Thanks to our friend Carlo Bonardo of the homonymous armory located in Bra (CN) we were able to examine and photograph a Blaser R8 rifle equipped with an optic with the brand of the same house. We have not reached the point of completing the backhoe with the chamber for one of the cartridges of the same company, but here the diffusion of the excellent proprietary calibers does not have the adequate diffusion and therefore, as they say, it is not a thing. In the meantime, let's start to re-observe the Model R8, a milestone of the repeating rifle where it has been possible with some innovations to create the detachable cartridge magazine, a peculiarity definitely appreciated by the majority of hunters who can thus have the shotgun unloaded in a moment, by putting the package away. in the hunter's pocket, ready when needed to return to shooting position in a few seconds.
In truth, the solution, given the well-known mechanics, required the involvement of part of the trigger group: as can be seen from the images, and as many will be aware of, there is a plate in which the cartridges are inserted, this is posed in the prismatic container equipped with a leaf spring at the bottom and including guard, trigger, bridge and release device. The whole is inserted into the barrel of which it perfectly follows the rounded line. The transmission of the release motion is curious: the trigger moves a conical tip on the rear of the package to balance it and this acts on the cylinder placed in the castle by activating the trigger. Readiness and constancy are commendable and you have the possibility to choose from three weight values, from 450 to 900 g if we remember correctly, by acting on a pawl placed in the rear tine of the guard.
Castle and shutter
It is easy to say castle ... here there is a boxed support with two longitudinal guides and please center the two long prongs of the shutter support that are housed there. The closing assembly covered by a shaped light alloy fairing is connected to these guides by means of a string of Torx screws. The genius of the mechanics rests on interlocking pieces and undercut positions of the handlebar equipped with a pendulum movement of a few degrees, which advances a cone within the bundle of twelve toothed elastic blades: these in expansion engage within a ring formed inside the breech of the barrel.
The bolt head protrudes in front, a cylinder with a lowered face, a firing pin hole, an elastic ejection pawl and a block extractor equipped with orthogonal T-jointed motion and flush register spring: excellent functionality and robustness to the test. The barrel has two pegs under the cartridge chamber, internally threaded, to be inserted in as many seats of the barrel, fixing everything with two Torx screws: this chamber we have seen is the .300 Weath. Mag. Featuring a grooved round section with adjustable leaf rear sight, prismatic front sight on base and muzzle screw flange for mounting the muzzle brake. The greenish synthetic stock follows the traditional lines with pistol grip, high comb, linear back of convenient thickness; the rounded stem continues in the shaft with longitudinal shells and a hint of schnabel. The grip areas see the addition of high grip panels as the surface of the butt pad.
Blaser optics
We arrived at the rifle scope also marked Blaser. The values in play reported on the eyepiece tube show 2,8-20 × 50 iC: we are therefore faced with an optic with a wide range of magnifications, such as to allow the shooting in movement to the wild boar as that of extreme accuracy to the chamois. or to deer, so much to exemplify. The appearance is impressive even if we preferred to photograph the model with a 50 mm lens instead of 56 mm precisely to reduce the overall dimensions: the rail facilitates assembly with the special saddle attachment of the House.
In the external details we note the mobile rings with the smooth knurling cusps that require a slightly more decisive closure of the fingers. In the technical characteristics, the German philosophy of the reticle placed on the first focal plane returns to the fore, which guarantees a constant impact as the magnifications vary: the reticle is superimposed on the image before it passes through the moving parts of the zoom. The manufacturer guarantees with the fine reticle a limited coverage of the target even at maximum power magnification. We then return to rediscover the old rangefinder effect with the game placed between the horizontal bars of the reticle: empirical measurement, but still valid and constant thanks to the positioning of the reticle, and available in a moment if there is no time and way to use the rangefinder. The assembly of this scope Mod. “IC” on the Blaser rifle involves a device consisting of a magnet which, when the shutter passes to close, activates the illumination of the red dot of the reticle.
The adjustment turrets are lockable and you can go to the zero point at will either based on the distance of 100 m or on that of the GEE, the optimal calibration distance in order not to have a positive arrow greater than 4 cm. We do not spend unnecessary words on the properties of lenses: we travel at levels of excellence. At the next opportunity maybe the possibility of a field test that we envision of excellent success.
The author thanks Mr. Carlo Bonardo of the homonymous armory located in Bra (CN) [email protected] for the usual courtesy and the availability of the material treated