The F.A.I.R. Anniversario over-and-under comes in a 20 gauge version with 3”/76 mm chamber and with an intermediate barrel length of 28”/71 cm. It was presented in this 2021 by the company to celebrate its 50 years of activity in sport shotguns manufacturing. Especially as far as over-and-under shotguns are concerned, F.A.I.R. has been one of the most important "made in Italy" companies since 1971. Coming back to the Anniversary model, we had tested its performance on the clay pigeons in the hunting course, which had left few doubts about the ballistic qualities of the gun. But to share the impressions and sensations of the days we lived on the field, we took advantage of some hunting trips with pointing dogs to tell the details.
Video: hunitng with the 20-ga F.A.I.R. Anniversario
Features of the F.A.I.R. Anniversario over-and-under
The steel receiver of the Anniversario over-and-under makes the solidity and ruggedness of this shotgun perceivable from the very first swing – in fact, when hunting and in follow-up shots, it proved to be stable and accurate. The weight of the over-and-under is standard: in 20 gauge it is about 6.18 lb/2.8 kg, rising to 6.6 lb/3 kg in 12 gauge, so it is not very light but not bulky either for walked-up hunts, thanks to a remarkable balance that is the best compromise between gun's robustness and weight.
The length of the 28”/71 cm barrels made the gun usable above all in the field for hunting resident game, but there were also occasions for instinctive closer range shots and even in wooded areas, where shot patterns proved lethal but never spoiled the remains of partridges and pheasants. The Anniversario over-and-under also comes with a set of internal and interchangeable chokes – in our case we chose a 4 star in the first barrel and a 3 star in the second one. Using standard 26-g Baschieri & Pellagri loads, we had the opportunity to see confirmed on the field the impressions received on the shooting range: a reliable and stable gun to fire. The trigger is single selective and the automatic cartridge case ejection is always positive and safe thanks to the long stroke ejectors. The other two barrel lengths of 26.7”/68 and 30”/76 cm make the F.A.I.R. Anniversario an over-and-under that can be used in different environments and types of hunting, both with the help of dogs and in closer range shots – that is from blinds or in those hunting days in the field when shooting distances tend to be at the limit of the range.
The wide pistol grip combined with the generous dimensions of the trigger guard facilitate a safe grip and precise aiming. In spite of the quality of the walnut wood we chose, there was no lack of rainy days during our test period when we did not hesitate to go out with the over-and-under and it did not seem to be affected in any way by external agents after a simple cleaning when back at home. From the impressions we received, the F.A.I.R. Anniversario over-and-under, invested by the company with the important celebratory role, proved to be a very concrete shotgun beyond its elegance, enjoyable in hunting without compromises. The shotgun is available in all the main gauges from 12 to .410 with scaled frame size, with the exception of the .410 which uses the 28-ga receiver.
For further information on the Anniversario over-and-under please visit the F.A.I.R. website.
