This test gun is a London-made 30in .410 side-by-side sidelock by Smith & Torok. It is made on the Purdey-Beesley self-opening system with a rounded action bar. Maker Alex Torok is one of a team of ex-Purdey men who set up independently in 2013. Sadly, Mike Smith died a few…
This review focuses on the aesthetically modified, version of the well-established and popular Beretta EELL over-and-under. Designated the 687 EELL ‘Classic’, the gun under the spotlight is a 20-bore with 30in, multichoked barrels. It weighs in at 6lb 3oz, so might be classed as a lightweight by modern standards. The…
The Yildiz Pro 20-bore in depth This test looks at a type of gun that I have long used for much of my own game shooting: a 32in 20-bore over-and-under. This one is made by Yildiz, a Turkish firm best known in the UK for its well-priced, lightweight, alloy actioned…
The test gun is a 28-bore Purdey Trigger Plate, or PTP, over-and-under. It has 28in steel-proofed, Teague-choked barrels and a narrow, subtly tapered, solid sighting rib. The non-selective single trigger is detachable with a release catch to the rear of the trigger-guard. This PTP is a demonstrator with laser engraving;…
This month we look at two special rifles: one old and rare, the other relatively new and frequently seen. They are the Sako VL63 Finnwolf deluxe lever action and the still current Mauser Model 12. Both are chambered in .308 Winchester. The Sako weighs in at a mid-weight 9½lb with…
This month’s test gun is a Beretta DT11 Sport Black: one of the most popular high-level competition guns and used by both trap shooter Nathan Hales, who won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, and skeet silver medallist Amber Rutter. The latter almost secured gold too but was denied…
This month we look at two Italian-made Rizzini over-and-unders: the RB EM and Regal from Anglo Spanish Imports. The latter is sideplated but the RB EM features a round-bar. Both guns under our spotlight are 30in 12-bores with 3in chambers, multichokes, steel shot proof, and inertia-operated single triggers. The guns…
This month we examine a new model in the Maxum range: the Caesar Guerini Maxum Game Hybrid, imported by Anglo Italian Arms. The gun is a 32in 20-bore weighing in at a hefty 7lb 14oz with barrels that are superior steel proofed, 3in chambered and multichoked (five arrive with the…
The test gun this month is the latest Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus 12-bore semi-automatic with a distinctive green Cerakote stock, action and barrel finish. Boasting a 3½in chamber and 28in steel-proofed barrel, the gun weighs in at 7lb 11oz. Its comprehensive specification also includes an extended bolt handle, an oversized…
This month’s test looks at a new Browning 525 Composite distinguished by a polymer stock with adjustable comb and sparse, modernistic engraving. There is an adjustable trigger too, as well as an 8mm sighting rib with fine cross-hatched surface, and vented side ribs. The mattblacked monobloc barrels are steel shot…
