Those Blasers are very interesting

There's no doubt about it, the Blaser R93 and updated R8 straight-pull rifles are very interesting indeed. Dating from 1993, the R93 is reputedly the most popular rifle in Europe today and is still made even though the R8, from 2008 and of very similar design, has a number of features that would induce many shooters to prefer it. The main one is a detachable magazine, which is also a detachable trigger.

The core design feature of the R93 and R8 is the straight-pull action, where the bolt head locks directly into the barrel by means of a circular array of steel splines being pushed out by a collet. Knobs on the end of the splines engage in a matching recess in the barrel, located behind the chamber. Another key feature is the location of the magazine, directly above the trigger guard rather than in front of it. This reduces the overall length of R93s and R8s by three and a half inches. The combination of fast and steady straight-pull reloading in a shorter rifle, together with a solid reputation for great accuracy, take-down interchangeable barrel convenience and very good build quality makes the Blasers hard to resist.

Then there's more.

- The quick release scope mounts lock directly onto the barrels, reducing variables in the accuracy chain. Barrels can be removed with scopes still attached, which is convenient and enhances the repeatability of the rifle system's accuracy, i.e. its potential to shoot to the same point of impact upon being reassembled.

- The scope mounts are fitted onto the barrels directly above the chamber, meaning that a scope's objective bell will be located forward of the chamber where the barrel's profile is slimmer. And this means that scopes can be mounted lower compared with rifles that have scope mounting points on top of the receiver. A lower mounted scope can make for a plumper cheek weld, appreciated by some shooters, and less height variation when switching between a scope and iron sights.

- The split stock design of the R93 and R8 makes it possible to assemble quite different rifles. Fore-ends with wider barrel channels can be fitted to accommodate solid, safari or match barrels. A butt-stock with a kick-stop could be installed to work well with a safari or match barrel.

- The shorter rifle length and the reduced scale of the receiver, which is made from aluminium rather than steel (though steel receivers are available) contribute to making a rifle which is a few hundred grams lighter than it would otherwise be.

With all of these features serving as discriminators, why would anyone look further? Why look at a more conventional rifle, such as a Sauer 202 or a Mauser M03? Well, there are reasons and clearly, they added up for me.