Reviews

The turn-bolt would not seem to be the obvious sort of action on which to build a shotgun. It rings to mind something clumsy and awkward such as the Belgian conversions of old military rifles. It was, however, a choice of action sometimes favoured for budget shotguns built around the smaller vermin control cartridges. The most popular, and in production for many years,…

Any sportsman or woman looking to buy a new side-by-side will almost inevitably find a gun from Aguirre & Aranzabal entering their thoughts whilst perusing the shelves of the local gun shop. Yet there is plenty of competition for a side-by-side at this sub-£10,000 price point. There are a vast number of second-hand English guns on the market, and recent years have seen a number of…

When one thinks of a British gunmaker certain factors will push to the forefront of one’s mind thanks to the history any great marque builds upon. The name is a reminder of what you are buying into, and it is no coincidence that over the years new starters have resurrected the names of long-defunct gunmakers, hoping that history will rub off and add to the cachet…

Since 2010 E.J. Churchill,  perhaps most famous in the past for its 25″ barrel guns and today for its superb shooting ground on the outskirts of High Wycombe, has been producing guns in collaboration with Italian manufacturer Perazzi. This bold move raised more than a few eyebrows at the time, with some questioning how wise it was to put an English name on an…

Until recently I had never had the privilege of handling a Chapuis shotgun, though I am familiar with that manufacturer’s double rifles, which I always found to be rather fine pieces of work. Chapuis Armes is, of course, a French company that was formed in the 1920s by the father of the current owner. The company motto is “Perfection, tradition and innovation”, which sounds similar to…

Bettinsoli X Trail Sporter shotgun : The quality of even so-called ‘cheap’ guns has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years.

T Proctor is one of Britain’s premium classic riflemakers of the old school. Gunmaker Trevor Proctor is based in Wilmslow in Cheshire and produced the finest-quality bespoke rifles for stalking and big-game hunting. His business was established in 1976 and he undertook all work himself, except fine engraving. Now that he has retired, his rifles are sought after, as they represent an era…

First produced in 1979, Beretta‘s series of 680 guns have continuously been among the most popular guns available to sportsmen and women across the globe. With the introduction of the higher grade EL and EELL models in the early 1980s this trend continued, not only due to the gun’s excellent handling and weight characteristics but also thanks to superb aesthetic appeal. The Beretta 687 EELL Classic, however,…

You would be forgiven if, like me, you had never heard of Armed Guns, the Turkish manufacturer whose wares are the latest to reach the UK thanks to importer Edgar Brothers. Based in the city of Izmir on the western edge of Anatolia, Armed Guns produces a range of shotguns and air rifles for sporting uses, as well as rather more fearsome firearms such as…

The 19th century was a period of amazing change, especially in the development of firearms. At the start of that century the flintlock was still in use; by the end the centrefire breechloader reigned. But it is easy to ignore those first years of the 20th century leading up to World War I, when inventions and improvements continued apace. One of these was…

I have always liked the Browning A-Bolt rifle, because it is such a competent and well-built rifle deserving of more popularity in this country. Now with an increased verve to produce rifles for the shooter with a limited budget for a rifle, scope and sound moderator, the A-Bolt may well have its day. Designed to compete with Savage’s Axis and Ruger’s American rifles,…