| Bolt-Action Rifles of the 20th Century | |
Page Five
For the most innovative rifle of the 20th century, I would present the award to another rifle, one that does depart from tradition. In fact, it is totally new thinking in bolt-action rifle design, and it is interesting that the rifle comes from the same country where the Mauser originated—Germany.
About
seven years ago I traveled to Blaser in Germany to meet Gerhard Blenk, owner
and president of Blaser, where the Blaser R93 was designed and being made at
that time. I was impressed with the innovations in this new rifle, and as the
20th century closes, no rifle has topped it for innovation and functioning.
I wrote an article on this rifle (Shooting Times, February 1995), and even in
that article I called it the bolt-action rifle of the century in terms of innovation.
Since my visit to Germany back then, Blaser has combined with SIGARMS, and the
rifle is now called the SIG Blaser R93, but with a number of changes from the
original Blaser. The basic rifle, however, is the same design.
The Blaser rifle takes a completely new approach to bolt-action rifle design while at the same time retaining aesthetically pleasing and relatively conservative lines.
|
What the
20th Century •
QD-type sling swivel studs |
The rifle does not have a lug-type bolt locking system, and the bolt does not rotate to lock. Instead, an entire ring of thin spring-like fingers with knuckles surround the bolt about a half-inch behind the boltface. These fingers are wedged outward when the bolt is shoved home, and the internal wedge is driven back on contact with the cartridge case in the chamber. This forces all the fingers outward, and the knuckles engage an internal circular rim integral with the rear of the barrel. It makes for a self-centering and 360-degree lockup. When a round is fired and as pressure builds, the cartridge case head presses back against the boltface and the locking surfaces wedge even tighter.
The bolt lockup is not the end of the innovation for this rifle. It has interchangeable barrels and interchangeable bolts so that cartridges of a different case head size can be fired in it. Barrels are available from .22-250 Remington through .416 Remington Magnum, and bolt heads can be removed in about three seconds.
There is a two-piece stock (in the wood stock version) joined at the middle by an alloy block that houses the magazine. The barrel is bolted to the solid block. In all, it is a solid arrangement, and there is no tendency for the buttstock or forend to twist on the block. The barrels tighten solidly without compression of the material as you find with wood or synthetic material. In all, it makes for a very accurate system. I have three barrels for my rifle—.22-250, .243 Winchester, and .30-06—and they all shoot very well. The barrels can be taken off the bedding block and returned, and they remain sighted-in with the scope attached.
Magazine boxes are also interchangeable. A type of floating magazine and shallow feed angle makes for smooth cartridge feeding. The magazine box incorporates a boltstop so that the bolt stroke is adjusted for the length of cartridge being fired, yet another innovation. The forward face of the magazine box has a rubber surface to protect bullet tips should they come in contact here. At the same time, there is plenty of room in the magazine for seating bullets out of the cases.
The trigger is a sear-free system with a patented toggle link design that breaks crisply and uniformly. The pull weight on my rifle is a crisp 18 ounces. The same trigger is used on all calibers so that you always have a familiar trigger, no matter what caliber you’re using.
The rifle is not drilled and tapped for scope mounting. Instead, specially machined recesses allow for the purchase of a uniquely designed scope mount. The mounts can be had as a quick-detachable lever arrangement or as two hex screws that tighten the one-piece base to the barrel. Either mount is secure. Even the forward sling attachment is different. It consists of a brass crosspin in the stud, which accepts a special leather sling. The arrangement holds the sling in alignment with the rifle, and it is absolutely quiet.
At only 6.5 pounds, the rifle is lightweight, and it’s good looking. The major drawback for American shooters is the price. When I wrote the article back in 1995 the price of a basic rifle was $2800 with many options available. That price has kept it from becoming popular in this country and out of the hands of the average American hunter. The new SIG Blaser R93 has some changes, and the price is now $1495 to $2585. But in terms of sheer innovation, combined with practicality, aesthetics, and functionality, there is no contest; the wood-stocked Blaser R93 is the runaway winner for the bolt-action rifle of the century.
Page One - Overview,
Bolt Locking, Extractor, Ejector
Page Two - Gas
Handling, Trigger, Safety, Magazine/Feeding, Scope Mounting, Bolt Stop
Page Three -
Bedding
System, Aesthetics, Rick's Two Favorites
Page Four - Comparing
the Ruger 77 and Winchester's 70 Featherweight
Page Five - Blaser's
Innovation, What the 20th Century
Has Brought Us For Rifles
Page Six - Lever-Action
Bolt Gun?
Page Seven -
Mauser
Influence Spans the Centuries; Jamison's Top 50 Guns
This article was originally published in Shooting Times magazine in January, 2000.
