OUR Verdict on the Chapuis Armes C35 Super Orion Classic

If you’re looking for an all-round game gun with great handling and looks, then Chapuis Armes has designed a gun that might interest you.

Chapuis Armes started life in the 1930s in the St Etienne gunmaking region of France, with Jean Louis Chapuis making guns in the barn at the back of his bar. Fast forward to 2020 and Chapuis Armes is making over-and-under and side-by-side shotguns, and bolt-action and double rifles.

Its work has obviously attracted 
the public’s attention as Beretta has taken a major share in the company and the guns are now distributed in 
the UK by GMK.

The Chapuis Armes C35 Super Orion Classic is at the lower end of the Chapuis range, but comes with some great aesthetics in addition to the attractive round-body action. The wood has some lovely figuring and the standard measurements for an off-the-shelf gun are almost perfect.

Absolutely on the money

I like the fact that it’s slightly longer than most off-the-shelf guns, giving greater range for fitting to clients. With 15in at the midpoint, it’s absolutely on the money, drop measurements at 1¼in at the comb and 2 ⅛in at the heel are almost perfect, with ¼in of cast.

The chequered wood butt plate adds to the appeal of the gun and is comes with decorative screws to secure it. The wood is oil finished by hand, which is my preference, and could easily be improved further with a little effort and some stock oil.

The wood-to-metal fit is excellent and the hand-cut chequering is well 
finished. The pistol grip is comfortable and the radius not too tight. Likewise, the rounded fore-end sits nicely in the hand and is equally well finished.

The safety catch is an auto safe. 
There is no barrel selector, which is not 
really an issue. How many of us use the 
barrel selector during a shoot day? The safety catch is similar to one you might find on an old English side-by-side — quite small but easy to operate.

The gun weighs in at 7lb 5oz, so it’s no grand, 40g cartridge, recoil-absorbing leviathan. It is directed at the market for standard-weight game guns and is in the mix with the Beretta Silver Pigeon and 690 — a medium, 
all-round game gun for ‘normal’ game 
shooting, partridges and pheasants.

It also fits the bill for walked-up shooting in terms of weight and handling. The barrels on the 30in version give the gun a nice balance and feel, and there are 26in to 32in options. They come with a traditional solid side rib and a solid tapered narrow top rib. There’s a choice 
of 12-, 16-, 20- and 28-bore.

There are 11 laser engravings to choose from, all well executed. The gun on test came with pheasants on one side, partridges on the other and woodcock on the underside.

NEED TO KNOW

• Manufacturer Chapuis Armes
• Model C35 Super Orion Classic
• Action Over-and-under round-body boxlock
• Chokes Five, cylinder to full
• Calibre 12-bore, available in 16, 20 and 28
• Barrel 30in, other options available
• Weight 7lb 5oz
• Price £3,245 RRP, 20-bore — £3,375
• Importer GMK

Conclusion

I do like the handling of Chapuis Armes guns and the Chapuis Armes C35 
Super Orion Classic was no different. 
On test on the towers at the shooting school, the handling was a delight 
using a variety of cartridges. Starting on the 40ft tower and working 
up to the 130ft tower, the handling and balance of the gun were exceptional. The trigger pulls were well regulated and the timing 
on the ejectors perfect.

I shot different cartridge brands, from 28g to 32g, and found the 
recoil very soft due to the balance of the gun. If you are someone who uses cartridges in excess of 32g, this is probably not the gun for you. 
I would suggest something in excess of 8lb to keep the recoil manageable.

The gun comes in a hard, plastic case with security-coded locks and is supplied with five chokes in the usual restrictions between cylinder and full.

Overall, the Super Orion is pitching into the entry level volume game gun market in the UK and it is making an excellent argument to be noticed and be successful. There is a higher-grade version, if the budget allows, that is in the EELL territory. This gun is capable of competing in the game gun marketplace, we just need to take more notice of it.

Scores

• Action and barrels: Modern production and traditional finish 19/20
• Handling: As always, great Chapuis handling 20/20
• Trigger: Crisp and clean, right on the money 19/20
• Stock: Good measurements for off-the-shelf gun 20/20
• Value: A lot of gun for the money 19/20