NOW in its 126th year, the Colt SingleAction Army (SAA) remains an iconto American shooters. Due in no

small part to its reputation as “the gun thatwon the West,” the popularity of the SAA“Peacemaker” continues to amaze its fans—including the manufacturer—and confoundits critics. Yet, even a seminal design like theSAA can be improved to bring it up to mod-ern expectations. And, this is exactly whatColt has done. For the collector, CowboyAction competitor and casual shooter, Colt

has introduced a new model of the SingleAction Army revolver called the ColtCowboy. The classic SAA remains in pro-duction at Colt as well.

Essentially, the new Colt Cowboyrevolver is a Single Action Army with aninvestment cast, steel receiver, a slightlymore utilitarian finish and a transfer barsafety system. These changes enable Colt tooffer the new Cowboy model at a suggest-ed retail price about half that of the standardSAA Peacemaker. From any distance, it isdifficult to distinguish a Cowboy from anSAA because Colt has gone to great lengthsto preserve the style, balance, handling andflavor of the classic Peace-maker. For example, cock-ing the Cowboy model pro-duces three distinct clicks insimilar manner to the salu-tary four clicks of thePeacemaker; the half-cockloading position of the ham-mers remains the same.Other common featuresinclude barrel length, cal-iber, sights, grip shape,cylinder size and fluting, flatmainspring and frameshape. Both models have thetime-honored, case-hard-ened finish on the frame.

Comparing a Colt Cowboy side-by-side with an SAA, minor differences indesign begin to emerge. For example,the high-polish blue on thePeacemaker’s barrel, ejector shroud,cylinder and grip frame has been

replaced with a medium-polish blue on theCowboy. Another change is in the Cowboy’shammer, which is smaller than that of theSAA with a slightly different shape and hor-izontal grooves cut into the spur instead ofthe cross hatching of the Peacemaker. Theblack plastic grip panels of the Cowboyshare the rampant Colt logo with the SAA,but lack the U.S. seal and motto. At this time,the Cowboy is offered only in .45 Colt cal.with a 51⁄2" barrel and a blue finish while theSAA is offered in .44-40 Win. or .45 Coltwith a 43⁄4"or 51⁄2" barrel and choice of blueor nickel finishes.

®

The American Rifleman has used the phrase “DopeBag” at least since 1921, when Col.Townsend Whelenfirst titled his column with it. Even then, it had been inuse for years, referring to a sack used by target shoot-ers to hold ammunition and accessories on the firingline.“Sight dope”also was a traditional marksman’s termfor sight adjustment information, while judging windspeed and direction was called “doping the wind.”

CAUTION: Technical data and information con-tained herein are intended to provide information basedon the limited experience of individuals under specificconditions and circumstances. They do not detail thecomprehensive training procedures, techniques andsafety precautions absolutely necessary to properlycarry on similar activity. Read the notice and disclaimeron the contents page. Always consult comprehensivereference manuals and bulletins for details of propertraining requirements, procedures, techniques andsafety precautions before attempting any similar activity.

COLT COWBOY REVOLVER

Although similar in size and appearance,cylinders of the Cowboy (r.) and SAA are notinterchangeable because the cam surfaceson the cylinders are different. Note also thedifference in the length of the base pins.

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

Winchester No. X45CP 694 Avg. 2.42 3.72 3.11255-gr. LRN 14 Sd

PMC No. 45LA 617 Avg. 3.24 4.18 3.57255-gr. LRN 22 Sd

Black Hills No. 668 Avg. 2.83 3.98 3.31BH45C250 250-gr. LRN 19 Sd

Average Extreme Spread 3.33

Five consecutive five-shot groups from 25 yds. fired fromRansom Rest. Abbreviations: Sd (standard deviation), LRN(lead round nose).

ACCURACY RESULTS

One of the major differences between theColt Cowboy and the classic SAA revolveris the addition of a transfer bar safety sys-tem on the Cowboy (arrow). With this sys-tem, the Cowboy can be carried safely witha cartridge in the chamber beneath thehammer while the original Colt SAA cannot.

52 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • March 1999

Aimed at the Cowboy Action competitor,Colt collector and casual shooter, Colt’snew Cowboy revolver is available only in.45 Colt cal. with a 51⁄2" barrel and bluefinish. Additional barrel lengths and cal-iber options are expected in the future.

BOLT-ACTION muzzleloading rifles arenow commonplace in many productlines. As this market gets ever more

crowded, manufacturers have begun toinclude options and design features that maketheir guns stand out from all the rest.Tradition’s Lightning is one such rifle. It hasmany desirable features found on other makes

such as a solid aluminum ramrod, inter-changeable breech plugs for No. 11 percus-sion caps or musket caps and high-visibilityfiber-optic sights. What sets this line of riflesapart, however, is the option of a fluted, stain-less steel barrel and a removable muzzle brakethe maker claims is engineered to reduce feltrecoil by as much as 40 percent.

We recently received a TraditionsLightning bolt-action muzzleloader withthese two features for test and evaluation.Its barrel is 24" long, and the 41⁄2-oz. muz-zle brake adds another 23⁄4" to overall length.A blued barrel with muzzle brake is alsoavailable, as well as standard-contour bluedor stainless barrels without the brake. All

While the base pin diameter of theCowboy is identical to the SAA, theCowboy’s base pin is shorter and equippedwith a spring-loaded plunger on the tip.Also, the removable base pin bushing insidethe cylinder of First and Second Model SAArevolvers is fixed on the Cowboy.

Of course, incorporation of a transfer barsafety system in the Cowboy requires a num-ber of changes in the frame and fire controlmechanism. For example, the Cowboy ham-mer lacks the firing pin of the Peacemakerhammer and the hand that rotates the cylin-der is different as are other small partsrequired by the transfer bar safety. Gone alsoon the Cowboy is the firing pin bushingfound on the rear face of the SAA frame.Measuring the frames of the two revolversrevealed they are approximately the same

length and height but differ slightly inwidth—the Cowboy’s topstrap measures.730" while that of the SAA is .710".

While the addition of a transfer barsafety system may not seem like a bigchange, in fact, this represents a majorimprovement that cures a longstandingconcern of the SAA—carrying the gunwith the hammer down on a loaded cham-ber. The classic Peacemaker revolver isdangerous to carry in this conditionbecause its hammer-mounted firing pinallows energy from a blow, even acciden-tal, to be transferred directly to the primer,possibly causing a discharge.

With its transfer bar safety system, theColt Cowboy effectively prevents acciden-tal blows to the hammer from being direct-ly transferred to the primer. If the trigger isnot pulled, the transfer bar is not deployedand the hammer cannot reach the firing pin,which is now located in the frame. As aresult, the Cowboy is safe to carry with itscylinder fully loaded while the Peacemakeris not. Colt has integrated the transfer barsafety system into the classic SAA designwithout destroying the styling, handling oroperation. For all practical purposes, thetransfer bar safety remains transparent to theuser and observer.

Many parts of the Colt Cowboy, such asthe barrel, ejector assembly, grip frame andtrigger, are interchangeable with the SAA.Parts that are not interchangeable include theframe, cylinder, hammer, fire control partsand grip panels. The Peacemaker hasremained successful in part because of its sim-plicity and low number of parts. With theCowboy model, Colt has tried to maintainthese characteristics by adding only the partsnecessary for the transfer bar safety system.

Firing the Cowboy proved that the han-dling, balance and flavor of the Peacemakerhave been successfully preserved. Unlessthey counted the number of clicks whencocking the hammer, shooters could not dis-tinguish one model from the other. ForCowboy Action competition, this will bewelcome news. Customers need not worryabout workmanship and fit of theCowboy—the example we tested wasjudged excellent on both counts.

Like the Peacemaker, the sights on theColt Cowboy are calibrated for 255-gr.lead, round-nose ammunition at a catalogmuzzle velocity of 860 f.p.s. Loads withlighter bullets and/or higher velocities maynot shoot to the same point of aim. As thesights of the Cowboy are not easilyadjustable, this must be considered if theuse of such loads is anticipated.

No doubt Colt has a winner in theCowboy. We look forward to it being offeredin other calibers, such as .44-40 Win., andwith other barrel lengths.

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • March 1999 53

MANUFACTURER: Colt’s Mfg. Co., Inc.(Dept. AR), P.O. Box 1868, Hartford,CT 06144, (800) 962-COLT

MECHANISM TYPE: single-action revolverCALIBER: .45 Colt OVERALL LENGTH: 1015⁄16"BARREL LENGTH: 51⁄2"WEIGHT: 381⁄2 ozs.WIDTH: 15⁄8"HEIGHT: 51⁄8"STOCKS: two-piece, checkered, black

plastic with Colt logoCYLINDER CAPACITY: sixRIFLING: six-groove, LH twistTRIGGER: single-stage, 4-lb. pullSIGHTS: blade front, fixed square notch

rear cut into topstrapACCESSORIES: foam-lined, plastic

carry caseSUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $600

COLT COWBOY

The cylinder hand (arrow) on the ColtCowboy (l.) is different from that of theSAA. Note also that the new Cowboy lacksthe firing pin bushing on the recoil plate.

TRADITIONS LIGHTNING

The Traditions Lightning has features including a fluted, stain-less steel barrel and removable muzzle brake that help set itapart from similar guns from other makers. Many variants of thisgun are available to suit just about any budget, need or desire.

barrels are 24" with a 1:32" rate of twistrifling for stabilizing saboted or conical bul-lets. A slower, 1:48" twist is also availablein .54-cal. barrels.

The brake consists of a cylindrical, stain-less steel unit that threads onto the muzzle byhand. For those times when the brake is notused, Traditions has provided a knurled,screw-on cap to protect the threads. Thirty.17" diameter holes drilled at a right angle tothe bore around the circumference of thebrake provide ample venting of gases toeffect recoil reduction.

Synthetic stocks are de rigueur on mostmuzzleloaders of this type and Tradition’sLightning is no exception. Our sample’sblack synthetic stock had molded-in check-ering of 16 lines per inch on the pistol gripand fore-end, a black plastic pistol grip capand 1/2"-thick, solid, black rubber recoilpad. Quick-detachable, steel sling swivelstuds are standard, and the buttstock has amodest cheek piece. Its profile is svelte—so much so that were it not for the solid con-struction it would be spindly.

Synthetic stocks for this model can alsobe had with a camouflage finish includingAdvantage and Break-up. For those whoprefer wood, Traditions also offers walnut-finished hardwood or laminated stocks.

Like the famous ’96 Swedish Mauser, theTraditions Lightning cocks on closing the

bolt. This feature adds a margin of safety inthat the striker is retracted from the nipple,yet remains uncocked for loading or priming.

Stainless Lightning rifles have the bolthandle brazed onto the bolt body whilechrome-moly guns have welded-on bolthandles. As an assembly, the bolt is rela-tively simple. A single set screw at the rearof the cocking piece keeps the assemblytogether, and the striker is easily turned outfor cleaning using a washer or coin.

Further contributing to safety is the auto-matic safety that is applied when the bolt isoperated. The button is on the right side ofthe action in Remington Model 700 fashionwith its position indicated by an “F” or “S”engraved in the action. When in the “safe”position, a small tab on the safety lever piv-ots between the trigger proper and the trig-ger housing to block trigger movement.

Sights utilize fiber optics for increasedvisibility and are fully adjustable forwindage and elevation. The rear sight con-sists of a black plastic ramp and square unitfastened to the barrel with two screws. Adovetail runs the length of the top of thisramp on which rides a square, black plasticunit with integral blade. The blade is semi-buckhorn with a “U” notch, augmented byglowing, green, fiber-optic dots on eitherside of the notch. Graduation marks on theramp unit are convenient reference marksfor adjustment, but do not correspond with

any particular amount ofchange in point of impact.Both windage and elevationadjustments are made byloosening the respectiveretaining screw, sliding thesight in the desired directionand re-tightening the retain-ing screw to secure the sightin its new position.

The front sight is also aramped, black plastic unitfastened to the barrel with ascrew, but has serrationsacross the face of the rampto reduce glare. A clear plas-tic housing dovetailed intothe ramp retains the round,orange, fiber-optic frontsight element.

Since scopes are used more often thannot on a muzzleloader of this type, the actionis drilled and tapped for Remington Model788 bases. We used mounts and rings fromS&K to hold a Tasco 3-9x40 mm scope andfired the Traditions Lightning for accuracyat 100 yds. Only saboted bullets were usedto take full advantage of the fast rate of twist,and we used loads that included PyrodexPellets, Goex blackpowder and Clean Shotblackpowder replacement. The results ofthis testing are summarized in the accom-panying table.

Our testing also corresponded with theopening of Virginia’s muzzleloader season,so we took the Traditions Lightning deerhunting. Long guns like the TraditionsLightning are often carried afield cradled inthe crook of the arm. The hunt revealed that

MANUFACTURER: Traditions (Dept. AR),P.O. Box 776, Old Saybrook, CT 06475,(860) 388-4656

CALIBER: .50 (tested), .54ACTION TYPE: cock-on-closing, bolt-

action, percussion-fired muzzleloaderRECEIVER: stainless steel (tested),

chrome molyFINISH: natural satin stainless steel

(tested), gloss blueOVERALL LENGTH: 421⁄2" (without) brakeBARREL: 24", heavy contour, fluted

stainless steel with muzzle brake (test-ed) or without; 24", heavy contourblued with or without muzzle brake

RIFLING: conventional, eight-groove, but-ton (blued), cut (stainless), 1:32" RHtwist (tested), 1:48" (.54-cal.) RH twist

WEIGHT: 8 lbs.SIGHTS: fully adjustable, semi-buckhorn

rear with “U” notch and green fiber-optic dots; ramped front with orangefiber-optic element

TRIGGER: adjustable, single-stage,41⁄4-lb. pull

STOCK: walnut-stained select hard-wood, brown laminate (no checkering),synthetic black or camouflage: lengthof pull, 14"; drop at heel, 13⁄4"; drop atcomb, 11⁄2"

ACCESSORIES: musket cap nipple, No.11 percussion cap nipple, take-downtools, muzzle cap (rifles with muzzlebrake only)

SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $219-$376

TRADITIONS

The bolt is a relatively simple assembly. Asingle set screw in the cocking piece keepsthe assembly together. After its removal,the gun’s striker is easily turned out fromthe front using a washer or coin as a tool.

Sights utilize fiber optics for increased vis-ibility and are adjustable for windage andelevation.The rear has a square plastic unitwith an integral semi-buckhorn blade and“U” notch with two green fiber optic dots.

The brake consists of a cylindrical, stain-less steel unit that threads onto the muz-zle by hand. Traditions has provided aknurled, screw-on cap to protect thethreads when the brake is not being used.

.50 cal. Vel. @ 15' Smallest Largest Average(f.p.s.) (ins.) (ins.) (ins.)

Speer 300-gr. JSP 1530 Avg. 3.44 4.94 4.51100 grs.* Clean Shot 17 SdCCI Musket Caps

Trad. 275-gr. PTBT 1325 Avg. 2.60 3.50 3.1695 grs. Goex FFg 45 SdCCI No. 11 percussion cap

Trad. 265-gr. SSHPBT 1870 Avg. 2.84 3.78 3.33Three Pyrodex Pellets 41 SdCCI Musket Caps

Average Extreme Spread 3.66

Five consecutive five-shot groups at 100 yds., fired fromsandbags. * by volume. Abbreviations: Sd (standard devia-tion), JSP (jacketed soft-point), PTBT (Penetrator Tip boat-tail), SSHPBT (semi-spitzer hollow-point boattail)

ACCURACY RESULTS

54 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • March 1999

FOR decades, Merkel’s catalogs proud-ly stated that its shotgun actions weremade the same as they were in the

1920s. That changed in 1998 when Merkelbrought modern CNC and EDM machineryon line to augment the skills of its craftsmenthat have evolved through generations ofmaking exceptional side-by-sides, over-unders and combination guns.

A sample of this mixture of traditionaland new technologies was recently receivedin the form of a Model 2001EL—a modi-fied Anson & Deeley-type box-lock, over-under shotgun with a Kersten crossbolt thatretains Merkel’s distinctive outside appear-

ance. Externally, there is no evidence to sug-gest that hand fitting and finishing have beenabandoned for the sake of modernization.

Three grades are offered: the minimal-ly engraved standard 2000EL; the heavilyengraved mid-range 2001EL (tested); andthe high-grade 2002EL with fullyengraved false sideplates. Our sample2001EL was stocked with dark, nicely fig-ured walnut, hand-checkered in a double-bordered point pattern of 24 lines per inchon the pistol grip and fore-end. We notedseveral overruns covered by the border,places where the checkering came up shortand some flat points. The fore-end is the

carrying the gun as such gradually pushes thebolt handle up. If not checked regularly, thebolt handle will reach a point where it popsup and jumps back, making a lot of noise.

Our test shooting revealed a number ofstrong points in favor of this rifle, as well assome that need more consideration. The flut-ed barrel does a good job of keeping the over-all weight of the gun to a manageable levelwhile increasing barrel stiffness. Stock pro-portions make this gun very pointable, andthe recoil pad absorbs much of the recoil.The muzzle brake did seem to reduce feltrecoil, though 40 percent may be a stretch.The holes in the brake make loading loosepowder troublesome but not impossible, andthe gun was considerably more accurate

(about 46 percent) without the brakeinstalled. A very positive aspect of the muz-zle brake, however, is that it serves the samefunction as a false muzzle in that it helps lineup the bullet for straight starting into themuzzle. Velocity was also different whenusing the muzzle brake. When shootingClean Shot powder, velocities with the brakewere about 30 f.p.s. faster. Conversely, whenusing the brake with the blackpowder loads,velocities averaged 56 f.p.s. slower.

The bolt handle is well-positioned,being easy to grasp, but not so far out asto interfere with the scope. We would haveliked to see more attention given to attach-ing the bolt, though, as there was a notice-

able gap on three sides of the root in whichfouling will become trapped.

The knurled cap is a nice feature to dressup and protect the muzzle when the brake isnot attached, but the brake was taken intoconsideration when sizing the ramrod,which protrudes 2" past the muzzle whenthe brake is removed. We’d rather have aramrod too long than too short, butTraditions offers a rod of the appropriatelength should a Lightning owner decide toomit the brake.

Musket caps are not as readily availableas standard No. 11 percussion caps, so theinclusion of both No. 11 and musket cap nip-ples with the gun was welcome. While wechose to use the musket cap nipple for mostof our shooting, we used the No. 11 capswith blackpowder to make sure the “switchnipple” system worked, which it did. Wealso tested whether there was any notableballistic difference in using musket caps orpercussion caps with the same load.Surprisingly, velocity with musket caps wasas much as 50 f.p.s. less than the identicalload ignited by No. 11 percussion caps.

Traditions’ Lightning bolt-action muz-zleloader is available in 12 variations to suitjust about any budget, need or desire. Thegun we tested was rugged, accurate andwell-made for the most part. Shooters look-ing for contemporary styling in a black-powder rifle will want to add the Lightningto their list of candidates.

Further contributing to safety is the auto-matic safety that is applied when the bolt isoperated. The safety button is fashionedafter the Remington Model 700,with its posi-tion indicated by an engraved “F” or “S”.

The Lightning employs a “switch nipple”system, so the gun can use either No. 11caps or musket caps. We tried both in ourtest and found velocity with musket capswas up to 50 f.p.s. lower than with No. 11s.

MERKEL 2001EL

Merkel brought modern CNC and EDM machinery on line in 1998 to augment theskills of its craftsmen. A sample of the mixture of traditional and new technology was recently

received in the form of a Model 2001EL—a box-lock, over-under shotgun that retains Merkel’s distinctive appearance.

Wood-to-metal fit on our sample wasexcellent—a testament to the inletting skillof the stockmaker considering the diffi-culty of mating the action to the buttstock.

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • March 1999 55

traditional Suhl, three-piece style, the bot-tom of which is secured by a Deeley-typelatch and covers only part of the bottombarrel. Two top side panels are attachedthrough the side ribs with three engravedscrews. The seam between the panels andthe bottom wood is hardly noticeable andnicely obscured with parallel lines. A care-ful examination of the three parts suggeststhat they were not cut from the same pieceof wood, though the difference betweenthem is barely perceptible. As a whole, thefore-end provides plenty of room forlarge-handed shooters, while retaining asvelte profile.

Wood-to-metal fit on our sample wasexcellent—a testament to the inletting skillof the stockmaker when considering the dif-ficult radiuses and points where the actionmates with the buttstock. Both the grip plateand the butt plate are black plastic with nohangovers or gaps.

In-house engraversare the pride of Merkeland our sample Model2001EL demonstrateswhy. Both sides of thesilver-grayed receiverare attractively en-graved with gamescenes while its bottomis scroll-engraved in apattern that borders theentire action and coversthe bolsters. All screwheads are engraved andtastefully timed.

Blued barrels arejoined by the demi-block system in whicheach cold-hammer-forged barrel has asolid, forged breechsection. The breechsection of the over bar-rel is shaped like aninverted U, with thelower barrel mechani-cally fitting into a squared recess in its bot-tom. Ostensibly, this arrangement makes itpossible to locate the barrels more positive-ly before they are finally soldered together.Side and top ribs are solid, though the top isgrooved to reduce glare and has a single,brass front bead. A ventilated rib is option-al, though there may be an additional charge.

Lockup remains the Kersten crossboltsystem, which is a modification of theGreener crossbolt lock, and is well-knownfor its strength. Square lugs with centrallylocated round holes extend back from thetop of the over barrel into correspondingcuts in the standing breech. A thick cross-bolt in the left side of the receiver passesthrough the holes to lock the action. Thoughlumps are apparent on the bottom of theblock, they are not part of the lockup.

An interesting new feature is found at theejectors. When a barrel is fired, its respectivetrip rod bears against a sear in the fore-end.The sear holds the ejector until the barrels arelowered, then releases the ejector to throw theshell. This is little changed from the earlierMerkel design. New, however, are small slot-ted screws incorporated into the fore-endsears. Turning these screws 90 degrees part-

ly disables the sears to convert the Model2001EL from ejectors to extractors.

Past Merkel over-unders used the “Blitz”box-lock action that had most of its partsmounted on the trigger plate. Removal wastricky at best and revealed a collection of tinyscrews, leaf springs and oddly shaped parts.With capitalism came the need to produceshotguns more economically. While CNCand EDM machinery made it easier and lessexpensive to produce precise parts, the great-est savings realized came with the switch toa modified Anson & Deeley box-lock action.

This much-simplified system uses coilsprings instead of leaf springs. Hammers,sears and cocking levers fit in slots in theframe and are pivoted on pins or screwsrather than being attached to the triggerplate. Cocking indicators found on otherMerkel shotguns have also been eliminatedfrom this model.

Traditional double triggers are cata-loged, but our sample came with a single,selective, mechanical trigger. To selectwhich barrel to fire first, Merkel has pro-vided a new lever housed in the split in therear of the triggerguard. This is a noticeablechange from the bar parallel with the trig-ger often found on Merkel shotguns. Thenew selector seemed a lot less obtrusive to

MANUFACTURER: Suhler Jagd-undSportwaffen Gmbh, SchutzenstraBe 26,Postfach 130, 98527 Suhl, Germany

IMPORTER: GSI, Inc. (Dept. AR), P.O.Box 129, 108 Morrow Ave., Trussville,AL 35173, (205) 655-8299

GAUGE: 12 (tested), 20, 28CHAMBER LENGTH: 3" (28-ga. 23⁄4")ACTION TYPE: Modified Anson &

Deeley box-lock over-underRECEIVER: satin grayed steelOVERALL LENGTH: 443⁄4"WEIGHT: 7 lbs.BARREL: 12-ga., 28" (tested), 30";

20- and 28-ga., 263⁄4"CHOKE SYSTEM: fixed, full/modified,

modified/improved cylinder, others onrequest

FINISH: high-polish blued barrels, silver-gray action

TRIGGER: mechanical, single, selective,31⁄2--lb. pull over barrel, 31⁄4-lb. pull underbarrel

STOCK: satin oil-finished luxus gradewalnut: length of pull, 141⁄8"; drop atheel, 21⁄2"; drop at comb, 11⁄2"

ACCESSORIES: trigger length of pulladjustment wrench

SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: 2000EL,$5195; 2001EL, $6495; 2002EL, $9995

MERKEL 2001EL

AVERAGE OF 10 PATTERNS AT 40 YDS.

16 20 20 21

38 42 26 28

25 28 27 28

11 10 17 16

Full Choke Modified Choke

x =Point of HoldFederal Premium Magnum 23⁄4"-11⁄8-oz.-No. 6 lead

Average Pellet count—253Measured Velocity @3-ft.—1389 f.p.s.

Remaining energy per pellet @40 yds.—3.04 ft.-lbs.

Total Hits 190 (75%) Total Hits 173 (68%)21.2" Inner Circle 133 (53%) 21.2" Inner Circle 109 (43%)30" Outer Ring 57 (22%) 30" Outer Ring 74 (29%)

MERKEL 2001EL

The Merkel 2001EL’s fore-end is the tradi-tional Suhl three-piece style, the bottom ofwhich is secured by a Deely-type latch andcovers only part of the gun’s bottom barrel.

Lockup remains the Kersten crossboltsystem, which is a modification of theGreener crossbolt lock. Square lugs withcentrally located round holes extend backfrom the top of the over barrel into corre-sponding cuts in the gun’s standing breech.

Small slotted screws are incorporated intothe fore-end iron to disable the ejectorsears. Rotating the screws 90 degrees con-verts the automatic ejectors to extractors.

56 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • March 1999

ROCK RIVER ARMS’new Bullseye Wad-cutter target pistol is

not just another M1911A1 clone. Rather, itis a specialized target pistol combiningnumerous and proven, technical features toenhance accuracy for bullseye competition.

While Rock River let form followfunction, it did not neglect fit and fin-ish—everyone who picked up the BullseyeWadcutter pistol remarked favorably on theunderstated quality of the high-polish blueand the obvious attention to fit and finish.

Although Rock River Arms is a new com-

pany, founders Mark and Chuck Larson bringmore than 34 years of industry experienceto the company from ArmaLite, Springfield

Armory and Les Baer Custom. Theirgoal was to offer superior-quality com-

petition pistols and parts at reasonableprices—the right combination for high per-ceived value. Building on their expertisewith the classic M1911A1 pistol, RockRiver Arms began by offering seven dif-ferent models of this icon suitable fornearly all types of competition—

Bullseye Wadcutter, Basic Limited Match,Limited Match, Standard Match, National

Match Hardball, Ultimate Match Achieverand Match Master Steel. Surely, there is amodel for every need and pocketbook. Wereceived an example of the BullseyeWadcutter model for testing.

us, and was easy to use. Pivoting it to theright selects the under barrel to fire first.

Another nice feature is the trigger that isadjustable for length of pull over a 1/4"range. While 1/4" is insufficient to adjust thefit between a small-framed female and aburly football player, it is enough to providethat “just right” fit for the average-sizedshooter. Adjustment is by turning out com-pletely the small Allen head screw from theface of the trigger blade using the suppliedwrench, repositioning the trigger over one ofthree screw holes, then replacing the screw.

A manual safety is in the top tang.Pressing the button forward allows the gunto be fired, while pressing it rearward expos-es the letter “S” and locks the trigger.

The Merkel 2001EL was patterned at 40yds. with 11⁄8 oz. No. 6 Federal PremiumMagnum shotshells. The results are sum-marized in the accompanying table. Oursample had a fixed full choke in the overbarrel while the under barrel was chokedmodified. Patterning was unusually tight,though we experienced the same result withMerkels that have been previously testedhere. Modified and improved cylinderchokes are also available, and other chokes

can be had by special request, so a prospec-tive buyer may want to consider a more openchoke than they’re used to.

Use of the Kersten crossbolt results inan action with extra width and height.Despite the additional metal, the Merkel2001EL is a lively gun and well-balanced.Many who handled the test sampleremarked how easily it came to the shoul-der and how well it pointed.

An unusual observation with respect tothe mechanical trigger was noted whiletesting the gun. If the crossbolt did notfully seat, the second sear would notalways trip. Nor would it trip if the gunwas fired nearly straight up as encounteredin some Sporting Clays stations. Neitherproblem occurs if the top lever is manual-ly indexed to the left with slight pressureto ensure the crossbolt is fully seated whenthe action is closed. This information isdetailed in the owner’s manual, thoughindexing should not be necessary once thecrossbolt wears in.

Merkel, then, has stuck its toe in thewaters of modern manufacturing withoutabandoning the skill and craftsmanship thatmade it famous. As an example of Merkel’sprogress, the Model 2001EL exhibits excel-lent handling qualities, with aestheticallypleasing style and detail.

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • March 1999 57

Barrel joining is by the demi-block systemin which each has a solid, forged breechsection.The over barrel’s breech is shapedlike an inverted U, with the lower barrel fit-ting into a squared recess in its bottom.

The trigger is used to adjust length of pullover a range of 1/4".Using an Allen wrench,turn out the retaining screw, reposition thetrigger over one of the three screw holes,and turn the screw into the respective hole.

Rock River Arms’ new, M1911-A1, BullseyeWadcutter match pistol incorporates numerous

advanced technical features with a high order of fit and fin-ish.Out of the box,this pistol is capable of firing possible scores

in every appropriate stage of National Match competition.

ROCK RIVER BULLSEYE WC

Since most bullseye competitors preferoptical sights, the Rock River BullseyeWadcutter comes equipped with a Clarkrail mount on the slide and no metal sights.

Beginning with 4140 chrome-moly steelforgings, Rock River Arms manufactures itsown frames and slides to national match tol-erances with modern CNC machinery.Frames are heat-treated to a hardness ofRockwell C40 and slides to Rockwell C24-28. Exterior flats of all Rock River framesare surface-ground, radii are bead-blastedand the firing pin retainer slot tightened.Firing pin and sear holes of Rock Riverslides are drilled then reamed to exact tol-erances to eliminate slide wobble and tokeep trigger pull crisp and constant. As aresult, Rock River slides fit Rock Riverframes with up to 10 bearing surfaces formaximum accuracy. All Rock River pistolsare made with these frames and slides.

The Bullseye Wadcutter pistol’s framefeatures 30 line-per-inch checkering on thefront strap and flat mainspring housing, andthe magazine well is beveled. There is a com-fortable, beavertail grip safety with a raisedpad on the lower surface. Other nice touch-

es include a checkered slidestop lever and a polished feedramp. The Bullseye Wad-cutter’s slide has grip serra-tions on both the front andrear of each side of the slide.The ejection port has beenflared and lowered, theextractor tuned and polishedand the ejector extended. Ofcourse the pistol is equippedwith a National Match barrelbushing and a two-piece,metal recoil spring guidewith a built-in buffer.

A skeletonized, Commander-style ham-mer and an aluminum speed trigger workwith a match sear to provide a crisp, constant31⁄2-lb. trigger pull. As today’s bullseye com-petitors prefer optical sights, no metal sightsare fitted to the Rock River BullseyeWadcutter pistol. Rather a Clark slide-mounted scope rail is fitted, enabling the userto mount an optical sight directly on the slide.The sight adds weight to the slide and recip-rocates with it,which allows a modestly ratedrecoil spring of 11, 12 or 13 lbs. to be used.

Our test pistol was equipped with an 11lb. spring. Rock River uses throated, KartNational Match barrels in the BullseyeWadcutter model. The consistent quality ofthese barrels has made them a popularchoice among target shooters, so whychange a good thing?

All the greatest features are of no availunless they are tuned to work together in har-mony. Rock River does just this to each of itsguns. Trained personnel carefully test andadjust every gun before shipment. For theBullseye Wadcutter model, this enables RockRiver to guarantee five-shot groups averag-ing a 21⁄2" extreme spread at 50 yds. usingFederal Gold Medal .45 ACP 185-gr. FMJ-SWC match ammunition. For an additional$100 cost, the pistol will be tuned to guaran-tee 11⁄2" average groups at the same distance.To back this up, Rock River offers a one-yearwarranty on parts and labor for all its pistols.

We approached testing the Rock RiverBullseye Wadcutter pistol with mixed feel-ings. While we had confidence the pistolwould perform as advertised, we had doubtsthat the optical sight mounted on the slidewould stand up to the reciprocation for long.We also wondered how the extra weight ofthe sight, 61⁄2 oz., would affect reliability ofoperation. As testing proceeded, we foundour fears groundless. The Ultra Dot 30 mmdiameter sight took the reciprocation instride and the additional weight of the unithad no effect on operational reliability. And,yes, accuracy was excellent, as is shown inthe accompanying table. We fired only fac-tory 185-gr. and 200-gr. semi-wadcutterammunition in this gun as it was notdesigned for 230-gr. hardball loads. Out ofthe box, this pistol proved capable of firing

possibles in all appropriate stages ofNational Match competition.

Handling of the Bullseye Wadcutter pis-tol was judged slightly better than manyother match-conditioned M1911-A1 pis-tols. Especially noteworthy was the raisedpad on the lower part of the grip safety,which felt just right while easing operationof the safety. High marks were also given tothe trigger operation, which was crisp andremained constant throughout the test.Another feature shooters singled out forpraise was the checkering on the frontstrapand mainspring housing, which providedexcellent finger purchase without produc-ing a harsh or abrasive feel.

With the optical sight installed, the pistolbalanced well, but felt top-heavy. While keencompetitors will probably never notice this,casual target shooters used to metal sights

will find this takes some getting used to. Wefound it quite acceptable after firing approx-imately 100 rounds to get the feel of it. Theadditional weight of the sight unit on the slidealso substantially reduced perceived recoil.Throughout our tests, the Bullseye Wadcutterpistol operated flawlessly

For 1999, Rock River new product planscall for the addition of stainless steel framemodels, Commander-length-slide modelsand 6"-slide models.

Combining the features and quality ofthis pistol with the company’s 21⁄2" accura-cy guarantee, one-year warranty and rea-sonable suggested retail price results in agun of high perceived value. Strong ordersback this up. In this, Rock River Arms hasachieved its goal.

58 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • March 1999

MANUFACTURER: Rock River ArmsInc. (Dept. AR), 101 Noble St.,Cleveland, IL 61241, (309) 792-5780

CALIBER: .45 ACP (wadcutter only)ACTION TYPE: short-recoil-operated,

semi-automatic pistolCONSTRUCTION: forged steel

billet frame and slideMAGAZINE: seven-round, single-

column, blued steel with bumper baseBARREL: 5", throated, Kart National

MatchRIFLING: conventional, six-groove,

RH twistSIGHTS: .850" diameter Clark slide-

mounted scope rail, no metal sightsFINISH: high-polish blue with

matte scope railOVERALL LENGTH: 85⁄8"WIDTH: 13⁄8"HEIGHT: 51⁄2"WEIGHT EMPTY: 431⁄2 ozs.TRIGGER: single-stage, aluminum

speed trigger, 31⁄2 lb. pullGRIPS: rosewood with cut diamond pat-

tern checkering and high-gloss finishSUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $1,215

(21⁄2" accuracy guarantee), $1,315 (11⁄2"accuracy guarantee)

BULLSEYE WC

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

Federal No. GM45B 771 Avg. 1.04 1.29 1.16185-gr. FMJ-SWC 9 Sd

PMC No. 45C 888 Avg. 1.21 1.66 1.49200-gr. FMJ-SWC 11 Sd

Average Extreme Spread 1.32

Five consecutive five-shot groups at 50 yds. from a RansomRest. Abbreviations: Sd (standard deviation), FMJ (full metaljacket), SWC (semi-wadcutter)

ACCURACY RESULTS

All Rock River frames are machined totight match tolerances from 4140 steelforgings.The feed ramp (above) is polishedand our sample pistol fed and functionedflawlessly with semi-wadcutter ammunition.

A Kart NationalMatch barrel, aRock River nation-al match barrelbushing and a two-piece recoil springguide with integralbuffer are mated tothe Rock River’sforged steel, CNC-machined slide unit.