308 Win) round instead of the larger .30-06 Springfield cartridge used in WWI, WWII and Korea. While the vast majority of today’s M1As are chambered for .308 Win/7.62×51, Springfield Armory also produces a 6.5 Creedmoor version.
Dick Jones reports that accurized M14/M1As could post remarkable scores: “The accuracy potential of the M14/M1A is unquestionable. During their reign as service rifles, they produced multiple perfect 200 scores at 600 and 1000 yards in the hands of top shooters. This is a difficult feat with a modern, scoped, magnum-caliber rifle and remarkable with an iron-sighted battle rifle. Good competition rifles can group 10 shots under one MOA, and the meticulously-massaged rifles used by the top shooters during my career would consistently put up 10 shots under an inch at 200 yards off a test cradle.”
For many years, the semi-auto version of the M14 was “top dog” in iron sights Service Rifle competition. Now that discipline is dominated by .223 Rem (5.56×45) AR-type rifles, but the bigger .308-caliber rifle, now sold as the M1A, remains popular. The CMP hosts a major M1A Match every year at Camp Perry, sponsored by Springfield Armory. Significant prizes are awarded. M1A Match competitors took home over $25,000 worth of cash and merchandise in 2016.
In this video, YouTube Reviewer Hickok 45 compares the M1 Garand and the M14/M1A:
See how the modern M1A is built in this Springfield Armory Video:
As racing improves automobiles, competition improves firearms, and the current crop of Springfield M1As, from the Basic to the top-of-the-line Super Match and Loaded models, reflects the years of development. The M14 and its variants are still in service today and it’s still considered by many to be the best battle rifle in the history of the U.S. Military. — Dick Jones, Shooting Sports USA
New Classification System
Relays Run Like Clock-Work
The experts at 
