Those happy faces above are the combined KalibrGun and AoA teams at KaliberGun’s Booth at the 2022 SHOT Show. And they had plenty to smile about, as you can see…
The biggest news was the appearance of a prototype semi-auto Cricket! Although there’s understandably no specifications available yet, this new model is clearly a development of the recent – and highly-rated – Cricket 2 Tactical.
The give-away for the semi-auto action of this new Cricket 2 is the straight-pull cocking lever on the side of the receiver. There’s no sidelever cocking here!
But KalibrGun innovations don’t end there. Another highlight was carbon fiber stocks for Cricket models. I had not previously heard of a completely carbon fiber-stocked air rifle before. But KalibrGun have done it…
Carbon fibre stocks will be available in future for both Cricket and Cricket 2 Tactical models. They’re extremely light, durable and practical. They also look great!
It’s important to note that these stocks are build entirely of carbon fiber. They’re not just carbon-fiber-wrapped, as is often the case.
KalibrGun have also taken the opportunity to incorporate a bipod into the forend. Very neat!
The Cricket 2 Tactical was being shown with a stylish laminated wood stock that sets off the design very nicely, too.
In fact, the laminated wood stocks for the Cricket 2 tactical are planned to be available in multiple colorways, including blue, green and orange. They also include a monopod in the rear buttstock for additional stability in benchrest shooting.
Another air rifle you may expect to find at AoA in future is the new Diana XR200.
The Diana XR200 is the first model in what is promised to be a whole new range of PCPs. It’s made in Germany and is being shown for the first time at the 2022 SHOT Show.
The XR200 certainly is an interesting air rifle! It has some new and unique features, together with an impressive range of features. It’s to be available in four calibers: .177 cal, .22, .25 and .30 caliber.
One obvious feature is the position of the HPA pressure gauge. This is at the front of the pressure tube, however it faces backwards – towards the shooter – and is rotatable to be visible from either side of the gun. A big benefit here is one of safety: it’s not necessary to look down the barrel of the gun to read this gauge!
The Diana XR200 will be available with German Lothar Walther barrels. There’s also the option of polygonal barrels and slug-optimized barrels.
Diana has also taken steps to make the XR200 slug-friendly by having very deep magazines. These are able to accept slugs of up to 16 mm length, says the company.
Of course the XR200 is regulated. An Altaros regulator is included for consistent shot count. It’s adjustable and there’s a pressure gauge on the right side of the action to display the regulator setting.
Airguns of Arizona has long recommended and sold UTG scopes from Leapers. So it’s likely that they will also offer this new range of scopes…
At the 2022 SHOT Show Leapers celebrated both the launch of the Integrix scope line and the 30th anniversary of the company which – in the best American style – was founded by owner David Ding in his garage back in 1992.
Intergix riflescopes are developed, designed and manufactured completely in-house by Leapers. They’re the product of years of market research, design and engineering. With Integrix, Leapers is aiming to challenge the best scope makers at the top end of the market!
On show were Integrix 3-18×44, 3-12×56 and 1-8×28 scopes. Each is available in both First Focal Plane (FFP) and Second Focal Plane reticles. All include ultra-premium optical glass from internationally-famous glass founders Schott and Ohara as part of the goal to achieve top image quality.
I understand that Integrix scopes will start shipping in late Spring/early Summer 2022. So they’ll be here soon!
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