Clay Gun Reviews
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The Prevail is one of the new generation of SV10 over and under guns from Beretta. The first on the British scene was the Perennia game, now, we have the Prevail, designated a sporter. I never take manufacturers descriptions as absolute, though. The Prevail as tested is in ‘long tom’ 32” form (there are 28 and 30” options). Though billed as a clay gun, it might also be used as a high-bird gun, or indeed, for wildfowling, with that noted, on with the show.
Beretta and Browning dominate the machine made over and under market, but a number of other firms give them a run for their money these days. Miroku - who, of course, make many Browning guns – Perazzi, B.Rizzini, Guerini, Fausti, Fabarm, Krieghoff are all major players, not mention the Turkish firm of Huglu. Winchester (who are owned by Browning) are also well known for their over and unders.
Benelli semi-autos have a great reputation for reliability, style and sound engineering. The latest model is the Vinci, a modernistic, modular gun that the firm (now owned by Beretta) have introduced as the last word in live quarry repeater design. First impressions are good. The gun looks stylish and trim.
Benelli 28 bore Benelli Raffaello Crio
It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for a good semi-auto, I have always believed them to be much under-rated guns and others seem to be catching on now (my dealer mates tell me semi-automatics are accounting for an ever greater proportion of their mid-market sales these days).
ASI are best known for bringing in Spanish AyA side by sides into the UK, but they now have a new line of B.Rizzini over and unders from Italy as well. These are quality guns with prices from something over £3,000. Our test centres on a round bodied RB EL. It is an attractive, 30” barreled, 20 bore with tasteful decoration.
The Beretta A400 Xplor is the new all singing and dancing semi-auto from Beretta, the industry giant who produce more than 100,000 semi-automatic shotguns a year (where do they all go?). At the heart of the A400 is a new gas-operated action which has rotary bolt-head (similar to that seen on the Xtrema).
Beretta Silver Pigeon S and Other Thoughts
The test gun is a 30” Bettinsoli Diamond Line over and under, with a silver action with some gold bird inlays combined with open scroll work. I found it on the shelves of the West London Gun Room who often help with our gun tests, bless ‘em. Bettinsolis are imported to the UK by RUAG of Liskeard in Cornwall, another well respected and long established firm.
In a very competitive market sector, this is Browning’s latest entry which is available in 3 and 3 ½” versions. I have not shot any of them yet, but I have handled the Maxus and it feels fine (I’m slipping because I love to shoot a new semi) I have heard exceptionally good reports from people whose opinion I rate.
Fausti are based in the Brescia region of Northern Italy like many other gun makers. They are a relatively big firm and make 6,000 over and unders a year and, unlike most others, still make quite a few side by sides as well (which account for about 20% of total production, i.e. 2000 or so).
The test gun, a Fausti Windsor over and under sporter taken from the shelves of the Sportsman Gun Centre in Dorset has multi choked, 30”, barrels and a silver action with scroll and game scenes. First impressions are pretty good. It looks quite elegant and the gun feels solid when you first pick it up. It weighs in at 8lbs – a sensible weight for a 30" sporter.
Well, I am a fan both of Guerini guns - as imported into the UK by Kevin Gill and Mike Mansfield - and of the West London Shooting Ground. So putting the two together was bound to bring about something fruitful. Enter the new West London specified Guerini game gun.
I've tested many Guerini's before but none quite like this one. It is the new Summit Impact with a high adjustable rib, adjustable comb, and a dynamic recoil reducer. It has a registered retail price of £3,250 which does not seem that extravagant these days for a gun which is a veritable mechanic’s delight!
Mossberg Hushpower Sound Moderated
The MK 38 is an evolution of the Miroku over and under, itself a near copy of the Browning Superposed B25. The current Japanese gun traces its ancestry back to the old Miroku models 6 and 800 which were similar, but had shorter actions than recent guns (some had V springs too, whereas all the modern guns are coil spring powered). Miroku were making these models before they developed an association with Browning in the 1960s.
Some Italian and Turkish Gunmakers
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