The Sabatti Saphire immediately attracted the attention of the specialist public present at the German event and received considerable appreciation: i rifles rifles of the House of Gardone are very well placed in the judgment of enthusiasts ensuring a wide choice in the hunting range as in that of academic shooting where the brand covers needs of all kinds with results that see it often occupy the top of the rankings. Returning to the hunting sector in recent years there has been an insistent and marked request for light rifles and an almost obligatory choice for their realization lies in the adoption of an alloy castle where about 300 g are saved a priori. An Ergal 55 extrusion was therefore chosen from which to obtain for subsequent milling operations the castle with closed ring and bridge, the lower prism for releasing the forces and the two integral Picatinny bases that allow an easy and correct assembly of the optics. perfectly aligned with the barrel, and also give greater rigidity to the whole.
The modeling of the sides is pleasant, the ejection window is small and the rear apex is elongated to enclose the base of the handlebar: here the contrast point of the ramp against which the base of the handlebar insists, realizing the primary extraction, shows a steel plug to have the two pieces in identical material avoiding premature wear in that specific point of the castle. Continuing the observation we will again see the bolt release lever hinged on the left side while in the lower part the guard and the underguard are recessed in which the slot for inserting the magazine is made. Two Torx screws at the top fix the stock to the action. The bolt is made up of a large diameter cylinder and a head with three wings lowered from the main section: the junction between the two elements is floating for an optimal support of the sealing surfaces against the mortises obtained in the breech of the barrel. The realization by casting allows to differentiate the steels and heat treatments: the points of greatest resistance see very hard surfaces and tough interiors capable of absorbing the forces without forming crystallizations leading to unfortunate cracks.
The other details see the lowered face in which the elastic expulsion pawl protrudes, and the extractor claw with the base prism orthogonally recessed in the fin at 10 o'clock contrasted by a spring ball: almost impossible any overturning of the case. We recall how this head is replaceable, as well as the barrel, according to the three groups of calibers provided: group A for .243 Win., .308 Win., 7 SAUM and 7-08 Rem., Group B for .270 Win. 7 × 57, 7 × 64, 6,5 × 55 SM, .30-06 Sprg., 8 × 57 IS, group C for 7 Rem. Mag and .300 Win. Mag. In the rear part the rounded prismatic handlebar is inserted: it is a little massive, but the knuckle, without annoying protrusions on the palm of the hand, is definitely functional and the tail cap, from which the mechanical warning tang protrudes armed, completes the ensemble.
The barrel
The accuracy of the Sabatti rods is undoubtedly a strong point and the studies aimed at the realization of the rifling have landed on the multiradial profile, the acronym is MRR® (Multi Radial Rifling), where the edges between solids and voids have been eliminated and replaced by a continuous two-radius curvature: the advantages are summarized in less deformation of the ball, greater speed, fewer parasitic deposits thus facilitating cleaning, better precision, greater duration. The manufacture of the barrel sees the separate processing of the cartridge chamber and the junction of the breech extension, where the mortises are made: this very important piece is made with a steel alloy and a heat treatment equal to those reserved for the head of the obturator, also has the external surface grinding and the fixing in place with radial Allen screws that tighten the two lower flanges of the ring. The length is equal to 610 mm, the wheelbase is 1:11 "and the profile is slender as befits a hunting weapon where the weight must be reduced and there are certainly not many shots to be fired in rapid succession; the steel chosen is AISI 4140 (42CrMo4). The metal sights consist of an inclined notch to avoid reflections, with a prism view and joint on the drawstring and set screw for drift adjustments; this is combined with a viewfinder with a consequential profile to the notch, pivoting adjustment for the elevation, anti-reflective striped base and guides for mounting the tunnel. In the muzzle there is a bush of the same diameter as the portion of the barrel, about 15 mm, mounted on a screw pitch, useful for a sound suppressor or for a muzzle brake.
Safe release and charger
The trigger package is offered in two versions: direct with a weight of about 1,0 / 1,2 kg or with French stecher. Both boast excellent cleanliness characteristics of release, readiness and absence of spinning or collapsing; the one with adjustable stecher shines for the constancy of intervention around 280 g with minimum waste of a few grams. The trigger positioned backwards is easily accessible even by those with small hands; the safety button is placed on the right side of the castle, behind the recess for the handlebar: two positions and when it is inserted it blocks everything and it is therefore impossible to extract a chambered cartridge while keeping the trigger and firing pin locked. The sufficiently wide guard allows the use even with gloves and brings back the magazine release button in the front prong: this component is obtained from thick drawn sheet metal with considerable attention to the profile of the lips to obtain strength and ease of insertion of the cartridges. This results in a regular feeding path under the thrust of the shutter. The elevating sole is made of steel and the light alloy bottom protrudes slightly from the profile of the underguard; the locking in place takes place thanks to a fixed crosspiece, also in steel, and the stop of a large rear tooth.
The stock
For reasons of ease of use, dimensional stability, cost and lower weight, a classic dark gray synthetic stock with equally normal shapes was chosen, where normal means linear and functional. The stock with raised nosepiece and back, well-projecting cheek rest and rounded profiles lends itself well to shooting with the optic, positioning the eye in line with the telescope; the well arched and flared pistol stops the hand in the right posture to reach the trigger, the pad in thick shock-absorbing rubber greatly reduces the recoil sensation. The squared stem with markedly rounded edges flows into the shaft with a flat lower section, then rounded and finally with two deep longitudinal grooves: stable for the shooting in support and well closed in the weak hand in the one with moving targets. The printed knurls have rightly edged cusps so as to ensure a firm and secure grip even with wet hands. Lastly, the two sling swivels are of the fixed type with inserted pin.
A short test in the polygon
Assuming a hunting trip, we tested the rifle with normal cartridges, of low cost and, given the .308 Win. Caliber, from a US manufacturer: the Federal Power Shock with 180 gr SP bullets, they proved to be well appreciated at the rifling pace, producing shot patterns at 100 on average between 22 and 24 mm. For a purely hunting weapon, to be run in and with hunting ammunition, it seems to us an excellent result confirming that the Sabbath has been able to create a decidedly new model in the structure, using the appropriate materials in search of lightness, to which is added the barrel with the patented MRR rifling which is not a secondary part of the success.
Thanks to Giorgio Rosso and Kevin Ballauri of the Carrù shooting range for the friendly welcome and cordial availability during the shooting tests.