Our friend Paolo Silvano from the Berrone armory in Alessandria once again provided us with a beautiful example of R93 for which we are grateful: the rifle is known for its essentiality and for having cleared the screws in the minds of many enthusiasts. Torx, a solution as difficult to the elegance of the gun world as it is valuable in its extreme functionality. We therefore give a mention to the solutions that most characterize this creation.
How is the R93 made
Among the most evident characteristics we mention the light weight and the compactness, with the same rod, compared to traditional solutions: already two factors held in great consideration by hunters, especially those who practice their art in the mountains. Another choice specifies the in-line movement retrieved from two Austrian Steyr military rifles, the Model 1886 and the Model 1895 where the analogy is limited to the movement since the locking mechanism, as we will see, is completely different. A further peculiar element is represented by the battery which is not armed with the movement of the shutter, but thanks to a button located on the mobile breech activated separately from the opening and the possible introduction of the cartridge into the chamber. Let's now observe the fixing of the barrel to the stock: two pilierini obtained as a block from the outside of the breech and internally threaded are positioned in the holes obtained in the barrel: everything is tightened with two screws. There is no need for bedding because the barrel arrangement is already made for a stable posture in the cradle of the blank.
Then there is no castle properly understood, but a metal preform embedded in the stock from which the slide rails of the trolley are obtained and within which the battery, the trigger system and the charger are housed. The trolley just mentioned is composed of an external light alloy shell that covers the shutter system ingeniously borrowed from the systems for joining the tubes for the transfer of compressed air. The system is divided into sectors: starting from the bolt head, a cylinder with a hollow face to support the bottom of the cartridge and house the firing pin hole; on the side there is the prismatic block of the extractor, stopped very simply by a harmonic steel half-ring.
Moving back we observe the heart of the implant which we can compare to an hourglass composed of a single circle base from which twelve elastic sheets branch off and each ends frontally with a tooth with a studied profile. The pivoting movement of the handlebar pushes forward, within the group of blades, a cone-shaped profile that expands them, making them hook inside a circular crown obtained in the breech thickness of the barrel. The reverse movement of the handlebar, thanks to internal undercut planes obtained on its axis, releases the block of the complex allowing it to retract. It is easy to understand how the direct junction between bolt and barrel is the promoter of remarkable precision.
The barrel
The system lends itself to changing the barrel with considerable ease, repositioning it with extreme accuracy and precision: the passage between the various calibers is obviously allowed within homogeneous groups in terms of external dimensions and bolt diameter. According to German practice, metal sights supported by two welded sockets are provided: in the first there is the leaf rear sight with a wide U-shaped view, a white reference bar and tilt adjustment on the dovetail base. The second houses the front sight made up of a cylindrical bar in red translucent synthetic material: a screw and an internal pin on which the particular rotates allow elevation.
These sights are very practical for shooting: let's not forget that in German hunts for ungulates, where the game is pushed without forcing them, semi-automatic rifles are not well seen or even allowed, so a system with in-line movement like the Blaser, equipped with the best manual reset speed, it is a premium on the traditional sliding rotating shutter. Not to be forgotten is the assembly of the optics, not present here, but whose ingenuity of the company study is appreciated: on the breech of the barrel two round recesses are obtained on the right and on the left two other hemispherical in which the feet of the support are positioned with a hook of extreme stability, very easy to use and guarantor of restoring the position in the classic take off and on.
The stock
The stock of this model follows modernity with its construction in printed synthetic material and functionality thanks to the classic shapes: the stock includes the linear back of convenient thickness and roundness for a comfortable support of the face, the nose pad highlighted by the two side shells, the pistol elongated and covered with non-slip rubber, the butt pad also in similar material. The shaft with a prismatic section offers a comfortable support in the targeted shot while the rounded fore-end, also with non-slip side panels, lends itself to that in motion. The pegs for the belt holder are cast in the mold. We find the choice of the dark green color very apt, instead of the usual anthracite gray.
final Thoughts
Low weight and easy handling are the cornerstones of these shotguns to which is added the precision, usually of a high level and here in excellent evidence thanks to the chambered cartridge: the .22-250 Rem. she is one of the many daughters of American enthusiast studios who, at a certain point, were deservedly adopted by Remington who codified the measures by establishing a convenient industrial production.
With the progressive rarefaction of the .220 Swift on the market, the .22-250 Rem. has taken on a notable role as a .22 high intensity: speed and intrinsic precision make it a phenomenal solution in shooting range and in many hunting areas where it allows surgical shots at game even of considerable size.
