® 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. S IGARMS’ first venture into the realm of molded, composite-frame hand- guns began in 1988 with the intro- duction of the Hammerli 280 target pistol. That successful design enabled Sigarms to gain invaluable experience in debugging the manufacture of such products before mov- ing forward with new designs. Building on this experience, the firm has introduced the new Sig Pro SP2340 pistol with a molded, composite frame. Intended for military, police, defensive and sporting uses, the SP2340 is a modern, semi- automatic, short-recoil operat- ed pistol chambered for .357 SIG or .40 S&W Auto. We received an SP2340 in .357 SIG caliber for testing. Although thoroughly conventional in outward appearance, the semi-automatic Sig Pro SP2340 pistol offers a number of inter- esting internal features. One is a removable, one-piece, integral fire-control assembly that enables the pistol to quickly and easily be converted from double-action/sin- gle-action to double-action-only trig- ger operation. Another feature is a readily detach- able grip unit that enables the shooter to change grip types as needed. Yet another interesting feature is the use of detachable, carbon steel rails in the frame that can be replaced easily should they become worn or broken. The frame of the Sig Pro SP2340 is molded in Switzerland of black com- posite with a matte finish and integral grooves on the frontstrap and front of the trigger guard to aid in gripping. Rails are molded into the lower front of the frame for mounting accessories such as a laser or white light. The serial number is laser- engraved on a small piece of steel mold- ed into the lower front of the frame between the laser/light rails. The sepa- rately molded grip unit slides onto the magazine well. All internal parts are steel and are held in place by pins. The one-piece, stainless steel slide is CNC-machined in New Hampshire then coated with a semi-matte black finish to match the frame. Twelve angled finger grooves are cut into each side of the rear sur- face of the slide to allow gripping while the front sides of the slide are relieved to reduce weight. All edges of the slide are dehorned to reduce snags. In similar manner to previ- ous Sigarms pistols, the muzzle of the bar- rel mates directly to the slide without a bush- ing. Both front and rear sights are mounted in dovetails on top of the slide. Front and rear sights of various heights are offered to enable the shooter to bring the impact of the bullets to the aim point. Movement and/or removal of front or rear sights, however, is best accomplished with the optional sight- pushing tool. SIGARMS SIG PRO SP2340 The new Sig Pro SP2340, cham- bered in .357 SIG and .40 S&W Auto, represents Sigarms’ commitment to innovative products at compet- itive prices. Shooters liked the “elastic” feel of the composite frame. Low maintenance and easy takedown were major design considerations of the new SP2340 pistol. The compos- ite frame, stainless steel slide and internal slide rails require little main- tenance beyond occasional cleaning. The Sig Pro has twelve angular grasping grooves on each side of the slide. A decocker and slide release are on the left. 50 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • January 1999
Transcript
®
The American Rifleman has used the phrase “DopeBag” at least since 1921, when Col.Townsend Whelenfirst titled his column with it. Even then, it had been inuse for years, referring to a sack used by target shoot-ers to hold ammunition and accessories on the firingline.“Sight dope”also was a traditional marksman’s termfor sight adjustment information, while judging windspeed and direction was called “doping the wind.”
CAUTION: Technical data and information con-tained herein are intended to provide information basedon the limited experience of individuals under specificconditions and circumstances. They do not detail thecomprehensive training procedures, techniques andsafety precautions absolutely necessary to properlycarry on similar activity. Read the notice and disclaimeron the contents page. Always consult comprehensivereference manuals and bulletins for details of propertraining requirements, procedures, techniques andsafety precautions before attempting any similar activity.
SIGARMS’ first venture into the realmof molded, composite-frame hand-guns began in 1988 with the intro-
duction of the Hammerli 280 target pistol.That successful design enabled Sigarms togain invaluable experience in debugging themanufacture of such products before mov-ing forward with new designs. Building onthis experience, the firm has introduced thenew Sig Pro SP2340 pistol with a molded,composite frame. Intended for military,police, defensive and sporting uses, the
SP2340 is a modern, semi-automatic, short-recoil operat-ed pistol chambered for .357SIG or .40 S&W Auto. Wereceived an SP2340 in .357 SIGcaliber for testing.
Although thoroughly conventional inoutward appearance, the semi-automatic SigPro SP2340 pistol offers a number of inter-esting internal features. One is a removable,one-piece, integral fire-control assemblythat enables the pistol to quickly and easily
be converted from double-action/sin-gle-action to double-action-only trig-ger operation.
Another feature is a readily detach-able grip unit that enables the shooterto change grip types as needed. Yetanother interesting feature is the use of
detachable, carbon steel rails in the framethat can be replaced easily should they
become worn or broken.The frame of the Sig Pro SP2340 is
molded in Switzerland of black com-posite with a matte finish and integral
grooves on the frontstrap and front of thetrigger guard to aid in gripping. Rails aremolded into the lower front of the framefor mounting accessories such as a laseror white light. The serial number is laser-engraved on a small piece of steel mold-ed into the lower front of the framebetween the laser/light rails. The sepa-rately molded grip unit slides onto the
magazine well. All internal parts are steeland are held in place by pins.
The one-piece, stainless steel slide isCNC-machined in New Hampshire thencoated with a semi-matte black finish tomatch the frame. Twelve angled fingergrooves are cut into each side of the rear sur-face of the slide to allow gripping while thefront sides of the slide are relieved to reduceweight. All edges of the slide are dehornedto reduce snags. In similar manner to previ-ous Sigarms pistols, the muzzle of the bar-rel mates directly to the slide without a bush-ing. Both front and rear sights are mountedin dovetails on top of the slide. Front andrear sights of various heights are offered toenable the shooter to bring the impact of thebullets to the aim point. Movement and/orremoval of front or rear sights, however, isbest accomplished with the optional sight-pushing tool.
SIGARMS SIG PRO SP2340
The new Sig ProSP2340, cham-bered in .357 SIGand .40 S&W Auto,represents Sigarms’commitmentto innovative products at compet-itive prices. Shooters liked the“elastic”feel of the composite frame.
Low maintenance and easy takedownwere major design considerations ofthe new SP2340 pistol. The compos-ite frame, stainless steel slide andinternal slide rails require little main-tenance beyond occasional cleaning.
The Sig Pro has twelve angular graspinggrooves on each side of the slide. Adecocker and slide release are on the left.
50 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • January 1999
Barrels for the SP2340 are hammer-forged with six conventional lands andgrooves having a right-hand twist. The cal-iber of the barrel and a proof mark arestamped on the right side of the chamber soas to be visible when the slide is in battery.Unlike other Sigarms pistols, the exteriorsof SP2340 barrels are blued and not pol-ished. Another new feature for Sigarms is aflat recoil spring attached to a full-length,composite guide rod, which replaces themulti-strand coil units and metal rods of thepast. The barrel is cut with a fixed cammingsurface in the lug, which pivots the barrelvertically for locking in similar fashion toprevious SIG pistols. Conversion of theSP2340 from .357 SIG to .40 S&W Auto orvice-versa requires only a new barrel. Theseare available from Sigarms at extra cost.SP2340 pistols are assembled in Germany.
Safety was a major design focus of theSig Pro SP2340 pistol. A four-point safetysystem includes: a patented, automatic firing
pin lock; a decocking lever (DA/SAonly): a safety inter-
cept notchon the sear;and a dis-
c o n n e c t o r.The slide is heldopen after the lastshot has been fired.There is no maga-
zine safety. It may be
safely carried with around in the chamber andthe hammer down provid-ed the hammer is lowered bythe decocking lever.
Ergonomics also played amajor factor in design of the SigPro SP2340 pistol. Addressingthe age-old complaints regardinggrip size or type, Sigarms incor-porated interchangeable grip unitsusing the same 11 degree grip angleas previous Sigarms pistols. SP2340owners can choose between a conven-tional grip of stippled, black compositeand a soft rubber grip unit—both of
which come standard with the pistol. Themagazine release button is ambidextrousand the frame-mounted decocking lever iseasy to reach even by small-handed shoot-ers. The trigger guard bow is recurved forbetter purchase and the sights are low-pro-file with high visibility white dots and a bar.
Low maintenance was another key con-sideration in the design of the Sig ProSP2340. The composite frame and stainlesssteel slide require little or no maintenancebeyond an occasional cleaning as the sliderails are internal to keep out dirt. Should theframe rails or fire-control unit become wornor broken, they are easily replaceable.
In general size and appearance, the SigPro SP2340 reminds one of the P229 pistol.Dimensions and operation are nearly identi-cal. One important difference, however, isthat the SP2340 is nearly one ounce lighter,but with a more central balance biased towardthe top that imparts a solid feeling to the gun.This is due to the lower weight of the com-posite frame that shifts the center of gravityupward. Another important difference is thatthe suggested retail of the SP2340 is nearly$200 less than that of the P229.
The composite frame and interchange-able grip units remain virtually invisible tothe user. Nonetheless, the higher center of
gravity and balance closer to the grip cen-ter will be readily evident to SIG owners.
We fired several hundred rounds of vari-ous brands to test functional reliability fol-lowed by accuracy tests in our usual manner.The .357 SIG cartridge has earned an envi-
able reputation for accuracy and function-al reliability which the SP2340 upholds.
We found functioning flawless, accu-racy good and perceived recoil man-
ageable. Shooters gave highmarks to the sights and conven-
tional stocks. Most noted thatwhile the soft rubber grip unit pro-
vided a more secure grip, it seemed todo little to reduce perceived recoil.High marks also were given to theaccessible location of the decockinglever, slide release lever and ambidex-trous safety button. Workmanshipwas up to SIG’s usual high standard.
We found the trigger had a consider-able amount of take-up in the single actionmode followed by minimum stacking and acrisp letoff with almost no overtravel.Double action trigger pulls were character-ized by considerable take-up and travel withmild stacking and a crisp letoff. While shoot-ers liked the low stacking and crisp letoffs,the excessive amount of take-up was not
popular. The position of the trigger guardwhere it joins the front strap of the frame alsoreceived minor criticism. Many shooters feltthe trigger guard curve was uncomfortableat this point and suggested a flatter, higher
recurve to provide more fingerclearance and lower the bore axis.
Shooters used to SIGs withmetal frames commented on thedifference in perceived recoilcharacteristics of the composite-frame SP2340 citing a more“elastic” feeling.
With the Sig Pro SP2340 pis-tol, Sigarms has entered a new era.It has signaled its commitment toprovide innovative, high-qualityproducts at competitive pricesusing its considerable expertise ina number of technical disciplinesto keep down costs. In the SP2340,Sigarms is off to a good start.
Federal P357S1 1302 Avg. 2.09 2.92 2.49125-gr. JHP 18 Sd
Average Extreme Spread 2.63
Five consecutive five-shot groups from 25 yds. firedfrom sandbags. Abbreviations: Sd (standard deviation),JHP (jacketed hollow point)
ACCURACY RESULTS
The fire-control unit of theSig Pro SP2340 is easilyremovable enabling fastconversion from double-action/single-action todouble-action-only mode.
Unlike other pistols with molded, com-posite frames, the Sig Pro SP2340 hassteel guide rail units pinned into position.They can be readily replaced if worn.
The Sig Pro pistol is reminiscent of the P229in outline and general operation, but thepolymer-framed gun weighs one oz. less.
AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • January 1999 51
Aquality match rifle both challengesand supports the shooter. The relia-bility and consistency of such a rifle
build shooter confidence while its superioraccuracy challenges the shooter to improvehis or her skills. Recognizing this, Waltherbegan with a clean sheet of paper in design-ing its new generation KK200 series targetrifles. Three different models are offered:the KK200 Standard with a right- or left-hand wood stock, the KK200 Sport with a
right- or left-hand aluminum stock forfemale shooters and the KK200PM(Precision Match) with a right-hand alu-minum stock. We tested an example of thelatter version.
Recognizing that most potential cus-tomers prefer a complete package, Waltherwisely included two of its most popularaccessory items in the KK200PM set—aprecision .05 to 3 mm variable-iris Walthermicrometer rear sight with five colored fil-ters and a detachable muzzle tube thatextends the sight radius nearly 8".Additional standard accessories include:
three Allen wrenches, a screwdriver, a com-bination tool, six front sight apertures, astanding block for the fore-end, a detach-able hook for the buttstock and a lockable,hard carry case. All this is backed by a one-year warranty against defects in materialsand workmanship. Champion’s Choice willbe the U.S. service center for Walther targetrifles with factory-trained repair specialistsand a full inventory of optional accessoriesand parts. Optional, extra-cost accessoriesinclude different front and rear sights, palm-rest mounts, balance weights and iron-sightheight extensions.
At the heart of the new KK200PM rifleis the Walther turn-bolt, single-shot, rim-fire action. Made of blued carbon steel, it
features full-length grooves with num-bered marks on the rear bridge for mount-ing iron or optical sights. The barrel isclamped in the split front action ring withthree horizontal socket-head bolts. In turn,the action is bedded to the metal stock andheld with three vertical, unequal-length,socket-head bolts. The brightly polishedbolt has a 60 degree throw, extractors attwo o’clock and 10 o’clock, and a singlelug that locks at the rear. The bolt handleis bent and capped with a smooth, black-plastic knob. A sliding manual safety islocated on the right side of the receiver,
and a pivoting bolt release button is onthe left. Due consideration has beengiven to keeping lock time fast by lim-iting firing pin weight and travel.
The free-floating, carbon-steel bar-rel is rifled with eight conventionallands and grooves in a right-hand twist.Actual barrel length is 241⁄4"; however,the anodized-aluminum front sightextension tube gives the appearance ofa much longer barrel. The tube can bemoved back or forth on the barrel andis secured by two small lock screws thatengage depressions in the barrel sur-face. The tube has dovetail grooves cut
into the upper surface on which the frontsight can be mounted. Grooves cut into thebottom surface of the tube serve to mountbalance weights.
The backbone of the KK200PM is ananodized-aluminum stock with a matte-sil-ver finish and a laminated-wood fore-end,pistol grip and cheek piece. Ergonomicsplayed a key role in designing theKK200PM, and the stock can be adjusted tosuit a shooter of nearly any physical size in
MANUFACTURER: Carl Walther GmbHSportwaffen, Postfach 2740, D-59717Arnsberg, Germany
IMPORTER: Champion’s Choice, Inc.(Dept. AR), 201 International Blvd.,LaVergne, TN 37086
CALIBER: .22 Long RifleOVERALL LENGTH: 43" (without muz-
zle extension tube or buttplate hook)BARREL LENGTH: 241⁄4" (actual), 32"
(with maximum tube extension)WEIGHT: 127⁄10 lbs.RIFLING: eight groove, RH twistTRIGGER: match type, two-stage,
adjustable for length, slack, searengagement, pull weight and position;pull weight adjustable from 2.46 to4.57 ozs.
SIGHTS: front: iris aperture globe withinterchangeable inserts on groovedmuzzle extension tube, rear: Waltheradjustable micrometer (0.5-3mm) irisdisc with five colored glass filters onclick-adjustable precision mount
STOCK: aluminum with adjustable, lami-nated wood fore-end, cheekpiece andpistol grip: length of pull, 121⁄4 to141⁄4",drop at comb, 1/4 to 13⁄8"; drop at heel51⁄4" of adjustment possible
ACCESSORIES: three Allenwrenches,screwdriver, combinationtool, standing block, buttplate hook,front and rear sights, six front sightaperture inserts, front sight extensiontube, lockable hard carry case
Accessories for the KK200PM include:three Allen wrenches, a screwdriver, acombination tool,six front sight apertures,a standing block, a hook for the buttplateand a locking, luggage-style, carry case.
The new KK200’s turn-bolt, single-shotaction features a flat bottom, carbon steelreceiver.The barrel is clamped in place bythree socket-head bolts on the right side.
With the KK200 .22 target rifles,Walther beganwith a clean sheet of paper and allowed form to follow function withthe objective to extract top performance from both rifle and shooter.
WALTHER KK200PM TARGET
52 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • January 1999
any shooting position. For example, thefore-end offers nearly 4" of forward or back-ward movement along the stock and featuresa full-length metal rail inletted into the bot-tom for mounting a palm rest, hand stop orstanding block. The stippled pistol gripcan be moved forward or backward andcan be tilted; it comes in three differentsizes. The aluminum buttplate has 51⁄4" ofvertical movement, 2" of adjustable pulland 15 degrees of left or right pivot. Thebuttplate also has both a movable bottomhook and a tilting top piece. The cheek-piece enables the shooter to vary the dropat the comb from 1/4" to 13⁄8" and can betilted approximately 90 degrees to suitshooter preference. Both the butt plateand the cheekpiece feature marked andnumbered adjustment scales with large, fin-ger-knob adjustment screws.
The Walther two-stage target trigger isadjustable for length, slack and sear engage-ment. Pull weight is also adjustable from2.46 to 4.57 ozs., and the trigger itself canbe moved forward, backward or tilted as theshooter desires. Many shooters will ques-tion the starkly vertical, threaded trigger;however a swiveling plastic finger buttonthat can be moved up or down on the threadsserves admirably to replace the curved trig-ger bow beloved by traditionalists. The trig-ger guard is integral with the frame, but par-tially cut away at the rear to facilitate accessand clearance for the pistol grip.
While some traditionalists may not favor
the racy, modern looks of the WaltherKK200PM, younger shooters will easilyaccept it in the spirit of form following func-tion. In fact, sound technical reasons dom-inate nearly every feature of the rifle, opti-mizing it for the sole purpose of extractingmaximum performance from both machineand user. For example, the aluminum back-bone is strong yet light, requires no mainte-nance, will not absorb or release moistureand never needs re-bedding. The buttstock,fore-end and pistol grip can be adjusted tofit nearly any size shooter and can be opti-mized for any shooting position. The preci-sion rear sight contains a variable iris, fivecolored filters and click adjustment knobsin addition to being mounted on a rail, whichenables the shooter to position the sightexactly where needed. The grooved frontsight extension tube enables the user toincrease the sight radius dramatically toimprove accuracy.
A careful examination of the KK200PMreveals a very high standard of workman-ship throughout. There was a refreshingabsence of tool marks even in the placesmost people never look.The medium-polishblue finish on the barrel is non-reflective,serviceable and evenly applied.
In setting up the rifle for firing, we foundall adjustments easy to set and, most impor-tantly, easy to reset using the numberedmarks. With so many possible adjustments,a comfortable shooting position was easy toachieve, which reduced fatigue. Operationof the bolt, safety and bolt release fell read-ily to hand. Most shooters will like the pre-
cision Walther rear sight.The click adjustments werefirm and crisp with almostno backlash, which elimi-nated the need for back-tracking. We do have onesmall complaint in this area.The vertical adjustmentknob on the rear sight islabeled “T” and “H,” whichis confusing for non-German speakers. Suchlabeling increases the likeli-hood of a mistake on the fir-ing line; English labelswould be helpful. This prob-
lem does not exist with the windage due tothe happy coincidence that “L” (links inGerman) means “left” and “R”(rechts inGerman means “right”).
A precision target rifle deserves a diet ofmatch-grade ammunition to demonstrate itsfull potential. Accordingly, we tested theWalther KK200PM rifle with match-grade.22 Long Rifle ammunition from Eley(Tenex), RWS (R50), Lapua (Dominator),Federal (Gold Medal), and Fiocchi (Match).Walther guarantees minimum extremespread, center-to-center, five-shot groups at50 meters averaging 0.630" or less. In prac-tice, we found that level of performanceeasy to obtain. In fact, we found averagegroup sizes of approximately half that werereadily obtainable. The results are summa-rized in the accompanying table to whichwe can only add that the numbers wereobtained without once cleaning the barrel!
The KK200PM fired every ammunitionbrand well. We even fired two composite,five-shot groups at 50 yds. using one roundfrom each brand. The results: two, smallgroups averaging 0.470" extreme spread. Inpractical terms, this means the rifle is easi-ly and reliably capable of firing a possiblescore in any type of national or internation-al rimfire position competition.
In designing and building the KK200rifles, Walther has demonstrated a strongcommitment to competitive shooting. At thesame time, it has moved the technical bench-mark forward while offering real value forthe price. This enables younger shooters andshooters on a tight budget to step up to topperformance equipment sooner in order toconcentrate on skills development and notequipment limitations. Other rifles withsimilar features and performance cost sig-nificantly more.
AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • January 1999 53
.22 Long Rifle Vel. @ 15' Smallest Largest AverageCartridge (f.p.s.) (ins.) (ins.) (ins.)
Eley Tenex 1030 Avg. 0.20 0.39 0.3240-gr. Lead 12 Sd
RWS R50 1038 Avg. 0.14 0.47 0.3240-gr. Lead 11 Sd
Lapua Dominator 1044 Avg. 0.28 0.44 0.4040-gr. Lead 15 Sd
Average Extreme Spread 0.35
Five consecutive 10-shot groups from 50 yds. fired fromsandbags. Abbreviations: Sd (standard deviation)
ACCURACY RESULTS
Walther believes customers prefer a com-plete package.The KK200PM comes with avariable-iris disc rear sight with five col-ored filters and a muzzle extension tube.
The radical looking stock may be adjustedto fit a shooter of nearly any physical sizeor shape in virtually any shooting position.
The KK200PM’s backbone is an anodized,aluminum stock that offers strength andlight weight plus never needs rebedding.
The KK200PM proved easily capable of fir-ing possible scores for all types of nation-al and international .22 position competition.
WHEN the Cold War ended, the newdemocratic government ofBulgaria challenged the state arms
factories to partially privatize, develop com-mercial products and become profitable orface permanent closure. A new companynamed Arcus was the result. Although com-mercial marketing skills were scarce, Arcushad two things going for it—quality manu-facture and low-cost labor. Based on thesetwo factors, a small beginning in the com-mercial market has been made using theMakarov pistol chambered for .380 ACPand the Arcus-94 pistol in 9 mm Luger. Wereceived an example of the latter for testing.
Imported by Miltex, Inc., of La Plata,Maryland, the Arcus-94 pistol is a well-
made copy of the seminal Browning HiPower pistol. One model in two differentfinishes is on offer—blue or satin chromewith a blue slide and levers. Both modelscome with two, 10-round, double-columnmagazines, a separate trigger lock, a clean-ing rod and a padded, lockable, plastic case.In conformance with federal regulations,only 10-round magazines are available,although higher capacity, pre-ban maga-zines suitable for the Browning Hi Powershould also fit the Arcus-94.
Traditionalists will be pleased to learnthat the Arcus-94 features forged-steel con-struction throughout, even in the hammer,trigger and safety levers. There is no barrelbushing and the pivoting link is attached tothe recoil spring guide rod. Locking is stan-dard Browning with two semi-circular lugsatop the barrel that cam upward to engagelocking recesses in the top of the slide.Operation is by short-recoil with a single-strand, steel recoil spring and single-actionfire control. Chambered for the 9 mm Lugercartridge, the Arcus-94 should not be firedwith +P, +P+ or 9 mm NATO ammunition.
Safety systems include a disconnector, aspring-retracted firing pin, a half-cocknotch on the sear, a magazine disconnectsafety and a manual safety. In addition, theslide remains open after the last shot hasbeen fired. There is no automatic firing pinsafety, decocking lever or grip safety. Whenthe magazine release button is pressed and
the magazine partially drops down, thegun can still be fired as the magazine
safety does not disengage until the mag-azine has been completely withdrawn.All control levers are blued and the
trigger has a smooth front face. The maga-zine release button is in the classic posi-tion on the left side of the frame justbehind the trigger and is not ambidex-trous. There are two, frame-mountedsafety levers—one on each side. Whenthe magazine release button is pressed,
empty or loaded magazines drop downabout half an inch, but do not fall free. Thereare seven angled grasping grooves cut intothe rear surface of the slide.
Both front and rear sights are high-visi-bility, low-profile combat types mounted indovetail cuts in the top of the slide. The rear
sight is drift-adjustable for windage. Thesquare blade front sight has a single whitedot while the rear sight has a notched bladewith white dots on either side. A 3/16" diam-eter, solid rib runs nearly the full length ofthe flat top of the slide. Although shallow,the rib is cut with seven longitudinal groovesto reduce glare. We found the combinationof sights, rib and matte finish worked well.
Firing tests included shooting bulletweights ranging from 105-gr. to 147-gr. infull-metal-jacket (FMJ) and jacketed-hol-low-point (JHP) configuration. Functioningproved very reliable with most popularbrands. Nonetheless, we did find one or twoof the lighter bullet, lead-free loads that didnot reliably extract. This was not considereda disadvantage as such loads are very newand often produce similar results in otherpistols. While accuracy was only average, itwas consistent and quite acceptable for adefensive pistol. Out-of-the-box trigger pull
CALIBER: 9x19 mm ParabellumOVERALL LENGTH: 77⁄8"BARREL LENGTH: 47⁄8"WEIGHT: 37.5 ozs.WIDTH: 13⁄8"HEIGHT: 5"MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 10RIFLING: six-groove, RH twistTRIGGER: single-action 41⁄4-lbs.STOCKS: one piece, stippled, black rub-
ber with finger groovesSIGHTS: three white dot, blade front,
notch rear drift adjustable for windageACCESSORIES: Extra magazine, clean-
ing rod, removable trigger lock, lock-able plastic carry case
SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $350
ARCUS-94
ARCUS-94 PISTOL
The Arcus Co. of Bulgaria has entered the com-mercial firearms market with the Arcus-94 pis-tol—a well-made copy of the Browning Hi Power.Both blue and satin chrome finishes are offered.
The Arcus-94 has ambidextrous safetylevers. The slide stop and magazinerelease button are not reversible for lefties.
A comparison of the Arcus-94 pistol (top)with a Browning Hi Power shows the care-ful attention to detail maintained in theArcus, which is a very close copy.Magazines are said to be interchangeable.
proved moderate with a small amount oftake up and minimal stacking.
Handling and balance of the Arcus-94pistol were judged excellent. No surprisehere as the root Browning Hi Power pistolhas always been known for its excellent bal-ance and handling. The stippled, black rub-ber stocks with finger grooves also receivedmany favorable comments from our teststaff. Most felt they were a significantimprovement over the Browning woodpanel types. The Arcus stocks are comfort-able and enable the shooter to easily main-tain control during shooting. Shooters withsmall hands especially liked these stocks.
Workmanship, fit and finish were aboveaverage for a pistol in this price range. Goneis the old tendency to apply a quality finishonly to those parts which absolutely require
it and leave the rest. In itsplace is a medium-polishfinish and a refreshingabsence of tool marks evenin places only visible whenthe gun has been disassem-bled. This shows a true com-mitment to quality and prideof workmanship.
Two other features alsowere the subject of favorablecomments—the ambidex-trous safety levers and theforged-steel construction.The safety levers were easyto reach and operate while the
forged-steel construction, including the steelrecoil spring guide rod, offered satisfactionto traditionalists. The penalty, however, is aheavy pistol at 371⁄2 ozs.
We did find a few minorproblems. First, the instruc-tion sheet is vague and poor-ly illustrated and its cutawayview useless. Checking withMiltex, we learned that thisis being fixed. We found theupper rear edge of the grippanels slightly too high,which made it hard to getpurchase on the safety leversfor some, but not all, shoot-ers. A slightly lower upperedge would quickly and eas-ily solve this problem. While
we are at it, how about a shorter link pin—the present one protrudes farther than nec-essary out the opposite side of the frame.Empty magazines that drop free when therelease button is pressed would be anotherminor improvement we would like to see.
There are two anomalies with this pis-tol. The first is a high-capacity, double-col-umn magazine holding only 10 rounds. Asa consequence, many potential buyers willopt to purchase pre-ban, high-capacityBrowning magazines. For Arcus, this indi-cates development of a .40 S&W calibermodel as soon as possible. The secondanomaly is the high weight. This pistol isnot intended for discreet carry, however, andthe weight does have the benefit of signifi-cantly reducing felt recoil while theoreti-cally improving service life.
Given the suggested retailprice of $350, the above-aver-age fit and finish, and the life-time warranty on materialsand workmanship, the Arcus-94 pistol is a very good value.It will be interesting to seewhat Arcus does next.
Arcus and Browning HiPower magazines areclaimed to be interchange-able. Arcus magazines havea 10-round capacity to meetfederal law, but shootersmay opt to purchase pre-ban, 15-round magazines (l.).
9 mm Luger Vel.@ 15' Smallest Largest AverageCartridge (f.p.s.) (ins.) (ins.) (ins.)
Five consecutive five-shot groups from 25 yds., fired fromsandbags. Abbreviations: Sd (standard deviation), FMJ (fullmetal jacket), JHP (jacketed hollow point)
ACCURACY RESULTS
IF ever a rifle had to earn its place on thecompetitive firing line, it was the ColtM16/AR-15 family. First, the rules of
many competitions had to be changed toallow them. Then, military marksmanshipunits had to make the commitment todevelop competitive M16/AR-15 rifles.This commitment, and the technology thatcame from it, elevated the AR-15 from asanctioned joke, to the winner’s circle.
Defense Procurement ManufacturingServices, Inc. (DPMS) offers an exten-sive line of competitively-priced, “mil-spec,” AR-15-style rifles. The sample wereceived for testing was the PantherDCM, a post-ban competition rifle with
The DPMS Panther DCM is a post-ban rifle made with com-petition features that make it ready for the line right out ofthe box.We fitted it with an 4X Colt scope for accuracy testing.
The barrel is stepped down at the hand-guard’s front. The sight housing butts upagainst the step and is fixed by a set screw.
AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • January 1999 55
DPMS PANTHER DCM
features that make it ready for the line,right out of the box.
The heavy, stainless steel barrel is 20"long with six-groove, 1:8" RH twist riflingto stabilize the heavier bullets typicallyused at ranges to 600 yds. Shooters canalso opt for a black finished barrel, or 1:9"rifling. Another DPMS option at addition-al charge is cryogenic barrel treatment.This is a process in which the temperatureof the barrel is lowered to -300 degrees Fto force the residual austenite to marten-site which many believe increases accura-cy and barrel life.
Free floated barrels arecommon on serious matchrifles. DPMS achieves thisin the Panther by using asturdy steel tube threadedonto the barrel nut, aroundwhich the tubular plasticDCM National Matchhandguard is mounted. Thehandguard cap is an inte-gral part of the tube and alsoserves as the mount for thefront sling swivel.
The barrel taper isabruptly stepped down atthe front of the handguardwhere the front sight hous-ing butts up against the step. This housingis fixed with a set screw instead of taperpins, and has an adjustable square frontpost sight that works well with theNational Match rear sight. Windageadjustments on the rear sight are 1/4minute clicks while elevation adjustmentsare 1/2 minute. The rear sight blade is “L”-shaped, and can be pivoted to provideeither a .030" aperture for 300 to 800 metershots, or .040" aperture for zero to 200meter shots. Other aperture optionsinclude .052"/.070" or .046"/.070" sizes.
The A2 upper receiver is forged alu-minum, and features a forward assist andcarry handle that is drilled for an AR-15-style scope mount. Finish options includegray or black teflon. All controls are in theusual AR-15 positions, and the fully-adjustable, smooth, JP trigger comes set at41⁄2 lbs. pull. Our sample’s trigger exhibit-ed some slight stacking, and came with atested pull weight of 5 lbs. The A2 butt-stock is black Zytel composition.
Our test sample had the titanium nitridecoated bolt carrier and assembly upgrade.This hard finish gives the parts a gold-plated appearance and has high lubricity.Even so, our sample’s bolt carrier draggedon the bolt catch with an empty magazinein place, and would not fully open unlessthe catch was depressed, or the magazineremoved. There were no problems whencartridges were in the magazine.
Two, seven-round magazines comewith the DPMS Panther DCM, and AR-15-type magazines, including high-capacityunits, should work.
The DPMS Panther DCM was fittedwith a Colt 4x21 Range Finding Reticlescope with built-in bullet drop compen-sator and fired for accuracy at 100 yds. Theresults are shown in the accompanyingtable. Function firing was with a variety of.223 Rem. loads. The only malfunctionwas when one cartridge was loaded into amagazine, and the magazine inserted withthe bolt closed. Pulling the charging han-dle and releasing it sometimes resulted inthe cartridge not being fully seated and thebolt seized up partially closed.
Overall fit and finish of the DPMSPanther DCM was excellent. Even with theheavy barrel the gun balances well and iseasy to hold steady. Like all AR-15-stylerifles with a scope mounted on the carryhandle, a cheek piece to raise the shoot-er’s face inline with the scope is needed.
Accuracy of our sample was excellent,especially with the heavier bullets forwhich it was designed. Were it not for astacking trigger, the gun would indeed beready for competition as it comes out ofthe box. The trigger is fully adjustable,though, and any competent gunsmithcould easily, and inexpensively, remedythis minor annoyance.
The DPMS DCM Panther, then, is fur-ther evidence that the AR-15/M16 style ofrifles are serious competitors in rifle com-petition. Out-of-the-box and with carefulammunition selection, this rifle shootssub-M.O.A. groups and should do well inthe hands of an experienced shooter.
Five consecutive five-shot groups from 100 yds., fired fromsandbags. Abbreviations: FMJ (full metal jacket), HP (hollow-point), Sd (standard deviation), VX (Varmint Express)
ACCURACY RESULTS
The rear sight has 1/4-minute windageclicks and 1/2-minute elevation clicks.Thesight is “L”-shaped, and can be pivoted toprovide either a .030" or a .040" aperture.
The DPMS Panther DCM has a free-floatedbarrel using a sturdy steel tube threadedonto the barrel nut. The tubular NationalMatch handguard is mounted over this tube.
Our sample had the titanium nitride coat-ed bolt carrier and assembly upgrade.Thisgives the parts a gold-plated appearance.
Controls are in typical AR-15 position, andthe fully adjustable, smooth JP trigger unitcomes from the factory at a claimed 41⁄2 lbs.
56 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • January 1999
ALTHOUGH FABARM was establishedback in 1900 by the Galesi family inBrescia, Italy, it is little-known in the
United States. Heckler & Koch became theimporter of FABARM shotguns in 1998.FABARM makes all manner of shotgunsincluding over-unders, semi-automatics,pumps and side-by-sides, but our focus willbe FABARM’s over-unders, which repre-sent the apex of this company’s manufac-
turing. We recently received its top-of-the-line Max Lion, for test and evaluation.
Our sample was stocked with a full fig-ure piece of superior-grade, oil-finished wal-nut. Like all FABARM shotguns, the MaxLion has a right-hand palm swell. Both thepistol grip and schnabel fore-end are deco-rated with double-bordered,hand-cut check-ering of 22 lines per inch. Checkering wasfunctional, with essentially no overruns, butthere were a few areas with flat points whileothers were quite sharp. The oil finish gavethe wood a warm glow and was not shiny orreflective. Wood to metal fit, as well as thefitting of the leather-covered, ventilated,rubber recoil pad was generally good.
The stock is cast-on, meaning it has aslight displacement to the left to place theshooting eye directly behind the centerlineof the bore, and has a white-metal lionescutcheon in the bottom of the pistol grip.A white metal, rope-pattern escutcheon sur-rounds the fore-end catch that is centrallylocated in the bottom of the fore-end.
The receiver is made from a nickel-chromium-molybdenum steel forging and ismachined using CNC tooling. On the MaxLion, the receiver remains in the white and
has raised side panels,not side plates, deco-rated with scrollengraving. A smallfleur-de-lis engravingis on the bottom of thereceiver where it is fur-ther embellished withan engraved lion. Theblued-steel triggerguard is tapered andscroll-engraved. It sur-rounds a single,
smooth, gold-plated, inertial trigger that hasabout 1/4" adjustment for length of pull. Theadjustment is made using a small Allenwrench (supplied), by loosening a set screwin the top of the trigger blade, and sliding thetrigger forward or back.
The top latch lever is blued steel and isskeletonized in a scroll pattern. A slidingmanual safety is just behind the top latch andincorporates the barrel selector switch.Internally, a redundant, “double notch” safe-ty mechanism is designed to prevent acci-dental firing should the safety fail. Further,the hammers are rebounding so firing pinsdo not protrude into the chamber after firing.Automatic ejectors are selective, with no
provisions for convert-ing them to extractors.
Scalloped areasrelieved from the top of
The FABARM Max Lion is a well-made andattractive over-under shotgun with tastefuladornments and practical design features.
The FABARM employsa monobloc, and lockup is by way of a lug thewidth of the receiverthat engages a single,split lump at the bot-tom of the gun’s bloc.
FABARM MAX LION
MANUFACTURER: Fabbrica BrescianaArmi, Via G. Zola 33, 25060, Brescia,Italy
tial; 41⁄2 lbs. pull under barrel, 31⁄2 lbs.pull over barrel
STOCK: Walnut: length of pull, 143⁄4";drop at heel, 21⁄8"; drop at comb, 13⁄4"
ACCESSORIES: full, improved modified,modified, improved cylinder, cylinderchoke tubes; tube wrench; triggeradjustment Allen wrench; fitted, lock-ing luggage case
SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $1,807
FABARM MAX LION
AVERAGE OF 10 PATTERNS AT 40 YDS.
13 16 10 13
16 27 23 24
25 29 20 22
16 19 13 14
Full Tube Modified Tube
x =Point of HoldFederal Premium P128—11⁄8 oz.—No. 6 shot
Pellet count—253
Total Hits 170 (67%) Total Hits 139 (55%)21.2" Inner Circle 106 (42%) 21.2" Inner Circle 89 (35%)30" Outer Ring 64 (25%) 30" Outer Ring 50 (20%)
FABARM MAX LION
AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • January 1999 57
Though FABARM is little-known in the United States, it has been making gunssince 1900 in Brescia, Italy.The sample we recently received for testing is thefirm’s Max Lion,which represents the company’s top end,over-under shotgun.
the standing breech blend the receiver withthe monobloc to which the 26" blued-steelbarrels are attached. Locking is by means ofa lug the width of the receiver that engagesa single split lump at the bottom of the bloc.
Chrome-lined barrels are made usingCNC deep drilling and honing. This processis claimed by FABARM to avoid metalstresses induced by cold hammer forging.The top rib is fitted with a short, red,fiberoptic front bead, is cross-hatched toreduce glare and is ventilated as are the sideribs. Barrels are soldered slowly at temper-atures of 700 degrees Celsius, and, afterpeaking, are allowed to cool gradually fora reportedly stronger bond. Barrels accept
FABARM choke tubes, and lead shot-onlyfull, improved modified, modified,improved cylinder and cylinder tubes aresupplied. Full and modified steel shot tubescan be purchased separately.
Function firing was with a variety of 23⁄4"and 3" shells, and during a slow afternoonof dove hunting. The light, 26" barrelsproved quick and responsive, and there wereno malfunctions of any kind. Patterningresults are given on the previous page.
All who tried the Max Lion remarkedhow easily it came to the shoulder and howwell it pointed. After about four hours in thefield with no action, however, the balanceof the gun started to wear on us as it is a lit-
tle muzzle heavy. This was expected,though, as the barrels are swamped to keepthe overall weight down, and provide moremetal toward the muzzle to accommodatescrew-in choke tubes. The added weight atthe muzzle does lend itself to a smootherswing and a better follow through.
The Max Lion, then, is a well-made andattractive shotgun with tasteful adornmentsand practical design features. It points well,comes to the shoulder easily and includes anattractive luggage case. And whileFABARM is not a household name, it is mak-ing inroads and is backed by an importer syn-onymous with durable and well-madefirearms.
NECK sizing only appeals to shooterswho reload for center-fire rifle accu-racy. Neck sizing begins with fire-
forming factory ammunition through thegun for which you intend to reload. As acartridge is fired, the brass case expands,conforming to the chamber of the gun inwhich it is fired. Fire-forming creates brassthat is ideal for accuracy. So, the next ques-tion is how best to size the neck. Lee CollettDies offer a way to neck size bottleneckcases without lubrication.
Conventional dies size the case bypressing it against the inside walls of thedie as the case is inserted. This gives theoutside of the case neck the proper shapeand dimensions, but leaves the inside of thecase neck too small to seat a bullet. As thecase is removed from the die, an expanderball on the decapping pin enlarges the neckso a bullet can be seated with slight resis-tance. The degree of resistance is propor-tional to the amount of case neck tensionrequired to hold the bullet in place.
In collet dies, petal-shaped segmentssurround the neck and compress it againsta mandrel. As a result, the neck is proper-ly sized on the upward stroke of the ram.
Collet dies offer several advantages.Because there is no expander ball on thedecapping pin, cases seldom get stuck inthe die. Like carbide dies, collet-sizing diesrequire no case lubrication. In addition,Leeclaims that the uniform diameter of themandrel utilized in its collet dies helpsincrease bullet seating concentricity. Leealso claims that expander balls unneces-sarily work the case neck metal, leading tobrittleness and reduced case life.
Because collet dies neck size only,they are ideal for handloading for bolt-actions or single-shots. But they are notappropriate for a semi-automatic, pump-or lever-action. These actions generally
require full-length or small-base resizingto ensure reliable functioning.
Lee’s collet dies are adjusted in a simi-lar manner to that used to adjust conven-tional dies. Start by inserting the appropri-ate shell holder in the ram and raising it tothe limit of its upward travel. Thread the dieinto the press until it touches the shell hold-er, then lower the ram and give the die anoth-er full turn. The die is properly adjusted.
The neck is sized during the press arm’sdown stroke, which requires considerableeffort. As the shell holder presses the caseinto the die, the collet is pressed againstthe inside of the die, causing the petals toclose. With a case in place, the collet clos-
es on the case neck supported by the man-drel. Cases that have been run through thedie should be checked to ensure there issufficient tension to hold a bullet.
We compared Lee’s collet sizing diesin 6.5x55 mm Swedish and .308 Win.against conventional sizing dies of thesame caliber using a Lee turret press. The6.5x55 mm Swedish cases were fire-formed in a Model 96 Mauser sporter,while those for the .308 Win. were fire-formed in a Remington 40X.
Using the same press, bullet-seatingdies, components and loading data, wecompared the accuracy of our handloadssized with Lee’s collet dies to those sizedwith conventional dies. While our test sam-ple was too small to be statistically signif-icant and accuracy results were close,groups from cartridges sized using Lee col-let dies were measurably smaller than thosewith standard dies—in some cases as muchas 20 percent smaller. Neck runout provedidentical, but bullet runout was slightly lessin cartridges resized with Lee collet dies.Lee believes its collet dies are the mostaccurate available and backs up that claimwith a money-back guarantee.
The only problem we experienced waswhen we accidentally closed the collet bylowering the press arm without a case inplace. Following instructions includedwith the die, we were able to disassemblethe die and open the collet with a punch.
Lee collet dies should appeal to hand-loaders loading for single-shot and bolt-action guns. Dispensing with the need forlube should lower the frustration level forbeginners, while experienced reloaders insearch of accuracy will like the idea ofresizing the case neck as little as possible.
Available from: Lee Precision (Dept.AR), 4275 Highway U, Hartford, WI53027. Price: $34.98
LEE COLLET DIES
Ammunition assembled using Lee’s col-let dies shot tighter groups than identi-cal loads assembled using standard dies.
