Fabarm RS12 Axis Sporter?

[GrrClark]

You can shoot sporting perfectly fine with a trap gun, many do.

As there is no desperate rush to buy this gun why don't you get the details of a good instructor local to you and book a lesson, take the gun along with you.  A decent instructor should have access to a couple of guns that you can try and he can give you a well educated opinion on what suits you.

I am sure that the guys on here could recommend someone local to you.

It may cost you £80-£100 but it would be money well spent for a whole lot of reasons.

I would be confident that you would get £850 back for that gun if you did buy it, but the most important thing is to get a gun that is right for you just now.

A good coach should help you with that.

Don't go for someone with a vested interest, i.e, linked to a gun dealer, just a good and well respected coach.

 

[Chris-88]

Ye i heard that using a trap gun wouldn't cause an issue when shooting sporting. 

Ive had about 3 lessons but none of the instructors have measured me up for a gun or anything; I've just been given a gun and then they have taken me shooting basically. Im not sure i would be able to take this gun along with me unless the guy selling it was prepared to loan it me for the day which i doubt he would. 

Ye hopefully i could get £850 back for it or very close within a year or two. I have the opportunity to shoot this gun again on 18th Oct so i may see if there is an instructor at the club I'm shooting at who can check the gun fits properly and just see if i put in another respectable performance and if i do i may go for it and just aim to keep it for 1-2years (unless of course i get on really well with it and dont feel the need to swop that soon) and then save to upgrade to something better as my shooting improves. I can use some of the money i save buying this gun to get extra cartridges to help shoot more often.

 

[Will Hewland]

If it fits, weighs around 8lb and you have a good feeling about it, you can't be far wrong. The only other element is how the gun balances. Get the instructor to give a view. If it is weirdly nose heavy or stock heavy, then your initial learning period will leave you unprepared for a more conventionally feeling gun in the future. It is easy to add weight to a stock to balance it up a bit.

 

[Chris-88]

ye i feel a bit happier now that it seems to weight a decent amount and i did feel good and enjoy shooting it so will be interesting to see if i have the same feeling again next time i use it.

Thanks for the advice Will - is there a way of telling if its nose or stock heavy and is there a way to rectify it if there is?

 

[BTC3]

I have a Fabarm axis sporter that I received as a gift, and I like it. We've had our differences, but I am pretty sure, with hindsight, that a lot of it was my doing, not the gun's.

There are, no doubt, better guns out there, but if you want one now, this one fits you and your budget, and you're not too concerned about resale value when the inevitable case of upgradeitis comes along (as the better known brands do hold their value), I don't see a lot of reason not to go for it. £850 is a good price for a well put together gun, and if the cash is burning a hole in your pocket, go for it.

 

[Chris-88]

I have a Fabarm axis sporter that I received as a gift, and I like it. We've had our differences, but I am pretty sure, with hindsight, that a lot of it was my doing, not the gun's.

There are, no doubt, better guns out there, but if you want one now, this one fits you and your budget, and you're not too concerned about resale value when the inevitable case of upgradeitis comes along (as the better known brands do hold their value), I don't see a lot of reason not to go for it. £850 is a good price for a well put together gun, and if the cash is burning a hole in your pocket, go for it.

thanks for your comments; it's encouraging to finally hear from someone else who owns and shoots one. 

Have you ever had any issue with it or has it overall been a good gun that you have been happy with and would you recommend one? 

 

[Will Hewland]

ye i feel a bit happier now that it seems to weight a decent amount and i did feel good and enjoy shooting it so will be interesting to see if i have the same feeling again next time i use it.

Thanks for the advice Will - is there a way of telling if its nose or stock heavy and is there a way to rectify it if there is?

Gun balance is simple. Just find where you can balance it level on a fulcrum (probably your finger). It should be somewhere around the barrel hinge pin for convention. However, that is only partially what decides how a gun feels when you move / swing it, because the weight could still be in "odd" places. This affects the polar moment of inertia; a technical term for where the heavy bits are and how they affect the swing. You could have a heavy weight at each end, or a heavy weight near the centre and it would still balance, but feel very different. Too much detail!! Basically, if it balances somewhere near the pin, it wont be too bad.

The only real option is to add some lead inside the stock if its unbalanced. It is unlikely to need adjusting the other way. And don't worry unless its a long way out..

 

[Chris-88]

That makes sense; basically if i rest it across my fingers around the barrel hinge pin area and it doesn't move too much then its well balanced but if its dropping backward or forwards then there is a good chance the weight distribution is slightly off and if its bad may need looking at to help adjust it?

Ive had plenty of good advise from everyone so far since joining this forum and its much appreciated and is very helpful for someone new to the shotgun and clay shooting world. Thanks to everyone who has commented.

I wil report back when i buy a gun to let you know what i end up doing! 

 

[BTC3]

thanks for your comments; it's encouraging to finally hear from someone else who owns and shoots one. 

Have you ever had any issue with it or has it overall been a good gun that you have been happy with and would you recommend one?  

Yes, I would recommend it.  

I've had a bit of an up and down time with it, but most of the down has been the result of user error around gunmount. It has had one mechanical issue in the year and a half I've had it (it was bought second hand, not mint, but in very good nick): one of the ejectors stopped working.  The cause was found to be a bent ejector rod. No idea how it happened, but it went back to the dealer who had it fixed within a few short days (replacement of both rods) and all was back to normal.  It annoyed me tremendously at the time, but once I got it back I was shooting very nicely with it and I'm still pleased with it.

I still have and use the Fabarm, despite picking up a Beretta trap gun along the way. I know it's not one of the "mainstream" brands, but I don't there's anything inherently wrong with the gun, and with the Guerini connection you have spares and maintenance pretty well sorted. It's hardly going to appreciate in value as you use it, but I would say that, if possible, it shouldn't be as important a consideration as fit and that general feel of satisfaction with a purchase. 

Have another go with it, compare it with other guns, and if it fits, and you still like it against the other guns for the money, then go for it!

 

[Chris-88]

Just to let you all know that I finally bought my first gun on Friday and I went for a nice second hand Miroku MK38 grade 5 with adjustable cheek piece. It has fixed chokes (full and 3/4) but I seemed to shoot well with it and it can't wait to get some practice in with it now! 

 

[GrrClark]

Congratulations on the new gun Chris, it is a great choice that you have made.  I hope that you have much success and happiness with it.

 

[Chris-88]

Thank you! I can't wait to get some more shooting done now! 

 

[Finners]

Good luck with the Miroku - great choice :good:

 

[Les53]

Just to let you all know that I finally bought my first gun on Friday and I went for a nice second hand Miroku MK38 grade 5 with adjustable cheek piece. It has fixed chokes (full and 3/4) but I seemed to shoot well with it and it can't wait to get some practice in with it now! 

Nice one! You really cannot go wrong with a Miroku.  :wink:

 

[Finners]

Fabarm are pretty much the same stable as Caesar Guerini and I understand that the barrel sets for CG's are manufactured by Fabarm.

I have looked at, held and opend/closed and inspected the Fabarm range and I can tell you with absolute certainty, it's nowhere near as nice as the CG. Not sure about the barrels, but I do know the factories are around 30km aprt. The only connection between the two companies that I am aware of is that the two product ranges are imported by the same outfit.

 

[GrrClark]

I have looked at, held and opend/closed and inspected the Fabarm range and I can tell you with absolute certainty, it's nowhere near as nice as the CG. Not sure about the barrels, but I do know the factories are around 30km aprt. The only connection between the two companies that I am aware of is that the two product ranges are imported by the same outfit.

I am sure that I read somewhere that CG and Fabarm are intertwined somewhere alone the line, but every chance that mistaken and if so then i'm sorry for a misleading post.

If for nothing else other than idle curiosity I shall see if I can find out what led me to believe such a thing.

 

[Chris-88]

Good luck with the Miroku - great choice :good:

Nice one! You really cannot go wrong with a Miroku.  :wink:

Cheers guys; its nice to hear I've chosen a good gun! The tight chokes are a bit of a concern but I've been told if i can shoot well with it then i will be doing ok!?

 

[Will Hewland]

This is an online review I found on the gun. If anyone gets chance to have a read and give your expert opinions it would be much appreciated. ?

http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/reviews/shotgun/fabarm-axis-shotgun-review

The chokes aren't a big deal. Use 8 shot, preferably not expensive ones. You'll be fine.

 

[Chris-88]

The chokes aren't a big deal. Use 8 shot, preferably not expensive ones. You'll be fine.

When you say 8 shot what do you mean?  Sorry if that is a silly question but I'm not too up to speed with what everything means! 

 

[Will Hewland]

You can choose what size shot pellets for clay shooting. 9 is small, 6.5 is big, for instance.

8 is popular (2.2mm) and spreads a bit wider than 7.5, or 7 for example.  Expensive cartridges tend to produce tighter patterns also.

Lots of online info to tell you more is available.