The Imitation Game

This month, Mike reviews a very exciting prospect – a gun that looks like a Silver Pigeon for less than £600! But will the remarkable price tag have an impact on its performance?

- Mike Yardly

This month our test concerns an ATA SP Bronze – a gun which, save for colour, looks much like a Beretta Silver Pigeon with regard to its external action form, but which is produced in Turkey. Most remarkably, it has an RRP which skims just under the £600 mark (£595). This is less than half the cost of the cheapest Silver Pigeon, so it will be interesting to see what, if any, corners are cut to offer the ATA at this sort of money. I took the gun off the well-stocked shelves of Atkin, Grant & Lang at their Broomhills shooting ground in Hertfordshire for testing. That firm frequently helps us with gun reviews – many thanks to Tom, Julian and Rachael there.

First impressions of the SP, ignoring the price point, are very positive. This is an attractive, modern, single-trigger, multi-choked over-and-under intended for game or clays. There is little radical about it save for the action colour, which is subdued. The general presentation and specification impresses. At the price point, the quality of finish is outstanding with lustrous blacking and excellent wood to metal fit, though the wood itself is a little dull. The gun weighs in at a near ideal 7½lb with 30" barrels – perfect for all-round use. Other models are available with 28" barrels, such as the ATA Black Laminated at £650.