Now the IWA 2023 has closed its doors again. As already reported yesterday, the arms fair celebrated a great success with the first indication of visitor numbers of 35,000 (compared with approx. 19,500 in 2022). No wonder: there were an incredible number of exciting products to marvel at in the halls of the German show during the four days of the event. So many that (as already announced yesterday) we will continue with our reporting today and in the coming days. So you will not miss any highlight from the fair.
This article will be updated during the day.
VIDEO: New rimfire bolt-action rifles from CZ – 457 Varmint in .22 LR
The latest rimfire rifles from Česká Zbrojovka go by the model name "457 Varmint". The bolt-action rifles in .22 LR are available in two barrel lengths, 16" (406 mm) and 20 inches (510 mm). Here, CZ combines a black synthetic stock with a Varmint barrel with a thick-walled heavy contour. This makes the new CZ 457 Varmint more suitable for newcomers who practice sport shooting than for stalking – after all, the Czech gunmaker already has the 457 Synthetic model with a slimmer barrel for hunting in its catalog. The new Varmint also features a muzzle thread and a second sling swivel on the forend. This means that it is no problem to mount a sling and a bipod on the stock at the same time, and (where permitted) nothing stands in the way of using the CZ 457 Varmint in combination with a silencer. The 457 series from Česká Zbrojovka is characterized by details such as adjustable trigger, removable magazine and a bolt throw of just 60 degrees. The low bolt throw simplifies repeating and the increased distance between the bolt handle and the eyepiece makes it excellent for mounting even large scopes. The new CZ 457 Varmint is available now.
Rombo Black Blade Morakniv, a beautiful and sustainable field knife
Morakniv is one of Sweden's most iconic knife brands, and its founding can be traced back to the late 1800s, when young Frost Erik Erson, who had returned to his native Sweden from America with a small nest egg earned as a lumberjack, opened a workshop for making sleds and other tools for cutting and transporting lumber. In 1912 another Swedish boy, Krång-Johan Eriksson, who had worked in Frost's company, went into business for himself, concentrating on the manufacture of blades. The first embryo of what over a century later became Morakniv, one of the leading sporting and working knife companies in Europe, had been born. The connection between the Swedish people and the outdoor world has always been very strong, and the model Morakniv was offering at IWA 2023 is also an example of Scandinavian pragmatism. The Rombo Black Blade is a fixed-blade knife with handmade full tang construction optimized for outdoor cooking. The ergonomic handle made of carefully selected light ash wood from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified European forests and the large black blade made of recycled Swedish stainless steel, with its characteristic food-grade sharpness, allow you to improve your culinary skills outdoors. The Rombo Black Blade comes with a natural leather sheath and costs about 200 euros. This knife was also on display in the section that IWA 2023 devoted to the most innovative products, not only in terms of design, but also because of the sustainability of the materials used in its construction.
VIDEO: Sordin upgrades its Supreme Pro-X hearing protection series with new HEAR2 audio system
The leading hearing protection manufacturer Sordin from Sweden now offers the new HEAR2 audio system in the Supreme Pro X series hearing protection models, which are interesting for hunters and sports shooters as well. If you think you already know the Supreme Pro X model, you're only partly right: Sordin has revised the algorithm of its HEAR audio system, which was introduced in 1998 and has since been known for its exceptionally good sound quality, and replaced it with the new HEAR2 in the current models. This now has a total of four different audio profiles. The "Hunting" profile, with its clear reproduction of ambient sounds, covers pretty much all hunting situations while stalking or driven hunting. "Focus" is the profile that the hunter should choose when hunting from the high seat and wants to hear all the important sounds that give away the game. The "Shooting" profile is specially designed for the shooting range – ideal if you want to hear only the really important sounds on the range and not be distracted by any ambient noise. The fourth profile is what Sordin calls "Comms": it ensures the best possible communication with hunting radios connected using the 3.5 mm jack socket of the Supreme X-Pro. Such hunting radios are widely used in Scandinavian countries, where they are the most common method of communication during hunting. Other audio devices can also be connected via this input, of course. On the Sordin Pro-X LED, by the way, the manufacturer has placed a small 1-lumen LED light in the left cup, a useful feature when something needs to be searched quickly in the dark. The Pro-X LED represents the top model in the range and comes with gel sealing rings as standard. All other versions have foam rings, but these can be replaced with optionally available gel ones.
