Fausti 28-bore Class Round
Mark Heath has an itchy trigger finger – but will this well-balanced Italian beauty satisfy him after weeks in lockdown?
Our verdict
So, after negotiations between the trade associations and the government to enable shooting to restart, I was able to wander slowly back into the school suffering significant withdrawal symptoms, having not pulled a trigger for some time. Shortly before we had to close I did the test on the Fausti XF4 .410, which brought a massive smile to my face. It will be interesting to see if the Fausti 28-bore Class Round with 32in barrels does the same. This gun targets the game market and whilst it comes in a range of calibres, I was fascinated to see how it performed with long barrels in this bore size.
The first thing you cannot miss on taking the gun out of the case is that it is fitted with a bright orange silvers pad. So called because they’re made by SW Silver & Co and considered traditional on an English gun, for which they produce the best London Orange version as fitted to today’s test gun.
If its colour is not to your taste it can easily be fixed with a quick visit to your local gunsmith.
Maximum strength
The Class Round comes with some very attractive wood and a choice of colour-hardened action, which is the gun on test, or a coin finish.
The wood-to-metal fit is first class and the grain in the test gun is nice and straight, especially through the hand to give maximum strength where it’s required, whilst also retaining some attractive figuring . The action is what Fausti refers to as a truly round receiver and is produced by its state-of-the-art CNC machines. All of the calibres are made on scaled actions, with the exception of the .410, which uses a 28-bore action. The engraving, which is hand-finished, is in keeping with the general aesthetics of the gun, matching well with the colour case hardening, and is completed with a gold pheasant head on the underside of the action. The barrels on the test gun are 32in multichoke, and come with a solid mid and narrow top rib.
The gun is fitted with a manual selective safety catch, which can be converted to auto on request. The grip is the rounded Prince of Wales style, which is comfortable in the hand. The chequering is well executed with no uncomfortable sharpness.
Measurements are standard for an off-the-shelf gun, with length of pull to the mid-point 14⅞in with an additional ⅛in at heel and ¼in at toe, drop measurements of 1⅜in at comb and 2 1/16in at heel and an ⅛in of cast at heel. Weighing in at 6lb 7oz, which is where I would expect it to be, it will be interesting to see if the 32in barrels add to the performance of the gun in terms of the handling capability.
The underside of the action features an intricate pheasant’s head
Fausti 28-bore Class Round – Need to know
- Manufacturer: Fausti Italy
- Model: Class Round
- Action: Over-and-under round body boxlock
- Calibre: 28-bore
- Barrel: 32in (other options available)
- Weight: 6lb 7oz
- Price £3,770 rrp
- Importer: Stag Country Sports
Aesthetics are a high priority for the Italian marque
Conclusion
The Fausti 28-bore Class Round is a well-made gun that also looks good. It was the first day that the shooting school was open and with a spare hour I was itching to pull the trigger. There is a wide choice of ammunition available for 28-bores, from 14gm to 27gm loads and at quite reasonable prices if you don’t go for the full bells and whistles high brass, copper-coated, laser-guided options. For the test we were using an 18gm load of No 7 shot, so middle of the road and very comfortable to shoot.
This is a well-balanced gun that moves and shoots exceptionally well. The trigger pulls are excellent and the ejectors well timed and effective. With the fully scaled action I would probably opt for the 20-bore version, being more of a prop forward than a scrum half, for whom the 28-bore would be perfectly suited.
Action / Barrels: First-class engineering 18/20
Handling: Very pointable and controllable 19/20
Trigger: Fausti triggers are predictable and crisp 20/20
Stock: Good size with nice figuring in the wood 19/20
Value: A lot of gun with the hand finishing 19/20
