high country gear

HIGH COUNTRY GEAR
BY MATT SUUCK
W
Krieghoff
hen hunters
think of German
products, especially
firearms, they think
of tradition, attention to detail,
precision, dependability, and
innovation. No German brand
incorporates these values better
than Krieghoff. Founded in 1886 as
Sempert & Krieghoff in Suhl, at a
time when Germany was emerging
as a world leader in all industries,
but especially in the field of
hunting (e.g. firearms and
optics), Krieghoff has a
proud history in the field
of gun making.
In 1900, the
company first patented
the practice of fitting
the stock to the shooter,
following the old German
principle of “the barrel shoots, but
the stock hits.” When Heinrich
Krieghoff took over the company in
1916, it really began to take shape
and head down the road of success
that it is still on today. The first truly
famous and legendary Krieghoff rifle
was the Neptun drilling, introduced
in 1926. Following the upheaval of
World War II and the subsequent
division of Germany, Krieghoff
left its East German birthplace in
Suhl and relocated to Ulm in the
southern half of the country in
1950. Seven years later, Krieghoff
introduced its first competition
shotgun, the K-32, which was the
foundation for Krieghoff’s success
in that field today. No single
firearm, however, proved to be more
important to the company than
the 1980 introduction of the K-80
competition shotgun.
Only the finest
Turkish walnut
is used for
Krieghoff guns.
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Fall 2010
A History of
Innovation
Though grounded in the
tradition of hunting, Krieghoff’s
largest business sector today is
competition shotguns. The company
is the market leader amongst
serious competition shooters, ahead
of its other Italian and German
competitors, with many of the
world’s greatest shooters choosing
their shotguns.
With the United States being by
far the largest market for Krieghoff,
in 1980 the company opened the
doors of Krieghoff International, its
North American headquarters and
distribution center. Family owned
and operated since 1886, the fourth
generation owner, Dieter Krieghoff,
resides in and runs the company
from the United States headquarters
Attention to detail
and high quality
craftsmanship
are hallmarks of
Krieghoff guns.
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in Ottsville, Pennsylvania. The
beautiful, colonial era buildings,
in which the company is housed,
truly embody the company’s proud
tradition, which is felt throughout
its halls.
So what is it that has made
Krieghoff the world and US leader
in areas such as high quality
competition shotguns and double
Early 20th
century
assembly in
Suhl, Germany.
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Fall 2010
rifles? It’s a quite simple principle
that too many companies tend to
ignore; customer service.
“Outstanding customer service
is what sets us apart,” says Don
Baughman, Krieghoff Manager of
Technical Operations. “I’ve been a
gunsmith for 35 years (the last 19
with Krieghoff), and have never
encountered anything like this in
the U.S. It’s not just a company
philosophy, but something Mr.
Krieghoff takes to heart very
seriously.”
To guarantee the best possible
customer service, Krieghoff has
ten highly qualified and skilled
technicians working in Pennsylvania,
specializing in fields such as shotguns,
rifles, quality control, wood work,
finishing, and barrels. Five of these
techs were trained in Europe, with
four receiving their training in
the world famous Suhl, Germany
and one in Ferlach, Austria. With
the capabilities, know-how, and
equipment to do most all servicing in
the United States, the average service
turnaround time is an astounding
two weeks. At Krieghoff, the customer
truly is king.
Over the past nearly 125 years,
Krieghoff has never stood still and
rested on its past laurels. Always
striving to perfect what many
would consider a perfect product,
the company has stood first and
foremost for innovation. Nothing
better embodies this commitment
to innovation than the new in-line
repeating rifle, the Semprio.
The first of its kind, this rifle
utilizes the practical applications
The forearm is extended forward with
the guiding hand to load/reload the
rifle. Once a round is chambered,
the in-line action locks the rifle and it
is ready to fire, without the shooter
needing to change hand positions or
take the eyes off of the target.
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of the hunt and the kinetic energy
produced by recoil to its advantage,
to aid the hunter in his or her quest.
Safe, fast, and intuitive, the Semprio
combines 125 years of gun making
history with modern, revolutionary
ideas.
At first glance, there is
something missing; the bolt. The
Semprio is not your “traditional”
bolt action rifle, but is instead an
in-line repeater. Instead of cycling a
round using the bolt, the forearm is
extended forward with the guiding
hand to load/reload the rifle. Once
a round is chambered, the in-line
action locks the rifle and it is ready
to fire, without the shooter needing
to change hand positions or take
the eyes off of the target. The steel
bolt head with seven lugs, along
with the broad locking surface
assures a safe and dependable rifle.
The rifle can easily be loaded
and unloaded via the drop-down,
removable magazine. Scope
mounting is also a breeze, with
the barrel being pre-drilled for use
with most scope mounting systems,
including the Semprio specific
mounts offered by Krieghoff.
Anybody who knows me knows
that I’m very particular about two
things; 1) safeties and 2) triggers.
The Krieghoff combi-cocking device
is not a safety as you would find it
on most bolt action rifles. In fact,
it’s much more. An uncocked rifle is
much safer than a rifle placed in the
“safe” position. An uncocked rifle
is not capable of even accidentally
discharging a round. A manual
cocking rifle is without a doubt the
When you are ready to fire, you cock the rifle with a simple forward push of the
thumb. If you wish to uncock the rifle, all you need to do is push down and forward
on the lower half of the cocking device and the rifle is in the “safe” position.
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Fall 2010
The Semprio can be almost entirely taken apart without the use of tools.
safest possible rifle. In the Semprio’s
case, when you are ready to fire, you
cock the rifle with a simple forward
push of the thumb. If you wish to
uncock the rifle, all you need to do is
push down and forward on the lower
half of the cocking device and the
rifle is in the “safe” position.
The factory trigger is the
Krieghoff Universal Trigger System.
Not too light and not too heavy,
the crisp, smooth trigger is set at
approximately 2.75 lbs. You can also
KRIEGHOFF SEMPRIO SPECS.
Calibers:
Length of Pull:
.223 Rem., .22-250 Rem.*,
.243 Win., 6.5x55SE, .270 Win.,
7x64, .308 Win., .30-06 SPR.,
8x57IS, 9.3x62, 7mm Rem. Mag.,
.300 Win. Mag., .338 Win. Mag.*,
.375 Ruger, .416 Ruger*
*coming soon
14 9/16”
(including rubber recoil pad)
Barrel Length:
21.5” for standard calibers and
25” for magnum calibers. .375
Ruger in 21.5”
Weight:
6.8 lbs
MSRP:
$4,690.00 (standard calibers)
$4,990.00 (magnum calibers)
MSRP prices do not include
optional extras (e.g. engravings,
scope mount, extra barrel, etc.).
Northern Mackenzie Mountains
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES CANADA
BACKPACK HUNTING AT ITS FINEST
Below are a few of the excellent trophies taken during the 2009 season!
Hunters of all ages enjoy the challenges,
thrill and satisfaction of a mountain
backpack hunt with us.
WILD SHEEP
Contact us for our latest hunt report!
www.arcticred-nwt.com
85
Tavis Molnar & Rebecca Coleman
Box 1, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada Y1A 5X9
Phone: 867-633-4934 Fax: 867-633-4334
E-mail: [email protected]
Fall 2010
use the trigger as a light set trigger
for accurate long range shooting.
For those of us who travel, or
hunt multiple species, the Semprio is
perfectly suited to meet and exceed
your needs. Almost the entire rifle
can be disassembled without the
use of any tools. By using the swing
lever located on the bottom of the
opened action, the rifle can be taken
apart and stored in a compact rifle
case. If you use the Krieghoff scope
mounts, these too can be quickly
detached without any tools required.
Switching barrels, bolt heads, and
caliber groups is done quickly and
safely. A simple small key is all that’s
needed for the barrels, whereas the
bolt heads also do not require any
tools. Combine all these features and
you have one universal rifle capable
of hunting any big game species in
the world.
Throughout the testing
process, the Krieghoff Semprio
proved to be a highly accurate,
durable, and dependable rifle, no
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matter the shooting situation. The
Semprio preformed equally well
on the bench, off of a pack in the
mountains, from sticks, and off
hand. Its exceptional balance makes
any added weight a non-factor.
Subject to typically German rigorous
factory tests, the rifle has yet to jam,
which is a concern sometimes expressed with firearms of this design.
Though the price tag might
seem high to some, this rifle and its
universal system of interchangeable
calibers, barrels, and scopes is
completely worth it. How many
high-quality rifles would you need to
purchase to achieve the same level
of performance and flexibility? The
Semprio is one rifle for all situations.
So if you’re looking for a universal,
accurate, and dependable big game
rifle, then the Krieghoff Semprio will
fulfill your every need and wish. WS
Customer service is the number one
priority for Krieghoff, and quality
technicians ensure quality service.
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Fall 2010