The American Rifleman has used the phrase “Dope Bag” at least since 1921, when Col. Townsend Whelen first titled his column with it. Even then, it had been in use for years, referring to a sack used by target shoot- ers to hold ammunition and accessories on the firing line.“Sight dope”also was a traditional marksman’s term for sight adjustment information, while judging wind speed and direction was called “doping the wind.” CAUTION: Technical data and information con- tained herein are intended to provide information based on the limited experience of individuals under specific conditions and circumstances. They do not detail the comprehensive training procedures, techniques and safety precautions absolutely necessary to properly carry on similar activity.Read the notice and disclaimer on the contents page. Always consult comprehensive reference manuals and bulletins for details of proper training requirements, procedures, techniques and safety precautions before attempting any similar activity. ® BROWNING BPR

Browning’s new pump- rifle, the BPR, exter- nally resembles the semi-automatic BAR.The BPR is offered in four standard and two magnum calibers.

HE elegant styling of Browning’s Stocks on the Browning BPR are of fine- new, BPR, center-fire, pump-action ly-grained, select walnut with 20 line-per- Trifle is patterned after the firm’s suc- inch cut checkering. The buttstock is fluted cessful BAR Mark II, semi-automatic rifle with a full , rear swivel stud introduced in 1993. Despite the imposing and soft, black rubber buttpad. There is no appearance, the BPR weighs only 7 lbs. 3 pistol grip cap, white line spacer or forward ozs with excellent balance and handling. sling swivel stud. However, Browning does Stock dimensions will please most owners offer a barrel clamp front sling swivel stud and the comb height serves iron sight and at extra cost. scope sight shooters equally well. Barrel lengths are 22" in standard cals. and 24"in magnum cals. with a sporter con- tour of constant taper with a diameter of BROWNING BPR .590" at the muzzle. Button rifled in carbon The BPR’s trigger assembly may be re- steel with six lands and grooves, BPR bar- moved by drifting out both retaining pins MANUFACTURER: Browning, S.A., rels are finished with a durable,medium pol- in the receiver, then pulling the unit out the Place des Hauts-Sarts, B-4040 ish blue. Barrel-mounted iron sights are bottom. This allows access to the gun’s Herstal, Belgium standard and combine a front blade with a interior for routine cleaning. Browning IMPORTER: Browning Arms Co., Dept. does not recommend further disassembly. AR, One Browning Place, Morgan, UT gold bead on a hooded ramp with a blade 84050 rear sight having click adjustments for MECHANISM TYPE: pump-action, cen- windage and elevation. The receiver is assembly may be removed easily out the bot- ter-fire rifle drilled and tapped for scope bases (those for tom of the receiver. Surprisingly, this simple CALIBERS: .243 Win., .270 Win., 7 mm the BAR will fit). Scopes with long tubes task constitutes the entire user disassembly Rem. Mag., .308 Win., .30-’06 Spr. recommended by Browning. As this expos- (tested), .300 Win. Mag. may require the shooter to remove the rear 5 es the interior of the receiver for cleaning, OVERALL LENGTH: 39 ⁄8" iron sight, though this should not be neces- 1 further disassembly is unnecessary. Trigger BARREL LENGTH: 22 ⁄8" sary with most hunting scopes. RIFLING: six groove, 1:10" RH twist A rotary bolt with seven front lugs in pull of the rifle submitted for test was crisp, WEIGHT: 7 lbs., 3 ozs three rows locks directly to the barrel. The but a bit heavy at nearly six lbs. CAPACITY: four (magnums receiver is aluminum alloy with a hard The cross-bolt safety in the rear of the three) trigger guard works smoothly and silently. 7 anodized blue finish. Dual operating rods TRIGGER: single-stage, 5 ⁄8 lb. pull A small slide release lever projects down- SIGHTS: Blade with gold bead on hooded assure smooth, bind-free operation. There is ramp front, blade rear click adjustable a smallish, internal extractor and ejector. The ward on the right side of the trigger unit. Just for windage and elevation, receiver floorplate of the receiver is hinged at the in front of the trigger guard bow is a curved, drilled and tapped for scope bases front, and it swings down to expose the grooved sliding button that releases the STOCK: Select walnut with high-gloss floorplate when pushed forward. The trig- 5 removable, double-column, steel magazine finish: length of pull, 13 ⁄8"; drop at ger itself is gold-plated and there is a small, 1 1 inside. This four-round unit (three rounds in heel, 1 ⁄2"; drop at comb, 1 ⁄4" magnums) snaps into place quickly and eas- gold-filled, Browning “Buckmark” logo on ACCESSORIES: barrel clamp front sling the outer surface of the trigger guard. swivel mount optional at extra cost ily via a catch on the rear of the floorplate. PRICE: $689.95 (standard cals.), The single-stage trigger assembly is held When loading or unloading the BPR, the $741.95 (magnum cals.) inside the receiver by two large, steel pins. slide must be fully forward which also clos- When these are drifted out, the entire trigger es and locks the bolt. If the slide is not fully

48 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • February 1998 unloading was fast and simple. The magazine snaps in or out eas- ily once you get the feel of it. During function testing extraction was smooth and ejec- tion positive with no malfunctions of any type. Accuracy was acceptable for a rifle of this type. The BPR could stand a few minor improve- ments, however. The To load, the detach- wood-to-metal fit at the able, steel, double- As the slide of the new BPR rifle is pulled column magazine is rear of the receiver on the rearward, the fore-end is cammed down- snapped into place test rifle was not up to ward and away from the receiver.The seven on the floorplate. The Browning’s usual high lug rotary bolt locks directly to the barrel. floorplate is then standard. Staffers also rotated up and into commented on the stiff- long, while left-handed shooters found it the locked position. ness of the floorplate nearly impossible to operate with their left release button that did hand. A subjective call was the matte finish forward, the floorplate will not swing down not always want to latch on a full magazine. on the bolt—some liked it; others would have far enough to clear the magazine. Because Right-handed shooters who handled the preferred a high polish finish. of this, it is very important to apply the safe- BPR noted that the slide release lever was too Hunters who appreciate a well-made, ty when loading or unloading and point the pump-action rifle will like muzzle in a safe direction. Single rounds the Browning BPR. Its may be loaded through the ejection port if ACCURACY RESULTS smooth action, low-per- the magazine is empty. ceived recoil, and comfort- Cleaning the BPR presents no special .30-’06 Spr. Vel.@ 15' Smallest Largest Average able handling are major problems, though the barrel must be cleaned (f.p.s.) (ins) (ins) (ins) selling points. Of course from the muzzle. Therefore, care must be Win. No.X30063 2830 Avg. 2.48 4.04 3.02 there is also the usual, high- taken to avoid damaging the muzzle crown 150-gr. ST 6 Sd quality Browning wood, when inserting the cleaning rod into the Fed. P3006D 2770 Avg. 1.90 4.78 2.74 checkering and stock finish. gun’s barrel. 165-gr. BTSP 10 Sd Thus, pride of ownership In testing, shooters praised the comfort- Lapua 2526 Avg. 1.10 7.00 3.88 plays a significant part in a able stock which contributed greatly to low 185-gr. PSP 19 Sd BPR purchase decision—as perceived recoil even when firing 220-gr. Average Extreme Spread 3.21 the suggested retail price is bullets. Test personnel also commented on slightly higher than many Five consecutive five shot groups at 100 yds., fired from the smoothness of the action which, when sandbags. Abbreviations: Sd (Standard deviation), BTSP bolt-actions and lower than combined with the good balance of the rifle, (boattail soft-point), PSP (pointed soft-point), ST (Silvertip) Browning’s BAR semi- made fast second shots easy. Loading and automatic rifle. FEG MARK II AP22 PISTOL

NOTHER pistol based on the timeless Walther PP and PPK has joined the AFEG Mark II .380 APK (March 1997, p. 48) and AP in the Interarms prod- uct line, the Mark II AP22. Chambered for the .22 Long Rifle cartridge, the new AP22 is manufactured by FEG (for Fegyver es Gazkeszuelekgyara NV or the Arms and Gas Appliances Factory of Budapest). Walther began offering a .22 Long Rifle cal. PP in the 1930s, and these scarce rim- fire guns became prized souvenirs among G.I.s returning from World War II. Twenty-two cal. PPKs and PPs have been offered intermittently since then, though at present the only .22 Walther The FEG Mark II AP22 is a .22 LR cal. Hungarian-made copy of the Walther pocket pistol available commercially in PP. The little double-action pistol the U.S. is the diminutive, American- retains most of the original Walther’s made TPH. High retail prices and lack features, including a decocking safety. of availability cleared the way for a number of PP-based copies and clones in .22 cal. One recent unabashed copy

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • February 1998 49 engagement, and the hammer falls. In sin- gle-action operation, a notch on the rear of FEG MARK II AP22 the cocking piece is engaged by a projec- MANUFACTURER: Fegyver es tion on the base of the hammer. When the Gazkeszuelekgyara NV, Soroksari ut trigger is pulled the trigger bar pulls the 158, 1095 Budapest, Hungary cocking piece slightly forward and out of IMPORTER: Interarms, Dept. AR, 10 engagement with the hammer’s tail—allow- Prince St., Alexandria, VA 22314 ing the hammer to drop. MECHANISM TYPE: blowback-operated, FEG characteristics carried over to the semi-automatic rimfire pistol CALIBER: .22 Long Rifle AP22 include a hole in the front of the trig- 1 OVERALL LENGTH: 6 ⁄16" ger guard to aid in disassembly, and a trig- 3 BARREL LENGTH: 3 ⁄8" The FEG AP22’s decocking safety is on the ger stop cast into the rear of the trigger blade, WEIGHT: 23 ozs. 5 slide’s left rear and is depressed to engage. which is vertically grooved on its front. WIDTH: 1 ⁄8" 3 A red dot is visible when in the “off”position. The eight-round-capacity, steel box HEIGHT: 4 ⁄8" magazine has a plastic basepad that pro- MAGAZINE CAPACITY: eight RIFLING: six-groove, 1:9.8" RH twist of the PP was the Daewoo DP52 (March trudes below the grip frame to aid in con- 1 TRIGGER: single-action pull, 7 ⁄4 lbs.; 1996, p. 50) imported from Korea from 1 double-action, 16 ⁄2 lbs. 1994 to 1996. At $320, the DP52 was priced SIGHTS: fixed post front, rear drift- at less than half the price of the Walther orig- adjustable for windage inal. The FEG Mark II AP22 is the latest .22 ACCESSORIES: carrying case, cleaning Walther clone and, oddly, is marketed by the rod and spare magazine same importer that handles the Walther PRICE: $269 product line. In profile, the double-action, blowback- operated AP22 closely resembles a PP with gaged, a flat cut out a short PPK-length slide and barrel. The The FEG’s ejector is on the safety drum AP22 follows the frame design of the orig- on the frame’s right, allows the hammer inal, and the new .22 does not have the FEG and it also serves to hit the rear of the APK’s “beavertail” rear grip frame contour The AP22’s single as a slide hold open. firing pin. When the that some consider an improvement over the right-side trigger gun’s safety lever is original Walther. bar (above) acts on applied, the safety 3 The 3 ⁄8"-long barrel is fixed, pinned to a “cocking piece.” drum rotates, and the frame and has a thick, .145" contour at An arm on the tail of prevents the ham- the muzzle. The rifling is six-groove with a the trigger bar lifts mer from hitting the right-hand twist of 1:9.8". Extraction is by a the cocking piece, firing pin. The safe- single hook on the slide’s right. The ejector which in turn lifts ty also locks the fir- the sear and cocks on the frame’s left also holds the side open the AP22’s hammer. ing pin in place. after the last round in the magazine is fired. The FEG Mark II In operation, the AP22’s trigger closely trolling the little pistol. The magazine is AP22 was fired for accuracy with the results follows the Walther PP. The single right-side released by depressing the non-reversible found in the accompanying table, and func- trigger bar acts on a “cocking piece.”An arm checkered button on the frame’s left behind tion-fired with American Eagle, Aussie on the tail of the trigger bar lifts the cock- the trigger. There is no button to hold the Ammo, Federal, Remington, Sellier & ing piece, which in turn lifts the sear and follower down during loading, though in our Bellot and Winchester ammunition. There cocks the hammer in double-action opera- experience one was unnecessary. were no failures of any kind among the more tion. When the cocking piece reaches its Stocks are of black, checkered plastic than 250 rounds fired. Even when we mixed highest point of travel, the sear drops out of retained by a single screw. The left stock standard and high-velocity Long Rifle panel has a “target” thumbshelf that adds to ammunition together in the same magazine the BATF’s requisite point total. Southpaws functioning was flawless. will want to swap it out for a panel without Fit and finish of the blued steel AP22 the shelf. were far below that of Walther guns—but Sights are a low profile .078"-wide blade then again so is the price. There were on a fixed ramp front with a drift adjustable machine and/or tool marks on most internal for windage open rear with an .090" square surfaces and on the slide’s exterior. Those notch. A grooved 255" wide rib on the slide top drops just forward of the rear sight and rises back up at the front’s ramp. Depressing the Remove the magazine grooved lever on the from the unloaded slide’s left rear FEG then pull down on the front of the trig- engages the manual ger guard. Grasp the safety. When in the slide and pull it rear- “off” position, a red ward and up—freeing dot is revealed on the When AP22’s safety lever is applied, the it to travel forward and slide. The safety also safety drum rotates and prevents the ham- off. The recoil spring serves as a decocking mer from hitting the firing pin. In addition, may then be removed. lever. When disen- the safety locks the gun’s firing pin in place.

50 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • February 1998 ACCURACY RESULTS were cosmetic and did bated by the narrow opening between the not effect performance. trigger and guard which left precious little .22 Long Rifle Vel. @15' Smallest Largest Average The Mark II AP22’s room for the trigger finger. Cartridge (f.p.s.) (ins.) (ins.) (ins.) double-action trigger The AP22 retains the original Walther’s CCI C063 1183 Avg. 2.56 3.38 3.47 pull was the main excellent handling and pointing character- Stinger HP 13 Sd source of complaint. istics, and its weight and all-steel construc- 1 Federal 3A9495 931 Avg. 2.27 4.37 3.66 The 7 ⁄8-lb. single-action tion were reassuring to some staffers who Champion SP Sd pull had some creep, eschew more modern materials often but was quite manage- employed to keep weight down. Its weight RWS 62NC2 838 Avg. 1.72 5.13 3.24 Sd able. The double-action did help make the AP22 soft-shooting, too. pull, however, weighed For those who employ the AP22 as an Average Extreme Spread 3.49 1 in at 16 ⁄2 lbs. with the inexpensive, practice companion to a .380 Five consecutive five-shot groups from 25 yds. fired from a heaviest weight at the PPK or for those who simply want the clas- Marcellyn rest. Abbreviations: Sd (standard deviation), HP (hollow-point), SP (softpoint). earliest portion of the sic lines of the Walther PPK in a rimfire plink- pull. This was exacer- ing pistol, the AP22 should serve nicely. ARMALITE AR-10(T)

ArmaLite, Inc. ,has introduced a carbine version of its suc- cessful Model AR-10(T) rifle, as well as its own ST96-10 10X scopes with built-in bullet drop compensator.Scopes may be had with parallax fixed for either 100 or 200 yds.

RMALITE,INC., has introduced a car- .094" to .084" since less gas is required to This tuning requires stoning and is best left bine version of its successful .308 cycle the action due to the shortened length. to the factory or a competent gunsmith. AWin. cal. Model AR-10(T) rifle Whereas the rifle came standard with a A flat-top with integral Picatinny rail is (May 1996, p. 48) as well as its own 10X screw-adjustable, two-stage, National the only version of the ArmaLite AR-10(T) ST96-10 rifle scope with built-in bullet drop Match trigger, the Carbine comes with a Carbine offered, though a carry handle and compensator. non-adjustable single-stage trigger set iron rear sight that attach to the rail may be 1 1 1 With its 16 ⁄4" barrel—as opposed to a between 4 ⁄2 and 5 ⁄2 lbs. at the factory. A two- ordered as options. 24" tube on the rifle—the Carbine is intend- stage match trigger may be special ordered, Both rifle and Carbine share the same ed more for close-in work rather than long- but the screw-adjustable model previously ArmaLite (T)-type upper and lower receiv- range competition like the rifle. The “Police offered on the rifle has been replaced on all er; beefed-up AR-15-style buffer with coun- Model” scope we received, too, is perhaps models with a two-stage, non-adjustable, terweights; firing pin with buffer spring; and best suited for closer use as the bullet drop National Match unit stepped, black phosphated compensator is calibrated to 1000 yds., but that may be tuned in a bolt that is chrome-plated the non-adjustable parallax is set for only manner similar to that inside for improved corro- 100 yds. ArmaLite does offer a nearly iden- used with the M1 rifle. sion resistance. Many tical version of this scope with the other parts are inter- parallax fixed for 200 yds. changeable with the AR- The AR-10(T) Carbine is more 15 family of . than just a shortened version of the The bolt locking lug rifle. A cut-rifled, match-grade barrel opposite the extractor has that is polished and left in the white been relieved at the rear so employs the 5R rifling pattern and is as not to contact the lock- made by Mike RockRifled Barrels, ing recess of the barrel Inc.. There is also a six-port muzzle extension. This design fea- brake permanently attached to the barrel that ArmaLite calls a “recoil Moly-coated factory loads from Hornady check” that is not found on the rifle. and Black Hills, as well as PMC loads The Carbine’s gas system is inside the sprayed with Marksman’s Ms. Moly coat- tubular handguard, but the gas tube is ing, turned in impressive groups during the course of our testing of ArmaLite’s AR- necessarily shortened. The gas port 10(T) Carbine fitted with the ST96-10 scope. diameter has been reduced from AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • February 1998 51 vation with white adjustment marks. ARMALITE AR-10(T) Overall length of the scope is 13", weight is 37 ozs. with the aluminum mount, and the MANUFACTURER: ArmaLite, Inc., Dept. objective and objective bell are 42 mm and AR, P.O. Box 299, Geneseo, IL 61254 1 2 ⁄4" in diameter, respectively. MECHANISM TYPE: gas-operated, semi-automatic, center-fire rifle The reticle is best described as a combi- CALIBER: 7.62x51 mm (.308 Win.) nation mil-dot/duplex crosshair with an OVERALL LENGTH: 371⁄4" integral converging line rangefinder. To use BARREL LENGTH: 161⁄4" the rangefinder, an object six feet tall is WEIGHT: 8 lbs., 3 ozs. bracketed between the baseline and the MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 10 appropriate short slashes above it, or alter- 1 RIFLING: five-groove, 1:11 ⁄4" RH twist natively, an object 18" wide can be matched TRIGGER: single stage, 8 lbs. pull up to horizontal slashes. The corresponding The ArmaLite AR-10(T) Carbine comes SIGHTS: none, equipped with integral standard with two 10-round, steel, double- Picatinny rail for Weaver-type mounts distance in yards marked on the rangefind- column box magazines. After loading the STOCK: olive-drab synthetic: length of er bracket’s baseline is then noted. first cartridge, depress the bolt-stop pull, 141⁄4"; drop at heel, 1/2"; drop at With the range to the target known in plunger at the rear of the follower to load comb, 1/2" yards, the top turret of the ST96-10 scope is the remaining cartridges into the magazine. ACCESSORIES: spare magazine, open dialed to that range and a dead-on hold used. bolt indicator Complete instructions on initially calibrat- about 6" below the point of aim. The com- PRICE: $1395 ing the scope are included in the owner’s pensator had to be dialed to 450 yds. for bul- manual. It is important to note that the bul- lets to impact at the point of aim. In all fair- let drop compensator on our test scope was ness to ArmaLite, the scope is calibrated for ture is to balance the load on the locking for the 7.62x51 mm (.308 Win.) cartridge use with the AR-10(T) rifle, that achieves lugs when a cartridge is fired. The modifi- using 168-gr. bullets. around 300 f.p.s. more velocity than the cation reduces the peak loading on the lock- Carbine with the same ammunition because ing lugs adjacent to the extractor from 40% of the longer barrel. This difference could to 24% each and distributes that load to the account for the additional elevation needed other four lugs. with the Carbine for the 300 yd. target. The ArmaLite’s AR-10(T) Carbine comes president of ArmaLite advised us that a standard with two 10-round, steel, double- ST96-10 scope regulated to the AR-10(T) column magazines based on the M14-type Carbine’s ballistics is under consideration that comply with the Violent Crime and Law at this time. Enforcement Act. ArmaLite AR-10 and We found the recoil check considerably U.S.-issue M14 magazines are not inter- more than adequate. Skilled shooters were changeable, but ArmaLite does offer pre- even able to fire shots while maintaining a ban 20-round M14 magazines modified for reasonable sight picture in the scope. use in its firearms. The AR-10(T) Carbine combined with ArmaLite’s ST96-10 is a 10X scope with ArmaLite’s ST96-10 is a 10X scope with a the ST96-10 scope with parallax fixed for a 30 mm diameter main tube made in the 30 mm main tube that is manufactured in 100 yds. offers excellent tactical potential. U.S. The tube is of seamless 6061T6 extrud- the U.S. The tube is made of seamless Although our test gun had a trigger pull ed aluminum alloy with a black, hard 6061T6 extruded aluminum alloy with a almost twice what we would have liked, the anodized coating inside and out. Eye relief black, hard anodized coating inside and out. accuracy of the Carbine actually surpassed 1 is 3 ⁄2"-4", exit pupil diameter is 4.3 mm and that of the rifle we previously tested. the field of view is four meters at 100 meters. The ArmaLite AR-10(T) Carbine fitted Unfortunately, our accuracy test with the rifle The eyepiece has a rubber edge with quick with the ST96-10 scope was fired for accu- was with different ammunition, so a direct diopter adjustment from -2.5 to +2.5, but it racy with the results shown in the accom- comparison of the guns’ respective accuracy has no lock ring. panying table. According to ArmaLite liter- is not possible. When equipped with the Other features include multi-coated ature that came with our test gun, Black ST96-10 scope with parallax fixed at 200 lenses to minimize flare and internal reflec- Hills moly-coated .308 Match, Federal yds., this rifle should give an excellent tions, shockproof, waterproof, dustproof .308M and G.I. M852 Match ammunition account of itself at even longer ranges. design; and large, target-type 1/4 minute would give the best accuracy. click-adjustable knobs for windage and ele- Black Hills was the only brand of ammunition on the list in stock,but ACCURACY RESULTS we stuck with ArmaLite’s moly- coated recommendation by also 7.65x51 mm Vel. @15' Smallest Largest Average using Hornady No. 80973 .308 Cartridge (f.p.s.) (ins.) (ins.) (ins.) moly-coated match ammunition, Black Hills 168-gr. 2341 Avg. 1.29 1.96 1.59 and sprayed Marksman’s Ms. HPBT Moly-coated Match 6 Sd Moly coating on PMC No.308 Hornady 80973 168-gr. 2454 Avg. 0.55 1.29 .88 SMB ammunition. All ammuni- HPBT Moly-coated Match 16 Sd tion shot well within the factory- PMC 308SMB 2446 Avg. 0.77 1.22 1.00 claimed 2" groups at 100 yds. 168-gr. HPBT Match* 15 Sd In further testing, the target Average Extreme Spread 1.15 The locking lug opposite the extractor has was set at 300 yds. and the ST96- 10’s bullet drop compensator Five consecutive five-shot groups from 100 yds., fired from been relieved at the rear so as not to con- sandbag rest. Abbreviations: Sd (standard deviation), HPBT tact the locking lug of the barrel extension. dialed to that distance. Black (hollow-point boattail), * (bullet coated with Marksman’s Ms. This more evenly distributes the peak load Hills’ 168-gr. moly-coated match Moly). the bolt receives when a cartridge is fired. bullets were fired, and impacted

52 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • February 1998 ITHACA MODEL 37 TURKEYSLAYER

The venerable Ithaca Model 37 is 62 years old. It has been used by the U.S. military and has been enjoyed afield by many hunters.The gun we received for testing was the Turkeyslayer—designed for the serious turkey hunter.

ESIGNED in 1936, the venerable the expense of higher The trigger-blocking, Ithaca Model 37 pump-action shot- manufacturing costs. ITHACA 37 cross-bolt safety remains Dgun remains in production 62 years Most in the at the rear of the steel trig- later. It has performed military service all same weight range as the AVERAGE OF 10 PATTERNS AT ger guard, and is reversible over the world and has been enjoyed afield Turkeyslayer use an alu- 40 YDS. for left-handers. by hunters pursuing all types of game. The minum alloy receiver to As its name implies, Model 37 is a favorite of left-handers, as it keep weight down. How- 26 29 the Model 37 Turkeyslay- is one of the few repeating shotguns that ever, the Turkeyslayer re- er is marketed toward the eject from the bottom. tains the machined steel 63 60 serious turkey hunter. To Despite the success of the Model 37, the receiver of the original that end, the gun comes Ithaca Gun Co. has had its share of trouble, Model 37 design, and 55 59 equipped with a plain 22" including a series of bankruptcies in the ’70s, weight is reduced by barrel with iron sights. ’80s and ’90s. A group of local investors re- using a minimal number The rear blade is a “V” opened the company in May 1996, and it is of parts that are all light- 25 27 notch using a stepped again producing the Model 37 pump-action ened where possible. And wedge for elevation ad- in limited numbers. since the receiver is steel, Extra Full Barrel justment and is drift- Many variations of the Model 37 have Ithaca wisely thought to adjustable for windage. been made over the years, including trap, drill and tap it for a = Point of Hold The front sight has a trian- waterfowl and slug guns. The variation we Weaver No. 51 rail so a C- Federal Premium Mag. 4-2-6 gular, pink, high-visibili- received for testing was the Model 37 More sight, HoloSight or Pellet Count= 450 ty, plastic sight blade Turkeyslayer—intended for the serious shotgun scope could be insert that collects ambi- turkey hunter. True to its origins, the easily attached. Total Hits 344 (76%) ent light much like a fiber- Turkeyslayer uses an interrupted thread bar- The shell carrier is a 21.2" Inner Circle 237 (53%) optic sight. It stands out rel attachment that is further secured by the light, U-shaped steel 30" Outer Ring 107 (23%) well against either dark or magazine nut at the end of the tubular mag- piece that has two long, light backgrounds. azine. This type of attachment is reported- thin, forward-pointing Tight patterns are a key ly more rigid than other types, although at fingers that double as the ejector. When element in bagging turkey. The Model 37 chambering a shell, the carrier lifts the Turkeyslayer’s barrel comes threaded for shell in line with the chamber and the bolt choke tubes,and is equipped with an extend- pushes the shell home. As the action locks, ed extra-full choke. The tube is slotted so it the carrier rises above the bolt to the top of the receiver. On opening, the shell is grasped on its rim by dual extractors at the 12- and six- o’clock positions. Once the shell is extract- ed from the chamber, the carrier snaps down to eject the shell, and into position to lift a fresh one for loading. The Turkeyslayer uses an Locking occurs at the interrupted thread for rear of the bolt. As the barrel attachment that is action is closed, a slide at further secured by the magazine nut. This type the rear of the single of barrel attachment is action bar tilts the rear of The 37 Turkeyslayer was patterned at 40 reported to be more rigid, the bolt up into a match- yds. with Federal Premium Magnum No. 6 though it makes manu- ing recess in the top of the shot.Patterns were tight,and easily moved facturing costs higher. receiver. to the point of aim using a C-More sight.

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • February 1998 53 Turkeyslayer with a C-More sight and pat- ITHACA MODEL 37 terned it at 40 yds. with 3" Federal MANUFACTURER: Ithaca Gun Co., LLC, Premium Magnum Turkey loads with the Dept. AR, 891 Route 34-B, King Ferry, results shown in the accompanying table. 3 NY 13081 Function firing was with a variety of 2 ⁄4" MECHANISM TYPE: pump-action and 3" shells varying in shot size from No. shotgun 2 to No. 6 having charge weights ranging GAUGE: 12-ga., 3" 1 2 3 from 1 ⁄ to 2 ozs. and powder charges vary- OVERALL LENGTH: 42 ⁄4" 3 ing from 3 ⁄4 to Mag. drams equivalent. BARREL LENGTH: 22" WEIGHT: 6 lbs., 14 ozs. There were no malfunctions of any kind. MAGAZINE CAPACITY: four Patterns were consistently tight and were 1 TRIGGER: single-stage, 8 ⁄2 lb. pull easily moved to exactly the point of aim SIGHTS: plastic blade front, open rear using the C-More sight. step adjustable for elevation With the exception of the magazine fol- Locking occurs at the rear of the bolt.When STOCK: hardwood: length of pull, 14"; lower, front sight insert and ventilated, 1 1 the action is closed, a slide at the rear of drop at heel, 2 ⁄4"; drop at comb, 1 ⁄4" black, rubber recoil pad, the Ithaca Model the Model 37’s single action bar tilts the ACCESSORIES: choke tube wrench, rear of the shotgun’s bolt up into a match- magazine plug ing recess in the top of the steel receiver. PRICE: $549.95 37 Turkeyslayer is entirely made of wood and steel—a welcome feature to many. The can be removed using a coin, or similar tool. hardwood stock fit average-size shooters Full choke in a 12-ga. has an average con- well, which helped control the recoil of even striction of .036". Ithaca’s extra-full choke the 2-ozs. Magnum loads. While the stock has a total constriction of .060", or just less was fine for use with iron sights, a cheek than twice that of a conventional full choke. piece was needed on our gun to get the eye Ithaca’s full-coverage use of Realtree in line with the C-More sight. camouflage on the Turkeyslayer provides Production of this variant is said to be lim- that extra edge of concealment turkey hun- ited, and there is reportedly a similar 20-ga. ters may need to get wary gobblers in close. in the works. The finish is applied by a film dip process While the 37’s design has stood the test with a clear coat protective finish. The dip- of time, it is an expensive model to produce ping process is farmed out to Tarjac of The Ithaca Model 37’s carrier is a light, U- when compared to other pump guns. shaped steel piece that has two long, thin, Waterloo, New York. Patterns offered are forward-pointing fingers that double as the However, the Ithaca Model 37 has proven Realtree Advantage, All-Purpose Brown, ejector. When a shell is extracted, the car- itself reliable for decades, and the All-Purpose Grey or Xtra Brown. rier snaps down to eject the shell, and into Turkeyslayer should serve a new generation We equipped the Ithaca Model 37 position to lift the next one for loading. of owners well, too. NORGON AR-15 AMBI-CATCH

OUTHPAW AR-15 shooters have on the left side is clear of the lower receiv- always been at somewhat of a disad- er. Grasp the catch and slowly rotate it Svantage when it comes to speedy counter-clockwise until it unthreads from magazine changes. The release’s location, the release button. Slowly let the catch come on the receiver’s right side above and just free of the receiver, being careful not to let forward of the trigger guard, presents no the magazine catch spring shoot out of the problems for right-handers as they can eas- now-empty magazine catch cutout. ily reach it with the trigger finger,but is prob- Depressing the release button, insert the lematic for left-handed shooters who have Ambi-Catch into the hole for the catch in the to shift their grip or use their weak hand. lower receiver. Rotate the catch clockwise Norgon, LLC, of Springfield, Virginia, until it is threaded into the right-handed but- has introduced the AR-15 Ambi-Catch, a ton. When the unit is fully seated, the spring The Norgon Ambi-Catch allows the maga- unit that does not hinder the function of the zine of an AR-15 to be released from either will allow tension to be released from either right-hand button, but allows the magazine the left or right side.The unit replaces the side. to be released from the left side as well. “stock” magazine catch and catch shaft. We installed the sample Ambi-Catch The catch is designed to work with all AR- easily in seconds. Left-handed users liked 15-type rifles and it allows left-handed magazine catch and catch shaft. It operates it immediately and it functioned flawless- shooters to release the magazine without on the same axis of the original release, ly. This is a well-thought-out accessory changing hands or losing their grip—or for and its slim profile helps protect against that will no doubt be welcome among right handers to operate the release with accidental depression. those with AR-15-type rifles. their weak hand. To install the Ambi-Catch, first remove Available from: Robert H. Garrett, The Parkerized steel Ambi-Catch is the magazine and ensure the rifle is Norgon, LCC, Dept. AR, 7518 K Fullerton designed to drop-in without full disas- unloaded. Next, depress the right side mag- Road, Springfield, VA 22153. $89.95 plus sembly of the rifle and replaces the “stock” azine release button until the magazine catch $5 shipping.

54 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • February 1998 RIDGELINE LINEAR ELITE

them uncomfortable to “chop side” ear cup contour to clear the high wear for long periods. comb of shotguns and rimfire target rifles. 1 Enter Ridgeline, Inc., The Pro-Mag weighs 16 ⁄2 ozs., while the with their new, electroni- Pro-Slim weighs 3 ozs. less. Both are avail- cally-augmented, Linear able in either black or white. The Sporting 1 Elite hearing protectors Clays weighs 8 ⁄2 ozs. and comes in black, featuring “Dynamic Sound white or green. Compression” (DSC). The Noise Reduction Ratio (NRR) of DSC works by maintain- the Pro-Mag is claimed to be a very good ing a preset, internal sound 28 db. Ridgeline recommends these units level of 85 decibels (db) or for center-fire rifle and pistol shooting for less which will not dam- this reason. Testers reported that the Pro- age hearing. DSC does not Mags worked well to reduce sound levels cut off words when a sound outdoors and, though the units were as spike occurs. Instead, the good or better than competitive brands sound spike is com- indoors, they felt that more attenuation was pressed 50% below nor- desirable inside. mal conversation sound The NRR of the Pro-Slim and Sporting levels (about 72 db) Clays models is 21 and 20 respectively. before release so normal Consequently Ridgeline recommends these speech may be heard. units for use with .22 rimfire and shotguns According to company only. Lack of ear clearance inside the cups literature, DSC begins at was an often heard complaint. 10 db and extends over all frequencies to provide The Linear Elite line of second generation, electronically- augmented hearing protectors feature Dynamic Sound crisp, clear, natural sound Compression that enables the wearer to clearly hear range without distortion or commands and coaching instructions without cut-offs. interference. Ridgeline calls this Dynamic Sound Range (DSR). OST authoritative sources would Each Linear Elite unit is independent agree that the best choice for hear- with its own batteries (two “N” type), elec- Ming protection while shooting is ear tronic circuitry and volume adjustment plugs with muff-type ear protectors over knob. There are no wires connecting the two them. However, it is difficult to hear range units. Each can be specifically tuned to the commands or coaching instructions when user’s hearing for true, directional, stereo wearing that combination. sound. Battery life is quoted as being a min- A cure seemed at hand a few years ago imum of 250 hours. with the introduction of electronically aug- We tested the Pro-Mag, Pro-Slim and mented, muff-type, ear protectors. These Sporting Clays models. We found the bat- had electronic circuitry inside that enabled teries easy to change or install and the ear the wearer to hear range commands and cups comfortable even when sealing around The modular design of the Ridgeline conversation while cutting off the sound eyeglass frames. The DSC worked as adver- Linear Elite series enables fast, easy spikes that damage hearing. That they did, tised. Range commands and conversation repair or battery replacement. A five-year but they also cut off words as the sound warranty is offered on the unit’s electron- could be heard clearly without cut-offs. ic circuits, microphones and switches. spikes occurred. This was more than just a Users accustomed to standard ear protectors nuisance as range commands were some- felt the Pro-Mag unit was heavy. However, These electronically-augmented hearing times hard to understand and instructors when we compared the Pro-Mag to another had difficulty communicating with their protectors are second generation models and brand of electronic hearing protectors, the are lighter and more comfortable than first students. In addition, such hearing protec- Pro-Mag was found to be 13% lighter. The tors were bulky, heavy and some found generation units. The DSC and DSR cir- Pro-Slim was compared with other non- cuitry functions effectively to eliminate electronic units and found to be only 1 sound cut-offs so the wearer can clearly hear 4 ⁄2-ozs. heavier, while the Sporting range instructions and conversation. Quality Clays model was actually lighter than and reliability appear very good, and the many non-electronic units. The modular design makes battery replacement Sporting Clays model features a or repairs fast and easy. With a five year war- ranty on the electronics and a modest retail The Ridgeline Pro-Mag model (l.) is price, they appear to be a good buy. 13% lighter than comparable first Available from: Sheldon Marketing, generation units.The Pro-Slim model 1 Dept. AR, 2191-A Resort Way South, (center) is only 4 ⁄2-ozs. heavier than many non-electronic units while the Prescott, AZ 86301. Price: $219.95 (Pro- Sporting Clays (r.) is actually lighter Mag), $199.95 (Pro-Slim and Sporting than many non-electronic protectors. Clays), plus $10 shipping.

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • February 1998 55