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Which Gun?

By Robin Scott

Friday, 29 June 2007

Looking for a first gun, second gun or simply upgrading from the one you own now? The tests that follow will hopefully point you in the right direction, says Robin Scott.

Hello, and welcome to the second issue of Which Gun?

Second issue? So when, I hear you ask, did the first appear on the news stands?

Would you believe - 12 long years ago!

So for your benefit - and more especially the thousands of new people who've come into the sport since Which Gun? first saw light of day, here it is!

No end of new shotguns have appeared on the market in the last decade, and what an exciting decade it has been!

Huge advances in machine tool technology, metallurgy and design flair, has moved shotgun production on in leaps and bounds. Over bored barrels, extended choke tubes and longer forcing cones, represent just the tip of the iceberg. Some guns (the Blaser F3 and Browning Cynergy are prime examples), have broken with accepted gunmaking mores and set whole new trends of their own. Innovative and radical redesigns like theirs have made other gunmakers sit up and take notice, so rest assured we will be seeing more gob-smacking developments in years to come.

Which Gun? appeared back in 1994, and since then we have tested more than 144 new, or updated, shotguns. Here we've whittled the selection down to 25.

No doubt some gunmakers will be a little miffed at being left off the list, but this is by no means a reflection on the quality or pricing of their product. What we've tried to do is compile a set of tests focussed on a representative selection of popular guns across a wide price range.

Inside you will find guns for clay, game, rough shooting and wildfowling at prices to suit everyone's pocket.

All the tests have been re-written and brought bang up to date by none other than Mike George, our much acclaimed technical editor. Mike, of course, was the man who pulled together the first Which Gun? so it's fitting he should be involved (and take credit for) the content in this second compilation of gun tests. His enthusiasm and input has been both enormous and much appreciated.

When will Which Gun? 3 appear? That's anyone's guess, but rest assured you won't have to wait another 12 years. What's the betting it will be 12 months from now...

Watch this space!

Robin Scott
Editor