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Blaser F3 used shotgun review

By Mike George

Monday, 23 July 2007

When you buy a Blaser F3 you get not just a shotgun, but the basis on which to build a complete shooting system.

It is one of the few guns in the world in which barrel sets are completely interchangeable without any gunsmith fitting.

It is therefore possible to buy, say, a 30-inch Sporter, and add to it an extra 28-inch set of tubes for your game shooting, and a set of 32-inch trap tubes as well, if you fancy.

And that isn't the end of the good news. In any configuration the gun would balance exactly the same, thanks to the fact the German manufacturers carefully profile the barrels so that each different set weighs exactly the same, regardless of length.

This is proof, if any was needed, the fine engineering tolerances set in the factory at Isny im Allgau are very strictly observed.

This leads to one small oddity: on late model guns, barrels and actions can have different serial numbers. With other makes this can indicate a second-hand gun has been built out of a selection of spare parts.

"Not so with a Blaser - internally the gun is like little else on world markets."

And, for a relative new-comer on the shotgun scene, it is chalking up an enviable record of competition successes. This began when John Bidwell switched to Blaser from his long-time favourite Brownings, and won the World FITASC championship for two successive years. Last year marked something of a turning point for Blaser in the UK, when Alan Rhone (of Krieghoff fame) became the importer.

Now, thanks to Alan's efforts, there is a good dealer network, excellent service and repair facilities, and a selection of Blaser shooting kits to compliment your gun. Also available is a selection of Blaser sporting rifles, which are now being tailored to suit UK market requirements.

TECH SPEC

- Low-profile action with barrels hinged on stub pins. The gun has no conventional, pivoting hammers. Instead, sliding hammers powered by coil springs operate in the same plane as the firing pins. Lock-up is achieved by a full-width, low-level bolt engaging with a bite in a replaceable barrel lump. When the gun is closed this lump drops into a recess in the action floor, providing a very robust lock-up.

- The trigger is adjustable in a fore and aft plane, and with it in the middle position the stock length is approximately 14.6 inches. True left-hand models, with a left-handed top lever, are available on request.

WHAT'S GOOD?

- Innovative design features
- Excellent build quality
- Proven competition pedigree
- Interchangeable barrels

WHAT'S BAD?

- No serious faults or weaknesses have shown up yet. Some sweat-staining of early actions has been addressed by the factory, at no cost to owners.

WHAT TO PAY

- A new basic competition model, complete with case, is £2,895. The game model costs £2,675. Lightly-used examples are on the second-hand market at around £2,000, with prices as low as £1,600 for examples which have seen a little more action.

Further details
Contact: 01978 660001

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