Darn if I can explain the psychology behind it, but
humans have an attraction to being the first at almost anything, and
I am hardly immune. I thought about taking one of those civilian space
trips to be the first guy on the moon, but I found out some fella named
Armstrong did it a long time ago. Then I signed up for flying lessons
so I could solo across the Atlantic Ocean in a little airplane, but
it turns out Lucky Lindy did that way before I was born. I even considered
trying to be the first gun writer to make a million dollars, but
figured that any quest had to have some basis of reality and quickly
abandoned that idea. I was getting frustrated because it looked like
just about all the good “firsts” were used up. Then I got a chance
to be the first guy ever to shoot a big-game critter with Knight’s
new centerfire rifle. For a gun guy, that’s quite an honor.
If the NRA has its way, gun owners will never have to choose just one
gun; but if hunters want one gun for all game, the KP1 makes a very
strong argument due to its versatility and accuracy. It almost didn’t happen. We were down to the final
hour of my Mississippi hunt before we ran into a jogger on a logging
road in the middle of nowhere.
“I just passed a field back there that
was full of wild hogs,” he said. “I hear they can be nasty and mean,
so I double-timed out of there.”
We double-timed it back to the field, and just before dark
I used the new Knight KP1 to take a big, nasty wild hog. A few months
later I used another KP1 to take a pronghorn antelope and a very good aoudad
during a South Texas hunt. Then I spent several days at my range
trying hard to deplete the world’s ammo supply while testing a multitude
of barrels on a KP1 frame.
No, that was not a misprint when I said the new Knight rifle
is a “centerfire,” nor did I misspeak when I mentioned a multitude
of barrels. While the 20-plus years of Knight Rifles’ existence has been dedicated
exclusively to muzzleloaders, Knight has decided to expand its horizons by
dipping a toe into the centerfire pool. Actually, the Knight KP1 is much
more than that. It’s a muzzleloader, centerfire, rimfire and a shotgun,
all in one package. The basic gun allows quick and tool-free barrel
changes.
To switch from a muzzleloader or from any of the several
centerfire or shotgun barrels, simply push the release on the fore-end
and remove it. Open the gun and push out the .375-inch-diameter hinge pin and
remove the barrel from the frame. Then reverse the process with the
new barrel.
Switching to a rimfire takes just a little more effort. After
installing the rimfire barrel, push the release in front of the trigger
and drop the trigger group out of the action. Pull the extractor from the back
of the barrel and note that the end is a screwdriver. Look inside
the frame and you will see a screw that’s a perfect fit for it. Loosen
the screw and remove the firing pin. There are two holes in the frame—turn
the offset firing pin 180 degrees and insert it into the top hole.
Tighten the screw, put the trigger group back in place and replace
the extractor. Now it’s a rimfire.
This easy-release trigger group allows for complete cleaning and easy
maintenance. The trigger on my gun breaks at 2 pounds, 12 ounces, which
is outstanding in any factory rifle. It has a two-stage feel where
the take-up of the first stage, requiring about a pound of pressure,
sets the transfer bar in position. Then “stage two” breaks quickly
and cleanly with just a little more pressure.
To swap barrels, simply push a button on the underside of the fore-end to remove it, then tap out the hinge pin and replace with another barrel.
The rear of the lug under the barrel has an angled
flat that when closed mates with a radius on the pivoting locking
lug on the frame. This system ensures a tight fit without any chance
of slop or play, regardless of wear or fit. The break-action KP1
opens by pushing a button on top of the action. The button actuates
a linkage system that pulls back on the pivoting locking lug and
releases the barrel so it is free to pivot.
To cock, pull back on the external hammer, which also features
a secondary safety. This double-safety concept is a Knight trademark
that has appeared in other forms on many of its muzzleloader rifles in the
past. On the KP1, the primary safety is the external hammer that must be physically
cocked before shooting. The KP1 uses a transfer-bar system to further
enhance safety and ensure that the hammer cannot contact the firing
pin unless it is cocked and the trigger is pulled. The secondary
safety on the hammer withdraws a large pin from the face of the hammer,
preventing the hammer from contacting the transfer bar, even if the trigger
is pulled. The primary reason for this manual safety is that it allows
a loaded gun to be safely de-cocked.
The
KP1’s muzzleloader barrel utilizes a No. 209 primer. In a matter
of seconds the gun can be converted to centerfire rifle, rimfire
or shotgun. Barrels for the KP1 are buttoned-rifled and made
by Green Mountain Barrels, a sister company to Knight Rifles. The
first 3.6 inches are octagonal, which then transition to a tapered,
round barrel. There is a 63/4-inch underlug welded beneath the barrel.
It not only contains the rear locking surface and the hole for the
pivot pin, but it also supports the forearm by mating with an aluminum
channel with a locking mechanism fitted into the forearm. Because
the forearm is supported by the lug, rather than attached to the
barrel, the KP1’s barrel is free-floating. The rifle has positive
extraction for easy removal of the cartridge with your fingers.
The rifle is offered in stainless or blued with a black-composite
or brown-laminate wood stock. The barrels are fitted with fiber-optic
sights and are tapped for easy scope mounting.
Knight is packaging the gun with multiple barrels in a couple
of configurations. The Varmint Combination is stainless steel/camo
synthetic stock with barrels in .17 HMR and .223 Rem. The Whitetail package
is offered with a muzzleloader and centerfire barrel in your choice of .243
Win., .270 Win. or .30-06 Springfield, in blued or stainless with a wood or
composite stock.
The KP1 is one of the most versatile hunting firearms
on the market with the capability to hunt any legal game in North
America and most of the world. It marks a pivotal change in direction
for Knight Rifles and is the catalyst that should lead the company down the
path to becoming a major player in all markets of long guns for hunting.
NRA members,
if you already receive American Rifleman or America's
1st Freedom you can add American Hunter
to your reading list for just $9.95,
by calling 877-672-2000.
