Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) Urges Support of Ukrainian Gun Owners
Ukraine is in crisis, but Alan Gottlieb, SAF founder and executive vice president, says American gun owners can help: “We’re calling on our fellow gun owners and rights activists to support Zbroya, the Ukranian Gun Owners Association (UGOA).”

UGOA is a member organization of the Int’l Association for the Protection of Civilian Arms Rights (IAPCAR), which SAF helped organize more than a decade ago. Now, more than ever, gun owners in Ukraine are in dire need of support, because civilian arms rights has never been more important in that nation.

“Our brother and sister gun owners in the Ukraine are fighting for their lives,” Gottlieb said, “and now is the time for gun owners across the country and around the world to step up and help them in their hour of need.” Contributions may be made directly to the UGOA. CLICK HERE to visit UGOA website.

When IAPCAR was founded, Gottlieb recalled, “We stressed the importance of civilian arms rights because when a nation is threatened with its very existence, responsibility for that nation’s defense invariably falls to the people, the patriots willing to take up arms and stand on the front lines of freedom.”

“If anyone wonders why the right to keep and bear arms is so important, they only need to watch the evening news for the answer. More than 200 years ago, our fledgling nation had to fight for its very existence. Times have changed, but for the people of Ukraine, the circumstances are very much the same. This young nation is battling raw aggression, and that fight involves our fellow gun owners. Help us help our friends and allies in Ukraine.”

EDITOR: I have visited Ukraine twice, and still have friends there in Kiev and Odessa. What is happening right now is tragic for the Ukrainian people, who suffered mightily in the 20th Century due to Stalin-caused massed famines, followed by Nazi oppression.

You’ve never seen a Swiss K31 like this before…

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.

SHOT Show, the firearms industry trade show, is a huge event. There are more guns and shooting accessories than you can possibly imagine. On Thursday we saw everything from a giant CADEX .50 BMG with a 24″-long suppressor to a tiny Kahr .380, the thinnest carry gun in production. Here are some highlights from Day Three, a combination of old and very, very new. McMillan has a new, as-yet-unnamed tactical stock, Walther showcased an amazing electronic trigger, and Uberti revived America’s Wild West heritage with a line of single-action revolvers.

CZ 455 Tactical/Varmint Rimfire Rifles

CZ USA still continues to offer some of the best .22 LR rifles for cross-training and tactical rimfire games. The CZ 455 Varmint Tacticool and Varmint Precision Trainer (Camo) feature proper, full-size stocks (with adult-scale ergonomics) so these rimfires look and feel like a centerfire tactical rig. CZ 455s have smooth actions and crisp triggers.

Walther LG400 Air Rifle with Electronic Trigger

Look carefully — this Walther LG400 Alutec air rifle is different than any gun you’ve ever shot. You see it has an ELECTRONIC trigger. This sophisticated, battery-powered trigger offers a super-precise, super-light release (it’s more a “touch” than a “pull”). For top-level international and Olympic shooters, the electronic trigger can offer a competitive advantage. Later this year Walther will offer an electronic trigger in its top-of-the-line smallbore rifle.

“Name This Stock” — New Tactical Stock from McMillan

Kelly McMillan, president of McMillan Fiberglass Stocks is holding the latest tactical stock from McMillan. It features a girder-style open fore-end that fits any barrel contour. At the rear, the stock boasts an adjustable cheekpiece along with a straight toe for riding a sandbag. Interestingly, this stock has no name (as yet). At SHOT Show, McMillan is running a “Name This Stock” contest. The winner will receive a free stock.

Giant Super-Sized Scope at Zeiss Booth

At its booth, Zeiss displayed what must be the world’s largest rifles-scope replica. This giant scope, as big as a totem pole, certainly did draw the attention of anyone who walked by. The big news at Zeiss this year is the Victory V8 line of scopes with 8X zoom ratio.

Uberti Classic Single Action Pistols

We love vintage-style revolvers. This year Uberti offered a beautiful array of single-action pistols in a variety of styles. Along with its line of “Wild West” repro pistols, Uberti makes excellent lever guns based on classic Winchester designs. This editor owns two Uberti lever-action rifles, and they are both beauties.

Anschutz Model 9015 Competition Air Rifle

Our friend Steve Boelter, President of Anschutz North America, showed us the latest and greatest competition rifles from the respected German gun-maker. In this photo, Steve is holding the new Anschutz 9015 air rifle. Above is the new, top-of-the-line Anschutz smallbore target rifle. In a week or so we’ll release a video showing the details of both these rifles.

SHOT Scenery — From Russia with Love

It wouldn’t be SHOT without a few Booth Babes, or should we say Booth Babe-bushkas. These charming young ladies really ARE from Russia. Yuliya, on the right, hails from far-away Vladivostok in Siberia. She said she appreciated the warmer weather in Las Vegas.

Tikka T3 Compact Tactical Rifle for the Canadian Rangers

On display at the SAKO booth was the Tikka T3 Compact Tactical Rifle which has been adopted by the Canadian Rangers. This will replace the Ranger’s beloved, but antiquated Lee-Enfield rifles. The Canadian Rangers, an element of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Reserve, serve as the CAF’s eyes and ears in sparsely-settled northern and coastal areas of Canada. The Rangers have helped secure Canada’s hinterlands since 1947.

Browning “Hell’s Canyon” Gun Vaults

Browning showcased a series of large gun safes with much-enhanced fire-proofing and thicker steel walls. The new “Hell’s Canyon” Series of gun vaults offer 40% thicker steel plus 2 – 3 times the fire protection of typical gun safes. These “Hells Canyon”-series safes are impressive.

Kim Rhode — Olympic Gold Medal Winner

We had a chance to interview shotgun superstar Kim Rhode, who has won Gold Medals at multiple Olympic Games. She told us some very interesting facts. For example, did you know that roughly 70% of females are left-eye dominant? Kim revealed some techniques that right-handed, cross-dominant shooters can use to improve their scores. We’ll reveal that in an upcoming video interview with Kim, shown here at the autograph table with some of her Olympic medals.

Think 3-position shooting is a dull game? You may think differently after watching this “must-see” video from the 2014 European Shooting Championship in Moscow. Great imagery, superb editing, and a stirring sound-track combine into one of the most uplifting shooting videos we’ve seen. If you love competitive shooting, you should watch this video, which features dynamic movement and fast cuts, like a movie trailer. Most footage is from the Women’s Air Rifle competition, but Men’s Air Pistol events are also featured. We recommend viewing in Full-Screen HD. Enjoy!

Watch Video from European Shooting Championship (Movie Trailer Style):

NOTE: Click the Full-Screen Icon to Watch in 720p or 1080p High-Definition.

This video was compiled for the 2014 European Shooting Confederation Championship in Moscow, Russia. This video was posted on the Russian Shooting Union (RSU) YouTube Channel. Music is “Fire of Zeus” by Ryan Amon.

These sanctions will be carried out pursuant to President Obama’s Executive Order 13662 relating to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The OFAC sanctions include provisions banning the importation of rifles and shotguns from various Russian manufacturers. The Kalashnikov Concern, and Izhmash, manufacturers of Saiga rifles and shotguns, were specifically named in the sanctions. This means it will be illegal for American companies to import firearms made by these Russian manufacturers.

Writing in the Truth About Guns Blog, Nick Leghorn declares: “So the importation of new Izmash-produced firearms is now banned indefinitely in the United States. But that Executive Order definitely raises some questions for those currently in possession of a firearm manufactured by the now-sanctioned firearms companies. For example, can a gun dealer sell their existing stock?”

OFAC provides at least a partial answer to these questions in the OFAC Question and Answer section of the U.S. Treasury website:

Q: If I own a Kalashnikov product, is that product blocked by sanctions? Am I able to resell a Kalashnikov product at a gun show or other secondary market?

If a U.S. person is in possession of a Kalashnikov Concern product that was bought and fully paid for prior to the date of designation (i.e., no payment remains due to Kalashnikov Concern), then that product is not blocked and OFAC sanctions would not prohibit the U.S. person from keeping or selling the product in the secondary market, so long as Kalashnikov Concern has no interest in the transaction. New transactions by U.S. persons with Kalashnikov Concern are prohibited, however, and any property in which Kalashnikov Concern has an interest is blocked pursuant to OFAC’s designation of Kalashnikov Concern on July 16, 2014. If a U.S. person has an inventory of Kalashnikov Concern products in which Kalashnikov Concern has an interest (for example, the products are not fully paid for or are being sold on consignment), we advise that U.S. person to contact OFAC for further guidance on handling of the inventory.

Q: If I have Kalashnikov products in my inventory, can I sell them?

If a U.S. person has an inventory of Kalashnikov Concern products in which Kalashnikov Concern has an interest (for example, the products are not fully paid for or are being sold on consignment), we advise that U.S. person to contact OFAC for further guidance on handling of the inventory.

SCATT Training Systems employ an electronic optical sensor fixed to a gun’s barrel, frame, or the compressed air cylinder of an air gun. The shooter then aims at the electronic target. A trace of the point of aim can then be followed on a ‘real-time’ display screen. When the shooter pulls the gun’s trigger, the point of impact is then displayed on the screen. (This is dry-fire only — no projectiles are loaded). All results of training sessions can be recorded for later analysis. Russian research has shown that SCATT training is both effective and efficient. Using SCATT, beginning marksmen can acquire competitive skills two to three times more quickly than with conventional practice methods alone.

SCATT Shows How an Olympian Holds
The video below shows the aiming patterns of Olympic bronze medalist Miss Snježana Pejčić, a 10m Air Rifle shooter. The SCATT system records the air rifle’s muzzle motions as green traces while Snježana dials in her aim. Her final shot positions (and scores) are recorded when the large circle appears.

SCATT Company has dealers worldwide for its training systems, electronic targets, and shooting accessories. To order SCATT systems in the USA, contact:

Center Shot Sports

www.CenterShot.com
4300 Rogers Ave., Suite 20,
Box 213
Fort Smith, AR 72903
Phone: 479-262-2584
E-mail: info [at] centershot.com

Many interesting rifles were on display at this Sniper Match, including Russian designed-and-built ORSIS T-5000 rifles. A T-5000 chambered in 7mm RSAUM won the Armourers’ Day Match. This alloy-chassis ORSIS design has displayed outstanding accuracy shooting a wide range of chamberings from the .308 Win up to the .338 Lapua Magnum. In .308, the T-5000 looks like it would work well in F-TR competition and tactical matches. Read more on ORSIS Website (English language).

Vitaly writes: “Last year, The President of Russia signed a decree about the establishment of Armourers Day on 19th September. This Saturday on September 15th I visited Sniping competition devoted to the Armourers Day celebration. The event was organized by TSNIITOCHMASH, Promtechnologies Group (ORSIS trade mark), Club of Precision Shooting and National Federation of Precision Shooting.

The event was open for public and without fees for participation, and as a result the competition was more like a meeting of old friends. Participants and spectators created a wonderful atmosphere, and the organizers made excellent conditions for competition.

Although the event was purely civil, it was attended by the officers from several special units. So I decided to focus mainly on the sniper rifles they used. And, of course, ORSIS rifles. The overall winner shot an ORSIS T-5000 chambered in 7 RSAUM. The second place shooter fielded a Sako TRG-42 in .338LM, while the third-place shooter used a Russian SV-98 in 7.62x54R.”

If you visit Vitaly’s Blog site, you can also see many other Russian rifles, fitted with a variety of stock materials: wood, aluminum, and composites. CLICK HERE for MORE Russian Rifle PHOTOS.

The MP-161K comes with standard iron sights or you can attach a Weaver-type rail to the top of the receiver for mounting telescopic optics. Standard magazine capacity is 10 rounds, and the curved magazine “disappears” completely into the receiver housing. That’s a nice feature for someone carrying the gun in the field — one less projection to snag. The gun is light-weight. Without scope the MP-161K weighs just 5.72 lbs. (2.6 kg).

The Baikal MP-161K will be sold in the USA by European American Armory (EAA Corp.), which has recently resumed importation of the Baikal line of firearms. EAA does not expect to have MK-161Ks in stock before mid-December, if then. Price has not yet been set. We’ll try to give you a hands-on report from SHOT Show 2011 in January.

Specs and More Info

TulAmmo offers Non-corrosive Boxer primers, Lead-free non-corrosive Boxer primers, and Non-corrosive Berdan primers in all popular sizes including small rifle, small rifle military, small rifle magnum, large rifle, large rifle military, and large rifle magnum. There is even a special .50 BMG primer. Product codes are listed in the chart below. For more info, visit the TulAmmo USA website.

Powder Valley Facebook Page Has Updates and Specials
When new product shipments arrive, Powder Valley (PV) provides timely updates on PV’s Facebook Page. Be the first on your block to learn about powders, primers, and bullets as soon as they arrive.

Powder Valley has been posting updates every couple of days, so check the PV Facebook page often to stay “in the know”. You can also call Powder Valley at (800) 227-4299 for updates or to order.

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[.]”