Rock Island Armory 22mag ST1500 Rifle

The evolution of the Aussie classic Stirling Model 1500.

The Stirling name, familiar to Australian shooters has now come under the brand of Rock Island Armoury.  With the change of name, we decided that it was also time to update the rifle.

Firstly we shortened the barrel to 20 inches and slightly increased the diameter. This makes the barrel stiffer and more accurate.  A shorter length also makes it easier to get in and out of a farm vehicle.

The vast majority of shooters use a telescopic sight, so the open sights were removed, leaving a clean barrel with no front sight to hook up on things and get in the way.   The height of the stock comb was also raised, to allow the shooters cheek to be properly supported while looking through the scope.

Next it was onto the action screws.  These were redesigned to be a front action screw, and a rear tang screw, rather than having a screw attach to the barrel.  This also helps to improve accuracy.

The result is an honest, reliable workhorse of a rifle that will give decades of service, just like its Stirling predecessors.