Blaser F3 Trap Shooting

NEWGUN 53STEVE ‘DOC’ OLLOCK TRIES OUT THE NEW GUN.responsible for the design of thenew barrels and the overall designof the adjustable rib.effortlessly from post to post –hitting every bird. When he finishedI asked him for his impressions. Hequickly smiled and gave me ashopping list of superlatives.“Greatbalance, points very well and lovethe adjustable rib. It’s great valueand a great gun.”(Doc shared withme that he was a AAA shooter, livesin Mainesburg, Pennsylvania andshoots a K-80.)THE ADJUSTABLEWEIGHT SYSTEMThe adjustable weight system hastwo components and places to addor shift weight. First, tungsten platesof varying weight can be added tothe barrels and are hidden fromview when the gun is assembledand the fore-end is in place. Thetask of adding weights is verysimple, they come in a package ofdifferent weights and are added tothe barrels with a simplescrewdriver. Changing them is easyby simply removing the fore-endand switching the plates to matchyour best feel and comfort.The second part of the system isan adjustable weight carrier insidethe stock. Weights can be movedforward or back by simply removingthe stock with the stock removaltool provided. You then have accessto the weights that can be movedon the shaft by loosening a setscrew, sliding the weights in eitherdirection to obtain the balance thatfeels best. Each of the weights havea rubber o-ring that prevents anyvibration or noise inside thestock. These designs came fromthe head designer, SergejPopikov, who has been withBlaser for 12 years. He has alsobeen responsible for theejector system, and has been adesign contributor to Mauser.Mathias Kneppler is the manADJUSTABLE RIB AND EXTENDED BRILEY CHOKES.INTERNAL WEIGHT SYSTEM.BARREL SETS. TOP SHOWS WEIGHTS.INNOVATIONSGreat appearance when new is verycommon – but the test is how willthe finish hold up over the longhaul. Blaser has addressed thoseissues with some innovativetreatments. The barrels are Plasmatreated for hardness and thereceiver is PVD coated for hardnessand to resist common scratches. Theadjustable rib is aluminum and thebarrels (32" O/U and 34" unsingle)are fully chrome lined. The Trapsingle and double barrels can bemade to weigh the same with theuse of the weight system. The singleTrap, without weights added,weighs 9 pounds but felt a bitlighter to me because it was so wellbalanced. As our illustrations show,the new barrel hanger systemeliminates the solid center rib. Thebarrels come with a set of Brileyextended chokes and at this time,Blaser is not releasing photographsof the new adjustable part of the ribuntil the design is final. The fore endiron is a new push button design toeliminate the hot spot whenshooting. The checkering is donevery well and the new model offersa factory approved butt pad.VALUEThe gun shown has grade fourwood. The new Trap F3 is expectedto price at under $10,000 for thetwo barrel set and under $7,000for the single – with a 10 yearwarranty. Having seen and shotthis new model, the value iscertainly there. Expect to hearmuch more about the new BlaserTrap in the coming months. Formore technical information visitwww.blaser-usa.com or call210-377-2527. ■TRAPSHOOTINGUSA