HIGH STANDARD ISU OLYMPIC - NRA Museum

®

Dope Bag is compiled by Staff andContributing Editors: David Andrews, HughC. Birnbaum, Bruce N. Canfield, RussCarpenter, O. Reid Coffield, William C.Davis, Jr., Pete Dickey, Charles Fagg, RobertW. Hunnicutt, Mark A. Keefe, IV, AngusLaidlaw, Scott E. Mayer, Charles E. Petty,Robert B. Pomeranz, O.D., Jim Supica,Charles R. Suydam, A.W.F. Taylerson andStanton L. Wormley, Jr.

CAUTION: Technical data and informa-tion contained herein are intended to pro-vide information based on the limited expe-rience of individuals under specific condi-tions and circumstances. They do not detailthe comprehensive training procedures,techniques and safety precautionsabsolutely necessary to properly carry on

THE last great moment for American-made rapid-fire pistols was the 1968Olympics, when U.S. team members

Bill McMillan and Jim McNally used spe-cially-prepared High Standard .22Short pistols. Since then,European brands like Pardini,Unique and Walther haveruled the roost.

The original HighStandard went belly-up in1984, and one might havebeen forgiven for thinkingthat was the end of thename. But while no onelaments the passing of theold Connecticut firm’s .22rifles or shotguns, the tar-get pistol line was neverreally replaced, with theresult that even humblespecimens like the Dura-Matic

command high prices on the gun showcircuit. The result is that there are nowfour different sources of High Standard-type pistols.

High Standard Mfg. Co. of Houstonis probably the most “authentic” of these,

eschewing stainless steel andother anachronistic materials in favor of aclose recreation of the original guns. Whileone might have expected the firm to takethe conservative approach, making only thepopular models like the Military Trophyand Victor, it steadily has expanded itsofferings, even to the point of recreating oneof the most specialized pistols, the ISUOlympic rapid-fire gun.

Rapid-fire shooting requires the com-petitor to engage five turning targets intimes of eight, six and four seconds. Whilethe original target was man-shaped, thiswas later bowdlerized to a coffin shape andfinally to a bullseye with a 100 mm (3.93")10-ring. This sort of shooting places a pre-

mium on minimum recoil, so the .22 Shorthas ruled rapid-fire competition for years.Various barrel-venting and compensatordesigns have reduced recoil to the point thata common stunt is to fire five rounds whilebalancing five empties on the barrel.

High Standard used a number of barrelventing configurations, especially for the1968 Olympic guns. These are well-

HIGH STANDARD ISU OLYMPIC

46 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • July 1996

MANUFACTURER: High StandardManufacturing Co., Inc., Dept. AR,4601 S. Pinemont, No. 148B, Houston,TX 77041

MECHANISM TYPE: blowback operatedsemi-automatic pistol

CALIBER: .22 ShortOVERALL LENGTH: 115⁄16"BARREL LENGTH: 51⁄2"WEIGHT: 45 ozs.WIDTH: 21⁄8"HEIGHT: 55⁄16"MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 5 TRIGGER: single-stage, 21⁄2 lbs. pull SIGHTS: Patridge with rear adjustable

for windage and elevationACCESSORIES: plastic carrying case PRICE: $1,995

HS OLYMPIC

The High Standard ISU Olympic isa .22 Short autoloading pistolintended for international rapid-firepistol competition.For many years,U.S. competitors have had to useforeign-made guns for rapid-fire.

The High Standard ISU Olympic’s triggerblade is adjustable fore and aft by turningout a set screw and moving it along a track.

The Olympic’s compensator is a barrelsegment retained by upper and lowerribs,combined with a pair of large ports.

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • July 1996 47

described in Tom Dance’s HighStandard: A Collector’s Guide to theHamden and Hartford Target Pistols.Alan Aronstein of the new High Standardcame up with his own solution that is ele-gant in its simplicity.

What is effectively a 51⁄2" barrel isactually two different sections on the ISUOlympic, held together top and bottom byscrewed-on ribs. The rear surface of thefront section is cut at an angle that directsgas up and out and that provides a big sur-face for the speeding gas to strike, thuspushing the gun forward. Muzzle jump isfurther controlled by a pair of upward-

pointing ports on either side of thetop rib. That part is relieved abovethe ports for passage of gas.

This system may lack somethingin aesthetics, but it is effective and,one suspects, cheaper than alterna-tives. It also stays clean through hun-dreds of rounds of shooting.

To accommodate the .22 Short car-tridge’s very limited recoil impulse, the pis-tol’s slide is made of a green/gold anodizedaluminum and weighs just a bit more than2 ozs. The frame is fitted with a red bufferto prevent battering at the rear of the slide’sstroke.

The trigger blade is adjustable for posi-tion fore and aft, but the overtravel stop andpull weight adjustments are deleted on this

model—the factorystates that getting reli-able functioning requiresvery specific trigger tun-ing and that it’s unlikelythe user can improve pullmuch. While that expla-nation is unlikely to sat-isfy tinkerers, we foundthe factory pull quiteadequate.

The magazine is modified from the .22Long Rifle unit by roll-pinning a fillerblock at the front and installing a new fol-lower. Capacity is reduced to five rounds.

Also modified is the ejector, which hasa long point to commence ejection early inslide recoil. While some of the experimen-tal High Standard rapid-fire guns had noextractors (a dud round causes a cease-fire),the new pistol has a pivoting hook extrac-tor for unloading without recourse to acleaning rod.

The sights are a replaceable Patridgefront and a rear sight click-adjustable forwindage and elevation. The adjustment

knobs are coin-slotted for convenient turn-ing with a dime. The sight rib is deeply cutaway at the rear to clear a wide path forejected cases.

Safeties are not used in most targetshooting, but the High Standard has one atthe left rear of the frame. The slide stop ison the opposite side. The grips are con-toured to pass around the hand, which ispermissible in international shooting, pro-vided the pistol fits into a dimension-limit-

ing box. They are left considerably over-sized for the convenience of small-handedshooters; the rest of us will want to get busywith a rasp before trying any serious firing.

Disassembly follows other HighStandard target autoloaders. Remove themagazine by pulling forward on the gold-colored catch at the bottom front of the gripframe, then clear the chamber by retractingand locking back the slide. Press in on thebarrel plunger with the thumb while hold-

ing the barrel with the other fingers.With the plunger all the way in, thebarrel can be tilted forward and offthe frame.

The slide is then free to move for-ward off the frame. No further disas-sembly should be required for rou-tine cleaning or maintenance, andreassembly is in reverse order.

The Olympic ISU was fired foraccuracy with results shown in theaccompanying table, and function-fired with Eley, Lapua and RWSammunition.

When firing from the RansomRest, we quickly found the High

Standard fired shotgun patterns with RWSR25 ammunition. After carefully checkingthe pistol and grip adapters and recleaning,we gave up on the RWS and tried EleyRapid Fire Match, with superb results.Accuracy with some 15-year-old ShortPistol Match was even better. Either ofthese would easily hold the tie-breaking 50mm inner ring, while some Lapua ammu-nition we tried would come close, and eas-ily hold the 10-ring.

Our sample pistol was an early produc-tion model, and required a couple of tripsback to the maker before function was sat-isfactory. Users should be very careful not

to bend the long, thin extractor. This canbind the slide, causing both failures to feedand eject.

Our gun also never would reliably fireRWS ammunition, though Eley and Lapuaworked satisfactorily.

Any gun like the ISU Olympic is aimedat a very tiny market, but it’s good to see anAmerican manufacturer determined to suc-ceed at the highest levels of internationalshooting competition.

The barrel assembly is retained by astud that is secured by a plunger in theframe front. Pressing the plunger inallows barrel removal. The slide maythen be moved forward off the frame.

.22 Short Vel. @15’ Smallest Largest AverageCartridge (f.p.s.) (ins.) (ins.) (ins.)

Eley Rapid Fire Match 687 Avg. 1.23 1.75 1.4731 Sd

Eley Short Pistol 705 Avg. 0.80 1.43 1.0916 Sd

Lapua Short 791 Avg. 2.25 2.60 2.3921 Sd

Average Extreme Spread 1.65Five consecutive 5-shot groups from 25 yds., fired fromRansom Rest. Abbreviations: Sd (standard deviation)

ACCURACY RESULTS

The stocks are contoured to passaround the hand and are oversize toaccomodate small-handed shooters.


THE MIL, Inc., Thunder Five(October 1993, p. 60) was an odd-looking revolver that combined

.410 shotshell and .45 Colt capabilitiesin an intimidating, if bulky, arm.

Now another small maker, D-Max,Inc., has introduced a .410/45revolver called the Side-winder. While the ThunderFive was based on a CharterArms design and wasdefense-oriented, theSidewinder grew fromRuger’s Super Black-hawk and is intend-ed for hunting.

D-Max propri-etor Darvin Cardakept getting oppor-tunities to shootgrouse while armed only with a deer rifle.He decided a revolver that could shootmetallic cartridges and shotshells might bethe answer, and modified a SuperBlackhawk to fire the .410/45 combinationso well-proven in the Thompson/CenterContender.

He made a few for friends, then decid-

ed to get into the business in 1992, startingfirst by modifying customer guns, thencombining his own investment-cast stain-less cylinder frame with Ruger grip frames,and finally to making the whole gun. D-Max no longer modifies customer guns.

The Sidewinder is an impressively largeand heavy piece, as can easily be imagined,given that the Super Blackhawk’s alreadybeefy cylinder is extended to just short of3". The cylinder frame is proportionallylong at 4 3⁄4". When combined with a 71⁄2"barrel, these dimensions mean theSidewinder is no hideout gun.

The base pin is 51⁄4" long, and just bare-ly allows removal of the cylinder beforestopping against the ejector rod button. This

conveniently renders it a captive part, help-ing prevent it being lost.

The Super Blackhawk frame needs lit-tle introduction, and all its safety featuresare carried forward in the Sidewinder. Thefiring pin is mounted in the frame and canbe struck by the hammer only when the trig-ger is pulled, lifting a transfer bar betweenhammer and firing pin.

An interlock between the loading gate

and hammer prevents the latter being pulledback with the gate open, or the gate openedwith the hammer back. Like Ruger single-actions, it loads with the hammer down;there is no Colt-style half-cock notch.

The cylindrical barrel is fitted for inter-changeable choke tubes that are in the T/Cstyle, though made by D-Max. A section ofhex key serves to remove and replace thetubes. The manufacturer states that themodified tube can be used with .410 slugs,but that the tube should be removed when-ever firing .45 Colt ammunition.

Sights follow the Ruger pattern, with alarge front sight screwed to the barrel anda rear sight click-adjustable for windageand elevation. It seemed to us that the longtop strap would be a natural spot for scopemounting, but there were no holes drilledand tapped. A rather bulky HogueMonogrip is standard equipment. The man-ufacturer also offers shoulder and belt hol-sters for the Sidewinder.

The Sidewinder was fired for accuracywith Black Hills .45 Colt ammunition andpattern-tested with Remington 3" shot-

D-MAX SIDEWINDER REVOLVER

The Sidewinder’s cylinder is truly massive,and we found that removing the gun’s longbase pin required some tricky manipulation.

The straight choke tube rifling stabilizesthe wad for tighter patterns. It should beremoved before firing bullets or .410 slugs.

MANUFACTURER: D-Max, Inc., Dept.AR, RR1, Box 473, Bagley, MN 56621

MECHANISM TYPE: single-actionrevolver

CALIBER: .45 Colt/.410, 3"OVERALL LENGTH: 15"BARREL LENGTH: 71⁄2"WEIGHT: 61 ozs.WIDTH: 13⁄4"HEIGHT: 61⁄2"CYLINDER CAPACITY: 6TRIGGER: single-stage, 31⁄2 lbs. pullSIGHTS: ramped front, rear click-

adjustable for windage and elevationACCESSORIES: choke tube, wrench,

extra tubes, $17PRICE: $775

D-MAX SIDEWINDER

The D-Max Sidewinder is an unusual com-bination that fires both .410 shotshells and.45 Colt ammunition from its elongatedcylinder. It intended for hunting situationswhere either birds or game are encountered.

The sights and grip frame of the D-MaxSidewinder will no doubt be familiar to anyowner of a Ruger Super Blackhawk revolver.

shells. There were no failures of any kind.We were pleased that accuracy with .45

Colt ammunition was not bad at all, thoughthe long freebore in the cylinder quicklyleaded up, with ill effects on accuracy afterabout 25 rounds or so. While it might benatural to assume that the long cylinder and

71⁄2" barrel would yield highervelocities, the numbers for the D-Max were only about 75 f.p.s.faster than those for a 43⁄4"-bar-reled revolver we recently tried.

We were impressed by the pat-terns thrown by the D-Max withthe full-choketube. It seemedclear to us thatg r o u s e - s i z e dbirds would be

easy targets for therevolver at close ranges.

We also liked the pis-tol’s excellent trigger pull,which made it easy toextract its maximumaccuracy potential. Thesights were less usable,since we found the stain-less front blade contrastedpoorly against the target.This might be less annoy-ing when shooting atgame in dim light.

Recoil was negligiblewith .45 Colt ammunition,and seemed about equiva-lent to a .357 Mag. whenshotshells were used.Muzzle blast and flash areboth quite sharp when.410s are fired.

The manufacturer cautions against fir-ing .45 Colt ammo with the choke tubeinstalled. We fired a few by accident, andfound that the majority of bullets tumbledat 25 yds. The choke tube itself was dis-torted a bit, but we were able to remove andreplace it without great effort.

Our only major com-plaint against theSidewinder was that thevery long base pin tendsto bind, making reassem-bly a trial. We found thatlubricating it a bit helps itto slide back into place.

The ability to use .410and .45 interchangeablycan be had in theT h o m p s o n / C e n t e rContender or the H&RSurvivor, and most of usmight select these as a bitmore versatile and inex-pensive. On the otherhand, the D-Max Side-winder offers both rapidselection of ammunitiontype by just spinning thecylinder, as well as greaterfirepower.

For the user who needsthat particular combina-tion, it is a useful, if notinexpensive, choice.

.45 Colt Vel. @15’ Smallest Largest AverageCartridge (f.p.s.) (ins.) (ins.) (ins.)

Black Hills 786 Avg. 2.77 4.02 3.45255-gr. SWC 28 Sd

Average Extreme Spread 3.45

Five consecutive 5-shot groups from yds., fired fromsandbags. Abbreviations: Sd (standard deviation), SWC(semi-wadcutter)

ACCURACY RESULTS

As might be guessed, recoil is mild withthe Sidewinder, though muzzle flash andblast are strong with 3" .410 shotshells.

CZ ZKM 452 MODEL 2-E RIFLE

CESKA ZBROJOVKA or CZ is probablyfar more famous for its pistols andMauser-based center-fire rifles than

its .22 sporters. The ZKM 452, however,developed a fine reputation while the IronCurtain was still up. As manufactured in thenewly created Czech Republic, the ZKM452 is now being offered here by MagnumResearch, Inc.

The 452 reflects its European heritagethrough the schnabel fore-end and hog’sback comb on its plain but attractively fig-ured stock. The grip of our sample rifle wasfunctionally checkered in a 14-line per inchbordered point-pattern with numerousoverruns. A checkered black plastic

buttplate with the CZ logo andsling swivels are provided.

While the 25" barrel and most othermetal parts are blued, the tubular receiveris matte-finished and grooved for tip-offmounts. The barrel is screwed into thereceiver and has bore and groove diametersof .213" and .219", respectively.

The rear-locking bolt has two lugs; oneis the root of the blued handle itself and theother, on the bolt’s opposite side, engagesa recess on the left receiver wall. Dualextractors oppose each other on the boltface while a projection on the bottom of thereceiver behind the magazine well servesas the ejector.

AVERAGE OF 10 PATTERNS AT 10 YDS.

1 2

54 54

48 53

2 2

Full Tube

= Point of HoldRemington Express Max

11/16-4Pellet count—229

Total Hits 216 (94%)21.2" Inner Circle 209 (91%)30" Outer Ring 7 (3%)

PATTERNRESULTS


The CZ ZKM 452 rifle developed a good repu-tation as a fine .22 sporter and had almost a cultfollowing even before the Berlin Wall came down.

MANUFACTURER: Ceska Zbrojovka,688 27 Uhersky Brod, Czech Republic

IMPORTER: Magnum Research, Inc.,Dept. AR, 7110 University Ave. NE,Minneapolis, MN 55432

MECHANISM TYPE: bolt-action rifleCALIBER: .22 Long Rifle (tested), .22

WMRFOVERALL LENGTH: 44"BARREL LENGTH: 25"RIFLING: 6-groove; 1:16" LH twistWEIGHT: 6 lbs. 9 ozsMAGAZINE CAPACITY: 5 (10 available)TRIGGER: single-stage adjustable, 31⁄2-

lb. pullSIGHTS: windage- and elevation-

adjustable open rear, hooded frontSTOCK: European walnut: length of pull,

133⁄4" ; drop at heel, 2"; drop at comb, 7/8"ACCESSORIES: sling swivelsPRICE: $299, $379 (.22 WMRF)

CZ ZKM 452


The safety lever on the toprear of the bolt is pressed forwardto block the cocking piece andfiring pin. When it is in the “off”position, a red dot on the top-right receiver wall behind thebolt is revealed. The bolt cannotbe manipulated when the safetyis engaged.

Our sample arrived with asmooth 31⁄2-lb. trigger pull out ofthe box with a degree of over-travel. The vertically groovedsingle-stage trigger isadjustable for weight of pullwith a range from 3.3 to 4.5

lbs. To make the adjustment, the barrelledaction must first be removed from the stockto allow access to the adjustment screw.

The open U-notch rear sight is elevationadjustable from 25 to 200 meters in 25-meter increments by depressing theplungers on either side ofthe slide and moving it for-ward or back. Windageadjustment is controlled byopposing screws at the rearof the sight leaf.

The hooded front sight isdovetailed into a ramp andheld in place by a set screwforward of the sight blade.The base slopes forward toallow for height adjustmentof the blade. Index marks

are cut in the left top of the baseto record height adjustments.

The five-round, steel-bodied magazineis removed by pressing the release at thefront of the magazine well. The plasticfloorplate protrudes below the stock foreasier grasping.

To field strip the ZKM 452, begin, ofcourse, by removing the magazine andensuring that the chamber is unloaded, thendepress the trigger and withdraw the boltfrom the receiver. Invert the bolt and, usinga brass punch or similar non-marring tool,press the firing pin rearward through thechannel in the bolt’s bottom. This allowsthe bolt handle to be turned clockwise,relieving firing pin spring pressure.

Next, depress the rear of the firing pinwith a punch, allowing the safety lever tobe lifted up and off. Slowly release the pres-sure on the punch and the mainspring andits retainer will move rearward and out ofthe bolt body. The firing pin may then belifted out to the rear, freeing the bolt han-

dle. Reassembly is inreverse order.

The ZKM 452, fit-ted with a Bausch &Lomb 6-24X scope andWarne rings, was func-tion-fired with Eley,PMC, Remington,Sellier & Bellot andWinchester ammuni-tion and tested for accu-racy, with the resultsshown in the accompa-

nying table. There were no failures of anykind.

The ZKM 452 has long been consideredone of the finest .22 sporters made due toits accuracy and handling qualities; wefound that claim hard to dispute.

The rear-locking bolt (top) has two lugs,one being the bolt handle itself. The safe-ty lever is on the top rear of the bolt andand is pressed forward to block the cock-ing piece and the firing pin (l.). Dual extrac-tors (r.) oppose each other on the bolt face.

The tubular receiver is matte-finished and grooved for tip-offscope mounts. The ZKM 452’sbarrel is screwed into thereceiver. The five-round, steel-bodied magazine is removed bypressing the release located atthe front of the magazine well.

.22 Long Rifle Vel. @15’ Smallest Largest AverageCartridge (f.p.s.) (ins.) (ins.) (ins.)

Eley Match 1075 0.48 0.86 0.66No. WG4205 17 Sd

PMC Zapper HP 1281 0.69 1.45 1.05No. 22-D-937 13 Sd

Sellier & Bellot 1160 0.71 1.10 0.88No. 549081 11 Sd

Average Extreme Spread 0.86

Five consecutive 10-shot groups at 50 yds. fired fromsandbags. Abbreviations: Sd (standard deviation), HP(hollow point)

ACCURACY RESULTS

The hooded front sight (l.) has an index-marked base that slopes forward toallow for height adjustment of the blade.The ZKM 452’s open U-notch rearsight (r.) is elevation adjustable from 25 to 200 meters in 25-meter increments.


THE introduction of the 20-ga. RugerRed Label in 1977, followed up bya 12-ga. version in 1982, satisfied

those wanting the performance of Europeanover/unders in a durable, reasonably-priced, American-made arm. Now Rugeraims to compete aesthetically aswell, with a cosmetically distinc-tive Red Label version called theWoodside.

Though introduced in the1995 model year, the Woodsidehad been on the drawing boardsince at least the late 1970s; a pho-tograph in the 1980 Gun Digestclearly shows a Red Label proto-type having the signature wood-en side panels. According to thecompany, the Woodside’s stylingwas personally designed byfounder Bill Ruger.

The Woodside is available in12-ga. only with 3" chambers, andin 26", 28" or 30" barrel lengths.The Woodside’s back-bored barrels areidentical to those of the standard 12-ga. RedLabel, with an inside diameter of .743". Theupper barrel is topped by a free-floating,serrated ventilated rib .33" wide, with a.122" gold front bead. All Woodsides aresupplied with 27⁄16"-long stainless-steel

Briley choke tubes in full, modified,improved cylinder and two skeet chokes, allsuitable for steel shot.

The Woodside’s receiver, like those ofall Red Labels, is a satin-finish stainlesssteel investment casting that contrasts nice-

ly with the gun’s blued, hammer-forgedbarrels. It differs mainly in having two largewindows in its sides to accommodate the

extended stock panels. The Woodsidedoes not simply use a cut-up Red Labelframe, however. To ensure strength anddurability, additional metal has beenadded to the Woodside’s receiver in theform of bosses surrounding the panelcutouts. These bosses also compensatefor some of the weight lost from thecutouts, and help ensure that theWoodside retains the same feel of thestandard Red Label.

In internal function and design, theWoodside offers no surprises for thosefamiliar with Red Label lockwork (August1978, p. 54); it retains the same single selec-tive trigger, automatic tang-mounted safe-ty and barrel selector, rebounding ham-

mers, internal inertia weightand hammer interrupter, andautomatic ejectors of its prede-cessors. It is worth noting,however, that the Woodside’sdesign incorporates Ruger’sredesigned hammer strutswhich, by contacting the ham-mers at a more advantageousleverage point, allow a reduc-tion in hammer spring tensionand thus the cocking forcerequired.

The Woodside we receivedhad 28" barrels with skeet and

modified choke tubes installed in the upperand lower barrels, respectively. The gun’sbalance point was located at the forward-most part of the receiver.

The Woodside was pattern-tested witha Federal Premium field load consisting of11⁄4 ozs. of No. 6 shot, with the results shownin the accompanying diagram, and func-tion-fired with Federal and Winchesterfield loads. Ejection was positive, throwingempties about 6 ft. away. There were nomalfunctions of any kind.

One small complaint was that our

RUGER RED LABEL WOODSIDE

The Woodside offers all the traits of the Ruger RedLabel, but with a number of upgraded cosmetictouches, including the trademark wood side panels.

MANUFACTURER: Sturm, Ruger & Co.,Inc., Dept. AR, Southport, CT 06490

MECHANISM TYPE: over-under shotgunGAUGE: 12, 3"OVERALL LENGTH: 45"BARREL LENGTH: 26", 28" (tested)WEIGHT: 71⁄2 lbs.TRIGGER: 4 lbs. bottom barrel; 43⁄4 lbs.

top barrelSIGHTS: front gold bead, .122" diameterSTOCK: Circassian walnut: drop at comb

19⁄16"; drop at heel 21⁄2"; 141⁄8" pullACCESSORIES: five choke tubes, choke

tube wrenchPRICE: $1675 (engraved models approx.

$2800 to $3300)

RUGER WOODSIDEThe receiver has windows cut to accom-modate the wooden panels. Additionalmetal in the form of bosses has beenadded to ensure durability and strength.

The Woodside retains the auto-matic tang-mounted safety andbarrel selector system (r.) andthe automatic ejectors of its pre-decessors. The hammer strutshave been redesigned, and theycontact the hammers at a moreadvantageous leverage point.


Woodside’s weight of trigger pull depend-ed upon which barrel was selected to firefirst. With the top barrel selected, the firstpull broke at 4 lbs., but the second triggerpull (bottom barrel) weighed in at 53⁄4 lbs.The pulls were more even when the bottombarrel fired first, at 4 lbs. bottom and 43⁄4lbs. top.

In our test firing, the Woodside exhibit-ed a rather neutral feel. Though not quite asquick-handling as the lightweight 28- ga.Red Label we tested previously (September1995, p. 53), our Woodside was sufficient-ly lively for a good tally in the field or,potentially, on a sporting clays course(though for this latter purpose we’d like tosee the buttstock from Ruger’s Red LabelSporting Clays model offered as aWoodside option).

Since the Woodsiderepresents a cosmeticrather than a mechani-cal improvement, itinvites particularlyclose inspection in thatarea. All Woodsidescome with select Circassian walnut stocksand fore-ends; the wood on the sample wereceived was attractively figured, with

well-executed checker-ing in a 20-lines-per-inch bordered point pat-tern the same as found onthe Red Label. The stockof our sample exhibited amoderate amount ofcast-off (for a right-handed shooter) and aslight palm swell. Inkeeping with the gun’senhanced appearance,the Woodside is avail-able with three differentlevels of optional receiv-er engraving: a light pat-tern engraving aroundthe receiver perimeter,1/3 coverage and 2/3coverage.

The Woodside’s maincosmetic distinction,however, resides in thewooden panels that extend forward aroundthe receiver sides from the buttstock. Whilethe term “wood to metal fit” is an overusedgunwriter cliche, it is unquestionablyapplicable here.

Though the overall effect of the extend-ed wood panels is generally attractive, wethought that the execution of the design leftsome room for improvement. The curve ofthe panels was not even and uniform, butexhibited “flat spots” we found unappeal-ing, and there were several gaps betweenthe fitted wood and metal surfaces.Apparently we weren’t the only ones whofelt this way, for a Ruger spokesman toldus that, in response to customer feedback,plans were in the works to modify slightlythe side panel design.

All in all, the Woodside combines all thetraditional Red Label virtues of durability,American manufacture, and good value forthe money, with several cosmetic touches,including better wood and the trademarkwood side panels. For those liking the stan-dard Red Label but wanting something a bitfancier, the Woodside’s cosmetic enhance-ments might well be worth the gun’s $300higher price tag.

AVERAGE OF 10 PATTERNSAT 40 YDS.

17 14 12 12

22 22 11 13

21 20 13 13

17 15 10 10

Modified Tube Skeet Tube=Point of Hold

Federal Premium 33/4-11/4-6Pellet count—265

Total Hits 148 (56%) Total Hits 95 (36%)21.2" Inner Circle 85 (32%) 21.2" Inner Circle 50 (19%)30" Outer Ring 63 (24%) 30" Outer Ring 45 (17%)

RUGER RED LABEL WOODSIDE

Like Ruger’s standard Red Label, theWoodside has back-bored barrels. Fiveinterchangeable choke tubes are supplied.

The wooden side panels that project fromthe buttstock and extend forward aroundthe receiver are the main cosmetic change.

SMALLBORE rifle target shooters andBR-50 (Bench-Rest 50) competitorshave long known that variations in

.22 Long Rifle rim thickness contribute tolarger groups. Measuring these variations,however, is problematical using commoncalipers or micrometers. Now a gauge fromBald Eagle Precision Machine, well-knownfor its precision rifle rests, will make suchmeasurements quickly and easily.

The Bald Eagle Rimfire CartridgeGauge consists of a precision dial indicatoraffixed to an anodized base. The indicatorshaft terminates in a knurled endpiecewhose flattened face rests against a shelfprojecting from the base. A semicircularcutout in the shelf is dimensioned to accept

the body of a .22 Short,Long or Long Rifle car-tridge case.

In use, the head of a .22rimfire cartridge is used todepress the indicator shaft,allowing the body of thecase to enter the semicir-cular cutout. With the caserim supported by the lip ofthe cutout, rim thickness isread out directly from thedial. The adjustable dialcan be zeroed either withthe shaft at rest against theshelf (giving true rimthickness readings) or at

some predetermined settingfor quick cartridge sortingcomparison.

We sorted a 50-roundbox of .22 target ammuni-tion into four rim thicknessgroups, arranged in .001"increments, in a little overfour minutes. This is a prod-uct likely to become indis-pensable to all serious rim-fire competitors.

Available from: BaldEagle Precision MachineCo., Dept. AR, 101-A AllisonSt., Lock Haven, PA 17745.Price: $80.

BALD EAGLE .22 RIMFIRE GAUGE

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HIGH STANDARD ISU OLYMPIC - NRA Museum