Sorry for the lack of any new information yesterday. The Nikon battery in my N1 V1 camera decided to declare itself dead at the USO booth before the first photo of the day. It didn’t run out of juice, or fail to charge. It just politely informed me, on the camera’s LCD, that it needed to be replaced and would not be doing my bidding ever again. I was less polite, and that was half my day and $100 worth of taxi and battery. Not so good a review for Nikon’s batteries. I bought an off brand replacement.
For what its worth, George at USO was nice and pretended I wasn’t totally unprepared and incompetent. USO has a couple wrinkles this year. The first one is the 1-4x with dot illumination. Since you are wondering, this is the optical design of the old SN4 1-4x but with the tube in front of the objective shortened and with beam splitter projected dot illumination added in the eyepiece. Just like the SR-8c, whose illumination it now shares, it is daytime bright. Also in new products, there will be sportsman’s models. For the moment these are 1.8-10x chassis with no T-pal and, in some cases, simpler knobs. They will be a little less costly but have the same glass and quality. I should also mention that the 110click EREK knobs were out in force this year. These were talked about last year but were featured on many of the 5-25x display pieces this year. They look just like the other EREK knobs but slightly higher. The last new feature to be shown was the mini EREK. This was shown on an SR-8C, but will have availability on other models as well. At first the mini EREK will be a custom shop order, but if demand justifies the volume, (and I think it will on the 1-8x it will) there may be standard models. Before we leave USO I would like to talk about some of the process improvements being implemented regarding turrets. For a while now USO has been updating their processes and equipment to lower costs, improve quality and especially consistency. You should expect more scope to scope consistency of feel to the turrets in the future as well as better waterproofing. I expect that you have already noticed, with the edition of the standard model offerings, the more attractive prices at which they can be had…. Oh, there are two more Horus reticles, the H130 and H102, I have nothing to say about them at this time since I haven’t had time to read through the weighty handouts. I do not need you to point out the irony of me saying that.
New U.S. Optics 1-4x with projected dot and 1-8x with the mini-EREK knob
I shot the Burris XTR 2, 4-20x at range day Monday and was quite pleased with it. The reticle didn’t blow me away, it is kind of Gen II mil-dotish it memory serves, but it worked fine with the 10 mil per turn ZS turret. The whole package worked together, looked clear, and will sell for $1,200. Really, it seems like a good value to me. Interestingly, this line, and there will be more on the 1-5x and its fantastic illumination in the future, actually has subcontracted manufacture. I’m a little sad for America on this one as these are some of Burris most compelling offerings and I expect them to do very well.
Shooting the Burris XTR 2 4-20x at range day. Rifle is the Sako TRG M-10 set up in .338.
I think here is a good place for a Tangent Theta blurb as I visited Paul at the booth today. As usual, I got lost looking for somewhere else and found Tangent Theta. I can never find this booth when I look for it. The bottom line with the new scope offerings is that the optical designs are basically the ones you were familiar with from Premier Reticles Heritage line but they have improved the turrets and also claim to have fixed the parallax binding issue many folks had after tightening rings by thickening up the main tube. Really, those were the problems I heard about with Premier so perhaps this is full speed ahead. The new turrets really do feel excellent and the zero set is easy and tool less. Nice scopes, and, as noted, starting at $3k and going to $4.25k, expensive scopes. For all those with Premier Heritage scopes, Paul with continue to service the until he dies. That is kind of a lifetime warranty. I guess you could always take out a small life insurance policy on Paul so your good either way.
The new Tangent Theta turrets
I think I’ll finish today with American Rifle Company. Yea, I wondered why a company that made scope mounts picked that name as well. Turns out, they always planned on making rifles. Ted is kind of an evil genius. At least a cranky genius, but I prefer evil. In any case, he certainly thinks well outside of the box. His new products are rifles are difficult classify. They are completely unique designs. First off, you have a custom Remington 700 footprint action that is nothing like any other 700 action you have ever seen. He calls it the Mausingfield because, in combination with the 700 footprint, it has a Mauser 98 type extractor and a Springfield 03 type ejector. You will note that this solves two of the largest failure points on the 700 action. Incidentally, he also solves the primary complaint about the Mauser action by giving it enough underside to easily bed. This action is fully compatible with Remington 700 accessories and can be fed with AICS mags, However, it takes its own, better, keyed rail which I don’t expect you will mind one bit. It runs $1,500.
American Rifle Company Mausingfield action prototype (final will have larger ejection port)
You would think the Mausingfield action to be a huge release but it’s actually not his badass product of the year. The evil genius has also released the M2 Precision Rifle (I know, from great name to really?? I think M2 is taken, forever.) The M2…. No, I think I’m going to call it the “SwitchFieldMause” is a very unique multi-caliber platform. I’m not sure where to start with this thing. There are 5 patents, all presumably utility, just on the handout. I’ll just give you some highlights:
1) It features the Mauser action / Springfield ejector but with a custom footprint, trigger, and chassis
2) It ejects right but the bolt handle can be field switched to either side
3) It is far lighter than any other multi-cal system, 12 lbs with 27” barrel
4) Has a unique toroidal bolt head interface with a spherical lugs that requires no lapping
5) The stock can be folded either way depending on configuration
6) Unique action / chassis interface prevents stress from being transmitted from the chassis to the action.
7) The barrel does not have an extension to interface with the bolt lugs yet also is not threaded and torqued into the action where the lugs are. I am very interested to see this interface but some bastard stole the hex wrench set and so I didn’t get to.
Really, the SwitchFieldMause is just not a whole lot like any gun I have seen before. I mean its got recognizable elements from different designs but there all mixed in with a whole lot of things I have no reference point for. Color me interested.
American Rifle Company SwitchFie…. Err M2 multi-caliber platform
And here is your moment of Zen. Believe it or not, she exists, no photo shop. That, and she is either a great actress or a real sweetheart.
