Reviews

The Jackal air rifle was a pivotal design that led to the rise and acceptance of synthetic stock use in Britain today. Sussex Armoury, the Hailsham-based maker of the Jackal range, was not shy in designing air rifles that caught the eye in the 1970s. Its close association with Sig-Hammerli in Switzerland led to one of the  most controversial air rifles…

The name William Powell has been involved in gunmaking in Britain since 1802. The firm passed through the hands of many generations of Powells before the rise of European makers finally caught up with them and the business was sold to Mark and Christine Osborne in 2008, moving to a new site near Banbury. Today, one might be more familiar with William Powell as a retailer…

The idea of a famous sporting arms maker subcontracting production to an overseas manufacturer is not new. In this instance, the phrase “made in Japan to BSA specification” has a ring to it that has echoed down through the years until such practice has become almost commonplace. In the inter-war period, BSA made its own range of highly regarded side-by-sides, but the factory…

One of the wonderful things about shooting in these early years of the 21st century is the relaxed attitude to the type of shotgun seen on the shooting field. No longer does one need to aspire to a sidelock or feel disadvantaged with a boxlock, and as for the growth of interest in and social acceptance of the over-and-under, that has been…

The growth of interest over the past few years in hammerguns has undoubtedly saved shotguns that would otherwise have been left to rust away or be scrapped off. While older shooters seeking a bit of nostalgia or newcomers fascinated by the earlier technology often prefer a tidy, restored piece, unrestored guns, if otherwise in sound condition, can be a more economic buy. The Snowie…

You might be forgiven for having never heard of Chapuis Armes. While this French firm has a fearsome reputation for producing double rifles of enviable quality from its factory to the west of Saint Etienne, its shotguns have very rarely found their way across the channel to the UK. Master gunmaker Stephane Dupille of Stephen & Son is now hoping to change that as an official dealer…

Gun reviews: Anschutz 1517 .17 HMR rifle: Bruce Potts acclaims the accuracy of this rifle and gives its thumbhole the thumbs up.

The Ruger 10/22 rimfire semi-automatic rifle, produced more than 50 years ago in 1964, has to be the most widely made and distributed .22 rimfire rifle in existence. It led to a whole genre of aftermarket paraphernalia to upgrade the basic rifle. Ruger makes a variety of off-the-shelf 10/22s, including standard wood-stocked, take-down, target and tactical models. Probably the most “vermin-friendly” is the stainless steel…

ATA was founded about 60 years ago and has flourished into a thriving gunmaking business. Its guns are made in Turkey and a range of O/U guns are already available here in the UK. The latest in the manufacturer’s large range of semi-auto shotguns is the ATA Venza. It is something new, but there are a good deal of tried and tested design…

Anschutz has made my day, as their new 1727F model blends a sporter .17 HMR rifle with the super-slick and precise straight-pull action. The action is actually a redesigned (or up-scaled) action from a similar Anschutz biathlon 1827 model, both of which are made by the firm System Fortner, acting under licence for Anschutz. What you end up with is a highend .17HMR…

Development in rifle and shotgun manufacture has accelerated in recent years, with new strides towards accuracy and longevity, utilising new materials and techniques. Orsis rifles herald from Russia and are imported exclusively by Brock and Norris. Orsis is a new name here but the firm is a highly regarded rifle maker, as all rifles are produced in-house on state-of-the-art Computer Numerical Control machinery. This allows…