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November 8th, 2009
This gear review is by respected prone shooter German Salazar. German recently received the first production version (Serial No. 0001) of the NEW Borden Action espressly designed for Tubeguns. German reports this is “really a great piece of equipment” and it’s affordable at $800 for the single-shot version or $850.00 for the repeater.
NEW Action for the Tubegun Revolution by German Salazar
If you’re a High Power shooter then you know that the Tubegun Revolution is in full swing both in across-the-course and prone matches. For many reasons, including accuracy, availability, cost, delivery time, ergonomics, familiar feel (for AR15 shooters) and more, the Tubeguns are becoming the norm in High Power. I recently built a 30-06 Tubegun for prone matches and have been extremely satisfied with the results, but I had a desire for a better action for it, now that desire is a reality.
While most Tubegun stocks are made to take Remington 700 actions or clone, it has become difficult to get bare Remington actions and bargain priced 700s are non-existent these days. Buying a complete rifle to strip, then blueprinting the action leaves you with about the cost of a custom action invested in the Remington — not the most economically sensible outcome.
Seeing the need for a custom action to fit the Tubeguns at a moderate price, Jim Borden of Borden Rifles is now making a Tubegun Special (TGS) action –- actually six variants of it. The TGS action is made to fit the Tubegun stocks without alteration and has been designed in cooperation with Gary Eliseo (Competition Shooting Stuff) to ensure compatibility and functionality.
Special Features Optimized for Tubegun Installations
The TGS is a full round action, without the scallops of the Borden Alpine/Timberline series and without the flattened rear bridge of the Remington 700. This full round surface presents a much larger surface area for epoxy if you intend to glue-in the action, and simply a better fit if you intend to bolt the action into the tube. Additionally, the TGS has no scope mounting holes or bolt stop since these are not required in a Tubegun stock and their elimination reduces machining costs, helping to keep the retail price competitive with a blueprinted Remington.
Beyond the action profile, there are a few choices in the TGS. You can order it right-handed or left-handed, long action or short action, single-shot or repeater. The single-shot models have a coned bolt as shown in the photos, which helps feeding from the action trough, whereas the repeaters have a flat-faced bolt like a Remington to ensure reliable feeding from a magazine.
The TGS has the familiar Remington-type plunger ejector and a claw extractor similar to the Sako. I have put over 4,000 rounds through my 6BR Borden Alpine with 100% reliability from the extractor. It’s a solid, reliable design. The bolt is nicely fluted in a spiral pattern and the fit and finish of every bit of the action and bolt are first class. It’s almost a shame to epoxy it into the tube, but that’s what it’s meant for!
Borden Accuracy is now a distributor for the CG triggers (X-tremeshooting.com) and can time the action to the trigger before delivery. Other triggers are available from Borden as well and the action takes any Remington-type trigger. Finally, Gary and Jim have standardized locations for the serial number and manufacturer information and the CSS stocks have small windows in the main sleeve to allow those to be seen at all times.
If you’re planning to build a Tubegun, you should take a close look at the Borden Tubegun Special action, it’s a very practical and cost-effective approach with the single-shot actions priced at $800 and the repeaters at $850 as of this writing.
October 20th, 2009
If you had purchased Ruger (RGR) or Smith & Wesson (SWHC) stock after the November election, you would have seen your investment grow almost three-fold. Ruger stock now trades at over $13.00 after hitting $4.52 last fall. If Remington, Bushmaster, Marlin and other Freedom Group companies “went public”, could they ride the coat-tails of Ruger and S&W, and succeed collectively as a publicly traded stock? Cerberus, a private holding company that controls the Freedom Group, apparently thinks so.
Cerberus Plans IPO for Remington and Freedom Group
A surge in gun sales has pushed the stock prices of major firearms manufacturers upwards. Will that trend continue? We can’t say. However, the money men at Cerberus Capital Management, which owns Remington, Bushmaster, Marlin, and other Freedom Group companies, have decided that the time is ripe to “go public” and start selling stock. According to a 10/19 report in the Wall Street Journal Blog, Cerberus plans an initial public offering (IPO) for its Freedom Group companies. The Freedom Group is comprised of Advanced Armament Corp., Bushmaster, Dakota Arms, DPMS, Eotac, H&R, L.C. Smith, NEF, Parker Gun, Remington Arms Company. Advanced Armament Corp. (AAC) is the latest addition to the Freedom Group collection, having been acquired just this month and placed under the Remington Military Products Division.
In its report on the pending Freedom Group IPO, the Wall Street Journal Blog cited AccurateShooter.com. When Cerberus acquired riflemaker DPMS in 2007, we wrote: “One positive aspect to Cerberus’ involvement in the gun industry is that the huge political clout Cerberus commands as the ‘rescuer’ of Chrysler Corp. should undermine efforts to ban AR-platform rifles. Cerberus is big enough to make waves in Washington. Money talks in politics and Cerberus has lots of it.”
Is the timing right for a gun-company IPO? The stock-market continues to move upward, and gun and ammunition sales remain very strong. On the other hand, the panic buying of black rifles has tapered off and AR-platform gun prices are now dropping back to “pre-panic” levels. Morever, at the end of each calendar year there are usually major stock sell-offs. That could drive down prices of Ruger and Smith & Wesson, which could dampen enthusiasm for a Freedom Group IPO. On the other hand Remington is an historic brand with a strong customer base, and Remington/Bushmaster are poised to take an increasing share of lucrative military contracts. With its new ACR (Adaptive Combat Rifle), Remington could well win the contract for the AR15’s replacement. And, even if the US military sticks with Stoner’s 50-year-old AR design, Bushmaster can fill that need, though it has strong competition from Colt and FN Herstal.
A cynical observer might say that Cerberus is simply looking to grab easy profits by “flipping” arms companies it acquired at fire-sale prices. Given the huge run-up in Ruger and S&W stock prices over the past 12 months, Cerberus may figure that investors will be hungry for Freedom Group shares. Right now may be the best time to take the Freedom Group public while gunmakers are still considered a “hot property” on Wall Street. In six months that could change.
October 18th, 2009
This past week, Remington held a new products seminar in Kerrville, TX. While Remington tried to impose a “news embargo” through November 15, details leaked out about many of Remington’s new guns.
The big news is the planned release of a civilian, semi-auto version of the Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR). The Guns and Hunting Blog “spilled the beans”, revealing that Remington plans to sell a semi-auto ACR in the civilian market, starting in the first half of 2010. Based on a Magpul prototype, the ACR has been under development for two years, as a collaboration between Bushmaster and Remington. Price for the civilian ACR is expected to be under $2000, considerably less than the FN SCAR, a similar weapon now being tested by the U.S. Military.
The civilian version of the modular ACR will likely sport a 16.5″, 1:7″ twist barrel standard. Multiple barrel lengths can be fitted (see diagram above), and barrels can be changed without tools. Remarkably the entire gun can be field-stripped down to six major components in under 90 seconds. The ACR features integral rails on top of the receiver and on the forearm. The buttstock adjusts for length and also folds back using a hinge at the rear of the receiver. The charging handle is non-reciprocating. Weight with a 14.5″ barrel (no magazine) is 7 pounds.
Adam Heggenstaller of Guns and Hunting reports: “The consumer version will be offered with a 16.5-inch barrel, but Bushmaster will also be making barrels with lengths of 10.5, 14.5 and 18 inches. The first version of the ACR will be chambered in 5.56×45 mm, of course, but since a tool-less disassembly allows you to change bolt heads, barrels and magazines, the ACR can be user-configured to run with other cartridges as well. Ongoing development will focus on the 6.8 mm Rem. SPC, 7.62×39 mm, a yet-to-be-disclosed 6.5 mm round and the .30 Rem AR.”
October 16th, 2009
 Krieger Barrels, respected maker of cut-rifled match and hunting barrels, announced it will offer 5R rifling for 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, and .308 caliber barrels. This kind of rifling features 5 lands and 5 grooves, but the lands are angled (slanted) on the sides (rather than 90°) for a gentler transition between land and groove. Krieger’s 5R rifling slants BOTH the leading and trailing edge of the lands (unlike “ratchet” rifling which is angled on one side only). 5R rifling also places each land opposite a groove. Having lands opposing grooves, along with slanted sides on the lands, is thought to give a better gas seal and reduced fouling. Additionally, some folks believe 5R rifling reduces jacket deformation by displacing less jacket metal. Overall, proponents of 5R rifling say it helps a barrel foul less and deliver more velocity than conventional rifling.
5R rifling will add $30 to the cost of a Krieger barrel. Krieger will NOT offer 5R rifling for gas gun barrels. Additionally, 5R rifling is offered only for constant twist-rate barrels. So, you can NOT get a gain twist barrel with 5R rifling. At this time 5R rifling is limited to 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, and 30 caliber bores, as listed in Krieger’s official announcement:
“Thanks to approval by Boots Obermeyer, Krieger Barrels, Inc. is now offering the true Obermeyer 5-R rifling pattern as an option on limited calibers with our barrels. We are very proud of the fact that Krieger Barrels was chosen as the only Obermeyer-approved maker of his style of 5-R rifling in North America. At this time we are limiting the 5-R option to the calibers listed below, but may offer others in the future as greater demand arises. There is a $30.00 up-charge to the base cost of the barrel for 5-R rifling. Currently available calibers:
– 6mm (.236″ & .237″ bore diameters, .243″ groove)
– 6.5mm (.256″ bore, .264″ groove)
– 7mm (.277″ bore, .284″ groove)
– .30T Palma (.3065″, .3070″ & .3075″ groove diameters)
– .308 cal (.300″ bore, .308″ groove)
5-R rifling is ONLY available in standard bore/groove dimensions listed and standard twist rates at this time. Please call if you have questions about availability of a certain caliber/twist combination. Please note, we are not, and have no plans to offer 5-R rifling in our finished ‘Gas Gun’ lines of M14, M1 Garand, AR-15, and AR-10 variants.”
5R Rifling in Production Guns
In the past, limited runs of Remington 700 tactical rifles, including some LE and SS (stainless special) models, have been offered with factory hammer-forged 5R barrels. These rifles have a reputation for shooting faster and more accurately than Rem 700s with conventional factory barrels. The Remington 5R barrels, though based on Obermeyer designs and similar to Mike Rock 5R barrels produced for the Army’s M24 sniper rifles, are NOT cut-rifled, but are produced in-house using the hammer-forging process.
Thompson/Center (T/C) Icon and Venture rifles currently feature 5R factory barrels. On T/C 5R barrels, the sides of each land are cut at a 65° angle vs. a 90° angle for standard rifling. See diagram. T/C claims that “because the edges of each land do not cut into and deform the bullet jacket… there will be less jacket fouling in the grooves”. T/C says this produces “greater bullet stability over multiple shots, and ultimately a rifle that’s easier to clean[.]”
October 6th, 2009
Remington Arms Company has entered into an agreement to acquire Advanced Armament Corp. (AAC), a leading manufacturer of suppressors (silencers), muzzle brakes, and other shooting accessories. Located in Norcross, Georgia, AAC is a leading supplier of noise reduction and flash reduction devices for the military, government, and commercial markets. AAC will report to the Remington Military Products Division, but AAC will continue day-to-day operations in Georgia under company founder Kevin Brittingham.
The following was posted by AAC’s Tom Beckstrand in the AAC Blog:
“Remington has introduced new products in the sniper rifle space with the Modular Sniper Rifle (MSR) and the carbine/sub-compact weapon space with the Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR) to compete for emerging US government special operations and conventional force requirements. As it currently stands, the majority of small arms produced for the American military come from companies headquartered overseas.
Remington’s decision to purchase AAC stems from recognition that future military weapons selections will almost unilaterally require sound and/or signature reduction. Our military has been at war for over eight years now and experience shows that there are significant tactical advantages associated with suppressor use….”
AAC has experienced substantial growth due to the military’s demand for suppressors. AAC was the provider of silencers and flash hiders for the SOF Combat Assault Rifle (SCAR) program. Civilian sales have increased also. AAC notes that suppressor ownership is legal in 34 U.S. states. The merger of Remington with AAC will enable AAC to take advantage of Remington’s larger production capabilities[.]
September 10th, 2009
 Want to win a free gun? Are you feelin’ lucky? Every month various magazines, manufacturers, and webzines offer gun drawings or give-aways. Usually you just provide your name, contact info, and email address for a chance to win. Sometimes you have to fill out a survey or answer a quiz.
Gun Giveaways Indexed on the Web
You could spend hours fishing around the web for all the gun-related contests, or just log on to WeaponsCache.com. Matt, webmaster of WeaponsCache.com has scoured the web for gun and knife give-away contests. He has provided, all in one place, handy links and contest descriptions. Current give-aways listed on Matt’s site include:
Remington Model 870™ Express 20 gauge Shotgun
S&W M&P 15-22 (Rimfire AR15 Clone)
SIG SAUER p229 .40sw Pistol Drawing
Arsenal 7.62×39 Saiga Rifle Contest
OMB Glock 21 Pistol Give-Away (LEOs only)
Puma M92 Lever Gun Give-Away (Connors 50th Anniv. edition)
Grand View 12 Guns for 12 Months Sweepstakes
Shiloh Sharps 45-70 Rifle Drawing (for Active-Duty Military, Ends 9/11)
Take Note: The Shiloh Sharps Drawing is a once-a-year event for service personnel, and entries close Sept. 11, 2009.
September 6th, 2009
The 2009 F-Class National Championships will be held September 30 through October 4 at Camp Butner, North Carolina. This year the host North State Shooting Club has amassed a treasure trove of prize awards, worth over $15,000.00. If you’ve been debating whether to attend the Nationals, the lure of big money prizes should motivate you to load up and head to Butner.
 Rifles, Actions, Stocks, Scopes and More Will Be Awarded
2008 F-Class National Champion (and North State Club member) Charles Ballard reports that: “This years prize table is huge, with over $15,000 worth of prizes donated by our sponsors. Kelbly’s is donating an F-Class action to the top junior, and Precision Rifle & Tool is donating an F-Class stock. Remington Arms will give the top F-TR shooter a new Model 700™ XCR™ .308 Tactical Long Range rifle. All F-TR shooters will be entered in a drawing to win a new Savage F-TR Rifle. Nightforce Optics “will make two shooters very happy.”
F-Class Nationals Sponsor List
Bartlein Barrels
Berger Bullets
Broughton Barrels
Brux Barrels
D&B Supply
Ear East
Kelbly’s Inc.
King Canopy
Manson Precision Reamers
Nightforce Optics
Pacific Tool & Gauge
Precision Rifle and Tool
Pro-Shot
Redding Reloading Equipment
Remington Arms
Savage Arms
Sierra Bullets
CLICK HERE for a complete list of F-Class Nationals Prizes
CLICK HERE for F-Class Nationals Program, Schedule, and Application Form
Note: The entry application (page 4 of program above) must be filled out and mailed to: Jane Green, 6147 Hebron Road, Oxford, NC 27565
The Nationals commence with a Practice Day on September 30. On Thursday, October 1, the match begins with the 600-yard Stage (both individual and 4-man team match). The first 1000-yard Stage will be held on October 2 (individual and team), while the final 1000-yard stage is set for October 3. October 4 is reserved as a make-up day in case of bad weather.
August 31st, 2009
The Indian Army has introduced a new Modern Sub-Machinegun Carbine (MSMC) that shoots an interesting new round, a shortened version of the 5.56×45 (.223 Remington). According to The Firearm Blog, “The [MSMC] chambers a round developed in India called the 5.56×30mm. This round is sometimes referred to as the ‘5.56×30mm INSAS’ after the first gun to chambered the round, the INSAS Carbine.”
This is an interesting cartridge, reminiscent of the 5.56×30 MARS cartridge originally developed by COLT for its Mini Assault Rifle System (MARS) project (see below). The MARS gun never went into full production, and the 5.56×30 cartridge remained an orphan. But it was an interesting cartridge. As designed, using just 16.8 grains of commercial ball powder, Colt’s 5.56×30 cartridge could launch a 55gr FMJ bullet at 2600 fps.
We are intrigued by the new Indian 5.56x30mm cartridge because it would seem very well-suited for varminting, either in .22-caliber form, or necked down to .20 caliber or even .17 caliber. We already have a similar cartridge, of course, the 221 Fireball, but right now there is only one manufacturer of 17 and 221 Fireball brass, namely Remington.
If the Indian 5.56x30mm cartridge is produced in large quantities, perhaps we could see budget-priced 5.56x30mm brass exported for sale in the American market. That would be a boon for high-volume varminters. Also, if the Indian 5.56x30mm is standardized internationally, perhaps one of the European brass manufacturers (Lapua, Norma, RUAG, Wolf?) would consider producing it as an alternative to the 221 Fireball. We can only wish that a 20-cal or 17-cal version of the Indian 5.56x30mm cartridge might be produced some day as inexpensive factory ammo. Many varminters are now looking at centerfire options to the 17 HMR cartridge, as 17 HMR ammo prices continue to climb. A 50-round box of 17 HMR can now cost $14.00 or more.
August 29th, 2009
Over a two-year span (2006-08), Cerberus Capital Management, through its Freedom Group holding company, acquired Remington Arms, Bushmaster, and Marlin Firearms, along with other gun brands. Observers were concerned about the consolidation of so many legendary American gun-makers under one ownership group — too many eggs in one basket. If Cerberus suffers financial setbacks, it was feared, this could have a huge effect on the U.S. gun industry.
Cerberus Hedge Fund Investors Jump Ship
Now it appears that those fears may have been well-founded. According to the Wall Street Journal, “Cerberus Capital Management’s investors overwhelmingly want out of the firm’s core hedge funds, asking for the return of more than $5.5 billion, or almost 71% of the fund assets”. That’s bad news for Cerberus of course. However, the Hedge Fund represents only about 1/3 of Cerberus assets, so the overall picture isn’t completely bleak. The Private Equity (PE) Fund, for which Cerberus is most famous, is NOT directly affected by these Hedge Fund issues. Still, the PE Fund is not without its own problems. Cerberus’s investment in Chrysler proved disasterous. After Chrysler went into bankruptcy, most of its assets were turned over to Fiat and the UAW.
What’s ahead for Cerberus? We can’t predict. There’s no reason to believe, at this time, that Cerberus is seriously threatened. Likewise, there may be no immediate effect on the operations of Remington, Bushmaster, and Marlin. However, you can bet that the top Cerberus decision-makers will be taking a hard look at the “bottom line” of all the enterprises Cerberus controls. And that, in turn, could mean a financial squeeze for Freedom Group companies that are not performing up to expections.
Freedom Group Gun Companies:
Bushmaster, Dakota Arms, DPMS, Eotac, H&R, L.C. Smith, NEF, Parker Gun, Remington Arms Co.
CLICK HERE for further Discussion of Cerebus Hedge Fund issues.
August 21st, 2009
Here is an important notice for anyone who owns a Remington model 597 rifle chambered in 17 HMR or who shoots Remington 17 HMR ammunition. Remington has learned that safety problems can arise when its 17 HMR ammo is used in semi-autos, including the model 597-17 HMR. Accordingly, Remington is recalling both the ammo and the gun.
The Firearm Blog reports: “Problems with the Model 597 and 17 HMR [are] not uncommon. Gun manufacturers seem to have a very hard time in trying to convert .22 blow-back actions to the more powerful .22 Magnum and … the 17 HMR.” Prompted by safety concerns, Remington has instituted a buy-back program for its model 597 17 HMR rifle. Remington will also provide $10.00 coupons for each box of Rem-brand 17 HMR ammo returned by customers. This ammo must be returned directly to Remington, not to the dealer where it was purchased. Remington’s Safety Recall Notice reads as follows:
| DO NOT USE REMINGTON 17 HMR AMMUNITION IN SEMI-AUTOMATIC FIREARMS.
DO NOT USE THE REMINGTON MODEL 597 HMR SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLE.
Remington has been notified by its supplier of 17 HMR ammunition that 17 HMR ammunition is not suitable for use in semi-automatic firearms. The use of this ammunition in a semi-automatic firearm could result in property damage or serious personal injury.
 If you have a semi-automatic firearm chambered for 17 HMR ammunition, immediately discontinue use of Remington 17 HMR ammunition. If you have any Remington 17 HMR ammunition that you wish to return to Remington contact the Remington Consumer Service number below.
Do not return the ammunition to the dealer. Remington will provide you with a $10.00 coupon for each complete box of 50 rounds of Remington branded 17 HMR ammunition you return to Remington. This coupon will be good for the purchase of any Remington ammunition at your local dealer.
In light of the ammunition manufacturer’s notice, it is very important that you immediately stop using your Remington Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle. If you own a Remington Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle and wish to return it to Remington please contact the below Remington Consumer Service Number. In return for your Remington Model 597 17 HMR synthetic stock semi-automatic rifle, Remington will provide you a coupon valued at $200.00 good for the purchase of a replacement Remington firearm. If you have a laminate stock Remington Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle, Remington will provide you a coupon valued at $250.00 good for the purchase of a replacement Remington firearm. Remington will also reimburse you for the actual postage to return your Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle to Remington.
Please allow up to 6 weeks after Remington receives your Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle or your Remington branded 17 HMR ammunition for the appropriate coupons to arrive. Instructions for redemption of the coupons will be contained on the coupon.
For any consumer questions or instructions on how to return of your Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle or your Remington branded 17 HMR ammunition, please contact the Remington Consumer Service Department at 1-800-243-9700, Prompt #3. |
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