Aguirre y Aranzabal Nr. 2 RA MSRP $5499 MSRP $1699

2011 Shotgunning
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A g u i r r e y A r a n z a b a l N r. 2 R A
An AYA has always been an object of desire for me, so it was a
real treat to shoot the No. 1 Round Action. The No. 1 is the only
side-by-side we reviewed this year, and as you might guess, it was
my favorite. The classic styling of this firearm is absolutely beautiful.
The Spanish-made AYA is everything you want in a classic side-byside: double triggers, side lock action, English grip, oil-finished walnut stock and chopper lump steel barrels. This particular model of
the No. 2 is stamped “RA” for Round Action, giving it a more
streamline appearance, as well as feeling just right in your hands.
Our shooters loved shooting it. As you might imagine, getting used
to the double triggers takes some practice and proved to be a problem
for some of our shooters on the follow up shot. For those familiar with
a double trigger, it worked quickly and flawlessly. This gun will never
jam on you! Shooter Dan Parks felt as if the AYA No. 2 was an extension of himself. AYA is imported by New England Custom Guns.
www.aya-fineguns.com 603-287-4836
Winchester Super X3 Sporting
If you have the need for speed, the Winchester Super X3
Sporting (SX3) is the gun for you. Needless to say, this gun is
much faster than your average upland hunter or sport shooter
should need. The SX3 is a truly modern semiautomatic shotgun. The model our testers shot was the only one in the SX3
line, and only gun in the review that was specifically designed
for target shooting. As with most shotguns designed for target shooting, the SX3 has an adjustable comb and ported barC
rels. Our gun was chambered for only 2 ¾” loads and has
Winchester’s self-adjusting Active Valve gas system, which
reduces recoil significantly. It also has a proprietary next generation Pachmayr® Decelerator® recoil pad fitted to further
increase shooting comfort. One of our testers, Scott Tills, an
obvious fan of the modern auto-loader, gave this gun the
only perfect score of the day.
www.winchesterguns.com
801-876-2711
Benelli Super Vinci
Benelli never lets us down. The Super Vinci is the big brother to
Vinci, with the major difference being that the super sized version will
shoot the 3.5” loads. What I was most impressed with was the follow
up shots. Benelli calls this Practical Speed Performance. In laymen’s
terms, that means faster more accurate follow up shots. Benelli uses
three different technologies to accomplish this. The first is their proven
and very reliable Inertia Driven® action, which is lightweight and provides great balance. Second, is the ComforTech® system, which gives
shooters a soft shooting shotgun and greatly reduces muzzle jump.
Third is exceptional fit. The Benelli Super Vinci allows you to customize fit. By making adjustments to drop, cast, comb height and
length of pull, you can make the Super Vinci fit perfectly.
At the end of the day, the Super Vinci was the favorite of the
majority of our shooters. Becky Rhoads from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks said it all, “I would buy this gun.”
www.benelliusa.com 800-264-4962
MSRP
$5499
MSRP
$1699
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MSRP
$1759
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Beretta
SV10
Perennia III
Beretta’s SV10 Perennia III came to us straight from Italy. This 20
gauge is the third evolution in the line, which can be traced back to the
Beretta’s elegant and high performance SO10. We immediately noticed
some upgrades to this already wonderful field gun. The safety has
been redesigned and allows for a better grip on the stock, while the
new locking system provides for a very solid lockup when the action is
closed. The SV10 Perennia III comes standard with its Kick-Off recoil
system. This is an active system that really does work and incorporates
hydraulic dampeners inside the stock of the gun to absorb recoil. I
personally have the Kick-Off on my Xtrema 2 — it works!
Our shooters also felt very comfortable shooting the SV10 and noticed the very limited recoil. Brenda Parks felt the gun was a bit stiff in
opening the action. This is normal for a Beretta due to the tight tolerances that Beretta requires of its guns. After a break-in period, the stiffness becomes less noticeable and adds to the longevity of the firearm.
www.berettausa.com 800-929-2901
Caesar Guerini Ellipse Evo Light
The Ellipse Evo Light, winner of this year’s Outdoor Life Editor’s Choice
Award, is an elegant Italian shotgun that weighs in at just over five lbs.
The weight is kept down by crafting the receiver from a nickel alloy. Long
term durability is enhanced by special stainless steel inserts in the breech.
The Evo Light receiver is a round body design, which has become popular. Everything about this gun is rounded, giving it a very distinct look that
just feels quick in your hands. I loved the wood butt plate, single brass
bead and solid rib on this beautiful upland hunting gun.
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Our shooters gave this gun high marks on its overall performance during the test. Many did comment that as a target
gun, recoil may come into play. They also stated that they
would truly enjoy a day in the field with this gem. Kirby Layman
commented that the quality of the Deluxe Grade Turkish walnut and engraving was outstanding. This particular model from
Caesar Guerini is currently only available through Orvis dealers.
www.gueriniusa.com 410-901-1131
Escort Supreme Magnum
The Escort line of firearms is new to our reviews. It is imported by
Legacy Sports out of Reno, NV. The Magnum Supreme was one of the
least expensive guns in this year’s review. That being said, the high
gloss finish on the walnut, barrels and receiver really made this gun
stand out. One of the neat features, a magazine cut off is similar to
the Browning A-5. This is a great feature if you spend time hunting
geese and ducks out of the same pit or blind because it allows you to
switch out shells of different shot size without loading directly from
MSRP
$3650
MSRP
$5605
the magazine.
The people at Escort said they have taken these handsome workhorses on dove hunts and shot over 3,000 rounds without a malfunction. The limited amount of time we had with the gun provided the
same results. No malfunctions. Shooter Bob Speake felt this gun cycled very well and shot even better — he did not miss a target with
this Supreme Magnum.
www.legacysports.com 775-828-0555
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MSRP
$723
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Famars Poseidon
It was a real treat for me and our shooters to shoot a firearm of this
caliber (yes, we shot it). The Poseidon is a special edition engraved with
a pheasant theme and absolutely beautiful. This particular firearm took
over 1,000 hours to engrave by hand and is a masterpiece. The engraving is astonishingly intricate both on the outside and inside, particularly
on the droplock, which is one of the most complicated and difficult
places to engrave. Yes, that’s right, the internal components of the gun
are engraved! The most awesome aspect of this gun has to be its
meticulous and careful fit and finish, smooth and nurtured polish and
incredible balance. I personally loved the solid rib on this upland gun.
Just holding a gun of this beauty and quality is truly special. This is an
heirloom-quality firearm that was built to be used.
Needless to say, the Famars Poseidon was the highlight of our
test. This particular Poseidon is available at Famars’ Michigan Ambassador, Great Lakes Sporting Arms.
www.famars.com 855-326-2771
Fausti Stefano Magnificent
The Fausti sisters sent us their Magnificent this year, and
we were not disappointed. This beautiful Italian gun not only
looked fabulous with its oil-finished select walnut and deep
engraving in gold trim, but it functioned flawlessly. The action
is based on the proven Anson & Deeley format that is durable
because it is simple. It came with a single selective trigger,
which is quite visible and easy to use.
What our shooters really noticed was the ease with which
they were able to acquire targets. This is directly attributed
to the gun’s low profile, which also allows for better balance
and swing. Robert George loved the crisp trigger pull. We
shot the 12-gauge version; however, they are also available
in 20, 16, and 28-gauges with frames sized to gauge.
www.faustiusa.com
540-371-3287
MSRP
$75,00
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MSRP
$5690
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Stoeger - Model 3500
Similar to other major manufacturers in the industry, Stoeger too
has given its semi auto a big brother. If you’ve wanted to join the 3.5”
shell shooting crowd, but could not justify the cost, the Stoeger 3500 is
the answer. This no frills multipurpose shotgun is built around the
proven Inertia Driven action similar to those in much more expensive
guns. The operating system has only three moving parts in the bolt,
producing fast follow up shots and reliable operation. Adding to the
value is a shim kit that allows for drop and cast adjustment to customize your Model 3500.
Our testers were not a big fan of the black finish. Yet, the gun
does comes in Realtree APG and Realtree Max-4. However, all loved
the idea of knowing they had the power of the big loads! Greg
Moats felt this firearm was a great value all things considered.
www.stoegerindustries.com 301-283-6981
Tr i S t a r S i l v e r V i p e r
The folks from TriStar sent us their top of the line Silver Viper for
review. With a MSRP under $600 for their top of the line, gas-operated semi-auto, you can see why TriStar is becoming known as the
Value Experts. For those on a budget or looking for a great gun for
a fundraiser, the Silver Viper is perfect. With standard features like
an E-Z load magazine cut-off, ventilated rib, fiber optic sight and
chrome lined chamber and barrel, it hardly seems like you are missK
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ing anything. A neat feature of the Viper is a threaded barrel that
accepts any Benelli or Beretta choke configurations. It also accepts Carlson chokes designed specifically for Federal Prairie
Storm loads.
Shooter Greg Speake felt the Silver Viper’s looks and performance
out-stripped its low cost.
www.tristarsportingarms.com 816-421-1400
R e m i n g t o n Ve r s a M a x
The Remington Versa Max, winner of the NRA 2011 Golden Bull’seye Shotgun of the Year, is just as the name implies — versatility to the
maximum. This is big green’s first semi-auto, and it reliably cycles the
entire gamut of shot shells from your 2¾” basic dove load through the
Federal Black Cloud Snow Goose loads without modifying the gun.
The magic that makes this all happen is Remington’s Versaport gas
system, which simply regulates the cycling pressure based on shell
MSRP
$629
MSRP
$579
length. For the patriot in all of us, this fine shotgun is made right
here in America.
Our shooters felt the Versa Max makes an excellent hunting gun,
a shotgun to cover all your bases. Robert George said the Remington fit well and would be very comfortable carrying it in the field or
sitting in a duck blind.
www.remington.com/pages/Versa-Max
800-243-9700
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MSRP
$1399
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Webley & Scott Model 912
Webley & Scott is based out of the United Kingdom and has been
manufacturing firearms and components since 1790. It is one of the
oldest names in the gun industry. In the past, it has supplied the likes
of Holland & Holland and Purdy with top notch components. Now,
Webley is bringing some of its fine firearms to the United States.
We tested the Model 912 over-and-under. The gun had a high
gloss blued finish on both the box lock action and barrels and was
beautifully matched to an oiled forearm and stock cut from Turk-
ish walnut. The 912 was designed with strength in mind and
handled 3” field loads with ease. Our shooters said the gun had
a very nice trigger pull and weight forward of the hinge pin
made it great on the range. This should translate well for pass
shooting doves and waterfowl. Scott Tills of St. Louis said the
gun fit like a glove and was smooth to shoot. “An awesome
gun,” he said.
www.webleyandscott.com 775-825-9835
CZ
Every year we bring our shooters together to review some of the
finest guns in the industry and one gun usually stands out as the sweetheart of the day. This year that gun was the CZ Wingshooter 28-gauge.
In recent years, CZ has really stepped up its game by building some nice,
solid, reliable shotguns. The Wingshooter is no exception. You will immediately notice the distinctive receiver on this gun with its silver, gold
and black accents and upgraded Turkish walnut. Aesthetics aside, this
gun is also mechanically sound, including exterior barrels that are hard
Wingshooter
black chrome with chrome-lined interiors. All of CZ’s double guns are
built on frames that are proportionate to their gauge.
Our testers were pleasantly surprised with just how well it shot
and the overall ability of a 28-gauge in a setting in which the big 12
rules. The Wingshooter, as you can imagine, got very high marks
across the board. Shooter Kirby Layman commented on how well the
gun was built and how quickly it handled.
www.cz-usa.com 800-955-4486
MSRP
$1199
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MSRP
$1040
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2011 Shotgunning
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Browning Maxus
The Browning Maxus reminds me a lot of the Great Browning
A-5. It is a hunter’s gun — only better. The Maxus incorporates several new technologies and creates a gun with 18% less felt recoil,
44% less muzzle jump, 19% faster bolt speed and 24% faster lock
time according to Browning experts. What does this all mean to
the hunter? It means greater comfort and faster target acquisition
on quicker follow up shots. Many of us own just one shotgun. The
Maxus can be your versatile ‘one gun.’ The Browning Power Drive
gas system technology makes it all possible. Its research and testing
resulted in a new enclosed seal gas system that will reliably handle
the light loads and the biggest turkey and goose loads. Our testers
felt the Maxus could fill all of their needs in one great package.
www.browning.com 800-333-3288
MSRP
$1600
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2011 Shotgunning
A SPECIAL SECTION
Avvolgere!...that’s
“Wrap Up” in Italian
I hope you enjoyed this year’s Annual
PF Shotgun Review. We’ve brought you
the great guns of the world, those of great
value and artistic quality. All shot well,
though some better than others.
Whether a shotgun costs $500 or
$75,000, it still comes down to how well
it fits your frame and pocketbook. See
you next year!
Ask any pheasant hunter. When the action
is fast and furious, it's hard to keep your
head down and follow through, but the
SpeedBead can overcome bad shooting
habits. Just put the red dot where you
want your shot pattern to hit and pull the
trigger. It's that simple.
(970) 356-1670
www.burrisoptics.com