25 Apr 02

I spent Monday Morning in Salt Lake City with Alex Robinson or Robinson Armament. I had a chance to examine his line of VEPR rifles. They're Kalashnikovs, made in Russia, and finished by Alex and his staff. They're available in 223, 7.62X39, and 308. The 308 version takes M-14 magazines. ("VEPR" is Russian and, loosely translated, it comes out to "Wild Pig" in English). Nice guns, and reasonable.

Alex first started shipping rifles from his plant in 1999. I have a copy of his RA-96, and it is the most reliable 223 rifle I own. Next year we'll see an upsized version in 308 that takes FAL magazines.

My favorite two makers of military rifles are DS Arms in Illinois and Robinson Arms in Salt Lake City. Both companies have made a heavy financial commitment to quality and have consistently superior customer service. Other companies make similar rifles, but their customer service is so poor I won't mention them.

Bob Weir of ACE Inc in California makes excellent folding stocks for the RA-96 and a number of other military rifles. I consider a folding stock to be a great asset when traveling with rifles. The RA-96 now fits nicely into a tennis racket case. Highly recommended!

/John