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Handguns

S&W M&P15-22P Pistol

sw_mp15-22p_01aSmith & Wesson announced a new AR-style pistol chambered in .22 LR: the M&P15-22P.  The M&P 15-22P is a polymer framed semi-auto pistol based on the S&W M&P 15-22 rifles.

The new S&W handgun has a 6″ carbon steel barrel with a 1:15 twist, and weighs 51 ounces (unloaded).  The detachable magazine holds 25 rounds of .22LR ammunition.  This is the same standard capacity magazine that is used in the M&P15-22 rifle.  So, if you have one of those, you can swap mags between the two guns.

The M&P 15-22P features a full-length optics rail along the top of the gun, and a mini-quad rail for lasers, lights, can openers and Romulan cloaking devices.  A swivel point attachment is also included for attaching a single point sling.

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Categories
Handguns

Rock River Arms LAR-40 Pistol

rra_lar-40aI have to admit the Rock River Arms LAR-40 pistol is a head-scratcher for me.  This is one of those guns that I just don’t get.  Let me explain…

The RRA LAR-40 is a AR-15 style firearm chambered in the .40 S&W pistol round and configured as a pistol.  You can get them with a seven inch or 10.5 inch barrel with an A2 or A4 upper.  Overall length on the seven inch model is 23 inches with an unloaded weight of 4.8 pounds.  The 10.5 incher weighs 5.2 pounds in the A2 configuration and measures 26.5 inches overall.

The pistols use an UZI-style stick magazine (only one is included).  Retail prices run from $1120 to $1180 depending on configuration.  But…what’s the point?

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Categories
Rifles

Marlin Model 336 BL

marlin_336bl_01aThe new Marlin Model 336 BL has arrived.  I got to handle one of these rifles at the 2010 SHOT SHOW in Las Vegas.  The BL version stands for “Big Loop Lever”.

This new Model 336 version offers a slight variance of their highly popular lever action rifle with a hint of old West flavor.  The Model 336 BL has an 18.5″ barrel that has a highly polished blued finish.  The stock and fore grip are composed a brown laminate finish that will be familiar to Model 336 owners.  And the Model 336 BL has the standard 6-shot tubular magazine that extends underneath and to the end of the barrel. Interior firing mechanisms are exactly the same as the standard Model 336.

The major difference in this model is the “BL”, the Big Loop Lever and the slightly shorter barrel than the standard Model 336.  Those changes may seem like small differences, but the handling and speed of manipulating the lever are noticeable.

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Rifles

Timney Triggers Introduces Mosin Nagant Trigger

timney-trigger-01aI love my Mosin Nagant rifles.  Like many M-N owners, I own several.  And at less than $100 for a fine shooting surplus rifle, most Mosin owners start small collections.

One of the common complaints from Mosin Nagant shooters is that the triggers on most of the rifles is somewhere between kinda awful and flat-out awful.  Considering  I only paid $70 each for my M-n rifles, the triggers aren’t bad, but they are heavy and gritty.  That’s about to change.

Timney Triggers introduced a trigger for the Mosin Nagant rifles.  Quoting consumer demand as the driving force behind this product’s development, Timney is selling the triggers right now on their web site for $89.95.

The trigger pulls are adjustable between 1 1/2 and 4 pounds, and a three pound pull ships standard.  Timney incorporated a trigger blocking side safety, heat treated components and an aluminum housing.

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Categories
Handguns

Kel-Tec PMR-30 in .22 Magnum

kel-tec_pmr30_01

Kel-Tec had the new PMR-30 on display at the 2010 SHOT Show.  The PMR-30 is a pistol designed around the .22 WMR (aka .22 Magnum) cartridge.  The double stack magazine holds 30 rounds of the mighty rimfire, hence the “-30” designator in the name.

Kel-Tec was not at the range for Media Day, so we did not have a chance to shoot this new pistol.  However, I did get a chance to play with it at the Show.  There were things I liked, and disliked, about the gun.

The Kel-Tec PMR-30 was lightweight (only 13.6 ounces) and had many of the features shooters tend to prefer such as an accessory rail and a frame mounted safety (sweep down to fire.)  I liked the fiber optic sights, which had a green front and red rear.  The sights were easy to see, and the contrasting colors made for a nice sight picture.

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