The all-new Australian-made Eureka Stockade lever-release rifle goes sale for $2699 soon after production begins in October, and the .223 version will be joined by a 9mm carbine.
In a video announcing the details, Eureka Gun Company CEO Rick Cassegrande also said Queensland authorities had confirmed the rifle had been granted compliance as a Category B firearm.
“We are really, really happy with that,” he said.
The project, which started from scratch at Eureka’s Queensland base, has been delayed by months and the final pricing of the rifle has increased from an expected $2000 to $2699, but Rick says this was caused not only by delays in receiving parts from external suppliers but because the Stockade has evolved significantly during its development.
“What we had envisaged at the start was a very, very basic firearm that people could take out, shoot, not worry about,” he said, but the company’s idea of what the rifle would be had changed over time.
“We are creating part of Australian firearm history here and we need to make sure it’s still going to be here in 40 or 50 years time and we’ve taken great pleasure in redesigning a lot of the parts so that that’s going to happen.”
This entailed purchasing tooling that had not initially been factored in, as well as upgrading to stronger alloys that in turned required extra expenditure on tools.
“The cost of reliability is really what has driven the price of this firearm a little higher than we would have anticipated,” Risk said.
Development work is complete and production will start in the second half of October. Receivers, which are made in Australia, went into production on 25 September.
“The first 300 barrels have left the US — they’re on their way,” Risk said. They are expected in early October, followed immediately by the tube-type A1 and A2 stocks that are also coming from America.
When the first production rifles are assembled, Eureka will undertake what Rick calls the final “torture test” which is expected to identify any weakness that might be present in the rifle as well as determining the warranty Eureka will offer.
NSW compliance has not yet been granted, but “we have designed a stock that should be approved,” Rick says.
He said the very subjective approach of the NSW Registry, much of which is based on a police officer’s opinion of the rifle’s appearance, was problematic for the company, which could not commit to putting a design into production before knowing for sure whether NSW would accept it.
The process will create a delay with production and delivery of NSW-compliant versions.
THE 9MM CARBINE
During this time Eureka sidetracked to develop a 9mm carbine version that shares major parts with the .223 but uses blow-back operation, a 1911 bolt head and 1911-type magazines.
A working prototype is featured in the video, and Rick floated the ideal that Eureka would be able to supply the .223 in “9mm ready” form.
He said Eureka anticipated good demand for not only a handy hunting carbine but for something well suited to IPSC competition.
By supplying an appropriate style of rifle, Eureka hopes that three-gun competition will have the chance to flourish in Australia.
Eureka is already taking pre-orders for the carbine.
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