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The goal of Krieghoff’s team was to
create a repeating action that would
combine outstanding ergonomics
with all the other attributes of a
modern, top-of-the-range, repeating
rifle. In the Semprio ‘In-Line
Action,’ the massive rotating bolt is
visible through the ejection port.
In the Bush with a
New Species of
Repeating Rifle By Ralf Kröling
Just before the big rains finally ended at the end of April, I visited Omalanga Safaris, Krieghoff’s
hunting partner in Namibia, where several Krieghoff doubles and Semprio repeating rifles are
available for hunting guests. I couldn’t wait for a test drive with the newest Semprio.
When you’re roaming the aisles of
international gun shows, one
word of modern marketing
hammers your senses more than any other:
innovation. Innovation means, “a new way of
doing something. It may refer to incremental,
radical, and revolutionary changes in thinking,
products, processes, or organizations. In many
fields, something new must be substantially
different to be innovative, not an insignificant
change.”
Most gunmakers constantly improve their
products, and very often these features make
you think: “That‘s nice - and so simple. Why
didn’t they do that ages ago?” However, the
number of applicants for the ‘true innovation’
category boils down to a very, very small
figure.
When I visited the Krieghoff factory in
Ulm, Germany, in 2005, I had the privilege
of holding in my hands an early prototype of
96 Volume 15 • Issue 3
a – yes, I should call it – ‘repeating rifle.’ I
was a bit rattled as to whether my hosts were
trying to spoof me or whether I was witness to
the beginning of something truly innovative.
The thing looked like a crossbreed between
those fabulous guns we invented as boys to
kill elephant (with a self-crafted stock from
crate board and armed with a powerful elastic
band) and some high-tech mechanical aircraft
components. The Schmidt & Bender scope
assured me that, indeed, it was a rifle.
The core idea of the Krieghoff team was
to create a repeating action that would
combine outstanding ergonomics with all
the other attributes you would expect in a
modern, top-of-the-range, repeating rifle – an
ambitious target in a field with extremely stiff
competition.
Despite its weird appearance, the mode of
operation was absolutely obvious: push and
pull. The In-Line Action puts into practice
the complete re-thinking of a quite complex
process: locking, firing, unlocking, extracting
a spent case, feeding a new round into the
chamber.
It would take two years for the ugly
duckling to develop into, not a swan, but a
serious challenge to its rivals. At the 2007
International Gun Fair (IWA) in Nüremberg,
Germany, the Semprio burst into the blazing
lights out of a cloud of rumours. The name
Semprio derives from the Latin semper,
meaning ‘always.’ The name ‘In-Line Action’
for its new type of action is even more
descriptive.
The reactions of the scrutinizing public
ranged from effusive enthusiasm to quoting
ancient scholar Rabbi Akiva’s immortal
statement that everything new already exists.
The Semprio does not deny its parentage: Its
lines reflect Krieghoff’s design philosophy. It
blends in perfectly with the family picture that

includes the Ultra O/U, the Classic Double, or
the Hubertus single-shot rifle. In other words,
it looks like, and is, a representative up-market
European-style hunting rifle.
Bolt-action adherers will complain that there
is no bolt handle. With the large ejection port
on the right-hand side, some might, at first,
even think of a semiautomatic. But the overall
impression, the quality of the surfaces and fit,
clearly tell you are holding a prime quality rifle
in your hands.
Semprio shares many of its key technical
features with its competitors, although it would
not be easy to find all these features united in
a one rifle. The rotating bolt head locking, for
instance, today is more or less standard in both
modern repeating rifles and automatic military
assault rifles. Nevertheless, two details must be
mentioned regarding the Krieghoff solution:
*Seven massive locking lugs provide a locking
surface that is extremely large: 65mm 2 (0.1sq
in), a design feature that stands for assuring
safety, even at very high pressures occurring
with magnum calibres.
*Although many advertise easy calibre change
by swapping barrel and bolt head, with the
Semprio’s bolt head, you just slide it sideways
- and off it is. Push the replacement bolt head
into its place - and you‘re done. No springs to
press or screws to turn. It can’t be easier. The
barrel can be exchanged after loosening one
screw on the forearm.
Until today, manual cocking systems seemed
to be a concept mainly driven by German
safety-mania. They were first introduced in the
beginning of the 20th century in multi-barrel
combination guns. The argument behind this
is quite intriguing: an uncocked gun is a safe
gun. Period.
Like Krieghoff, all major German
manufacturers market guns with manual
cocking systems; selling figures indicate that,
even outside Europe, there is a slow, but steadily
growing acceptance for this type of action. The
operating of a manual cocking system is more
or less the same in all designs. Instead of a
safety, you push a cocking slider or lever to arm
the action. The gun will then immediately be
ready to shoot. If, for some reason, you cannot
release your shot, the action is de-cocked by
releasing the cocking slider and uncocking the
main spring. Now you have an uncocked and,
therefore, very safe gun in your hands.
Another increasingly popular feature is the
‘take-down’ option. Hunters who fly to hunt
especially attach great value to this. Again,
the Krieghoff design appeals through its preeminent
simplicity: To disassemble, simply
swing the spring-loaded release lever on the
magazine holder backwards, and move the
front section, consisting of barrel, magazine
holder and forearm, forward until the two main
components of the rifle separate.
Reassembly is even easier: You line up the rear
and the front section, slide the barrel onto the
locking bolt and the guide rod until both parts
are fully engaged, and you‘re back in business!
There are other details on the Semprio that
you will welcome as very practical or just nice
to have. They prove that everybody on the
design team knows not only his job, but also
something about hunting. To list them all
would go beyond the scope of this article.
But the key element of the Krieghoff Semprio
is its new In-Line Action. After its introduction,
some sceptics claimed it was ‘just another pump
action.’ What a pump action and the Semprio
have in common is that you move your guiding
hand horizontally to eject the spent case, feed
the next round from the magazine, and cock
the lock. And that is where any similarities
end.
The most important difference you can
feel: The Semprio action slides smoothly and
friction-clearance-free with absolutely no
wobbling and clattering. In fact, the kinetics of
the In-Line Action is reversed, compared with
the known pump-action systems: You push
forward to eject and you pull backwards to close
and arm the system - a difference more than
superficial. From the ergonomics point of view,
you ‘push’ your rifle into your shoulder. The
effect: the perceived recoil is reduced noticeably.
The repeating motion is intuitive and target
acquisition is extremely fast, allowing cycling
rates in the range of semiautomatic rifles.
Rifles in Africa
Top: The open sights of the Semprio
feature fluorescent inlays for quick target
acquisition. From the bench, Kroling found
that the rifle produced very tight groupings,
and sighting in was quick and easy.
Above: The Semprio’s ‘take-down’ option is
increasingly popular. To disassemble, simply
swing the spring-loaded release lever on the
magazine holder backwards, and move the
front section, consisting of barrel, magazine
holder and forearm, forward until the two
main components of the rifle separate.
Volume 15 • Issue 3 97

Norma/ ASG15.2
98 Volume 15 • Issue 3
Krieghoff International Inc. · P.O.Box 549 · Ottsville PA 18942 · USA,
Ph. 610-847-5173 · Fax 610-847-8691 · www.krieghoff.com
H. Krieghoff GmbH · Boschstrasse 22 · D-89079 Ulm · Germany, Ph.
+49-731-40182-0 · Fax +49-731-40182-70 · www.krieghoff.de
Experience a New Level of Speed
Semprio’s revolutionary in-line action – so fast, hunter and rifle become one
Krieghoff welcomes you to a new era of hunting

Since both hands stay where they belong,
the guiding hand on the forend and the trigger
hand on the pistol grip, the rifle is perfectly
under control at all times. With a little bit of
practice, it’s possible to place four aimed shots
on moving targets within three seconds.
To rev up the engine of the Semprio, you
open the action by tilting the cocking slider
to the ‘open’ position, give it a little push, and
open the action to expose the magazine holder.
After inserting the magazine with four rounds,
you close the rifle and cock the lock by pushing
forward the cocking slider. From here, you’re
ready for action.
After a shot is fired, the action is unlocked
and after repeating, you’re immediately ready
to fire again. The travel of the moveable part
of the action is given by the maximum length
of the cartridges fitted into the action - at this
stage, 134 mm.
Since famous aircraft technician Mr. Murphy
is also a member of the Krieghoff design team,
precautions for the unlikely case of a misfire
have been taken: You can also unlock the action
by simply pushing the forend forward - just
as you do when repeating normally, to eject
the unfired round and load the next one. The
process of unlocking the action is controlled
mechanically by the trigger.
At present, the Semprio is available in a range
of very popular metric and inch calibres, like
.223 Rem., .243 Win., .270 Win., .308 Win.,
.30-06, .300 Win. Mag., 6.5x57 SE, 7x64,
8x57IS, 9.3x62. 6.5x55, and .375 Ruger.
***
A .30-06 was waiting for me for my test hunt.
I anxiously took it to the shooting range with a
few boxes of ammo. ‘My’ Semprio was mounted
with a Schmidt & Bender 1.5-6x42 Zenith
photo courtesy of Tim Walsh
scope - my favourite optics, and also mounted
on some of my own rifles.
From the bench, the Semprio produced
very tight groupings, and sighting in was
quick and easy. The accurate and crisp trigger
worked excellently for me - I immediately felt
comfortable with it.
Repeating with the rifle mounted for fast
shooting sequences meant breaking fresh ground
for me. The Semprio comes up smooth and easy
to the shoulder. Weight and balance are just right.
and target acquisition is perfectly intuitive.
The first shot was right on target. Then the
standard bolt-action repeating process made me
stumble for a split second: No, I can leave my
hands where they are; I just have to push and
pull with my left hand to feed a new round into
the chamber. I must admit it took me a few
Terry Wieland Rifles On in Ammo Africa
Ralf Kroling and a German huntress
named Heike hunted Namibia with
Krieghoff’s partner there, Omalanga
Safaris. While Rolf ‘test-drove’ the newest
Semprio, Heike collected her zebra with a
Semprio 9.3x62.
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emptied magazines to change my countenance from strained frown to a
broad grin. The old dog learned some new tricks and enjoyed it! You have
to invest some practice to get the best out of the Semprio, but it’s not more
difficult than changing from a manual gearbox to automatic – an upgrade
you don’t want to miss.
After the rain, the bush was quite thick in the Otavi area, where Omalanga
Safaris operates. On a stalk, the Semprio is an easy-to-carry companion that
doesn’t get any more entangled in the thorns than your hat, shirt or rest of
you. I stalked a grazing black wildebeest, approaching him in good cover
through the bush (there is an advantage in every disadvantage). At about
60 to 70 metres I put the reticle on its shoulder. I had the impression that
cocking the action is less noisy than pushing forward a safety. At least the
bull didn’t hear it. And he didn’t hear anything else after that. I did not
need a second shot, but was ready for it in an instant - the muzzle jump was
moderate, and the reticle was on target again immediately.
Several other hunters at Omalanga were also using Semprios, and we
exchanged our impressions around the campfire. Heike, a German huntress,
told me she’d arrived with a preconceived dislike for the Semprio, saying she
was too used to a classical bolt action and that the Semprio seemed like a
pump action.
But after several days of hunting, she was absolutely enchanted by its
ergonomics and easy handling and was already going through the list of
optional extras for the rifle she was going to order.
Gunter Schwalm, PH and owner of Omalanga Safaris, states that: “I’ve
been using Krieghoff doubles for quite a few years now, especially on
dangerous game hunts. I’m happy that with the Semprio. I now have an
extremely fast and handy everyday Krieghoff!”
The technical novelties of the Semprio do result in practical advantages,
qualifying it, in my eyes, as a true innovation. However, the relevance of these
advantages for your own way of hunting, you’ll have to evaluate for yourself.
Ralf Kröling has linked his passion for hunting and fine firearms to his
profession as a marketing consultant, and has worked in the hunting and
sporting gun industry in Germany for many years. Today he lives in Namibia
as a multimedia publisher.
“The Semprio comes up smooth and
easy to the shoulder. Weight and
balance are just right. and target
acquisition is perfectly intuitive,”
writes Kroling about the repeating
fast-shooting sequences he practiced
with the new Semprio.
Rifles in Africa
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