Top class carbines
Today, a hunter does not necessarily have to spend a lot of money in order to purchase a weapon, since there are now a lot of relatively inexpensive, but reliable and accurate options on the market. And yet, from year to year the number of people wishing to purchase a top-class gun or carbine does not decrease.
In fact, buying, say, a carbine does not happen so often in the life of a hunter, and sometimes people prefer to save up some money and buy an accurate and reliable tool, equipped with all the options available today. There are not many carbines of this class, and, of course, the conversation about top positions invariably begins with the Blaser, Sauer Mauser triad. Blaser has been a leader in this segment for over twenty years.
Blaser R8 carbine
This is the undisputed favorite of the market; in terms of sales volumes, it outstrips all other manufacturers by a huge margin. Which is completely unsurprising. The developers managed to create an almost ideal tool for hunting: convenient, with very fast reloading, lightweight, short, very accurate and safe.
And, of course, multifunctional - on the basis of one carabiner you can assemble a tool for any task. The ability to change barrels is an absolute trump card of this model. After the convincing victory of the R93 model, many manufacturers are trying to equip their products with the option of changing barrels, but no one has yet succeeded in doing this as easily, conveniently and organically as on Blaser carbines. Stanislav Bushuev, director of the Premium arms salon “The arms business is a very specific area. When you give advice to a client on which weapon to prefer, you always feel a huge responsibility. Firstly, we sell shotguns and rifles - they must be safe, accurate and reliable. The cost of error is very high for us, and we can recommend to our customers only those products in which we are 100% confident. Secondly, we sell expensive goods - when a person spends such large sums, I must be sure that he will return to our salon not with complaints, but with gratitude. Of course, we always survey our customers very carefully to understand their preferences and suggest the right product, but 9 times out of 10 I know that if I suggest a Blaser, the hunter will be satisfied. The Blaser, in my opinion, is the ideal carbine for hunting, and with its set of functions it covers all the needs of the most demanding hunter.” In 2008, the R93 model, successful in all respects, was replaced by the improved Blaser R8. All the best options of the Blaser R93 have been preserved: the straight bolt stroke allows for very fast reloading, additional barrels in different calibers can be installed in any Blaser R8 carbine, the unique design of the carbine makes it very short and, therefore, turning, the R8 guarantees the owner the highest accuracy and accuracy. The famous Blaser dry escapement has also been preserved. The R8 carbine is equipped with a guard - in our opinion, the most advanced security system available today. The new model features a detachable magazine—the most noticeable difference between the R8 and the R93—and a redesigned stock—the prima stock in this model—which helps reduce recoil.
In a word, using such a carbine is great pleasure, safety and guaranteed accurate hits.
The Mauser company produces two carbines in the top segment: Mauser M98 and Mauser M03. The M98 model is also still produced according to the original drawings, but using modern heavy-duty materials. This is an incredibly prestigious, reliable and very beautiful carbine, an eternal classic.
The developers of the M03 model managed to organically combine proven designs and the modern desire of hunters to have a universal carbine at their disposal. The owner of the Mauser M03 has the opportunity to change barrels and use the manual cocking system.
The magazine can be loaded from above, as in the Mauser M98, or by removing the magazine.
The bolt is locked using 6 lugs. The carbine has a dry single trigger.
With a design that's been around for over a century, the modern Mauser is known as the most popular safari rifle. It is here, on one of the most dangerous types of hunting, that the traditional reliability and reliability of the Mauser bolt could not be more in demand.
Another German carbine of the highest level is the Sauer 202. Sauer is a brand with a long and glorious history, but at the same time, the modern weapons of this company are very innovative and provide hunters with all the achievements of today's technical thought. The first important option of the Sauer 202 is that the barrel does not fit into the forend, but is attached directly to the receiver. In other words, the handguard can be removed and fired without it. This eliminates any negative impact on accuracy. The wood may warp, the polymer fore-end may crack, but the carbine will still fire an accurate shot.
Just like the Blaser R8 and R93, Mauser M03, Sauer 202 has a modular system, which means it is possible to change barrels.
The bolt locks the chamber with six lugs, the grooves for which are selected directly in the barrel body. As a result, the barrel absorbs all the energy of the shot. This increases the reliability of locking and extends the life of all components of the carbine. A distinctive feature of the Sauer 202 is the so-called “floating” shutter, made using special technology. When the shutter moves, you get the feeling that it is really floating in a container filled with oil - there is no metallic clang, the movement is very soft - no other rifle delivers such a pleasant sensation.
To recharge, a 60-degree turn is sufficient. All this makes reloading as fast and enjoyable as possible. The safety operates on the principle of “one function - one button”, that is, the carbine is placed in the “safe” position with one button, and put into combat readiness with another. This eliminates the possibility of error - the shooter always feels with his finger whether the carbine is on safety. In addition, the hunter has the opportunity to remove the rifle from the safety lock without lifting it from the shoulder.
Stanislav Bushuev, director of the Premium weapons salon
“It’s interesting that in recent years our clients have completely stopped raising the issue of accuracy and accuracy when we discuss Blaser, Sauer or Mauser with them. The reputation of these brands is so high that buyers do not even need to discuss these most important indicators for weapons. People just know that any of these rifles shoot perfectly. This seems to me the best confirmation that the German designers did an excellent job.
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Blaser, Mauser and Sauer offer customers the most advanced optical mounting systems available today. The original brackets allow you to install the sight as low as possible, which allows you to work with optics with great convenience, as well as remove and install the optics in two or three movements in a matter of minutes.
All the described models, so different, have one main thing in common. All these weapons are of the highest level, which guarantees the hunter not only accuracy, accuracy and safety, but also great pleasure from use.
These carbines are worth the money not only because of their impeccably thought out and verified functionality. By purchasing them, the shooter also buys the opportunity to directly enjoy the poetic work of all weapon systems.
Another common fact is that all five models are the work of German craftsmen, which means a very high level of quality and trouble-free operation. All the carbines that we reviewed in this article are not “SUVs” - they are a reliable and reliable tool for any task.
This is especially important for the Russian market, where all weapon repair operations are associated with great bureaucratic difficulties. Over the more than twenty-year history of sales in Russia, where many hunts take place in extreme conditions, and owners often handle weapons very carelessly, all three brands have shown an absolutely insignificant percentage of breakdowns, and defects due to the fault of the manufacturer can be counted on one hand. And, of course, all manufacturers of these brands offer a huge selection of calibers and designs, from modest and laconic to intricate and very expensive.
Hunting carbines and long-range rifles
From the book Markevich V.E. – “Sporting and hunting small arms”
Hunting carbines and long-range rifles
Long-range hunting rifles, or hunting carbines, are the most long-range hunting rifled weapons, very interesting in many respects, especially since they have reached significant perfection.
It was noted above that among hunting rifles, nitro express rifles have reached such a combat range that from a hunting point of view they completely replace carbines, and in many cases they are simply carbines with a bullet adapted for hunting purposes.
Long-range hunting shooting should not be confused with military shooting. Hunters rarely need to fight beyond 400–500 meters. But within these distances, a hunting carbine requires the most accurate, accurate and flat combat. A hunting rifle should be light and suitable for running hunts. The exceptions are heavy carbines that replace rifles and serve primarily for raid hunts; such carbines do not have to be worn for long, and then target carbines for long-range shooting (from 300 to 1000 m), weighing from 4 to 6 kg. Weapons specifically targeted should not be mixed with purely hunting weapons.
Hunting rifles are almost always single-barreled, repeating or single-shot, but with a thick, heavy and often elongated barrel. Such barrels are less susceptible to deformation and vibration, which increases the accuracy of the battle. A long barrel lengthens the aiming line of the weapon, therefore, also contributes to more accurate shooting and, in addition, slightly increases the initial speed of the bullet, but at the same time increases the weight of the weapon, upsets the balance and reduces the “handling” of the weapon, which is especially important for mountain and forest hunting. If the hunter does not intend to use the carbine for rifle shooting, i.e. for shooting sometimes offhand, shooting in thickets, in dense thickets, etc., then the balance and length of the weapon are not so significant for him. The only thing that matters is the overall weight of the carbine; it is burdensome for running hunts, so the range of use of such weapons is significantly narrowed.
Due to the above considerations, hunting carbines and cartridges for them have a general design that is noticeably different from military-style rifles. Here we briefly review only the main details of the carbines and the essential features of their design. According to the calibers and cartridges used, carbines can be divided into two groups: - old models and systems of larger calibers from 9.5 to 12.7 mm for cartridges with lead bullets without casings, predominantly the same smoky gunpowder; — new samples and systems, calibers from 5.5 to 9 mm for cartridges with bullets in hard shells and smokeless powder.
Depending on the cartridges used, carbines of the first group can serve as smoke express carbines and carbines. Samples of the second group may be nitro-express rifles, carbines and, to some extent, hunting rifles. The barrel length of carbines is from 45 to 15 cm. For hunting in forests and dense thickets and for traveling on horseback, a short barrel is most convenient; for hunting in the mountains, tundra and sea - a longer barrel. Since carbines fire mainly long bullets, their barrels have rifling similar to the rifling of military rifles: steep, shallow.
The sighting devices of carbines are more accurate, “thinner” than those on military rifles, zeroing is the most accurate. The sight should facilitate accurate aiming and a quick, well-aimed shot. Hunting scopes do not require such long-range settings as are needed for military scopes, but no less strength is needed. All sight systems, according to the main features of their design, are either the old type with an open slot, or the new type - through (orthoptic). The latter have the following advantages: the sighting line of the weapon is significantly lengthened, which increases aiming accuracy and requires a minimum of practice for successful use. Orthoptic sights are divided into diopter and annular. The former are more suitable for slow, precise aiming; they are inconvenient to use in poor lighting and for rapid shooting at a moving target. The latter are very convenient for shooting at moving targets; in poor lighting they are more convenient to use than a slot, but for accurate shooting at long distances they require a little more training, especially with a slightly larger diameter ring. So, if a carbine is intended for shooting at long distances, as well as at a target, it is more profitable to install a diopter sight; for shooting at an animal in motion, for the fastest and most accurate shooting at different distances, a ring sight is preferable. The slot is good only because of the old habit of it; a wide slot is used when shooting at short distances (in the forest), however, then any sight is of little use.
Any sight on a hunting weapon must allow for the fastest possible height adjustment and convenient aiming, and must be durable and easy to repair. Hunting practice sometimes allows for the use of a constant sight and “playing with the front sight” shooting, which excludes raising the sight. The cheapness and durability of one permanent sight is beyond competition.
The front sight on carabiners is “with a point” (rail section, elongated), or “straight” (with parallel sides, in the form of an even column). Protective muzzles or wings are usually not installed on hunting weapons. The front sight must be open; this is most convenient for “grabbing” the front sight at the time of attachment. For long-barreled heavy carbines, wings near the front sight are more desirable than an “umbrella” (more precisely, a ring or tube); the latter is most applicable on the target weapon.
More details about target devices are written below. Carbine bolts, due to the strong cartridges used for weapons of this type, must be especially strong and reliable systems to withstand not only strong pressures when firing ready-made factory cartridges, but also accidentally increased pressures when a hunter uses cartridges from his own equipment with various combinations of charges and bullets. The bolt must withstand even such pressure that the barrel may rupture. Bolt-action systems used on military-style rifles are very reliable and durable and, in most cases, work well for hunting rifles.
Hunting requirements for carbine bolts almost coincide with military requirements: the bolt must be strong, durable, trouble-free in operation, allowing the highest rate of fire, must be easy to disassemble and allow cleaning the bore from the treasury.
Without denying the advantages of carbines of magazine systems, we can note some positive aspects of carbines of single-shot systems (for the latest strong smokeless cartridges): - in single-shot systems it is possible to use a much smaller bolt in length, in particular, vertically sliding bolts, their length from 2.5 to 5 cm, while the length of the longitudinal slide is from 13 to 20 cm. The short bolt allows you to lengthen the barrel without increasing the length of the entire carbine. Although longitudinally sliding bolts are more convenient when loading (they do not require manually pushing the cartridge into the barrel), they are large in length compared to vertically sliding systems and when loading they make more noise and knocking than vertically sliding ones, and the knocking and clicking of the bolt is undesirable when hunting; — a single-shot system usually weighs less than a magazine system; — a single-charge system is less complex, more reliable, easier to maintain and repair, and cheaper to manufacture; — in magazine systems there are delays due to improper feeding of cartridges; in single-charge ones, such delays are eliminated due to a simpler device; — the magazine box increases the size of the gun in the fore-end and weakens the stock. A repeating rifle is less convenient to handle and less elegant to carry; — many single-shot systems have a plate mainspring, which at low temperatures is more reliable than spiral springs (less likely to misfire); - only a few magazine systems allow convenient and quick loading of one cartridge in cases where the magazine mechanism is faulty; - soft lead bullets often receive external damage when moving from the magazine to the barrel, which affects the accuracy of the battle.
Regarding the rate of fire of single-shot and magazine systems, supporters of single-shot systems are of the opinion that the rate of fire of the latter is almost quite sufficient for hunting carbine shooting; for rifle shooting, such a rate of fire is low. However, in this regard, those magazine systems that require the butt to be removed from the shoulder to move the bolt after each shot do not have significant advantages. Rifles with a bolt controlled by a bracket-lever (Winchester, Stevens, Marlin, Savage systems) are faster-firing; Remington, Colt, etc. systems, controlled by a movable forend, are even faster-firing. Of course, an automatically loading carbine is even more advanced in terms of rate of fire, but more capricious in terms of trouble-free operation.
If we add to the variety of actual qualities of different carbine systems the diversity of hunters’ tastes, the difference in types and prices of carbines, then the great difference in views on this type of hunting rifle and differences in the requirements for carbines will become clear.
For a long time, military rifles, with some changes and alterations, have successfully served as hunting carbines. Such alterations boil down mainly to shortening and lightening the infantry rifle, improving sighting devices, making the trigger easier, and remaking the stock. The cartridge is also changed according to hunting requirements. In general, a reasonably modified military weapon is reliable, ballistically satisfactory, and very practical due to the low cost of the weapon and ammunition.
For commercial hunters, hunting carbines made from former military models turn out to be indispensable weapons in many cases.
Source: book by Markevich V.E. – “Sporting and hunting small arms”
