With so many different brands and models on the maket, finding a gun at the right price is tough. So, we’ve given Mike George the hard task of listing his top 20 new and used guns for under a grand
Fabarm Elos
Fabarm Elos
Country of origin: Italy
Price: £900 second-hand
There are quite a few guns in Fabarm’s Elos family, including one aimed at women shooters. Some of the recent models have very elegant round actions. However, this Elos sporter, which I evaluated as a second-hand buy seven years ago, has a conventional action shape.
I’ve been keeping an eye on Fabarms since the early 1980s, when you could buy a new Fabarm Gamma for a bit over £600. It was a sound enough gun, and there are still a few around on the second-hand racks for up to about £400. However, the Elos came much later in the Fabarm story, and seems to be much better built.
There’s nothing remarkable about the typically Italian design, but it is quite elegant with lines spoiled by those sticky-out choke tubes which, to my eye, are always ugly. The gun weighs about 7¾lb, which is about right for a sporter which, at a pinch, can be used for any clay discipline except trap.