A break with tradition

Tony Bracci extols the virtues of fixed-barrelled guns and their benefits when it comes to pigeons and wildfowl

- Tony Bracci

Semi-auto and pump-action shotguns have been around for a long time but have not been as popular in the UK as they have in the USA. Shooters shy away from them mainly because of the uncertainty of how to operate and handle them in a safe way. Those that use them usually love them, and I believe that there are some great benefits to their well-thought-out design.

My introduction to a fixed-barrel gun was a semi-auto back in the 1980s. My job as a gamekeeper meant that I used shotguns for work. I had a couple of over-and-under that did not fit me very well so I purchased a second-hand semi-auto, which came with a set of spacers and washers. After asking around as to their purpose, I found that I could adjust the cast and drop on the gun by inserting the spacers in-between the stock and action. Having a gun that fitted well was a revelation for my shooting and my love of the semi-auto was fired. They are also cheaper on the whole, due to a manufacturing process that involves less man-hours and, of course, just one barrel. This is no reflection on quality.

Some history