Starting shooting: What makes a shotgun? 'Lock, stock and barrel' is a common enough phrase in the English language, signifying completeness in every respect!
Shotguns
Three value-for-money secondhand semi-auto shotguns
Hatsan Escort Magnum Target Price: £330 In the 1960s, two trend-setting semi-autos were introduced – one from the USA and the other from Italy. Both were no-nonsense guns that became favourites, primarily with clay target and pigeon shooters. The American offering was the Remington 1100, while the Beretta A300 came from Italy. The Remmie was so…
Is it safe to leave my shotgun in the car?
If I take the fore-end off my shotgun before I leave it locked in the car, is this showing due diligence (assuming the gun’s out of sight and locked up in the car anyway)?
A closer look at a Baikal shotgun
Considering a Baikal shotgun? Mike George explains why the Russian-built shotgun is one of his top ten guns produced during the last half-century
Second-hand super semi-auto shotguns
Mike George advises on buying second-hand semi-auto shotguns Over the years the Italians have made some super semi-autos. In the 1970s, Franchi autos were a great favourite among pigeon shooters while some of the Berettas from the 1980s – notably the A302 and the A303 – were legendary for their…
What makes a gun a magnum?
A: With regard to the proofing of shotguns, “magnum” is a legacy term that is no longer current. Under the 1954 Rules of Proof, 3in 12-bore shotguns were proofed at either 3½ton or 4ton per square inch, the abbreviation MAG being applied to the latter. However, the word magnum is now only used in relation to proofing rifles of…
Don’t discount second-hand side-by-side shotguns
A: English boxlock shotguns represent fantastic value for money because they are rather unfashionable at the moment. The Italian over-and-under carries all before it. A boxlock made between the wars or just after World War II is a classic handmade sporting gun. So is a hammergun. Both represent very good value for money in the current market. Assessing a…
Budget shotguns
Lincoln Premier A bestseller, the Premier satisfies the need for an elegant and practical shotgun at a reasonable price. It features fine chequering, internally chromed bore and chambers for improved lifespan and better distributed shot patterns, and is available in 12- or 20-bore. Key features: Three-year warranty as standard, fine-pitch laser chequering with double-grip pattern. Bisley Price: from £800 Huglu 103 DE…
Remington 1100 – the best gun I never had
The year 1963 may not seem so long ago, but in truth the world then was rather different to the present day. There was no colour TV, the few computers that existed were laboratory toys, there was no internet or mobile phones, and Britain still had the remains of an empire. In ’63, however, there were some…
Second-hand shotguns for the season ahead
Beretta 486 Parellelo Purchasing a gun in July will enable you to shoot a few summer clays to get used to your acquisition, and get any handling tweaks sorted out, before the serious stuff begins. The choice will be between a traditional side-by-side and a more modern over-and-under, and if you take the first…
Why you should love semi-autos
What do Marmite and semi-auto shotguns have in common? The similarity is that they both divide opinion! Some people love both, some won’t touch either. I think the Marmite division is truly just a matter of taste, but unfamiliarity and lack of awareness does contribute to some shotgun users having an unreasonable phobia where autos are concerned. I’ll nail my colours…
Six of the best shotguns
Lewis Potter rounds up the best shotguns he has tested in recent years from hammergun to semi-auto and ranging from the affordable £500 price mark up to the high end £18,800. Akkar Triple Crown The Akkar Triple Crown is not a shotgun you would ever be likely to forget. Anything…
How to find bargain British side-by-side shotguns
It is not surprising that even those shooters brought up on the modern imported over-and-under sometimes cast an appreciative eye at British side-by-side shotguns, because they are fine and distinctly attractive pieces of work. Usually lighter and handier than most over-and- unders they are for many shooters still the ideal game…
Inside Yildiz the Turkish gunmaker
Eighty miles due north of Antalya is the small city of Burdur. Best known for its vast, ancient fishless lake, Burdur sits on a handsome plateau and is surrounded by low, stunning hills. As well as the wetlands, Burdur is also known as a centre of marble production. And now there is something…
Three value for money second-hand shotguns
Mike George has previously picked out the best second-hand European shotguns, high grade guns and Sporters, now he is back with his top three value for money second hand shotguns ranging from £1,000 to £1,800+ from Miroku, Browning and Zoli. Miroku MK70 target price £1,000 If I describe the MK70…
Three secondhand shotguns
Mike chooses three secondhand shotguns on the market priced from £450 up to £1,050 to help you make your next gun purchase a bargain. Hatsan Escort Xtreme Max Target Price: £450 It takes a manufacturer with extreme self confidence to advertise a 12-bore semi-auto shotgun as able to cycle loads all the way from 24…
Three secondhand high-grade guns
If you’re in the market for a high-grade gun but don’t want to pay the full price, the secondhand market has plenty of prestige brands. Here Mike chooses three secondhand high-grade guns from Beretta, Perazzi and Purdey. And with prices starting from just under £2,000, maybe your next gun purchase can…
Three value-for-money second-hand European shotguns
Lincoln Premier 28-bore When Sporting Gun first reviewed this gun in 2004, we gave it high praise because it was a bargain-priced gun built on a proper 28-bore action. Over the years we have seen 20-bores built on 12-bore actions, and rather more 28-bores and .410s built on 20-bore actions. As…
Perazzi HPX shotguns: John Jeffries interview
What’s the most radical change you’ve ever had made to your shotgun? There are lots of alterations a gunsmith can make to give us a better picture of our target, but how about gluing on a reversed rib? That might sound a little fantastic, but it’s exactly the kind of…
So you can’t afford an English side-by-side shotgun?
English shotguns: Here, we go on a mission to find an English shotgun, in excellent condition, at a reasonable price.