Rizzini Ribless round-body 20-bore reviewed by Shooting Times

The vast majority of shotguns are mass produced, with many hundreds made of each model over its lifespan. A basic design may be carried forward for decades, with a few detail changes in style being made to revamp it and bring it up to date.

Rizzini Ribless 20-bore specific to client’s requirements

Most manufacturers will, if the order is large enough, produce a model specific to a client’s requirements and agree sole distribution of it. This is what B. Rizzini has done in conjunction with Ian Coley Sporting, and this Rizzini Ribless 20-bore is the result.

Ian Coley has had a long career 
in the shooting world. He knows 
what makes a gun fit for a purpose. 
Seeing an opening in the market, 
he approached B. Rizzini, one of Italy’s top manufacturers, and between them they worked up a specification for this gun that makes it a unique range to Ian Coley Sporting. It uses the Rizzini round-body action from its current range with the same barrel length, but all bar the tip and tail of the rib has been deleted.

Gun fit

This is where gun fit really comes into play, as you shouldn’t have to rely on the sight picture along a rib to get you on target. If the gun fits you correctly, once mounted it will naturally present your eye in line with the vertical axis of the barrels and in line with the bead.

A ribless gun has less weight 
in the barrels than its conventional contemporary, which makes it exceedingly quick to change direction and the ultimate development for grouse and partridge. The skill of the gunmaker comes in retaining good balance, and this gun balances just 
1in behind the hinge, making it feel fast and light yet far from “twitchy”. 
It is balanced without being butt heavy.

There are other differences between this model and the standard round-body gun. The pistol grip of the standard gun is the Prince of Wales type that is rounded and elegant, but not what Coley was looking for. His choice was to have a capped pistol grip with a full-length trigger-guard tang reaching right to and linking the engraving of the action with the cap. It is an extremely classy look, with the deep relief foliate engraving enveloping the action, fore-end iron, top-lever, trigger-guard and cap. 
There is even a token gesture of engraving in the fore-end diamond.

The foliate engraving is extensive and classy

As for the mechanical aspects 
of the gun, the lock work is all 
straightforward, reliable Rizzini 
boxlock. It has a single selective 
trigger with auto safe and gold-
plated trigger-blade. The barrels 
are fixed choke, set accordingly 
for the intended shooting at three-
eighths and five-eighths bottom and 
top. They are true bored to size, as 
opposed to back bored, ensuring 
great functionality with fibre wads. 
The ejectors throw the spent case 
well clear, which is vital as this is part of a pair. You need that gun handed back from your loader — you don’t want him fumbling and trying to extract cases that failed to eject.

The blueing is first class, sporting a deep lustre that is shown to its best without the interruption of a rib. 
It is a very fitting finish against the contrast of the coined action work.

The stock is of beautiful walnut, 
very dark and moody. It is slender 
in the hand, but the rake of the grip 
means you can still pull it reliably 
into your shoulder.

The fore-end 
follows the form of the round action. 
It is chequered all over, leaving 
a proportion of border all around and a panel for the inset diamond. A neat push-button latch finishes the tip.

Ease of movement

• One delight, and a nod towards the classic British game gun, is the omission of a butt-plate — I am sure 
the gun would not look right with 
one. Chequered throughout, the 
heel has been left smooth to ease 
the movement into the shoulder.
• The length of the stock at 15in means that for some people it will need shortening, but that is not 
a problem as it is simply a matter of removing material. If it were a 14¼in stock you would be adding a section 
of wood to make the required length, 
or choosing a butt-plate and spoiling the look. The use of a long stock here 
is proof of forethought in the design.
• The finish of the stock is sublime, oiled as a good game gun should be. The preparation is flawless, and that is always the key to getting a superb gloss finish with depth such as this.
• I am rather sceptical of guns that are made to a dealer’s specification, as they can become fancified amalgamations of stock parts. But the Coley Rizzini is a well-thought-out and well-executed gun. It forms much more than the sum of its parts and the package works exceptionally well.
• Having taken this gun to a clay ground for a few shots, I was taken with its handling and my ability with it. It does fit me well but clays that 
I would normally struggle with broke in some style with centre-of-pattern hits, which is most unlike me. Likewise, as I normally prefer a heavier gun to carry my swing through, I thought this lightweight 20-bore would fail me terribly. 
I was wrong, however, as it worked perfectly. I could stay on track with 
a clay and take it where I wanted, which was just fabulous.

Ian Coley Sporting is set to expand this range of guns, which are already available as single guns or pairs in 12-bore or 20-bore, with a range of barrel lengths from 29¼in to 32in. Soon to follow are 16-bore and 28-bore models. Second sets of barrels are available, as are combination sets of different bores on one action, or different barrel lengths. Though this is intended to be a grouse and partridge gun, at which it would 
excel, it would make a first-class all-round game gun. I was rather loath to return it.

Conclusion

It is clear that Ian Coley wanted to produce a gun that stands out from the crowd but at 
a more manageable budget than an English gun. Going to Battista Rizzini was extremely shrewd, while the support from Rizzini to accommodate those requests shows through.