NEW REVIEW

By Chris Choat

RCBS Introduces the Ultimate Shooting Bench

RCBS is proud to introduce the R.A.S.S. (Rapid Acquisition Shooting System) Bench – an advanced, fully adjustable and portable shooting bench that will accommodate all types of shooters. This bench, which will be available this summer, has numerous features that will speak to the varmint, target and big game hunter. The combination of unique design elements give it capabilities no other shooting benches possess. The rapid elevation adjustment lever offers 20 degrees of downward travel and 20 degrees of upward travel, making a downhill or uphill shot a snap. The fine adjustment knob allows you to put the crosshairs exactly where you want them. After some initial one-time assembly, set-up in the field or on the range is easy and requires no tools. No matter where you are, you’ll have a very stable shooting platform. The four leg design with adjustable leveling feet offer stability on all types of terrain. The seat will adjust for distance from the center post and height above ground. The rifle rest will adjust for height above the seat and both rotate together or independently to offer 360 degrees of movement. All major structural steel and aluminum parts on the R.A.S.S. Bench are low reflective black or green powder coated or anodized. In the future, look for additional items such as a table top, pistol and standing accessories for this bench. The suggested retail price for the R.A.S.S. Bench is $399.95. For more information, please contact R.C.B.S., ATK Ammunition Systems Group, Dept. SAR, 605 Oro Dam Boulevard, Oroville, CA 95965. Phone: (530) 533-5191. Fax: (530) 533-1647. Their website is www.rcbs.com.

Ruger Introduces 6.8 SPC Ranch Rifle

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. is pleased to announce the introduction of the versatile Ruger Ranch Rifle in the flatshooting 6.8mm Remington SPC cartridge. This Special Purpose Cartridge (SPC) is extremely well suited to longer-range varmint and deer hunting applications in the redesigned Ruger Ranch Rifle. The 6.8 SPC uses a .270-inch diameter bullet with performance similar to the venerable .257 Roberts. Its 110-grain bullet has a 2,600 fps muzzle velocity, and at 100 yards has 78% more energy than a 55-grain .223 bullet. 115-grain bullets have a muzzle velocity of approximately 2,500 fps, with moderate recoil and muzzle blast. On average, it packs about 20% more punch than the .223 cartridge, and its trajectory is close to that of a .308 Winchester out to 500 yards. Its ballistics and energy at 300 yards are virtually identical to the flat shooting .243 Winchester deer cartridge.

The All-Weather Ruger Ranch Rifle defies the elements with a matte-stainless barrel and receiver mounted in a black synthetic stock. With recent improvements, including an adjustable “ghost ring” aperture rear sight and a protected non-glare post front sight, the Ranch Rifle is at home in a scabbard, on a horse, or in an ATV. The All-Weather Ranch Rifle wears a flat, non-slip rubber buttpad, has an 18-1/2 inch barrel, and weighs 6-1/2 pounds. The All- Weather Ranch Rifle in 6.8 SPC comes from the factory set up for scope use. Patented Ruger scope bases are machined directly into the receiver and can never shoot loose. A set of stainless steel Ruger scope rings, an $80 value, is included free with each Ruger Ranch Rifle. A patented recoil buffer protects the scope reticle from damage due to rapidly moving parts when firing this autoloading rifle and its side ejection of cartridge cases easily clears the lowest-mounted scope. For more information on the Ruger Ranch Rifle chambered in 6.8 SPC and the extensive line of Ruger products and services, please contact them at Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc., Dept. SAR, 1 Lacey Place, Southport, CT 06890. Phone: (203) 259-7843. Fax: (203) 255-5201. Visit their website at www.ruger.com.

CPS Technologies Introduces New Armor Plate

CPS Technologies, the worldwide leader in the design and production of metal matrix composites, announced that their armor plates have passed key ballistic tests. These hard plate hybrid composite armor tiles are lower in cost and lighter in weight than existing alternatives and can be used for personal protective armor, light vehicle armor, and heavy vehicle armor. Testing on the armor plates was performed by GS Engineering, based in Houghton, MI. GS Engineering tested and passed seven hybrid composite designs using a .30-06 caliber, black tipped, armor piercing round with velocities reaching 2,900 fps. All hard plate hybrids tested weighed less than 5.5 lb/sq. ft. with one as low as 4.9 lb/sq. ft. When the plates were backed with Dyneema, the total structure was less than 9 lb/sq. ft. In CPS’ structures the ceramic inserts were as thin as 0.185 inches in SiC (silicon carbide) and 0.205 inches in 96% alumina. In existing armor alternatives, typical ceramic insert thickness needed to pass NIJ Level IV is 0.325 inches or greater. With CPS armor plates the thickness of the ceramic can be adjusted to withstand higher threat levels than NIJ Level IV. CPS structures tested to date place dense, hard ceramic at the interior of hybrid composite structures with aluminum at the exterior of the structure. Other components can also be included in the hybrid. An infinite number of combinations can be created with this technology and are expected to meet various applications in military and private applications, at various price and performance points. The manufacturing process used to produce these plates is identical to the process used by CPS to produce components in high volume for the electronics industry. For more information on these extraordinary new armor plates, please contact CPS Technologies Corporation, Dept. SAR, 111 South Worchester Street, Norton, MA 02766. Phone: (508) 222- 0614. Fax: (508) 222-0220. Their website is www.alsic.com.

Mesa Tactical adds Enidine Hydraulic Buffer to Shotgun Stocks

Mesa Tactical, a Costa Mesa, CA manufacturer of professional quality tactical shotgun accessories, adds a newly developed hydraulic recoil buffer to its comprehensive line of telescoping stock and pistol grip systems for tactical shotguns. Manufactured by Enidine Inc., the new recoil buffer virtually eliminates felt recoil in 12 gauge tactical shotguns. The new recoil buffer meets the stringent standards of military and law enforcement users, as well as Mesa Tactical’s own uncompromising commitment to offer only products of the highest quality. Enidine has been a pioneer and a leading manufacturer of military and industrial grade energy absorption devices for more than forty years, and currently manufactures the recoil buffers used on many U.S. government and NATO weapon systems, such as the M204B, M249, M2HB, and most recently, a recoil buffer for use on AR-15 and M16 style combat rifles. Eliminating the majority of a shotgun’s felt recoil provides several benefits for police agencies and professional operators. For instance, using light tactical loads to reduce felt recoil is unnecessary, which allows the departments and officers to choose and train with those loads best suited to the mission without any concern for felt recoil during those intense training sessions. Bruised shoulders, fatigue, flinching and recoil impaired accuracy become a thing of the past. For more information on these new stocks as well as their full line of tactical products, please contact Mesa Tactical, Dept. SAR, 1760 Monrovia Ave., Suite A14, Costa Mesa, CA 92627. Phone: (949) 642-3337. Fax: (949) 642-3339. They can be found on the web at www.mesatactical.com.

Tru-Spec adds Multicam Camo Pattern to its Line

Tru-Spec by Atlanco, one of the leading suppliers of BDUs and other apparel to the law enforcement and military sectors, has announced that’s its TRU (Tactical Response Uniform), a new style BDU introduced earlier this year and focused specifically on the requirements of tactical team members, will now be offered in an additional camouflage pattern. MultiCam, a virtually universal camouflage pattern designed to provide concealment in varied environments and light conditions, has been added as the seventh color option for Tru-Spec’s dynamic new duty attire, which strongly resembles the US Army’s ACUs but includes a host of product improved features. The MultiCam option in now available for purchase in TRU trousers, shirts, boonie hats and helmet covers. MultiCam was developed by Crye Precision in cooperation with the US ArmyNatick Soldier Research Center, as an experiment to determine whether a single camouflage pattern could be effective in limiting the visual and near-IR signature of a person across a wider range of environments and seasons. The problem of inappropriate camouflage became glaringly apparent shortly after US troops were deployed to Afghanistan, where daily footage of the US forces in action pointed out the inadequacies of desert, digital and woodland camo in some of Afghanistan’s diverse environments and seasonal shifts. Crye Precision approached the problem scientifically by studying how wildlife adapted its camouflage protection to various geographic and climatological conditions. The result was a super versatile camouflage pattern that achieved even greater success than expected in multiple tests conducted by the US Army over a yearand- a-half period. As with all TRU Tactical Response Uniforms, the new MultiCam items will be manufactured in Tru-Spec’s own factory from fabrics developed and manufactured in U.S. government-approved factories. For more information, contact Tru-Spec, Dept. SAR, 1125 Hayes Industrial Drive, Marietta, GA 30062. Phone: (800) 241-9414. Website: www.truspec.com.