Fausti Silvery over-under shotgun: the field test

One of the last days of the season, a sunny morning in January, allowed us to return to the Fiordimonte Valley, Italy, with the Fausti Silvery over-under after the persistent snowfall on the hills overlooking the beautiful landscapes of the Marche Apennines. An ideal day to train the dogs and try a shotgun that the Fausti sisters offer to fans of walking hunts and, more generally, to hunters who want a practical and reliable gun without excesses or special aesthetics. The elegance of the Silvery over-under probably lies in its sobriety.

Fausti Silvery: details and available gauges

Our test gun came in 12 gauge, but the Silvery over-under is also available in 16, 20, 28 gauge and .410 bore. The model owes its name to its solid steel receiver with silver finish and deep laser engravings that alternate with floral motifs on the sides and gold-inlaid wild birds in flight on the receiver bottom – a woodcock, in our case. The robustness of its mechanics, designed to last over time, is based on the Four Locks system patented by Fausti and featuring four locking points, two inside the receiver and two on the barrels, to ensure maximum strength and precision even after an ultra-heavy use of the gun. The trigger is single selective, but upon request the hunter can have a classic double trigger. Shell ejection can be automatic or manual, according to your choice.

The stock is available in Prince of Wales or pistol grip versions and is made from oil finished, select Type 2A European walnut wood, with a solid wood or rubber recoil pad. It only remains to talk about the barrels, available in different lengths that are well suited to different types of hunting and environments. We start with the 60 cm, certainly advisable for those who hunt mainly in the woods and need a compact firearm for quick and instinctive shots at short ranges. In this case, the Silvery over-under becomes what we could define as a specialist shotgun, given its low and well-balanced weight, suitable for walking hunts with woodcock dogs. By increasing the barrels' length, which are available in 63, 65, 67.5, 71, 73 up to 76 cm lengths, you get a versatile shotgun that can be used for walking hunts even in the most open territories where shooting distances are generally longer, or from hides. Even for the chokes choice is subjective – they can be fixed or variable, using internal and interchangeable chokes. In our case, the Silvery came with 63 cm long barrels and fixed chokes, cylindrical for the first barrel and three stars for the second barrel.

Shooting sensations

Hunting with Baschieri cartridges with a standard 36-gram load in 12 ga, the Fausti Silvery proved to be a stable and pleasant shotgun to swing and fire. Looking for partridges we had the opportunity to try both close-range and medium-range shots on some isolated wildfowl. The trigger pull is smooth but crisp, the automatic spent case ejection is positive. The absolutely bight spot is the gun's balance that with its 6.17 lb(2.8 kg in our 12 ga version gave the clear perception of a lower weight both when carrying and swinging it. The lack of a central rib certainly favors this perception. The red fiber optic sight is clearly visible in every light condition and helps the hunter in quick aiming. At the end of our test we can say that the Fausti Silvery undoubtedly meets the needs of hunters who are looking for a successful compromise between elegance and ruggedness in an over-under that can be enjoyed when hunting for its performance and with all the serenity that an effective and functional gun can offer. 

The Fausti Silvery over-under has a retail price of 2115 euro plus VAT.

Fausti Silvery over-under specs and price

Video: field testing the Fausti Silvery over-under

For more information about the Silvery over-under please visit the Fausti Stefano Arms website.