Reviews

Zoli is a make of shotgun that crops up from time to time, but is not as well known in the UK as perhaps it ought to be. Having said that, it has sold reasonably well but now, with the might of the importer Edgar Brothers behind it, I predict we will hear more of…

The Beretta 686 Onyx is a shotgun that falls somewhere between the Essential and the Silver Pigeon.

Steve Harper is one of the old-school airgun makers in Britain. Famed for his innovative Harper classic guns, his fortes were his precision-made air canes and air cartridge firearms and pistols, many bearing his electronic triggers. Based in his Buckinghamshire workshop, Steve now spreads his time between classic one- offs and designing innovative systems for…

Sauer is a well-known manufacturer that commands a lot of respect in the hunting world. The company formed in 1751, making it the oldest firearms manufacturer still active in Germany today. Producing high-end pistols, rifles and shotguns, J. P. Sauer und Sohn is certainly a company with expertise. Since 1993, Sauer had built its reputation on the…

Anschutz rifles are that bit more pricey than other rimfires. That’s because the quality of the barrel and triggers has always been superb and stem from a pure target pedigree, and that’s what you are buying. The Anschutz 1416 DG Classic, with a short barrel and a sound moderator and bipod fitted, is a kit…

Before World War II, if you could not afford to buy an English gun there was the option of an economy Belgian alternative. Of course, not all shotguns proofed in Liège were cheap; the Belgians produced some stunning examples, if not always quite to the British taste, and they were major world suppliers of Damascus barrels. However,…

It seems unlikely we’ll ever see the day they become an acceptable sight on the peg, if Browning continues to create products like this one they may become a far more familiar sight for our other sporting activities. For a gamekeeper, especially those with a firearms licence, they are an extremely flexible and almost essential tool, and…

It is odd how ideas and values influence fashion, or are influenced by fashion. Take the semi-automatic shotgun: not so long ago it was welcome in shooting company as a dog with mange. Even otherwise enthusiastic firearms historians were wont to look askance at the semi-auto or self-loading shotgun. Technically, it is, of course, the…

Gun reviews: Sako Finnlight rifle: This Sako Finnlight is a tough yet lightweight stalking rifle, that allows for the worst of the weather, but still gives accurate results.

Feinwerkbau (FWB) — or Feinwerkbau Westinger und Altenburger to give it its full name — is based in Oberndorf at the head of the Neckar river and was started after World War II by two engineers. Ernst Altenburger and Karl Westinger had to start slowly, because after the war their machine shop was still in French-occupied territory,…

I always liked Steyr’s old Pro Hunter rifle for its radical stock design — but that was also its downfall in many ways because of its flexible nature. The metalwork, however, was always its strong point and now Steyr has graced its new model with a far better-designed stock. The Steyr C2 SX rifle is…