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The IWA at Nürnberg, Germany is the world-leading
exhibition for hunting, target sports, reloading and nature
activities, now in its 37th year. It took place in seven halls of
the Nürnberg Exhibition Centre from March 12th to March 15th, 2010.
1129 exhibitors from 55 countries attended, around 250 from the
United States. During the four days of the exhibition 32,000
visitors from 106 counties saw the exhibition.
This year the segment of optics and outdoor clothing
had expanded as well as the traditional main segments of hunting and
shooting sports. The IWA is also the worlds biggest knife
exhibition. In view of the increased need for security of citizens
in many countries, the segment of service guns and security
equipment for government agencies, security experts and body guards
was this year more extensive than ever. One of the key issues here
in Germany is gun security. Suppliers from all over the world
offered a broad spectrum of secure storage and handling of sport
guns with various systems ranging from code protected safes to
devices for protecting individual guns against unauthorized access.
Admission to IWA is restricted exclusively to trade
visitors. End consumers are not allowed to attend.
Burris SHOTCam
 The
SHOT cam is a camcorder that can be mounted under rifle barrels. It
allows digital zoom up to 5x, and records on an internal 512 MB
flash storage. It is switched on/off through a cable connected
switch. Multiple applications come to mind: it could be used for
rifle training to demonstrate and improve rifle handling. And of
course you could use it to video your hunting adventures. Mounted
under the rifle barrel it might change the barrel vibrations and
thereby change the point of impact. Before using it against an angry
elephant bull I suggest a test to find out if it can stand the hard
recoil of an elephant rifle.
Price here in Germany is € 399 (US$501). It is a
fascinating idea; I think that I’ll buy one. Have a look at
http://www.burrisoptics.com/
Blaser R8
Blaser’s new R8 bolt action rifle, introduced march
2010, held the central stage at the Blaser exhibition. They had some
beautifully engraved "deluxe" edition R8’s on exhibit. The R8
handles and looks like the old R93. But it has a detachable
magazine. I spike to the guy who did the test shooting of the new R8
for DEVA (Deutsche Versuchsanstalt für Waffen). This august body has
been in existance since 1900 or so and does testing of loads,
rifles, etc. This friend told me that receiver and lock of the R8
were considerably strengthened compared to the R93. It took a
pressure of 14,600 bars (that is 211,758 psi! Yes, two hundred,
eleven thousand psi) Must be the strongest action presently on the
market! (For around US$70,000 you can buy this deluxe R8)
Due to the engineering changes the old R93 barrels
and locks are not compatible with the new R8. The R8 that were shown
were in small and medium calibres only. Further Blaser rifles are to
come over the course of the year 2010. R8 in .458 Lott and .500
Jeffery (!) are in the making.
The R8 stock has a very nice crisp checkering and
points naturally. The reason for this is that it follows the old
English stock design. The pistol grip has a nice Wundhammer swell.
One of the main new features of the R8 is the
detachable magazine. Of course the R8 can still be loaded filling in
the cartridges from the top with the magazine attached.
For around US$70,000 you can buy this deluxe R8
The new program offers a wide range of different
styles from plain elegance to precious engravings. R8 rifles of the
Custom Line feature a bolt housing made of steel. Bolt housing and
barrel are polished by hand to a high-gloss finish. Pistol grip cap
and bolt handle ball are also made of steel and polished with care.
Additionally, the bolt handle ball is knurled by hand. On request,
the action is also available in steel. See
http://www.blaser.de
Mauser M03 Africa PH
Mauser had a new version of the well-known Mod M03
Africa on exhibit. It is the Mauser M03 Africa PH (Professional
Hunter). It will be available in .375 H&H, .404 Jeffrey, .416 Rem.
Mag., and .458 Lott. It has a sand coloured synthetic stock with
‘elastomer’ grip inlays.
The M03 Africa PH is fitted to the needs of hunting
guides. Its synthetic stock with ‘kickstop’ is coloured in natural
sand and features black anti-slip inlays. Due to a compact overall
length (barrel length of the PH version will be 23.6 or 22 inches)
this "pro rifle" will stand the test in daily use. Chamber, trigger
and bolt handle are coloured in black.
If you have ever used during a safari a rifle with a
beautiful wooden stock, as I did, you will be familiar with the
despair that I felt when the stock was battered and scratched by the
hard use during the hunt. A synthetic stock is a most useful item
for an African hunt especially for a PH who has to lug around his
rifle during the whole hunting season.
The M03 PH is available in a lightweight version that
weighs about 1 pound less than the standard version (at about 10
pounds). This should well make sense for PH’s. One of my PH friends
carries a .416 Rigby. He had the weight reduced to about 7.7 pounds.
Now, this rifle kicks; he allowed me to try it out. But, he reasons
that he only shoots it a dozen times each year. Then he can stand
the recoil–but he has to carry it all the time during the hunting
season–and there one pound less makes quite a difference!
See
http://www.mauserwaffen.de/
Smart Gun System from Armatix
 The
days of purely mechanical systems are over. The Armatix Smart System
iP1 Pistol together with iW1 wristwatch provides access control and
permission of use only for the person duly authorized. If a weapon
is snatched away, stolen or lost, it is automatically deactivated
and rendered unusable. The pistol is equipped with integrated
locking electronics and actuators that make it possible to activate
and deactivate the weapon safely and reliably.
The weapon is ready to fire as soon as it is
connected to the activated iW1 wrist watch. If the weapon is put
down, snatched away or moved out of range of the iW1 watch, it is
deactivated and thereby automatically secure. Armatix licenses the
globally patented system to selected manufacturers. The system is
certified in the USA. It can be transferred to a large range of
handguns and other weapon systems.
See
http://www.armatix.com
3M Sound Protector
 Great
hearing protection from 3m:
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Slim cup design
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Level dependent function in stereo
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Last setting is stored when switched off
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Totally independent dual earphone system for
level dependent and external radios signal, for maximum
security.
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Automatically switches off after two hours if no
function is used.
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Two signals are emitted as a warning that the
ComTac will switch off in one minute if no function is
activated.
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Battery life is about 250 hours. Three warning
signals are emitted every 30 seconds for five minutes when power
is low, then the headset switches off.
from Peltor:
http://www.peltor.info
1–8 x 24 Riflescope from Schmidt & Bender
The Schmidt & Bender people told me that the design
of this scope followed requirements of the security sector. If it is
used at the lowest magnification it works like a parallax free
Redpoint device for short distance shots. With both eyes open due to
its large field of vision (36 m at 100 m distance) it is ideally
suited for short range shooting at attacking buffalos or other
dangerous game or for quick shots at fast moving game. If you turn
off the illumination the red dot disappears and the normal reticle
remains.
 If
you want to do some precision shooting at long distances you have
the 8 x magnification. That should be more than enough for any
safari situation I can imagine.
The scope illumination unit offers five levels for
daylight use. You have three more levels for low light situations
and three additional levels which can be used with night vision
devices.
See
http://www.schmidtundbender.de/
Rangemaster CRF 1600 from Leica
Leica is a pioneer in the field of rangefinders. The
Rangemaster CRF 1600 is the newest addition to its product line.
With a large 115-meter field of vision and 7x magnification, the
Rangemaster takes just 0.3 seconds to display the precise distance
to any target from 10-meter to approximately 1500-meter (1600 yards)
away.
In addition the Rangemaster CRF 1600 offers an
integrated ballistics computer with a choice of ballistic curves. In
making its calculation, the system automatically adjusts for
barometric pressure and temperature. You simply choose the
appropriate ballistic curve and the Rangemaster CRF 1600 shows you
the precise aiming point.
 Unique
within the premium rangefinder segment, the Rangemaster CRF is held
vertically. This means it is equally easy to use for both
left-handers and right-handers. Weighing only 8 ounces, it is
extremely light and, thanks to its compact design, it sits
comfortably in the palm of your hand. Even when you’re wearing
gloves, it is easy to hold and carry.
The Rangemaster has the size of a pack of cigarettes
and slips easily into any small shirt- or pants pocket.
The brightness and sharpness of its LED display have
also been significantly improved. The figures remain clear and
distinctly legible even if you measure against the dazzling
brightness of a snow field. Its red LED display is as bright as day
and absolutely tack-sharp. Its display brightness adjusts
automatically to ambient lighting conditions.
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 The
intrepid Hans J. Wild is 74 years old and has been
involved in the IT industry for 40 years. He is a
veteran safari hunter and has been on 12 African safaris
so far including safaris to Zimbabwe and Namibia. He
plans to continue his safari career this year…
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 Depressing
the button activates the opto-electronic system and a second
press starts the measuring process. Constant pressure on the
button activates the Rangemaster’s scanning mode. This means
that the Rangemaster now measures continuously and can "track"
game on the move.
The LEICA RANGEMASTER CRF 1600 will be available
from August 2010 at a recommended German market retail price of €720
(US$904).
See
http://en.leica-camera.com/
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