Anschutz Model 1770 Sporter

Anschutz has quite the storied history. It was started by Julius and Luise Anschutz, a husband and wife team that founded the company in 1856. By 1896, the firm employed 75 workers, and over the years, the product line grew to the point that by 1935 there were more than 550 workers at Anschutz. But, of course, from 1939 through 1945, the company had to give up its consumer-oriented guns and focus on Germany's war effort.

After the war, the company was seized and the machinery dismantled--only to be started again in 1950 in Ulm, Germany, under the supervision of Dieter Anschutz. Today it is hard to find any shooting club or organization in Europe that does not boast of the reliability and accuracy of these rifles, and Anschutz has long been the gold standard for Olympic-style competition rifles the world over. For the most part, though, Anschutz .22s haven't made many inroads with rimfire-toting hunters here in the U.S.

Now comes the Model 1770. While centerfire rifles are not entirely new to Anschutz, this introduction was the next logical step in reaching out to the American hunting market, and I think the company has hit the mark--thanks in part to a chambering that's very popular here and for which there is an abundant supply of ammo.

ANSCHUTZ MODEL 1770
Type:	bolt-action centerfire
Caliber:	.223 Rem.
Capacity:	3-round detachable box
Barrel:	22 in. matte blue
Overall Length:	42 in.
Weight:	7.5 lb. with scope and rings
Stock:	oil-finished select walnut Luxus grade (as tested)
Sights:	none; receiver grooved and also drilled and tapped
Trigger:	single-stage adjustable, 21„2 lb. pull (as tested)
Price:	$2,495
Manufacturer:	Anschutz, anschutz-sport.com

The 1770 represents the first new action from Anschutz in 30 years. The bolt was designed from a clean slate. It has six-locking lugs and a short, 60-degree lift. The bolt face contains a plunger ejector and a blade extractor. Traditional gas vents in the bolt match up with same on the receiver to allow excess pressure from a failed cartridge to move harmlessly away from the shooter's face and out to the side of the gun.

To prevent binding or sideways movement of the bolt, Anschutz designed it to have the same diameter from the bolt face to just past the bolt handle. I found the bolt to glide smoothly in the receiver tube.

Of special note for varmint shooters or all-season hunters, the bolt knob has been enlarged to almost an inch in diameter (the size of a jawbreaker) for easy operation. To remove the bolt, after dropping the magazine and checking the chamber to be sure it's unloaded, press the bolt release forward while at the same time pulling back on the trigger.

The 1770 has an over-large bolt knob and feeds from a three-round straight-line detachable box magazine.

The Luxus grade features a perfectly executed rollover cheekpiece and select wood. Other stock styles are available, including a straight Classic.

The gun feeds via a straight-line, three-round, detachable magazine. The safety is behind the bolt knob; forward is Fire, back for Safe. In the Safe position, the bolt will operate to remove a round from the chamber, but the sear is locked. Trigger is match quality, of course, and it's fully adjustable. Out of the box, mine broke at 2½ pounds without a hint of slack.

One complaint on the receiver. The ejection port is a little small, and if by chance a spent round gets sideways, it can become difficult to work it out of this small entryway.

The barrel is 22 inches long and is cold hammer-forged with a recessed target crown. Like the receiver, it is polished smooth and blued. Turned in what I would call a medium weight, the barrel tapers down to a field-ready 0.710 inch at the muzzle. The barrel is free-floated and features a steel recoil lug that mates to a slot inletted into the stock.

Speaking of the stock, Americans can have it their way--almost. You have a choice between the typical Bavarian humpback stock (called the Meister grade); the Luxus, with a more California look thanks to a rollover cheekpiece that is beautifully executed; or a straight-comb Classic.

My test sample was Luxus grade rifle, and along with the full rollover cheekpiece it has the typical Teutonic Schnabel tip, skip-line checkering, a Wundhammer grip and a rosewood grip cap. It's a select grade of wood with a flawless oil finish, a rubber butt pad and sling swivels.

The three-lug bolt provides a short lift, and it maintains a consistent diameter for much of its length, which makes for smooth operation.

I mounted a Meopta 3-9x42 in Leupold medium rings, and I could just put a piece of paper between the scope's objective lens and the barrel--a perfect mounting setup.

Out on the range, the gun proved to be quite accurate, although there were several magazine feeding problems. I understand these are being addressed.

The gun was certainly fun to shoot, and if it sells well, we might see it in .308 or .30-06 at some point. I think for varminting it would be great in .204 Ruger or .22-250. Just add a beer and a bratwurst, and you have a winning combination.

Accuracy Results | ANSCHUTZ MODEL 1770
.223 Rem.	Bullet Weight (gr.)	Muzzle Velocity (fps)	Standard Deviation	Avg. Group (in.)
Hornady V-Max	40	3,655	10	1.00
Winchester Ballistic Silvertip	50	3,319	22	1.50
Remington Match HP	62	2,897	12	0.88
WARNING: The loads shown here are safe only in the guns for which they were developed. Neither the author nor InterMedia Outdoors, Inc. assumes any liability for accidents or injury resulting from the use or misuse of this data. Notes: Accuracy results are averages of three three-shot groups at 100 yards off a sandbag rest. Velocities are averages of nine shots measured on a Oehler Model 35P chronograph set 12 feet from the muzzle. Abbreviations: HP, hollowpoint

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