The external hammer side-by-side shotgun accompanies the history of hunting in the imagination; always on the shoulders of men in search of adventure or hanging on the walls of rooms that display trophies and memories of hunting exploits. Technology and new designs have not replaced it – on the contrary, they have often succeeded in reviving and making more functional and performing the external hammer side-by-side shotgun, which today is a modern firearm in all respects, able to preserve its unchanged and ancient charm. The Iside Vintage by F.A.I.R. is a perfect example, introduced in 2020 and manufactured in 20 gauge to give it the right lightness and speed of swing in instinctive shooting and in walking hunts. Why choose an external hammer side-by-side shotgun today? Beyond its aesthetic value, the exposed hammer side-by-sides are safe guns, ready for action during the hunt but not ready to shoot until the hammers are manually cocked by the hunter. Especially in those hunts that allow for a "well-considered" shot, such as stalking or hunting with pointing dogs, where there is time to cock the hammers when the game is sighted or when the dogs are pointing, this aspect undoubtedly represents an added value.
F.A.I.R. Iside Vintage features and technical details
The Iside Vintage side-by-side receiver is machined from solid forged stock with a scaled-to-gauge frame. The choice of 20 gauge determines an intrinsic slenderness of the lines that appear harmonious and streamlined. The color case hardened finish of the receiver enhances the overall elegance of the gun and matches well the blued barrels and the two triggers. The true-to-tradition double trigger has an ideal pull weight for immediate and safe percussion – about 1450 g for the first trigger and 1660 g for the second one. The cocking of the hammers, featuring a refined design, is smooth too. The hammers' tapered central section contrasts with the vertical spurs that suggest an easy grip when cocking with an angle of about 45°. Action opening is ensured by a pierced lever on the receiver.
The peculiarity of the Iside shotgun, in addition to the receiver, is the "demibloc" coupling of the barrels, which are machined separately and finished with a round breech section, then soldered together. The result is a gun that is stable when fired and resistant over time. The carbon steel barrels feature a 3”/76 mm “magnum” chamber, a choice that makes the shotgun modern and versatile in use, being able to use loads from 24 to 36 grams without any problem. Like all F.A.I.R. barrels, they are chrome lined to prevent corrosion and to guarantee accuracy and longer life. Three lengths are available: 26 3/4”, 28” and 30” (68, 71 and 76 cm) and they are well suited to different types of hunting. The range is extended by a set of Technichoke Hunting internal chokes with values **** / *** / CL / * / ** supplied by FAIR – a hunter in the past would never have imagined to have these chokes in combination with such a gun. The flat rib is smooth and the bead front sight is made of brass. Another technical aspect worth of note is the optimization of the weight of the Iside Vintage shotgun, which does not exceed 6.17 lb/2.8 kg. Consistent with the gun design is the manual ejection of the cartridge cases.
The stock and fore-end of the Iside Vintage shotgun are the classic English style, made of select grade 2 European walnut and oil finished. The checkering offers a particular grip thanks to the FAIR design and processing with fine-pitch laser engraving. A side-by-side with these features, hand made according to tradition, would have a cost inaccessible to many. The quality of the materials selected by F.A.I.R. but machined with modern CNC technology allows to offer the Iside Vintage with its pleasant appearance and with the reliability of a modern firearm at a price of approximately 3500 euro.
F.A.I.R. Iside Vintage specs and price
| Model: | F.A.I.R. Iside Vintage |
| Gauge: | 20 |
| Chamber: | 3”/76 mm |
| Intended Use: | Hunting |
| Weight: | 2800 kg (approx.) |
| Ejectors: | Manual |
| Locks: | With coil springs and hammers with double safety system,
pierced opening lever |
| Trigger: | Double |
| Finish: | Blue-black color case hardened |
| Accessories: | Comes with 5 TC Hunting XP50 chokes + key and a V400SP
case |
| Price: | 3537 euro (price may vary in your country) |
For more information about the Iside Vintage shotgun please visit the F.A.I.R. website.
