Shotgun news break
Now this is just fantastic:



This is a truly revolutionary new target shotgun from Beretta, maker of the world's finest shotguns. The UGB25 Xcel is the world's first and only break-action semiautomatic shotgun.

"Break action" means that the barrel assembly tilts forward, as above. All other BA guns are single barrel or have two barrels arranged over-under (OU) or side-by-side (SXS). Single-barrel and especially OU guns are very popular for shotgun target shooting. Beretta makes outstanding OU guns, used by world-class shooters around the word. In the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Beretta guns were used by winners of two gold, two silver and two bronze medals.

Semiautomatic guns are preferred by many shooters, though. What makes the UGB25 gun impressive is that its break action feature permits fully safe walking from one firing station to another with the gun loaded. Also, it loads from the right and ejects from the bottom, exactly the opposite of all other semiauto designs. This means that the spent hull is ejected downward, away from the shooter to your right. It has a short recoil cycling system, keeping it cleaner much longer than gas-operated semiauto designs. Finally, this gun has a number of felt-recoil reducing systems built in, a real boon to shooters firing hundreds of rounds per day.

Pricing will be announced next month with availability 1Q 2005. It won't be cheap, you can bet your reloading machine. I use the gas-operated Beretta AL391 Urika Parallel Target gun, a magnificent firearm, but it is a beast to clean.

But what if you want an Over-Under gun but can't afford the oft-premium prices they sell for? Take the new but well-regarded Winchester Select Energy Trap. It lists for $2,002 with a street price in the $1,600 range. That's major coin for basically hobby shooters like me.

I got my Beretta target semiauto for a lot less than half the Select's street price, leaving me (in theory) hundreds of dollars for ammo or lessons (I said, in theory). There are very few OU guns in that price range. Frankly, I would trust about none of them for long-term durability.

But now Remington imports under its new Spartan label the best cheap OU gun made. It is the IZH27 gun made by Baikal, located in Baikal, Russia.



Baikal guns have long been imported by EEA and have developed a small but devoted following. They are said to be very, very tough and simple. The "Spartan by Remington" OU is an ungraded version of the tried-and-true Baikal IZH27. The Spartan gun lists for more money than the Baikal, but when I examined a Spartan this week, I concluded the extra money was probably worth it. It seemed to balance and fit better than the last IZH27 I tried. However, I have fired neither, and that's the true test, of course.

The Spartan gun is a field model and not entirely suited for the sporting range. Its trigger pull is not smooth at all and takes too much effort. The barrel rib is a bit narrow for my taste, and the sight is a single, tiny bead at the muzzle. That can be fixed easily and cheaply, though.

The Spartan line is a good move by Remington, but EAA sells IZH target models that seem impressive, including a single-barrel break-action listing for a mere $299. You can't shoot double-target events with it, obviously, but many target shotgunners never do, anyway.

I am considering selling my Beretta Parallel Target and getting a Baikal OU. We'll see.

by Donald Sensing, 9/3/2004 10:14:31 PM. Permalink |