Defense Articles

This classic custom gun is graceful, strong and proud — much like the magnificent cat it was made to hunt.

Africa’s greatest predator is the lion, so it is only appropriate that a hunting rifle dedicated to the king of beasts should reflect its attributes - strong, graceful and proud. And just as the Lion is at the top of the food chain, so too are the craftsmen who built this magnificent custom rifle. Gunmaker Sterling Davenport, a stockmaker and metalsmith, is at the pinnacle of his profession, while engraver Jere Davidson is at the apex of his art.

The Lion Rifle is chambered for the legendary .375 H&H Mag., a classic hunting round. The gun is based on a new Winchester Model 70 action, the so-called “pre’64 style” featuring a claw extractor and controlled round feeding.

The barrel is from master barrelmaker John Krieger, asingle cut-rifled blank originally 2.25″ in diameter. The stock blank came from Ed Preslik, the salty old dog of California walnut dealers who provides eye-popping claro and English walnut to many of the top stockmakers, including Davenport.

The engraving, done by Davidson, is fine English scroll style highlighted with 18k gold bands and accents with a centerpiece on the floorplate of a fully maned African lion. Davidson is one of a handful of American master engravers, a profession that requires immense dedication. Davidson is well known for his exquisite game scenes in the Bolino style on fine shotguns, but his gold relief work on the Lion Rifle gives a glimpse of his other talents.

The Lion Rifle is a collaborative effort of craftsmen in the Old World tradition of the guilds in which specific gun-making tasks are handled by specific masters. Davenport was to be the stockmaker while Idaho metalsmith Rick Stickley was to mate the barrel and action. However, due to personal circumstances, Stickley was unable to complete the project. Davenport completed the finishing and other details on the metalwork.

Fine Points

The overall impression of the Lion Rifle as a magnificent example of a classic American custom rifle belies several of the more intricate details. Perhaps the most understated yet remarkable features of this fine gun are the “false” square bridges, making the action appear to be a Magnum Mauser.

Stickley welded up the bridges on the action and machined them to serve as an integral base for his own detachable scope rings. When the scope is not in use, it can be removed and tastefully engraved caps are slid onto dovetail rails, giving the double square bridge appearance.

Another striking feature is the rear sight which Davenport custom fit onto the integral quarter rib. The rear sight, calibrated for 50 yards — the maximum distance at which dangerous game should properly be shot — is accented with a triangle of elephant ivory for visibility in low light.

The front sight features a removable hood and the front sight ramp is machined integrally from the Kreiger barrel blank. The barrel-mounted front sling swivel stud is also integrally machined.

The stock features a skeleton grip cap and hand checkered panel, both exquisitely fit by Davenport. Typical of Davenport’s classic styling, the rifle features a beaded cheekpiece and contrasting ebony forend tip. The grip is somewhat open, facilitating a comfortable yet firm hold on the big Holland & Holland magnum.

A bout 3,000 rifles sold under the Sako and Tikka labels have been recalled following catastrophic failures, but a small number of guns sold in the American market remain in the hands of owners who apparently have not heard about the recall. A weakness in the stainless steel used to manufacture rifles last year has led to ruptured barrels.

THE AMERICAN RIFLE: A TREATISE, A TEXT BOOK, AND A BOOK OF PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION IN THE USE OF THE RIFLE represents twenty-five years of study and work from a soldier, hunter and naturalist who by the 1920s was a renowned expert on military and hunting rifles. It’s written for riflemen and any with such must have this, which covers everything from maintenance and care to shooting tactics and common mistakes. A ‘foundation’ title any weapons library must have.

Two new tactical rifles are now available from companies which were once known as handgun manufacturers. The first, bearing the innovative name “Tactical Rifle,” is available from Magnum Research makers of the famous Desert Eagle pistol.

The Tactical Rifle, designed by gunsmith John Roundsley, and is an off-the-shelf precision rifle that rivals many of the custom bolt-action sniper rifles currently available. Built on a Remington 700 action with an H-S Precision stock, the Tactical Rifle features a 26″ carbon fiber barrel capable of maintaining 1/2 MOA accuracy. The Tactical Rifle is available in .223, .22-250, .308 and .300 Win Magnum.

Combat now offers the UT-15 Urban Tactical Carbine. This versatile AR-style rifle has a free-floated, fluted barrel and a 3 lb. trigger. A unique sighting system allows the shooter to choose instantly between an optical sight or the gun’s integral iron sights.

Tactical gear from BlackHawk is winning praise from those who demand ergonomic design plus maximum durability. In addition, the company is winning equally high praise from gun dealers.

BlackHawk provides eye-catching displays to retailers, and offers very attractive pricing with their Dealer and Master Dealer programs.

Hardly anyone agrees on every little thing, especially when it comes to tactical gear. And disparity of opinion is found among the members of SWAT teams and Spec-Op units as well. The Navy SEALs favor the SIG P226, while the D-boys opt for customized 1911s.

Different strokes for different folks.

But when it comes to holsters for their Kimbers, Springfields, SIGs and Wilson’s, the one piece of gear upon which every group agrees is the Safariland Model 6004 tactical thigh holster.

Safariland owns the tactical thigh market like Hershey’s owns the chip market — or is that Intel? The point is, if you’re on a team, you’re tightening the twin elastic straps of the 6004 around your strong-side quads.

Why such dominance? Two words — Bill Rogers. The former FBI agent turned holster designer imbued the 6004 with a host of features, not the least of which was making it totally crush-proof, waterproof, corrosion-proof and, yes, even GI-proof.

The newer versions of the 6004 are designed to mate with the holster interface rail of a SureFire-dedicated handgun WeaponLight. SureFire’s handgun light features a trigger guard-mounted adaptor rail for the light to attach to the pistol. Incorporated in the adaptor are a pair of holster interface rails, or wings, that mate with corresponding slots inside the 6004. The advantage to this system is the handgun can still be re-holstered, even without the light in place.
The holster interface keeps the gun from flopping around in what would become an otherwise overly-roomy rig for a light-less pistol. The 6004 also incorporates one of the simplest, fastest and secure retention devices in the thigh holster industry — a niche market if there ever was one.

There is a molded sight track in the holster to prevent the front sight from snagging. The holster itself attaches to a contoured thigh pad, which in turn cinches to your leg with two adjustable, elastic straps. The entire rig suspends from your belt with a length-adjustable, Velcro[R]-backed strap.

The holster is made with Rogers’ most significant contribution to holster technology, the Safarilaminate (nee thermolaminate) method of bonding an inner piece of suede to an outer shell of tough, durable Kydex. The holster also boasts an adjustable retention screw.

Mike Noell, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, founded BlackHawk in 1993 after his issued gear failed him in an Iraqi minefield during Operation Desert Storm. He began making tactical gear for his friends in the garage of his home in Virginia Beach, Va. BlackHawk is now recognized as the world leader in supplying tactical equipment to the military and law enforcement markets. BlackHawk is headquartered in Norfolk, Va. with offices in Montana, North Carolina, Nevada, Idaho and Germany.

BlackHawk Products Group (BPG) was formed in 2003 to accelerate the pace of introducing new best-in-class products to the performance-oriented tactical market through intensive internal research and development (R&D) initiatives and selective acquisitions. BPG acquired Masters of Defense tactical knives in November 2003. Delta Design Group (DDG) was acquired in December 2003 to strengthen and direct the BPG research and development effort. The recently acquired Jungst Scientific further expands these capabilities.

The BlackHawk line of products includes tactical nylon gear, hydration systems, gloves, knives, holsters and breaching tools.

Tactical nylon items include a wide variety of packs, holsters, tactical vests, weapon slings, gear bags, weapon cases and accessories. The high quality and durability of these items is attributed to the use of 1,000-denier NyTaneon(TM) nylon and the highest quality hardware and construction. Modular STRIKE systems allow soldiers to individually configure tactical gear functionally and to their individual needs.

The Hydrastorm line incorporates hydration systems into the same high-quality nylon packs and independent reservoirs that can adapt to any tactical configuration. Hydrastorm gear is designed for the same demanding environments as other packs, but incorporates hydration systems that range from 45- to 100ounce capacities. They can be used on military or police operations, for extreme sports or in routine recreational activities.

HellStorm gloves provide military and law enforcement operators a wide choice of protection, ranging from Nomex® aviator gloves to specialty gloves designed specifically for waterborne operations. The HellStorm line of gloves includes many patented designs and features that can accommodate soldiers in any environment.

MOD knives are purpose-designed for multiple types of operators. MOD products include 14 distinct knife patterns with more than 60 variations in models. Model types range from concealable automatics to multifunctional sheath knives. Variations in models allow each knife to accomplish specific tasks for the individual soldier. MOD knives are the most advanced manually operated and automatic knives in the industry. Award-winning models include knives designed by the official close combat trainer of the U.S. Navy SEALS.

BlackHawk offers a wide variety of holster choices-from tactical nylon thigh rigs to the unique line of close quarters concealment holsters. These holsters are injection-molded, carbon-fiber composite that allow lightweight concealed carry options with minimum bulk. The SERPATM retention system on various models eliminates the need for a thumb break and provides for safe carry with rapid access to the user.

BlackHawk is the exclusive distributor of Dynamic Entry tools. These tools are in use by military and police forces worldwide and include battering rams, breaching and Hallagan tools, axes and the nylon packs needed to carry them.

Since BlackHawk announced the formation of a products group last year, it has been strategically focusing resources on building best-of-class R&D capabilities. In January 2004, BlackHawk acquired Delta Design Group, headquartered in Boise, Idaho, with a design and tooling center in Belgrade, Mont. DDG is a tactical gear research and design center with concept, rapid prototyping and tool-making capabilities for injection-molded products. They specialize in holsters and related shooting accessories. BlackHawk Products Group also acquired Jungst Scientific in April 2004. Jungst includes a precision tool-making and injection-molding facility in Bozeman, Mont.

By creating an environment that allows engineers to work the way they need to work, BlackHawk is producing a variety of breakthrough technologies in record time.

BlackHawk also includes a state-of-the-art close quarters defense training center located inside the company’s Norfolk compound. This facility is operated by a world-renowned tactical instructor who has recently been awarded a U.S. government contract to train close quarters defense methods and techniques and to outfit operators for missions abroad in the war on terrorism. This facility also acts as a real-world R&D test bed for BlackHawk gear. Operators who train at BlackHawk have the option to use any BlackHawk product and thus become part of the R&D process.

While holding, the loadmaster and flight engineer visually inspected the landing gear and confirmed that the forward right main gear was in the down and locked position while the aft right main gear had partially retracted. While troubleshooting the problem, the crew was unable to correct the split condition in the right main gear. The copilot radioed the situation to the operations superintendent on duty and asked him to call a Lockheed technical advisor for further assistance. The crew reviewed the Dash-1 in preparation for the applicable emergency procedures. They first tried to free-fall the aft right main gear by disengaging the gear drive. They then unsuccessfully tried to manually hand- crank the gear down. As the engineer and copilot discussed options, the navigator again
attempted to hand-crank the gear down. This time, the gear began moving toward the down position and was eventually lowered. The flight engineer visually confirmed the right main gear down and locked but also noticed scraping and rub marks on the aft right main strut. The pilot, copilot, and engineer all agreed to restrain the aft right main gear with a restraining collar as a precautionary step. The pilot and navigator coordinated with air traffic control for permission to dump fuel to reduce weight. The pilot then set up for a straight-in approach to the runway at Moody and executed an uneventful landing. By precisely following technical order guidance and the expertise of outside resources, the crew were able to return their aircraft home with minimal damage and no injuries.