It can be hard to know at what point the premium market begins with shotguns, but we find it useful to think of it as the point where the gun becomes no longer just a machine, but also an objet d’art.
Blaser F16
The success of the Blaser F16 both in the field and on the sporting course has led to the development of two distinctive new models: the F16 Grand Luxe and the F16 Heritage.
The elegant semi round body action of the F16 provides the ideal basis for intricate engravings. Both the F16 Grand Luxe and the F16 Heritage are available in either traditional game motif or finely detailed English arabesque. Sophisticated leaf arabesque provides the perfect frame that complements both motifs.
These stunning masterpieces are now ready to be stocked. Slowly grown in high altitude, only the finest walnut will be considered for these distinctive new models. The F16 Heritage includes stylish long side-plates and is highlighted with wood grade 8. The F16 Grand Luxe retains the classical form of the F16 receiver and is accented with wood grade 6. Both models are available in a Game or Sporting version.
RRP From £7,507 Grand Luxe,
From £9,902 Heritage
Blaser
01483 917412
blaser-group.com/en/
Beretta SL3
The new SL3 premium grade over-and-under Shotgun heralds a new era of Beretta premium shotguns, said to combine the finest Beretta technology available from its various product families. The result is a fusion of outstanding performance in the field with aesthetic beauty.
It is handmade in Gardone Val Trompia by the Italian company’s most talented gunsmiths, whose craftmanship, passion and pursuit of perfection drives its premium gun production. For exclusive information about the new Beretta SL3 please contact the Beretta Gallery London.
RRP £19,145
GMK
01489 579 999
gmk.co.uk/contact
Perazzi MX12 Super Extra Sideplate
The MX12 comes in many different guises, but the most luxurious of them all is the Super Extra Sideplate. Buying one of these involves visiting the factory in Brescia, Italy, so that the final gun can be custom-moulded to you.
And you can pick and choose your stock from blanks of the finest quality walnut. It’ll not only turn heads; the Perazzi will shoot well too, as Perazzi has an outstanding pedigree at international clay competitions, though this one is very much designed with game in mind.
RRP Starting from £94,690
RUAG
Ammotec Ltd
01579 362319
enquiries.uk.ammotec@ruag.com
AYA No1 de Luxe.0
If you want to purchase a luxury shotgun but don’t feel able to face ‘London’ prices, it is possible to get hold of something at a slightly lower level that claims to be of the same quality.
This gun is finished in England, built on the tried-and-tested Nº 1 action and comes into this country in the white: it is engraved, hardened, blued and polished by leading UK masters of these crafts. Modelled closely on the classic Holland & Holland-style sidelock, the Nº 1 has every hallmark of the traditional English-style double.
RRP £27,011
Anglo Spanish Imports
01728 688555
a-s-i.co.uk
Zoli Ambassador
Can there be such a thing as a ‘budget’, high-end shotgun? Whatever the answer is to that, one thing we know for sure is that at its price the Zoli offers remarkable value for money.
All Ambassador models are identifiable, thanks to the action and monobloc manufactured by master artisans with the chisel technique. The result is immediately recognisable: a semi-round action with perfect volumes and lines that harmoniously fit with the stock.
In line with all Z-Series guns, the Ambassador enjoys a lifetime guarantee on the silver soldering of the barrels, high-performance ballistics, stainless steel firing pins, and Zoli’s renowned detachable trigger mechanism as standard.
Customers can also visit the Zoli factory and choose their exhibition-grade stock for £350 (incl flights, 1 night accommodation, transfers, lunches) through the ‘Your Zol, Your Way’ factory trip. The price of the trip is deducted from the final RRP.
RRP from £10,300
Edgar Brothers
01625 613177
edgarbrothers.com
Rizinni RB Regal De Luxe
The RB Regal is Rizzini’s first sideplated shotgun to be built on the already popular round body (RB) action. The De Luxe model is stocked with grade 3 walnut with an elegant pistol-grip stock with a hand-engraved grip cap and trigger-guard.
It comes equipped with five flush-fit multichokes and a solid rib. The mastery of the RB design is undeniable at Rizzini. The Regal De Luxe embraces exceptional craftsmanship and elite shooting performance, which is synonymous with all Rizzini shotguns.
RRP £5,940
Anglo Spanish Imports
01728 688555
a-s-i.co.uk
Beretta 687 EELL Classic
The 687 EELL Classic has undergone an aesthetic restyle. The sideplates feature beautiful, deep-relief scroll engraving around semi-circular cameos of pheasant and partridge; the two birds being featured on either side of this elegant gun.
Additionally, the hinge discs are adorned with representations of Celtic knots, a traditional design symbolising life and eternity. Highly appropriate then, given that this beautiful gun will definitely last you a lifetime and, with proper care, is a gun to pass on to future generations. Exquisitely finished by Beretta’s master engravers, it is also available in a purely scroll version, which simply features Beretta’s stunning deep-relief scroll engraving.
RRP £8,025
GMK
01489 579999
gmk.co.uk/contact
Kreighoff K-80 Parcours
The K-80 Parcours is defined by the world-famous K-80 action, building on what was already a great piece of engineering that has proven its worth in the clay shooting world. Making a gun that could handle quickly and give the perfect feel for the fast targeting needed for game was the task Kreighoff set for the Parcours.
The Parcours has a new stock and forearm design, slimmer and more fitted to game mounting positions. The weight was an issue, and cutting down on the wood was the right answer.
RRP Starting at £13,200 (gun shown £16,150)
Alan Rhone Ltd
01978 660 001
Browning Heritage Hunter
It’s not the most expensive shotgun that Browning produce, but make no mistake—this is an excellent gun. The finish is first-class, with well-executed chequering and oil, and a set of multi-choke barrels. It’s a sligtly heavy gun, which some shooters find helps to absorb recoil.
This gun uses the 525 action, with the addition of some stunningly engraved sideplates, and scroll engraving on the underside, complemented by some very high-grade walnut.
RRP £5,865
RUAG Ammotec Ltd
01579 362319
enquiries.uk.ammotec@ruag.com
Longthorne Hesketh
British gunmaker Longthorne’s range of luxury ‘true’ sidelock shotguns and its new range of boxlocks’ continue to be made entirely at its Northampton factory by a growing and dedicated team who are all passionate about what they do.
Clients wanting to purchase one of Longthorne’s bespoke guns are able to visit the factory, choose their wood, discuss and see the various options and meet the team, then once their wood is ‘headed
up’ to fit an action, visit again for a personalised
gunfit. The wood is shaped by hand to meet the client’s requirements.
The guns are steel-proofed, light yet strong and are apparently very smooth to shoot.
RRP: £24,995
Longthorne Guns
01772 811215
longthorneguns.com
Purdey Trigger Plate
The Purdey Trigger Plate in either Game or Clay model is a fully bespoke gun. It features the customary range of options, including barrel length, chamber length, choke configuration, stock choice, bespoke stock fitting and bespoke engraving. These allow the customer to build a perfectly fitted gun, suited to the individual and their style of shooting.
In recent years, the shooting world has seen an increase in the prominence of higher birds and heavier cartridges. Innovation has always been at the heart of Purdey and this over-and-under shotgun has been designed to meet the demands of today’s sporting world.
Available in both 12-bore and 20-bore.
RRP From £65,000
Purdey
020 7499 1801
purdey.com
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