Many of us brought up with air rifles never look back once we get a chance to move on to a rimfire or shotgun. But what a mistake that can…
Charles Smith-Jones
Lanber Sporter v Lincoln S65E
Lanber Sporter or Lincoln S65E – what’s best for you? A few sessions shooting clays with friends coupled with some outings decoying pigeons have given you the shooting bug. Up…
The Indian house crow: an invasive urbanite that makes itself at home
The Indian house crow does not as yet exist in any great numbers in Europe, but that has not stopped it being added to the EU List of Invasive Alien…
Sauer 202 – a beautifully engineered rifle
The Sauer 202 attracted a loyal following from the moment it first appeared in the early 1990s. It was designed as a lightweight hunting rifle and came in a number…
Winchester Diamond Grade trap gun: quality, reputation and desirability
Origins of the Winchester Diamond Grade trap gun The 101 Winchester Game gun is an example of one of many models produced by the prolific Winchester Repeating Arms Company. The…
CZ 452: Pick whichever variant you want, they’re all good
Birth of the CZ 452 Some time ago, Blast from the Past looked at the venerable Brno Model 2, a real workhorse of a small-bore rifle that started production in…
Beretta 687 Sporting: you’re unlikely to find a more elegant and durable gun at this price
Beretta has been a prolific firearms manufacturer since the 16th century and although it also produces guns for the military and law-enforcement markets, it is Sporting guns that today account…
Merkel Helix: easy to pick up but hard to put down again and here’s why
To test the new Merkel RX Helix rifle, Kate Gatacre heads to North Yorkshire in search of her first fallow buck
Pochard – a diving duck that’s in decline
Similar in size to the wigeon, it is difficult to mistake the male pochard for any other duck, with his bright chestnut head, black breast, white flanks and delicately barred…
Marlin Golden Model 39A rifle
Marlin Golden Model 39A is regarded as one of the most accurate .22 rifles ever made
Charles Smith-Jones discusses the problem with rewilding
It’s a fashionable word that you seem to hear everywhere these days, but if you ask 10 people to define what rewilding means, you’ll get 10 wildly different answers. To…
Jackdaw: facts about this intelligent bird
At first glance the jackdaw may seem undistinguished, but it is subtly handsome. (Read about another corvid – the jay – here.) The smallest native species of crow has a…
Sako M75: why it should definitely be in your sights
Tech specs for the Sako M75 Country of origin: Finland In production 1996-2007 Action: Bolt Stock options:Walnut, laminated or synthetic Barrel length 22-26in Magazine: Detachable, capacity 4+1, 5+1 or 6+1,…
Second-hand Beretta 682 shotgun: it’s stood the test of time
In 1984 Beretta brought out a new O/U designated the 682. It was a replacement for the 680, which had been their main competition gun for the previous decade, and…
Blaser F3 Vantage
This shotgun – the Blaser F3 Vantage – is no bargain basement offering, though it certainly represents an excellent example of a modern competition gun with the genuine potential to…
Egyptian goose: why it’s more of a duck than a goose
Egyptian goose facts Distribution: Occurs naturally across sub-Saharan Africa and the Nile Valley. There are also self- sustaining populations resulting from introductions and escapes in parts of Europe as well…
Bettinsoli Evolution
The Bettinsoli Evolution represents a lot of gun at a mid-range price. Although it no longer features in the Bettinsoli catalogues, a few new guns still appear to be offered…
Mauser M03 rifle review – a blast from the past
Mauser M03 rifle review: With great design features and an attention to detail that puts other rifles to shame, we find the Mauser M03 stalking rifle a refreshing break from…
Browning A5 semi-auto shotgun
Gun reviews: Browning A5 semi-auto shotgun: Browning’s original A5 was the world’s first mass-produced semi-auto shotgun.
Tikka M55
The Tikkakoski manufacturing company has had a long and chequered history since it was formed in the late-19th century in central Finland. World War II saw it pass into German…