Fausti Magnificent

The editor tests an overand-under 12-bore from Fausti, but does the gun live up to its name?

With a name like ‘Magnificent’ this gun really does raise expectations. I feel that something has been lost in translation when it comes to its name. It harks back to Italy’s Renaissance and the meaning probably escapes many of us in the UK. Magnificence comes from the Latin magnum facere, which means to do something great. It has its roots in antiquity and by the first half of the 15th century magnificence had already become a well-known and highly prized virtue in Renaissance Italy. This is reflected in this gun from Fausti, which embodies opulence, craftsmanship and solid engineering.

Pick it up and it feels hefty. At just under 8lb it compares favourably with other guns, such as the Browning B725 Sporter, and is designed as a driven game and clay gun. The weight will soak up the recoil, meaning you can put plenty of cartridges through it without any adverse effect on your shoulder. With 30in barrels, a 3in chamber and some tight chokes, the Magnificent would make a good high bird gun.

The gun felt very well made. Opening and closing it you get a solid clunk without any rattles or jangles of internal components. It was rather like opening and closing the door of an expensive limousine.

It also looks expensive. With the gold inlay and the profuse engraving it is almost over the top, but Italian good taste has prevented it from being too gaudy. The head of the Roman goddess of victory, Victoria, is on the sideplates and the underneath of the receiver is proudly emblazoned with a lion rampant, symbolic of the Brescia region of Italy, famous for its gunmakers.