Mossberg Blaze 47 .22 LR Semiautomatic Rifle

The Mossberg Blaze 47 .22 LR Semiautomatic Rifle features a wood stock, a matte blued barrel and receiver and ambidextrous thumb safety. Raised front sight and an adjustable fiber-optic rear sight. Includes a 25-round magazine and a trigger lock. Made in USA.The Mossberg Blaze-47 semiauto rimfire rifle is available with a traditional wood stock or a flat dark earth polymer stock. The AK-47 Blaze feeds from either 10- or 25-round magazines. My FDE polymer-stocked model shipped with the latter.

Checking in at 4.5 pounds, it’s light but feels good in the hands. The buttstock is a six-position adjustable. Length of pull is 12.25 inches with it pushed all the way in; the midpoint is the common 13.5 inches, and all the way out it’s 15.5 inches. It’s easily adjustable via a locking device on the bottom, and once released it locks into detents along a bottom rail. The stock is capped off with a rubber buttpad to prevent the gun from slipping off your shoulder.

The plastic halves of the receiver and fore-end show a gap, but they are otherwise well fitted top and bottom. The fore-end is comfortable to grip, with square-patterned impressions to secure the gun in your hands. There are vents near the top of the barrel to mimic the AK.

The well-proportioned pistol grip has a palm swell that will work for both right- and left-handed shooters. The grip can be removed by a screw that runs through the center.

The barrel is 16.5 inches long. At the muzzle is a faux flash hider, atop which sits the front sight assembly. It is a tall fixture, and while it looks ungainly, it matches up perfectly with the rear sight.

The red front sight blade is easy to acquire through the twin green fiber-optic rods on the plastic rear sight. It is adjusted for windage and elevation via large plastic knobs, so you don’t have to carry any tools in the field for adjustments.

The long receiver houses a rugged steel bolt and operating handle. The handle sticks out about an inch and is curved, making it easy to cock. To keep the bolt open, pull it back and push the operating handle inward. Inside you’ll find a heavy-duty extractor with the mechanical ejector that operated flawlessly no matter the ammunition.

The trigger has a wide face, and I was surprised to find it broke at only four pounds. There’s just a bit of take-up before the sear let go, and it behaves almost like a two-stage. I think this trigger beats others in guns of its price range by a wide margin. Although many of the parts on the gun are plastic, the trigger guard is steel.