Thompson/Center. By far the newest of the “new” guns unveiled at the SHOT Show was the Icon, a bolt-action rifle that offers several features never seen on a production rifle. For one, there’s an integral Weaver-type mount base machined into the receiver that allows fore/aft latitude for scope-ring placement. On the receiver bridge there are two positioning slots and three on the receiver ring. The lateral slots are a bit unsightly on a naked gun, but once a scope is mounted, the unoccupied slots are pretty much covered by the rings.

Thompson/Center TC Icon

The flat-bottomed receiver is machined from a solid billet and has three integral recoil lugs that engage abutments in an aluminum bedding block that is imbedded in the walnut stock—a feature pioneered by H-S Precision. The Icon’s bolt sports three locking lugs up front oriented on 120-degree centers, making for a short, 60-degree rotation. A tool is provided not only to disassemble the bolt but to allow switching the bolt handle to one of three different styles.

This is a “fat bolt” action in that the locking lugs do not protrude beyond the diameter of the bolt body, meaning there are no lug raceways, only a perfectly round hole in the receiver in which the bolt reciprocates.

Other noteworthy features are an adjustable trigger and a unique side safety, which has two exposed buttons. The larger rear button activates the two-position safety, while a smaller button just ahead of it locks the bolt. When the safety is disengaged, so, too, is the bolt lock. And last, the Icon uses a detachable magazine, a feature that more and more riflemakers are going to these days.

In conjunction with the Icon, Thompson/Center is introducing a new proprietary cartridge, the .30 T/C. Developed by Hornady, the .30 T/C is of medium length, like the .308 Win., but its ballistics beat the vaunted .30-06 by 90 fps pushing the same 150-grain bullet. Like the .308 Marlin Express, this disproportionate performance is achieved using new, high-energy propellants not available to handloaders as well as advanced loading techniques. www.tcarms.com

Weatherby. After an absence of many years, Weatherby has a .22 rimfire back in its catalog. It’s called the Mark XXII, the same name as the Weatherby semiauto that was made between 1964 and 1989, but this one is a bolt-action, clip-fed repeater. The rifle is a joint venture with Anschutz, one of Europe’s best-known rimfire manufacturers, and there is a complete review in this issue. www.weatherby.com

Winchester. The only really new rifle this year from Winchester is also a rimfire. Called the Wildcat, it is a bolt-action repeater, and there are two versions, a sporter and a heavy-barreled target/varmint model. The design features a detachable box magazine that fits within a plastic housing that is an extension of the triggerguard bow and as such is reminiscent of the late 19th century martial arms of Mannlicher design. It’s worth mentioning that each rifle comes with four magazines.

Winchester Wildcat Target/Varmint

Other nice touches include a recessed muzzle crown, checkered stock and an adjustable, fold-down leaf rear sight. The target model has a heavy .866-inch bull barrel without sights and is drilled and tapped for scope mounting. Both guns are of surprisingly good quality, considering that the sporter carries an MSRP of just $229 for the sporter and $265 for the target/varmint.

Winchester has added a Grade II version of the Super X autoloading centerfire rifle. The new model has a unique length-of-pull adjustment to customize the stock to the shooter’s measurements.

Winchester John Wayne 100th Anniversary Custom Grade Model 1892

And to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of movie legend John Wayne, Winchester is presenting two limited-edition Model 1892 lever guns for 2007. Both grades feature the large loop lever that Wayne always carried in his Westerns. Chambered in .44-40 caliber with 18 1/2-inch barrels, the carbines are engraved with likenesses of the actor on both sides of the action and feature scroll engraving with Wayne’s signature and banners that read “Courage, Strength, Grit” and “John Wayne, American, 1907-2007.” The High Grade Model has an engraved silver nickel nitride receiver, while the Custom Grade has gold embellishments and fancier wood. There will be 4,000 High Grade models made and only 1,000 Custom Grades, priced at $1,999 and $3,499, respectively. www.winchesterguns.com