Almost 50,000 dealers and industry people attended the SHOT Show in January in Orlando, Florida, to see the newest products for 2007.

Twenty-oh-seven won’t exactly go down as a banner year for the introduction of new rifles. Most of what were hailed as “new” at the 2007 SHOT (Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade) Show are variations of existing models. But that has been the rule rather than the exception for several years.

That’s not to say there is nothing new to talk about, however. There are several interesting developments, so let’s get to it. As in the past, this review does not purport to encompass all that’s new in rifles, so the omission of any particular make or model should not be construed as it not being newsworthy in any way.

Browning. The biggest news here is that there’s now a takedown version of the BLR lever-action rifle. By simply pulling a flush-mounted lever on the underside of the forearm, the forearm/barrel unit can be removed from the receiver for easy transport. A scope can be mounted on the receiver in traditional manner or out on the barrel using an optional scout-style base that replaces the rear leaf sight. The latter option requires a long-eye-relief scope, and because it’s mated to the barrel rather than the receiver, it better maintains zero when the gun is taken down and reassembled.

Browning BLR Takedown

This rotary-bolt, detachable-magazine rifle is strong enough to handle modern high-intensity cartridges, including belted and short magnums. Chamberings range from .22-250 to .450 Marlin.

Browning T-Bolt Heavy Barrel

In other Browning news, the unique T-Bolt .22 rimfire rifle that was introduced last year is now offered in a heavy-barrel target version. Also new are left-hand versions of the BAR in both ShortTrac and LongTrac and models wearing Dura-Touch stocks covered completely in Mossy Oak’s New Break-Up camo. www.browning.com

Kimber. By the time this is being read the Kimber 8400 will be available in an express-style rifle in .375 H&H Magnum. When I saw the first prototype of the long-action Model 8400 a couple of years ago in .30-06, I noticed that the loading port and magazine were both dimensioned to handle full-length magnum cartridges, so this development is not surprising to me.

The Kimber people were showing what would be the definitive version of this gun at the SHOT Show, and it looks quite elegant, as well as having such practical features as a dropped box, a quarter rib with sturdy open sights and a barrel-mounted swivel stud.

Kimber has added the .338 Federal to its chamberings for the Model 84. This is the subject of Wayne van Zwoll’s cover story in this issue. www.kimberamerica.com

Legacy Sports/Howa. Legacy Sports, importer of the Howa M-1500 bolt action, has brought us the first production rifle to be mated with Knoxx Industries’ Axiom stock. Designated the Howa/Axiom, the stock alone makes this gun unique in both appearance and operation.

Expansion springs hidden inside the tubular spine of the buttstock and the pistol grip attenuate recoil forces by as much as 90 percent, or so the company claims. Both springs are attached to a sliding, wedge-shaped block that sits atop the pistol grip and to which the entire working half of the gun is attached. These springs are quite stout, as it takes considerable downward pressure on the barrel with the butt of the stock resting on the floor to get any movement at all. What movement there is under recoil is limited to a total range of less than an inch. An inch is not a lot, but with heavier-recoiling calibers it is important to have a scope with maximum eye relief. I’ve tested a Howa/Axiom in 7mm WSM and had no issues with eye relief using one of Legacy’s Nikko-Sterling 4-16x44 Nighteater scopes, even though it was set at its highest power.

On the Axiom’s tubular spine is a butt assembly that is adjustable for pull lengths of 11 1/2 to 14 1/2 inches. The high comb is also adjustable fore and aft and can be removed to lower the sighting plane for iron-sight use. For a sporting rifle, the Howa/Axiom looks more tactical than most tactical rifles, but its features are quite functional. www.legacysports.com