I’ve long been suspicious of the axiom that German manufactured goods are inherently superior, but lately, two events have made me begin to think that there may be some truth in that cliché. First, I acquired a German automobile, which in the year-and-a-half that I’ve owned it has proven itself to indeed be the ultimate driving machine. The second was a recent trip to southeastern Baden-Württemberg, where I saw the manufacturing process behind J.P. Sauer & Sohn’s new 505 rifle and got the chance to shoot this outstanding firearm.
European gun factories—at least those that I have visited—have all been substantially more automated than most American factories. The reason for this is simple: European labor laws basically make it impossible to end a person’s employment for any non-criminal reason. Therefore, an investment in million-dollar robots makes sense for even a smaller German factory, where it would not in the United States. The Sauer factory is no exception. Part of the Blaser Group of companies, the Sauer manufacturing floor is as technologically advanced as it is absurdly clean for a metal-cutting shop. The ground looked shiny enough to eat off, though our group preferred the Weißwurst from the on-site restaurant.
Beyond the automation and meticulous attention to the smallest details, Sauer’s leadership team and many of its employees are all serious hunters steeped in an ancient hunting culture. This leads to an understanding of what makes an outstanding hunting rifle from product conception through each phase of manufacturing, and the results speak for themselves.
The new 505 may seem like an evolution of the company’s legacy Model 404, but it is far more than an incrementally improved rifle. Yes, it boasts an interchangeable-barrel system for easy caliber changes—an attribute beloved by Europeans, where anti-freedom laws make purchasing each firearm a significant hassle if not an impossibility, making the ability to purchase a single gun and swap chamberings a massive bonus. That’s less of a selling point to American gun owners, where we can buy as many guns as we want, but if you travel with a rifle, the switch-barrel concept can be intriguing, as it can help limit the number of bags and/or their weight. Extra barrels for the 505 will retail for around $1,000.
More importantly, the Sauer 505 sports a lightweight, skeletonized action. Meticulously machined from forged steel, this engineering marvel manages to shave weight without sacrificing strength or solidity. Through it runs the smoothest bolt I’ve ever operated on any rifle. How did Sauer accomplish this feat? First off, the bolt is a one-piece unit (meaning some caliber swaps require a whole new bolt rather than just a different bolt face). This means there are no gaps to catch and snag as the bolt travels. Second, the bolt itself goes through a rigorous, automated polishing process where the machined steel is vibrated in vats of polishing and smoothing stones, resulting in an unparalleled, smooth finish. The internal receiver rails are also polished, so when these two parts are mated, they create virtually no friction between them.
Eight stock options are currently offered, including the Synchro XT Black model I tested stateside. This version sports a polymer stock with and adjustable comb and a polymer, textured fore-end, along with two, included QD sling swivels and loops. I had the chance to fire most of the other stock variants, including high-grade wood models, on the Blaser Group range in Isny im Allgäu, Germany. This is no ordinary test range. Rather, it includes a massive screen onto which hunting scenarios are broadcast, while the range is equipped with cameras and sensors to detect each (actual live-fire) round shot and determine hit or miss on the computer-generated game animals, as well as the angle of any hits and whether such hits would likely be lethal. Not only does this provide a fairly realistic means of training for a hunt—particularly driven hunts, as are popular in Europe—it also gave a good representation for what the 505 would feel like in a stand, tracking a target and executing follow-up shots where necessary. I encountered zero problems and, in fact, found all of the stock options to be outstanding, rendering the choice of stock a matter of user preference.
That preference is also as easy to change as the barrels, since the 505 is about as modular as a bolt-action rifle can be. Buttstock, fore-end, barrel and bolt are all interchangeable and require minimal effort and tools to remove and replace. In fact, just two tools are needed—one to loosen the screw holding the fore-end and screws holding the buttstock in place, and one to loosen the three hex screws holding the freefloat barrel in place. The processes are so easy, everyone on the trip was able to seamlessly make the swaps after a single demonstration.
Rounding out the 505 is its Blaser-style saddle mount atop the receiver for your riflescope. This is not a common mount in the U.S., but it is excellent, solid and faster to get your scope attached than a rail or traditional ring-and-base system. Barrels are also available with a threaded muzzle should you wish to add a suppressor.
In testing, the 505 Synchro XT performed flawlessly and produced predictably consistent and small groups at 100 yards. Fed from a detachable magazine (three- and five-round variants are available), getting each round into the chamber was a joy, thanks to the ridiculously smooth action and outstanding trigger. This joy did not dissipate, despite my working the action and pulling the trigger repeatedly to chronograph and accuracy test the rifle. My only complaint is that the magazine-release button, located in front of the magazine well underneath the action, is incredibly stiff and difficult to actuate. This is not a huge problem in most hunting scenarios, where needing to quickly change magazines is rather unlikely.
Everything else about the 505 is simply top-notch, and proof that German engineering and manufacturing are, in fact, the best.
Sauer 505 Synchro XT Specifications:
- Type: bolt-action, centerfire rifle
- Caliber: .308 Win. (tested); 19 options depending on action size
- Magazine: detachable; 3- or 5-rnd. capacity
- Barrel: 18.5" (tested); 16.5", 20", 22" available; 1:11" twist; threaded muzzle avlaible
- Trigger: single stage; adjustable to .77 lbs., 1.66 lbs., 2.2 lbs. and 2.8 lbs.
- Sights: none; Blaser-style mount for optics
- Stock: polymer, adjustable comb, QD sling-swivels included
- Metal Finish: blued
- Overall Length: 38.5" (tested)
- Weight: 7.8 lbs.
- jpsauer-usa.com
- MSRP: $3,500
