f e at u r e s
To pull it off, Savage designers used an innovative interrupter lug to lock down the bolt after the trigger is squeezed. The bolt remains locked until peak pressure has passed. This method of timing prevents the bolt from opening prematurely. It also serves as a firing-pin block, preventing out-of-battery firing when the action is open. As a bonus, the cutting-edge system yields improvements in control and accuracy. In addition to the action, other features of the A17 include a hard chrome bolt, case-hardened receiver, 10-round rotary magazine, a button-rifled barrel, and the well-received user-adjustable AccuTrigger. “The bolt also has two hooks on the bolt face,” says Dermody. “One is the extractor, the other is a stabilizer. Together, both keep the cartridge pointing straight ahead for reliable feeding. They’re all excellent features that make this rifle a great value at its relatively low suggested retail price of $465.”
Something Big
To further ensure a perfect marriage between rifle and round, Savage worked with sister company CCI Ammunition to develop the A17 Varmint Tip, a fast, flat-shooting load tailor-made to the new semi-auto. “It was a big deal when the fast, flat-shooting .17 HMR cartridge first came out,” says CCI Ammunition category director Rick Stoeckel. “It was a breath of fresh air for rimfire
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rounds. But there was one big hang-up—it could not be safely shot in a semi-auto platform.” However, when Savage engineers detailed the A17’s revolutionary receiver, Stoeckel quickly realized they were onto something special. “I knew it was something big—a system the world of rimfire had never seen before,” he says. “We at CCI pride ourselves in building specialty ammunition, and the A17 .17 HMR is truly customized to fit this niche. I knew this rifle could be the foundation of a new line of rimfire ammunition that would exceed what has been done in the past, and I knew CCI needed to be a part of it.” Stoeckel also knew joining the project meant CCI engineers would up the ante in .17-caliber ammunition. “We embraced the opportunity to increase the velocity of the A17 .17 HMR rounds to make the final product even more attractive and desirable to rimfire enthusiasts,” he says. Indeed, CCI’s A17 Varmint Tip took the round to new heights. A 17-grain, polymertipped varmint bullet provides rapid expansion, and the new load is 100 feet per second faster than its nearest competitor with the same bullet weight. It clocks in at a blistering 2,650 fps out of the muzzle and 2,000 fps at 100 yards. Plus, it packs a wallop, with 265 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle and 151 at 100 yards. “In the end, the higher velocity also opti-
mized the A17’s delayed-blowback system for flawless performance,” Stoeckel says. “It’s important to note that the A17 rifle certainly functions well with other .17 HMR ammunition. But CCI had the exclusive opportunity to design specific ammo that provides the best performance and accuracy. This way, we could eliminate any guesswork that might stump customers when deciding what ammo they should feed their new A17 autoloader.” On the flip side, the new CCI A17 ammunition can also be fired through bolt-action .17 HMR firearms. “It was created to optimize the A17 semiautomatic rifle,” says Stoeckel. “But shooters who own and use bolt guns will love the faster, flatter performance as well, and hunters will appreciate the load’s varmint-tipped bullet, which provides explosive expansion for quick, clean kills.” ($66.95 for a 200-round pack.) You don’t often see this level of cooperation among manufacturers, but it’s a sure sign of things to come at both companies as a result of the formation of Vista Outdoor last winter. Savage and CCI, as well as Federal Premium, Bushnell, BLACKHAWK!, Primos, and other brands that had previously resided under the ATK umbrella were spun off when the parent organization split into two separate companies. Retailers can expect to see more cross- platform work from divisions within Vista Outdoor. Booth #14551.
HOPPE’S GOES GREEN The good news? Hoppe’s has released Hoppe’s 9 Gun Medic to resuscitate your firearm when you’re afield and it goes down. The bad news? It doesn’t smell like Hoppe’s 9. You’ve had it happen. You’re on the range or in the field. Your gun malfunctions and needs a quick cleaning. Hoppe’s wants you to take out the Gun Medic, which includes four products: a 10-ounce aerosol can of biobased cleaner, a 10-ounce aerosol can of bio-based cleaner and lube (Hoppe’s calls this the “Quick Fix”), a 4-ounce aerosol can of biobased cleaner and lube, and a 2-ounce bottle of liquid lube. The lineup cleans and lubricates firearms quickly and has been designed for the range bag, not the gun bench. The new combination formula cleans and lubricates in one step. The cleanser evaporates in 60 seconds while the lubricant stays—in one thin layer. This high-performance lube, similar to what can be found in jet propulsion systems, has a wide temperature tolerance as well. SRP: $7.95 to $12.95. Booth #14551. (hoppes.com) —Barbara Baird