Three of the best second-hand clayshooting guns for beginners

Zoli Kronos

Italian-built shotguns by Zoli always strike me as being greatly under-rated. The Kronos is one of the more reasonably-priced examples. It was introduced in 2004, and since then the model has made steady progress without making the big headlines, a pity because the design and workmanship are sound and the gun is quite elegant, too.

• As well as shotguns, Zoli are famed internationally for reproduction black-powder shotguns; rifles and pistols.
• Among the many virtues of the Kronos is the fact that it has a drop-out trigger mechanism which is released by a few turns of an Allen key. This desirable feature is usually found on much more expensive guns, and it does make the fitting of replacement parts, such as springs and firing pins, very easy.
• Another nice touch is that the trigger 
is adjustable in the fore-and-aft plane, 
and the weight of the trigger pull can 
also be adjusted with a key. Usually, 
the setting-up of a trigger has to be performed by a gunsmith.
• Stock length on the sporter is 14.3/4in, with drops of 1½in and 2in at heel and toe respectively. Weight is around 8lb, which is about the top limit for a sporter.