The Blaser confirms once again all its extraordinary ability to make perfect weapons in everything. The R8 rifle represents the maximum level reached, in relation to reliability, safety, precision and design
Blaser technicians, with the intention of offering a highly competitive rifle on the market, started the design of the rifle starting from the removable magazine. The solution, once found, gave the latter total ergonomics and comfortable handling.
In the Blaser house there was a need to create a repeating rifle that still constituted the reference point, in terms of compact structure and manageability.
But the new charger is just one of the countless innovations that make the R8 unique in the segment to which it belongs. The trigger, as a primary precision factor, and its reliable operation especially in extreme conditions, constituted a particularly demanding challenge in terms of construction, which was brilliantly solved by Blaser.
With the aim of making shooting itself and target acquisition as comfortable and safe as possible with the new R8, football has also received attention, for which a new level of perfection has been reached.
Of course, style and design have not been neglected either. The dynamic and elegant lines of the R8 perfectly reflect the passion in the making of Blaser weapons. Unmistakable in its overall appearance, the R8 sets new standards in XNUMXst century gun technology and aesthetics.
Let's go even deeper, in the description of the Blaser R8 air rifle.
The linear repetition of shots in the aiming position makes it possible, in a relaxed posture, a rapid succession of shots when the situation requires it.
For this reason, the shutter lever has been positioned perfectly above the bridge, from an ergonomic point of view. In this way, the weapon and the eye remain fixed on the target, with the consequence that the hunter gains time for a precise aim and a certain shot.
In an ideal position above the jumper, the magazine release buttons have been located, which can be operated blindly. By pressing both buttons simultaneously, the magazine is ejected by the force of the springs, ending up directly in the shooter's hand.
If necessary, a second full magazine can also be inserted in a fraction of a second. Additionally, the magazine itself can be refilled by pushing the ammunition from top to bottom, making it no longer necessary to insert the ammunition under the magazine lips. Loading is therefore made extremely easy, even when the magazine is still in the firearm, resulting in a great advantage in hunting practice. Its capacity is Mini: 5 + 1, Standard: 4 + 1, Magnum 3 + 1
Another innovation is the optional iC Illumination Control, combined with the riflescopes, which combines the control of the illumination of the sight with the use of the weapon. By arming the R8, the light spot is automatically activated with the last light intensity set: a single movement of the hand is enough to make the armed R8 ready to shoot and the telescope fully functional.
To make the R8 special, also contributes the excellent "dry" feature of the trigger and the extremely short shutter speed, the shooter can immediately transpose his mental impulse into a controlled shot. The shot takes place without any delay, as soon as there is a pressure of about 650 grams on the trigger.
Another quality of the R8 are the cold hammered barrels and the hammered combustion chamber, with which a high shooting accuracy is obtained. The barrel is in fact housed in the massive carcass of the R8, avoiding any deformation of the wood of the stock due to drying or humidity, which will not affect the shooting position.
With the perfect attachment, the weapon and its scope become a unit of precision.
The four housings, not very evident in the barrel area, positioned above the combustion chamber, house the monolithic attack without creating tension, giving the barrel to oscillate freely and preserve, even in case of strong heating due to a high intensity of shot, its aiming position. With a few movements, the rifle scope is easily assembled and disassembled in a few seconds while maintaining a repeatability of absolute precision.
To contribute to this strength, there is also the extremely strong bolt, with homogeneous support, positioned directly in the barrel and without rotating movement, immediately behind the combustion chamber: this model with Blaser radial collar ensures, in addition to the housing and the barrel quality, a decisive contribution to shooting accuracy.
In the pursuit of extreme precision, the Blaser House has studied and designed the straight backbone of the R8, which sends the recoil of the weapon almost horizontally to the shoulder. Through the limited "surge" of the sprint, you can perceive the recoil in a minimal way. The pistol grip of the R8, particularly angled and with a profile modeled on the shape of the hand, guarantees a relaxed weight and, therefore, a controlled and more precise shot.
Safety could not be a factor to be neglected and for this reason Blaser designed the R8 to be carried with the firing pin spring: just before firing, the cocking slider is moved forward with a pressure of the thumb. , thereby loading the firing pin spring. If you do not want to shoot, simply press on the cocking slider to bring it back to its rest position thus releasing the firing pin spring. The Blaser manual weapon system is recognized as one of the best in terms of safety in hunting weapons.
With the firearm disarmed and the bolt closed, the bolt lever is locked in order to avoid accidental opening of the bolt during hunting.
The bolt lever latch is deactivated by pushing the cocking slide approximately 3mm to the first perceptible resistance and simultaneously pulling the bolt lever back. By doing so, the weapon is not cocked.
Furthermore, if the magazine is removed with the weapon loaded, the cocking slider is released and then returns to its rest position. A very important safety factor, in case you still find a cartridge in the barrel.
As part of various series of tests carried out by DEVA, the R8 was subjected to loads of over 14.500 bar, without any visible external damage being found. This is the highest gas pressure ever applied by DEVA to test a firearm.
From what we understand according to the current state of technology, it is not possible to carry out measurements relating to the gas pressure in addition to the pressure we apply. "
Placing the magazine above the trigger shortens the length of the R8 compared to conventional repeating rifles by approximately 9 cm. An important advantage in the handling of the weapon and not only on difficult terrain.
When it comes to handling, the R8 sets new records. Thanks to the optimal interplay between overall length, total mass and balance, the R8 sets new standards.
The balanced weight distribution favors intuitive handling and a fast and comfortable hold.
The last areas we need to focus on are handling and protection. The double release button reliably protects the charger from unintentional activation and therefore also from accidental ejection. It is therefore possible to inhibit the magazine keys by means of a locking slider positioned in the magazine itself. The magazine can no longer be pulled out downwards. With the bolt open, the cartridges are introduced from the top into the magazine. In extreme situations, this provides additional security against loss of the magazine.
As for protection, all metal components of the R8 are made either of stainless material or otherwise protected from corrosion. The closed shutter system of the R8 mostly prevents the intrusion of foreign bodies.
Each magazine comes with a black protective cover that prevents the magazine from getting dirty when stored on the outside of the firearm. With the magazine removed, the magazine housing can be closed with the black cover, which is included in the scope of delivery.
In preventing atmospheric conditions from affecting the use of the R8, Blaser has studied other measures for the R8 trigger assembly, which works in a servo-assisted manner, both when firing and when returning it to the rest position . By operating the trigger, the firing pin is mechanically released. By opening the shutter, the trigger is necessarily pushed into its starting position.
Each R8 can be fitted with barrels of the most usual calibers. In this way it is possible to hunt with the usual weapon, with the usual functional elements and the “usual” butt, all types of game on all continents. Conversely, the barrels of the R8 can be combined with the various types of stocks and / or carcasses. Even if technically it is therefore possible to interchange all Blaser barrels, unfortunately the Italian law currently provides that a gun can have a maximum of two spare barrels.
Each rod comes standard with the original Blaser saddle attachment. Therefore it is possible to mount and use various riflescopes and / or complete red dot sights on the same barrel.
At the end of this description, which we hope will be as complete as possible, it must be stated that the R8 contains a substantial number of features that make this rifle one of the best and most detailed in the world.