Posted on 01/22/2010 5:09:23 PM PST by smokingfrog
Its the third day of the SHOT Show for the dealers attending, the fourth day for the professionals who got there early for set-up and networking and advanced product testing.
AR15 rifle variants are everywhere. One theme this year of our host, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), is that AR stands for Americas Rifle. Its good to see new companies coming in and being innovative. American Spirit Arms introduces an AR15 with a bolt operating lever located on the left side above the magazine, like an FN FAL. This eliminates the one non-ergonomic feature of Gene Stoners Armalite design in this writers opinion: the awkward T-handle at the rear of the action. The price is competitive, the action is smooth, and the handling IS faster. Heckler & Kochs take on the American AR, shown as a non-functional prototype last year at SHOT, is shown this time as a functional prototype, and seems to draw much from the companys 416 rifle.
Chiappa of Italy introduces a reasonably priced .22 Long Rifle version of the AR15, and also their intriguing Rhino revolver, reminiscent of an earlier Italian design, the Mateba. The barrel is parallel to the lower portion of the frame instead of the top, bringing bore axis down and thus reducing muzzle rise. The action of this upside-down .357 Magnum feels surprisingly smooth. There are already holsters being made for it, and it will accept a 6-shot speedloader for an L-frame Smith & Wesson. Instead of a round cylinder, this revolvers is hexagonal: you dont see hexagonal cylinders every day, at a revolver match OR a geometry class.
(Excerpt) Read more at backwoodshome.com ...
When these people get lawyered up for this, I am going to assume they will be getting some top grade legal reps. This should mean that the legal beavers will bring up a host of issues that will be mighty embarrassing to a lot of people who otherwise would be off the screen. If this happens, I predict that this case will implode very quickly.
If the same finish is the one that’s on the Mateba, it will be beautiful. Remember, form follows function and in this case by a whole lot.
No muzzle flip means more to me than a barrel that looks too tall.
My only complaint is the wish they had chambered one in .45 Auto with full moon clips.
I’m waiting for the stainless steel version.
It was designed for no muzzle flip even with heavy loads. Try that with your “top of the chamber” barreled revolvers. This is a change that’s been long due for the last hundred years.
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