by Dave Workman
Senior Editor

You've already been reading in previous Gun Week issues about some of the great new guns coming out this year and being introduced at the 2003 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Orlando, FL.

Contributing editor Massad Ayoob has already written extensively about the new lineup from Smith & Wesson, and Robert Hausman also disclosed details of other handguns from Kahr and North American Arms.

Gun Week has gleaned even more information about new guns and gear.

Beretta (17601 Beretta Dr., Dept. GWK, Accokeek, MD 20607; phone: 301-283-2191) offers several new rifles from Sako in a variety of calibers, including a left-hand model. The Tikka Hunter has a wood stock and blued barrel and action, and the Lite model with a synthetic stock in stainless or blue.

Calibers include: .223 Rem.; .22-250 Rem.; .243 Win.; .25-06 Rem.; 7mm Rem. Magnum; .270 WSM, and .300 WSM. The Sako 75 Custom Deluxe has a premium grade walnut stock and blue barrel and action. It comes in .270 Win. and .30-06. The left-hand Sako 75 Hunter is now offered in .25-06 Rem., .270 Win., and .30-06.

Beretta's shotgun options include the Onyx Pro Series over-and-under in 12-, 20- and 28-gauge, with X-Tra Wood waterproof wood stock, Truglo Tru-Bead sights, extended Hunting choke tubes, fluted beavertail forends and Gel-Tek recoil pad. The White Onyx line, also in 12, 20- and 28-gauges has a silver finish on the receiver and Schnabel forend.

Handgunners ought to warm up to Beretta's new Stampede SAA revolver, chambered in .45 Long Colt, .44-40 and .357 Magnum. Barrel options are 4-, 5°- and 7°-inches, with either blue or nickel finishes. New Elite series semi-auto entries are the 92G-SD and 96G-SD, chambered in 9mm and .40 S&W, respectively.

Kimber (1 Lawton St., Dept. GWK, Yonkers, NY 10705; phone: 888-243-4522) has several new rifle entries including rimfire and centerfire models. The Custom Classic has been upgraded with an AAA Claro walnut stock and full-wrap 24 LPI checkering. A new Varmint rifle comes with a 20-inch stainless steel fluted match grade barrel. The SuperAmerica will be chambered in .243 Win., .260 Rem., 7mm-08 Rem., and .308 Win.

New variations of the Model 1911 from Kimber include the Tactical II Series in either a 3-, 4- or 5-inch version with gray-anodized aluminum frame and black slide. The Ultra Ten CDP II is a compact with a double-column 10-round magazine and 3-inch slide and barrel. Starting this year, all Ten II Series pistols with double-stack 10-round magazines will feature the new external tactical extractor, while all Ultra II models will have ramped 3-inch barrels.

From Remington (870 Remington Dr., Dept. GWK, Madison, NC 27025; phone: 800-243-9700) comes the new Model 673 Guide Rifle chambered in .350 Remington Magnum and the new .300 Rem. Short Action Ultra Magnum. The rifle has a 20-inch vent rib barrel, brown/tan laminate stock, and adjustable metallic sights.

Also chambered for the .300 RSAUM are the Model 700 Sendero and Model 700 BDL, which are also offered in 7mm RSAUM. This year's Model 700 Classic is chambered in .300 Savage. There's also a third annual Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Model 700 BDL chambered in .300 RSAUM.

Shotguns
New Remington shotguns include a new 20-gauge Model 870 turkey gun and a commemorative for the late Dale Earnhardt. There's also a Model 1100 chambered in 16-gauge, with either a wood or synthetic stock.

Benelli (17603 Indian Head Hwy., Dept. GWK, Accokeek, MD 20607; phone: 301-283-2981) enters the centerfire rifle market with the R1, in .30-06 and .300 Win. Magnum. It has a checkered walnut stock and forearm, deeply blued upper receiver (the upper is steel for scope mounting while the lower is made from a lightweight aluminum alloy) and cryogenically treated barrel. The safety is mounted forward of the trigger and it has a four-round magazine.

Shotgunners should like the new 12-gauge M1 Field shotgun with SteadyGrip which has a pistol grip stock and 24-inch barrel, all finished in Advantage Timber. The Super Black Eagle with SteadyGrip is chambered for 3°-inch 12-gauge magnums. For Sporting Clays, Benelli's Sport II semi-auto model comes with a choice of either 28- or 30-inch barrel.

The new Nova H20 is a pump-action model with an 18.5-inch barrel, finished in matte nickel to resist corrosion. Benelli also imports the S/S Franchi Highlander, with straight English-style A-grade walnut stock and splinter forend, coin-finished receiver, Anson & Deely box lock and 26-inch barrel.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Single Six revolver, Ruger (200 Ruger Rd., Dept. GWK, Prescott, AZ 86301; phone: 520-541-8820) is introducing a special edition Single-Six, chambered for the .22 Long Rifle and .22 Magnum, with interchangeable cylinders, blue steel and Cocobolo wood grip panels. The 4-5/8-inch barrel features a 1953-2003 roll mark "50 Years of Single-Six." Ruger is chambering the standard Single-Six in .17 HMR.

Ruger Rifles
Five new rifle options include the No. 1 Single Shot in two new versions: one a stainless steel model with black laminated stock and the other in carbon blue with an American walnut stock, both chambered in .458 Lott. The stainless model will also be chambered in .405 Win. New Ruger M77 MKII options include two in either stainless or blue steel. The left-hand M77LR and KM77LRBBZ are available in either a blue finish with walnut stock, or stainless steel with black laminated stock. Both are chambered in .25-06 Rem., .300 Win. Mag., and .338 Win. Mag.

Ruger's Red Label All Weather models come with 26-, 28- or 30-inch barrels. They will be offered with an optional Target Grey finish.

Taurus (16175 NW 49th Ave., Dept. GWK, Miami, FL 33014-6314; phone: 305-624-1115) has several new revolvers, including an eight-round matte stainless model chambered in .17 HMR. It has a 5-inch barrel and adjustable rear sight. There's a five-round big bore silhouette gun chambered in .44 Magnum or .454 Casull, with a 12-inch barrel, adjustable trigger stop and mainspring control.

Taurus also offers the Long Range Stinger in .22 Hornet, .22 WMR and .218 Bee. Chambered in .45 Long Colt comes a new version of the Tracker in Total Titanium. It holds five rounds and has a 4-inch barrel with fixed sights. Another new Tracker model will likely get some attention because of its chambering in .218 Bee. The Taurus Raging Thirty is chambered for .30 Carbine.

Browning (One Browning Pl., Dept. GWK, Morgan, UT 84050; phone: 801-876-2711) is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, with the introduction of a new rifle action and cartridge: the new Winchester Super Short Magnum (WSSM) A-Bolt, chambered for the new .223 WSSM and .243 WSSM cartridges. They feature a shorter receiver to accommodate the 2.36-inch cartridges. There are five options: the Hunter; Medallion; Composite; Stainless, and Varmint models.

Browning also offers 28-gauge and .410 bore options in the Citori O/U with a checkered pistol grip stock, European comb, recoil pad, and a redesigned trigger system. The BT-99 single-barrel trap gun is now offered in a Golden Clays grade with adjustable comb and GraCoil recoil reduction system.

The Pro Series handgun family has two options-the Pro-9 and Pro-40-chambered in 9mm and .40 S&W, respectively. Both are double-action pistols with ambidextrous decocker/safety levers, three-dot fixed sights, and 6-inch sight radius.

Marlin
Five new leverguns are coming from Marlin (100 Kenna Dr., PO Box 248, Dept. GWK, North Haven, CT 06437-0905; phone: 203-239-5621) including models for hunters and Cowboy Action shooters. Chambered in .44 Magnum, the Model 1894PG has a 20-inch barrel with Ballard rifling, an American black walnut stock with pistol grip, and rubber butt-pad.

The Model 336 SpikeHorn has a 16.5-inch Micro-Groove barrel chambered in .30-30 Win. It has a blued finish with American black walnut pistol grip stock and cut checkering, semi-buckhorn adjustable rear sight and brass bead front sight with Wide-Scan hood.

The Model 1894FG is chambered in .41 Magnum. It has a checkered walnut stock with pistol grip, button-rifled 20-inch barrel and semi-buckhorn rear sight. Marlin's Model 1895MR in .450 Marlin has a 22-inch barrel. The Model 1894 Cowboy Competition 45 with 20-inch barrel is chambered for .45 Colt.

Savage (100 Springdale Rd., Dept. GWK, Westfield, MA 01085; phone: 800-235-1821) is introducing a new trigger design called the AccuTrigger, with an integral safety feature called the AccuRelease, available in several rifles, including varmint, heavy barrel and law enforcement models. The AccuTrigger system allows safe adjustment of the trigger pull from 1.5 to 6 pounds, by any shooter. No gunsmithing is necessary.

Savage is also offering the new Cub Mini youth model-a single-shot bolt-action rifle with a hardwood stock and blued barrel and action, chambered in .22 Long Rifle. The Youth Varmint rifle is chambered in .223 Rem. or .22-250 Rem. It has a black synthetic youth stock, dual pillar bedding and a 26-inch heavy free floating barrel.

Chambered in .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire, the new Sport Striker handguns are available in blue or stainless, with a 10-inch barrel. The magazine carries five rounds and the pistol comes with scope bases installed.

Thompson/Center (T/C, PO Box 5002, Dept. GWK, Rochester, NH 03867; phone: 603-332-2394) offers a new G2 Contender rifle with a 23-inch barrel that is drilled and tapped for scope mounts. Chambered in .17 HMR, .22 Long Rifle, .223 Rem., .30-30 Win. and .45-70, the new Contender has a walnut stock and forend, but it is slightly different from the original Contender.

Forearms and barrels are interchangeable with older models, but the buttstocks do not match. It also has T/C's patented automatic hammer block safety, easier opening, and the hammer may be cocked and lowered, and then re-cocked without having to break the action open.

Likewise, the Contender pistol has gone through this change, with 12- or 14-inch barrel models in assorted chamberings. Pistol grips are different than on the original.

In the blackpowder arena, T/C offers a new .45-caliber Omega in-line rifle, and is reviving the Renegade Hunter caplock with a 26-inch octagonal barrel, an adjustable rear sight and blade front sight, and a single trigger.

Three O/U Supreme Select shotguns are being added by Winchester (275 Winchester Ave., Dept. GWK, Morgan, UT 84050; phone: 801-876-3440). They have checkered walnut stocks and forearms, blued and back-bored vent ribbed barrels, dual-locking pin receivers and Invector Plus choke tubes. The Elegance model has a hard butt plate, a choice of barrels in 26- or 28-inch lengths, and 3-inch chambers. The Field model has a recoil pad and blued receiver, while the Sporting Model has 2-inch chambers, with barrel choices in 28- and 30-inch configurations.

Super Short Magnums
In the rifle lineup, Winchester is introducing a new "super-short" action chambered for the .223 WSSM and .243 WSSM, and two rifles in .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire. The new Model 70 Featherweight SS features a Controlled Round Feed action, checkered walnut stock with Schnabel forend and 22-inch barrel. The Super Shadow Super Short has a synthetic stock, 24-inch barrel, and new recoil pad that absorbs more recoil. Winchester is also chambering the Coyote in both WSSM. Winchester has also added a top tang safety to the Model 94 lever-action rifle.

Mossberg (7 Grasso Ave, Dept. GWK, North Haven, CT 06473; phone: 203-230-5300) is expanding the Model 835 Ulti-Mag offerings with new "designer camouflage" on three turkey models. The turkey guns come with 24-inch barrels, while a fourth model has a 28-inch tube. Camo finishes include Realtree Hardwoods HD Green. All four models will be shipped with a Flambeau gun case.

Mossberg is also adding a .410-bore Bantam slug gun with shorter stock (13-inch length-of-pull) and a full-size .410 slug gun with 24-inch cylinder bore barrel. Both have fiber optic sights and synthetic stocks.

Olympic Arms (624 Old Pacific Hwy. SE, Dept. GWK, Olympia, WA 98513; phone: 800-228-3471) has two new semi-automatic rifles, the PCR16 Flat Top and the CAR97M4, both with 16-inch barrels, and chambered for .223 Rem.

The PCR16 has a full-length A2 trapdoor synthetic buttstock, two-piece aluminum handguard, Picatinny gas block and button rifling. It comes with a hard case, sling and 10-round magazine. The CAR97M4 has a stainless steel barrel and a fixed "collapsible" stock, either a standard A2 upper or the optional A3 with detachable carry handle and M4-style handguard.

In the handgun arena, the Westerner is a .45 ACP-caliber semi-auto built on the Model 1911 frame with: a color case-hardened finish; white micarta grips; adjustable rear sight; 5-inch slide and barrel, and a single seven-round Metal Form magazine. The other entry is the Black Tac, inaugurating what will be a complete line of CQB (Close Quarters Battle) pistols. It features a new proprietary metal treatment that makes the surface harder on the Rockwell scale. The Black Tac finish is slick, and very durable.

Colt Gunsite
Colt (PO Box 1868, Dept. GWK, Hartford, CT 06114; phone: 860-236-6311) has collaborated with the Gunsite Ranch to create the Gunsite Pistol, a full-size Model 1911 with 5-inch barrel in both stainless steel and blued models. Built on the Series 70 platform, it features: a Heinie front sight and Novak rear; a McCormick hammer and sear; Smith & Alexander grip safety with palm swell; serrated flat mainspring housing; two eight-round Wilson Combat magazines; a Wilson extended thumb safety, and optional Tritium night sights.

Colt has also revived the "original" Model 1911, scheduled for delivery sometime around mid-year. It will feature: a flat mainspring housing with lanyard loop; basic Model 1911 sights; the same roll marks and stampings as the original, and a parkerized finish.

From Sigarms (Exeter Corporate Park, Dept. GWK, Exeter, NH 03833; phone: 603-772-2302) comes the Blaser R93 Hunting Handgun System (HHS), designed with the same features as SIG's Blaser bolt-action rifle. It has a 14-inch barrel and an OAL of 22.5 inches. Barrels are interchangeable and it is drilled and tapped for scope mounts.

Sigarms is also introducing the S2 Safari Double Rifle, with free-floating, interchangeable barrel sets.

Weatherby (3100 El Camino Real, Dept. GWK, Atascadero, CA 93422-2544; phone: 805-466-1767) is adding the .458 Lott chambering to its Mark V Dangerous Game Rifle (DGR), and a stainless version of the Vanguard. The DGR features: a hand-laminated composite stock with Monte Carlo comb; Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad; 24-inch Krieger Criterion barrel; adjustable ramp "V" rear sight, and barrel band hooded front sight.

The stainless Vanguard has a Mark V action, 24-inch barrel and injection-molded Butler Creek composite stock. It is chambered in .300 WSM. The Mark V Special Varmint Rifle (SVR), has a 22-inch barrel and No. 3 contour chrome moly 4140 Krieger Contour button rifled barrel, and a black composite Monte Carlo stock with aluminum bedding block. It is chambered in .223 Rem. and .22-250 Rem.

In the shotgun lineup, Weatherby is introducing a new semi-auto slug gun, the SAS (for Semi-Automatic Shotgun). It is chambered for 3-inch 12-gauge magnums, and has a specially designed drop-out trigger mechanism and lightweight T6 alloy receiver.

New England Firearms
New England Firearms (Industrial Rowe, Dept. GWK, Gardner, MA 01440; phone: 978-632-9393) is unveiling two new variations of the single-shot Handi Rifle, in .223 Rem., and .243 Win. Both feature 22-inch matte stainless steel barrels and matte nickel-finished receivers. They come with scope rail mounts installed, and a hammer extension that allows cocking access to the hammer when a scope is mounted. Stocks and forends are both made from black high-density polymer.

The new P2000 pistol from Heckler & Koch (21480 Pacific Blvd., Dept. GWK, Sterling, VA 20166; phone: 703-450-1900) is chambered in 9mm and .40 S&W. It features an ambidextrous slide release, modular grip with interchangeable back straps, and a polymer recoil absorber bushing.

KBI (PO Box 6625, Dept. GWK, Harrisburg, PA 17112; phone: 717-540-8518) has two new handgun models: one a 9mm semi-auto from FEG and the other a .45 ACP polymer-frame gun from BUL in Israel. There are also several new 20-gauge shotguns including a youth model, made by Akkar in Turkey. Adult guns are available with three different barrel lengths, all with vent ribs: 24-, 26- and 28-inches.

The youth model, with a shorter stock, has a 22-inch barrel. The semi-autos are gas-operated, with aluminum-forged actions, chrome-moly steel barrels, 3-inch chambers, and three choke tubes.

Kel-Tec's (PO Box 236009, Dept. GWK, Cocoa, FL 32926-6009; phone: 321-631-0068) new gas-operated SU-16 Sport Utility is a fold-down model that weighs only 5 pounds empty, wears an 18-inch barrel with integrated Picatinny rail for mounting different sight systems, and comes with a 10-round magazine.

Their newest handgun should raise eyebrows: The P3AT chambered in .380 ACP. Slightly larger than the famous P32, the P3AT has a six-round magazine, and weighs a scant 7.2 ounces unloaded. It features a locked breech design and 5-pound trigger pull. The barrel is made from SAE 4140 ordnance steel, and the slide is also 4140 while the frame is machined from 7075-T6 aluminum.