Sabatti SAPHIRE Hunting Rifle

THE SAB TI ALL Purpose Hunting Italian Rifle (SAPHIRE) is an entry- to mid-level priced hunting piece exhibiting a slightly different approach that sets it apart from the usual bolt-action. It has a floating bolt-face and its barrel, which ha ulti-radial rifling, can be remov d and sw pped within minutes. The test rifle, in .308, had a synthetic stock and a 24-inch free-floating barrel.

Multi-radial rifling (MRR) means that instead of sharp, ‘squared’ lands and grooves, the Sabatti’s hammer-forged barrels have multiple rounded or ‘radiused’ lands and grooves. Sabatti claims this affords reduced barrel wear, less copper fouling, easier cleaning, higher velocity and enhanced accuracy. Whether all this is true I cannot say, but I do have another rifle with MRR, and ridding its