First and foremost I apologize — we could not, in fact, shoot it. The guys running the booth had no ammo for it, or so they claimed. However, we did get a chance to heft it about and fondle the rifle, and it feels pretty damned good. For a semi-auto .338 Lapua rifle, that is . . .
There’s no doubt that the rifle is lightweight. In fact, I’m pretty sure that the scope is the heaviest component on the gun. Everything else is slick and trim, including the receiver.
There’s a spot for the forward assist — because all military guns need a forward assist — but for consumers it’s optional. Yes, they really did slice off the forward assist to save a hair of weight.
We are, however, left to question whether the lack of .338 Lapua ammunition was strategic. Could they really have underestimated how much gun food to bring to Media Day? Was Federal Premium unwilling to sell them more? Does the gun actually run? We simply don’t know. We’ll get one to test, though, and let you know as soon as we try it ourselves.