52 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • June 1995

Dope Bag is compiled by Staff and ContributingEditors: David Andrews, Hugh C. Birnbaum, Bruce N.Canfield, Russ Carpenter, O. Reid Coffield, William C.Davis, Jr., Pete Dickey, Charles Fagg, Robert W.Hunnicutt, Mark A. Keefe, IV, Angus Laidlaw, Scott E.Mayer, Charles E. Petty, Robert B. Pomeranz, O.D.,Charles R. Suydam and A.W.F. Taylerson.

CAUTION: Technical data and information containedherein are intended to provide information based on thelimited experience of individuals under specific condi-tions and circumstances. They do not detail the compre-hensive training procedures, techniques and safety pre-cautions absolutely necessary to properly carry on simi-lar activity. Read the notice and disclaimer on the con-tents page. Always consult comprehensive referencemanuals and bulletins for details of proper trainingrequirements, procedures, techniques and safety pre-cautions before attempting any similar activity.

WHEN the Clinton Administrationbanned gun and ammunition imports

from China, that action presumably pleasedat least two groups. The first was made upof Korean War veterans and others who dis-approved of trade with China in generalbecause of its murderous past and repres-sive present. Manufacturers andimporters who had to meet rock-bottomChinese prices made up the other.

The Norinco “Model of the 1911A1”established a whole new pricing structurefor .45 automatics, driving U.S. makers likeAuto-Ordnance, Springfield, Inc., and, atlast, even Colt to offer basic M1911-stylepistols at popular prices.

Just when you might have thought theprice pressure was off, a new economy .45has appeared to keep everyone honest.

Spanish maker Llama has offeredM1911-style pistols for years, but thoughthey were cheap, they were always just dif-ferent enough that they didn’t quite fit themold. A new importer, SGS Importers, Int’l,Inc., has specified changes that makeLlama’s new MAX-1 much closer to what

the U.S. shooter expects in a .45. And thecost has been held to a level that makes thenew gun a price leader.

The most noticeable change from previ-ous Llamas is in the slide. Earlier guns likethe IX-C (October 1994, p. 58) had a smallrib running along the top, and the slide’ssidewalls ran parallel all the way to the muz-zle, missing the scallop at the front that char-acterizes the M1911.

The MAX-1’s slide is much more

M1911-like, thoughit retains the HighPower-style pivotingextractor in place of thelong M1911 style.

The ejection port is still small in com-parison with a lot of other .45s. The three-dot sights are a narrow front blade and a reardrift-adjustable for windage, though oursample’s was firmly staked.

In place of the Colt Series 80 firing pinsystem is the much earlier butequally effective Swartz system(January 1976, p. 30). This wasused on about 3,000 ColtGovernment Models made justbefore World War II.

It uses a rod passing upwardthrough the right rear of theframe to press up a plunger inthe slide that, in its normal posi-tion, prevents the firing pinfrom moving forward.

Squeezing the grip safetylever extends this firing pinsafety actuator, allowing firing.

LLAMA MAX-1 PISTOLLLAMA MAX-1 PISTOL

MANUFACTURER: Llama Gabilondo &Cia., Portal de Gamarra 50, 01013 VitoriaAlava, Spain

IMPORTER: SGS Importers Int’l, Inc., Dept.AR, 1750 Brielle Ave., Unit B1,Wanamassa, NJ 07712

MECHANISM TYPE: recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol

CALIBER: .45 ACP (tested), 9 mmParabellum

OVERALL LENGTH: 85⁄8"BARREL LENGTH: 5"WEIGHT: 41 ozs.WIDTH: 13⁄8"HEIGHT: 57⁄16"MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 7 TRIGGER: single-action, 5 lbs. pull SIGHTS: three-dot with drift-adjustable rearACCESSORIES: plastic carrying case PRICE: $349.95

LLAMA MAX-1

Llama’s new MAX-1 more closely resem-bles other M1911 derivatives than previ-ous Llama .45s,and includes popular fea-tures that should increase acceptance.

A skeletonized Comman-der-style hammer, beaver-

tail grip safety, extended magazine release andthree-dot sights help

the MAX-1 to be astronger competitor

in an increasinglycrowded M1911

market.

®

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • June 1995 53

RUGER’S .22 Long Rifle M77/22 Sporter(March 1984, p. 56) has proven a suc-

cessful adult .22 and is now a mainstay ofthe firm’s line. A stainless and synthetic ver-sion, the 77/22 RSP (February 1989, p. 57),was followed by the .22 WMRF-chambered

77/22 Magnum (July 1990, p. 63), aimed atsmall game hunters after a bit more powerthan that offered by the Long Rifle. A stain-less and laminate stock version of the 77/22Magnum is also now offered.

Recent years have seen a resurgence in

the popularity ofthe .22 Hornet cartridge,thanks to its accuracy, light report, mildrecoil and handloading economy. Ruger’snew 77/22 Hornet is an adaption of its pop-ular rimfire to a center-fire caliber.

Should the pistol be dropped, the actuatorwill snap back into the frame, permiting thefiring pin safety once again to prevent fir-ing.The device is retained by the sear pinand has no effect on trigger pull.

As in previous Llama .45s, the slidestop/safety plunger tube is screwed to theleft side of the pistol’s frame rather thanstaked. This, and the non-standard spacingof the grip screws, means that aftermarket

M1911 grips won’t fit without modification.The supplied grips are the same soft rub-

ber units we found so bulbous when mount-ed on the IX-C. In this application, howev-er, they should be comfortable for all but thevery short-fingered.

Our biggest complaint against the IX-Cwas its very annoying and painful hammerbite. Llama has dealt with this in two ways.

The spur hammer is replaced witha skeletonized Commander-styleunit. Just to add a bit more pro-tection to the web of the hand, thestandard grip safety has beenreplaced by a beavertail.

There is no modification to theframe, so this grip safety doesnothing to raise the grip, as wouldbe the case with one from Ed Brown or oneof the other specialist suppliers, but it doesprotect the hand. Our only objection to itwas that its top edge is quite sharp, and tend-ed to scrape the thumb when the pistol wasdecocked.

The slide stop is an extended model thatmakes it easy to release the slide whilemaintaining a normal grip. It is narrowenough not to add much, if any, width to thepistol.

The MAX-1 was fired for accuracy withresults shown in the accompanying table,and function-fired with Black Hills, CCI,Remington and Samson ammunition. Therewere no failures of any kind.

Sometimes the best surprise is no sur-prise, and the Llama provided none, exceptperhaps a trigger that was quite crisp andusable. The beavertail grip safety and rowel

hammer completely cured the hammer biteproblem we’ve had with previous guns.

The MAX-1 represents a big step towardmaking the Llama iteration of the M1911more than just a footnote. A bit more effortto make it accept standard accessories andpopular aftermarket replacement partswould put it quite on a plane with the otherclones, and its good value for a very lowprice would make it an especially attractivechoice.

RUGER M77/22 HORNET RIFLERUGER M77/22 HORNET RIFLE

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

Black Hills 916 Avg. 2.86 4.57 3.53230-gr. JHP 48 Sd

CCI No. 3568 960 Avg. 2.33 4.03 3.02200-gr. JHP 9 Sd

Rem. No. R45AP6 1076 Avg. 2.55 3.94 3.18185-gr. JHP 44 Sd

Average Extreme Spread 3.25

Five consecutive 5-shot groups at 25 yds. fired fromRansom Rest. Abbreviations: Sd (standard deviation),JHP (jacketed hollow-point), Rem. (Remington)

ACCURACY RESULTSHammer bite was a problem withearlier Llamas we’ve examinedhere. The new grip safety, howev-er,effectively protected the web ofthe hand. We didn’t care for itssharp upper edge when decocking.

Ruger’s new Model 77/22 Hornet,here shown with a Bausch & Lomb6-24X scope, is the latest andlargest member of the 77/22 family.

Unlike the .22 WMRF version that dif-fered from the .22 LR only in its barrel, bolt,breechblock and trigger guard assembly, anumber of changes have been made to adaptthe 77/22 to center-fire. The non-rotatingbreechblock measures 2.55," about 1/2"longer than that of the .22 WMRF, and hasonly one hook extractor on the right side asopposed to two at three and nine o’clock onthe rimfires. The firing pin, obviously, islonger and placed in the center of therecessed bolt face. The slot on the bottom

of the block is necessarily wider to accom-modate the .22 Hornet’s beefier ejector thatis integral with the trigger guard assembly.

The bolt stop, found on the left rear wallof the receiver on other 77/22s, is on the tangbehind the left rear of the receiver below acut made to accommodate it on the bottomleft of the cocking piece. Not referred to atall in the composite 77/22, 77/22 Magnumand 77/22 Hornet instruction booklet, it fallsout of engagement with the left locking lug

when depressed, allowing bolt removal tothe rear.

The sample rifle’s stock was of an attrac-tive dark brown American walnut withcheckering at 18 lines per inch in a borderedpoint pattern on the grip and fore-end.

The fore-end is necessarily wider to

accommodate the larger andlonger .22 Hornet magazine for-ward of the trigger guard and givesthe underside of the rifle a long,flat profile. A black grip cap, blackrubber recoil pad and quick-detachable sling swivel studscomplete the stock.

Shooters have a choicebetween no sights and Ruger’s 1"scope rings or a brass front beadwith an adjustable open rear sight.

The three-position safety ismodeled on the Winchester Model70’s. In its rearmost position itengages a slot in the right side of

the cocking piece. This prevents its forwardmovement and blocks the sear and trigger.When placed at 90o to the bore line, the boltmay be manipulated, but the trigger and searare immobilized. Sliding it all the way for-ward disengages the safety.

Depressing the release at the rear of themagazine well allows the flush-mountedmagazine to drop out of the stock. The mag-azine well has been lengthened for the 2.37"long, six-shot rotary magazine.

Field-stripping follows that of other77/22 rifles; ensure that the rifle is unloadedby removing the magazine, opening the boltand pulling it fully rearward. Depress thebolt release and withdraw the bolt from thereceiver body.

While grasping the bolt body with thebolt face pointing away from you, rotate thebolt sleeve clockwise. Next, turn the breech-block until the breechblock retaining pin islined up with the hole in the bolt body. Drivethe retaining pin out from the opposite side;this allows the breechblock assembly to belifted off to the front. After inserting a smallpunch or nail at least 2" in length into the“disassembly hole” on the bottom of thecocking piece, the bolt sleeve may be thenturned out using the punch as a lever. Thefiring pin is then free to be lifted up and off

MANUFACTURER: Sturm, Ruger & Co.,Dept. AR, Lacey Place, Southport, CT06490

MECHANISM TYPE: bolt-action rifleCALIBER: .22 HornetOVERALL LENGTH: 395⁄8"BARREL LENGTH: 20"WEIGHT: 5 lbs, 12 ozs.MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 6 TRIGGER: single-stage, 41⁄2 lbs. pullSTOCK: American walnut: length of pull,

131⁄2"; drop at heel, 13⁄8"; drop at comb, 1"ACCESSORIES: scope ringsPRICE: $452

RUGER M77/22

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

Rem. No. R22HN2 2524 Avg. 0.90 1.70 1.2545-gr. HP 13 Sd

Rem. No. R22HN1 2774 Avg. 1.89 3.02 2.2445-gr. PSP 10 Sd

Win. No. 88UH62 2602 Avg. 1.12 2.11 1.5645-gr. SP 6 Sd

Average Extreme Spread 1.69

Five consecutive 5-shot groups at 100 yds. fired fromsandbags. Abbreviations: Sd (standard deviation), HP(hollow-point), SP (soft-point), PSP (pointed soft-point),Rem. (Remington), Win. (Winchester)

ACCURACY RESULTS

The action, while retaining the essentials of previ-ous 77/22s, has a longer ejection port to accom-modate the .22 Hornet cartridge.The gun’s detach-able rotary box magazine is designed for six rounds.

The rotary magazine has been a feature ofRuger rimfires since the 10/22 autoloader,and has been retained in the new .22 Hornet.It offers more capacity at some cost in width.

54 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • June 1995

The .22 Hornet, so popular in the 1930s and‘40s, has regained some favor as Easternvarmint shooting has had to adapt to thesuburbanization of once rural hunting land.

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • June 1995 55

THERE are those who feel engraving andornamentation on a field shotgun are a

waste of time and money. Whether youagree with that sentiment or not, less deco-ration often helps keep the price down.Beretta’s new S686 Essential offers the triedand true features of the Onyx 686 over-under line at a price far below that of thecompany’s higher-grade guns.

There is no gold-plating or inlay to befound on the S686’s matte black exteriormetal parts. The only ornamentation is the

engraved “P.Beretta” on both sides of theframe, Beretta’s engraved logo on thebottom and “S686 ESSENTIAL” in redbelow the logo.

The straight-grained American wal-nut stock is checkered in a borderedpoint pattern at 22 lines per inch on thegrip and either side of the fore-end. Thetight checkering is well executed withfew overruns. There is no grip cap, andthe buttplate is of black plastic, radiusedat the heel for easier mounting.

A crosshatched, untapered .242" ventrib runs the length of the matte barrels.A single .117" cylindrical white metal beadsits atop the rib 1/4" back from the muzzle.The barrels have no side ribs and are joinedonly at the monobloc and at the muzzle, pre-sumably to reduce both the Essential’s costand weight.

Like that of its 686 predecessors, thesafety button, located on the tang behind thetop lever, also serves as the housing for theselector lever. Sliding it to the right expos-es two red dots and fires the upper barrelfirst; moving it to the left selects the lowerbarrel as the first to fire and reveals a singlered dot. An inertia block between the twocoil hammer springs helps to prevent dou-bling caused by an inadvertent double pullof the trigger.

A pair of levers in the fore-end press rear-ward on cylindrical rods that pass through

the bottom of the action body to cock thehammers. The rods then depress bell cranksas the barrels are lowered, and the crankspress up on the hammer toes until engagedby the sears. Selective ejection is also pro-vided for by the levers in the fore-end.

Assembled on the monobloc system, theEssential differs from other 680 series gunsin that the interior surfaces are left matteblack and are not engine-turned.

The bores are hard chromed, and each isthreaded for Beretta’s Mobilchoke tubes(full, modified and improved cylinder aresupplied).

The S686 was pattern tested, with resultsshown in the accompanying table, and func-tion fired at American trap and hand thrownclays with Federal, Sovereign andWinchester ammunition. There were threefailures to eject with the Sovereign ammu-

BERETTA S686 ESSENTIALBERETTA S686 ESSENTIAL

the bolt sleeve assembly. No further disas-sembly is required for routine maintenanceand cleaning and is not recommended bythe manufacturer. Reassembly is in reverseorder.

The 77/22 .22 Hornet, fitted with aRedfield 10X scope and Ruger’s suppliedrings, was function-fired with Remingtonand Winchester ammunition and fired foraccuracy with the results shown in theaccompanying table. There was one failureto extract with the Remington soft-points.

Though it definitely preferred the

Winchester soft-points and Remington hol-low-points to the Remington soft-points,our sample M77/22 Hornet proved to havemore than acceptable accuracy for mostvarmint and small game hunting applica-tions. Those looking for a bit more powerthan is offered by the .22 LR and .22 WMRFcals. will want to take a hard look at Ruger’snew center-fire M77/22.

Depress the very small bolt stop at the leftrear of the receiver to remove the Model77/22 Hornet’s bolt for cleaning.The bolt willride over the stop when it is later reinserted.

As the name implies, the S686 Essential isan over-under shotgun that pares the con-cept down to its essentials for a lower price. MANUFACTURER: Pietro Beretta, S.p.A.,

Via Pietro Beretta 18, Gardone, V.T. (Bs)Italy

IMPORTER: Beretta USA Corp., Dept. AR,17601 Beretta Dr., Accokeek, MD 20607

MECHANISM TYPE: over-under shotgun GAUGE: 12, 3"OVERALL LENGTH: 433⁄4"BARREL LENGTH: 26" (tested), 28"WEIGHT: 63⁄4 lbs.TRIGGER: single selective; 5 lbs. pull lower

barrel, 51⁄2 lbs. upper.STOCK: American walnut: length of pull,

141⁄2"; drop at heel, 21⁄4"; drop at comb, 11⁄2"ACCESSORIES: choke tubes, spannerPRICE: $1,215

BERETTA S686

The safety incorporates the barrel selector;sliding it from left to right exposes two dots,indicating that the upper barrel will fire first.The Essential’s trigger is an inertial type.

56 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • June 1995

nition among the more than 200 roundsfired.

The Essential lived up to the reputationand handling qualities of its parent line.Though the action was stiff at first, it brokein after steady use.

Less experienced shooters did not taketo the S686 immediately, thanks to its verylively feel and central balance. They wouldhave liked a little more muzzle-heavy feel.Those whose experience extended to awider variety of shotguns, especiallyEnglish-style game guns, found it easier tolike. Recoil under heavy 23⁄4" field loads wasa bit unpleasant, a condition exacerbated bythe hard plastic buttplate and rather slimbuttstock.

For those who want the features of the686 without the “bells and whistles,” theEssential makes a competitive addition.

17 19 16 13

36 32 31 25

32 33 32 23

18 14 19 15

Full Tube Modified Tube=Point of Hold

Federal 23⁄4-11⁄4-6Pellet count—287

Average of 10 patterns at 40 yds.

Total Hits 201 (70%) Total Hits 174 (61%)21.2" Inner Circle 133 (46%) 21.2" Inner Circle 111 (39%)30" Outer Ring 68 (24%) 30" Outer Ring 63 (22%)

BERETTA S686 ESSENTIAL 12-ga.

Choke tubes on Beretta’sMobilchoke system aresupplied in full, modifiedand improved cylinder,with proper tube spanner.

SINCE being introduced in 1959,Winchester’s .22 Magnum Rimfire

(WMRF) cartridge has been offered by anumber of manufacturers in many types ofrifle and pistol actions. Semi-automaticrifles, however, seem to have only shown upsporadically and, more often than not, havedisappeared quickly.

Growing shooter interest in .22 Mag.semi-auto rifles, though, seems to haveprompted a few U.S. makers to announcesome new offerings. Among them is theMarlin Model 922 Magnum. Based on thesuccessful Camp Carbine (August 1985, p.58), the 922 is the firm’s first self-loading.22 WMRF rifle.

The action is of the blowback type, witha substantial, square bolt riding in a flat-sided anodized aluminum receiver. The topof the receiver is sandblasted to reduceglare, and is drilled and tapped for scopemounts.

Marlin’s familiar Micro-groove rifling isused in the 201⁄2" tapered barrel that is fittedwith an adjustable folding semi-buckhornrear and hooded ramp front sight.

The hefty American walnutMonte Carlo stock is equipped with a rub-ber butt pad, sling swivel studs and border-less cut checkering at 18 lines per inch onthe fore-end and pistol grip. Centrally-located diamond figures accent each check-ered area.

A Garand-type steel safety lever ismounted in the forward section of the trig-ger guard. To engage, push the lever all theway rearward into the trigger guard.Pushing the safety forward until it protrudesfrom the front of the guard disengages it. Amagazine safety prevents firing when the 7-shot detachable box magazine has beenremoved.

The Model 922 is equipped with an auto-matic last-shot bolt hold-open device thatactivates after the last shot, or when thecharging handle is pulled fully rearward and

MARLIN MODEL 922 MAGNUMMARLIN MODEL 922 MAGNUM

MANUFACTURER: Marlin Firearms Co.,Dept. AR, 100 Kenna Dr., N. Haven, CT06473

MECHANISM TYPE: blowback-operatedsemi-automatic rifle

CALIBER: .22 Winchester Magnum RimfireBARREL LENGTH: 201⁄2"OVERALL LENGTH: 391⁄4"WEIGHT: 6 lbs. 7 oz.TRIGGER: 53⁄4 lbs. pullSIGHTS: adjustable folding semi-buckhorn

rear, hooded ramp frontSTOCK: American walnut: length of pull,

133⁄4"; drop at heel, 17⁄8"; drop at comb,11⁄4"PRICE: $362.95

MARLIN MODEL 922

The Model 922 Magnum is a variant of the successfulMarlin Camp Carbine chambered for the .22 WMRF car-tridge. It uses a simple blowback system and should provepopular among hunters of coyotes and other varmints.

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • June 1995 57

released on the magazine when it is empty.Although the bolt will not stay open

automatically on a loaded magazine, or ifthe magazine has been removed, it can bemanually locked open at any time using themanual bolt hold-open on the left side of thereceiver. To lock the bolt, pull the charginghandle all the way back and hold it there.Then pull the manual bolt hold-open latch

rearward and release the charging handle.Close the bolt from the manual hold-

open position by removing the magazineand pushing the bolt hold-open latch for-ward. Next, retract and release the charginghandle.

To load the rifle, begin with the safetyengaged and bolt locked open, then removethe magazine by depressing its release onthe right side of the magazine housing. Loadthe magazine as usual and reinsert it into therifle. Retract the charging handle to disen-gage the hold-open device, then release it,allowing it to snap shut.

It is important to note that the loadingprocedure must always be done with the boltsecured open as the magazine will not lockin place if the bolt is closed.

The system differs from Marlin’s Camp

Carbine and similar rifles in this respect: itis difficult to carry the 922 with emptychamber, loaded magazine and closed bolt.This can only be accomplished by releasingthe bolt hold-open device and, with somedexterity, depressing the top round in themagazine and easing the bolt forward.

To disassemble the Model 922,first make sure the rifle is

unloaded. Next, remove themagazine and close the bolt.Turn out the front and reartakedown screws to separatethe action from the stock.Using a small punch, removethe front and rear takedownpins, freeing the triggergroup and bolt stop from theaction. Be sure to note theposition of the bolt stop and

bolt stop spring, as they easily fall free.To remove the bolt, use the forefin-

ger to pull the bolt slightly up and tothe rear, until the charging handle canbe pulled out. With the handleremoved, continue to lift the bolt upand out of the receiver. The recoilspring and spring guide can then be

lifted from the bolt. No further disassemblyis recommended or necessary for routinecleaning or maintenance.

Reassembly is in reverse order. Be surethe takedown pins are returned with theirheaded ends on the serial number side of therifle’s action.

The Marlin 922 Magnum was fitted witha Burris 6X scope and fired for accuracywith results shown in the accompanying

table. Function-firing was per-formed with CCI, Winchester,RWS and Federal ammunition.There were no malfunctions of anykind. CCI’s Maxi Mag +V wasomitted from testing as the manu-facturer warns that its use may

cause the gun to malfunction.The metallic sights are mounted in such

a way that the shooter’s face must be unnat-urally pressed down very hard on the cheekpiece to obtain a good sight picture, andeven then the sights are partially obscuredby the receiver unless the rear sight is set ator above the middle setting on the sight’selevator ramp.

Finding a suitable sight base in ourinventory also presented a problem as theMarlin’s receiver is flat, and many bases aremade for rifles with curved receivers. Wefound that mounting a blank dovetail rail fit-ted with tip-off rings worked well.

Some of the smaller groups fired indi-cate that the gun is capable of relativelygood accuracy, and the attractive look andfeel of the walnut stock so infrequentlyencountered on rimfire rifles should pleasemany potential customers.

The Marlin 922 should prove useful forthose wanting quick follow-up shot capa-bilities for activities such as calling coyotesor plinking with a cartridge offering morepunch than a .22 Long Rifle without theexpense of center-fire ammunition.

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

Winchester 1637 Avg. .50 1.77 1.21Super-X HP 32 Sd

CCI 1637 Avg. .88 1.60 1.17Maxi Mag HP 59 Sd

Federal FMJ 1737 Avg. .99 2.17 1.3533 Sd

Average Extreme Spread 1.24

Five Consecutive Five-Shot Groups at 50 Yds. Fired FromSandbags. Abbreviations: Sd (standard deviation), HP(hollow-point), FMJ (full metal-jacketed)

ACCURACY RESULTS

The trigger group and the bolt stop are removedby driving out the front and rear takedown pins.To remove the bolt, lift it slightly up and to therear until the charging handle can be removedand then lift it up and out of the rifle’s receiver.

The attractive look and feel of thewalnut stock so infrequentlyencountered on today’s rimfirerifles will please many shooters.

A Garand-type steel safety lever is mountedin the forward section of the trigger guard.