Rifle Firepower — 2013 Year in Review

Dedicated to providing rifle shooters with leading-edge firepower plus shooting, hunting, handloading and gunsmithing strategies, Rifle Firepower contributors have their finger on the pulse of the entire industry. Rifle Firepower’s aim is to help readers wring out the most accuracy, performance, speed, dependability and reliability from their firearms—whether it’s a traditional wood-stocked beauty, an accessorized AR-platform rifle, a muzzleloader or anything in between. Strategies and editorial content from today’s sharpest writers and photographers puts readers on target shot after shot! Skill sets and weapon reviews featured are from some of the most trusted names in the shooting and hunting world. Our crack team of editors and designers is devoted to showcasing the newest rifles, ammo, accessories and tactics in a quick-hitting, easy-to-digest yet highly informative fashion. Like all riflemen and their old-reliable rifles, Rifle Firepower never quits on the readers. Every 98-page issue is packed with field-proven, no-fluff, leading-edge firepower that brings shooters to the highest level of their downrange passions. We’re committed to bringing fair and balanced reviews and tactics that’ll literally hit the bull’s-eye time and time again.

Here’s a look back at what we brought you in 2013…

Rifle Firepower got off to a great start in January of 2013 with the Troy Defense 5.56 Carbine! This is a true warrior capable of taking on critters in the field or bad guys on the streets! Featured alongside the Troy 5.56 Carbine was the Mossberg MVP 5.56/.223—a custom-like, lightweight mission-adaptable rifle that’s a great choice for the bench or the backcountry.

Two cover beauties were on the cover of Rifle Firepower March 2013: the Hill Country Harvester Tactical and Kel-Tec’s RFB Hunter. Kel-Tec’s bullpup bucks the hunting rifle trend with serious accuracy and plenty of knock-down power for any whitetail bucks that come across your path. It’s a true new-school hunter. This issue also featured a Remington 700 accurized to sub-MOA, but HCR’s pros can upgrade your rifle for anything, from long-range hunting to F-class competition.

Other mags may have covered Big Green’s 783 first, but none of them bring you on the hunt for the first giant buck that was toppled with it. Featured on the cover of the May 2013 Rifle Firepower was Remington’s sleek Model 783. A highly affordable rifle that was engineered for reliability and accuracy!

July 2013 saw two M1 Garands upgraded by Losok on the cover of Rifle Firepower. These custom Valkyr gems are chambered in .30-06 and .308, with barrels that run in the 18- to 28-inch range, making it a very mission-capable rifle that not only keeps the Garand from fading away, but also continues the .30-.06’s legacy as a battle cartridge.

On the cover of Rifle Firepower in September 2013 was a sneak peek at the Steyr SM12, a European-American hybrid that crushes it in the fields or on the range. This may be just about the most conventional bolt-action rifle coming out of Germany or Austria today, making it one classy crossover that American shooters can really sink their teeth into!

The November 2013 issue of Rifle Firepower featured the first look at the Colt M2012, a gun hand-built to win with speed and pinpoint 0.5-MOA precision! The M2012 starts with a short action from Cooper Firearms of Montana chambered in .308 Winchester and features a three-lug design that makes for a short, 60-degree bolt lift and a fast-cycling action. It’s a pure winner through and through! Keep Reading