Fabarm Axis Elite

Recently, I made a visit to the Fabarm factory in Italy courtesy of Viking Arms, their British importers. I make a lot of trips abroad visiting gun factories, but this one was especially interesting, not least because I had no idea that Fabarm make nearly 30,000 shotguns a year (to put that in perspective the two top London makers produce about a 100 each). It was also interesting to see that the Fabarm manufacturing facility in Brescia combines very high tech machining - the latest thing in multi-tasking CNC - with traditional artisan skills in such places as the barrel shop. Indeed, I noted with special interest that although you can make actions with incredible precision by robotic machinery now, you still need human hands in some number to put barrels together, to assemble guns, and generally to make sure that such things such as ejector and trigger regulation are spot on. Homo Sapiens is not redundant yet - nor are a number of essentially Victorian gunmaking skills.

So, that’s Fabarm for you (and perhaps I will persuade our long suffering editor to run an article on my visit soon).

The test gun this month is a 12 bore Fabarm Axis Elite game model, and it is a gun that I have been able to shoot both in Italy and the UK. The Axis in standard and the new Elite form are both distinguishable by their modernistic styling (the Elite is further distinguished by some very smart scroll engraving and better than average wood). There is not that much that is actually that radical about the mechanics - the basic design is well proven. But, if Flash Gordon (not to be confused with our noble, unelected leader, Flush) had a shotgun, it might well be an Axis (yes I do have an Axis to grind).

First Impressions

The gun was first launched as a 20 bore about 3 years ago - the 12 bores are relatively new. The action, underneath the radical exterior, is typically Gardonne. It has split hinge pins but combines them with Browning style locking (like many Italian guns other than Beretta, Perazzi and Gamba). This system means the action is a little deeper - arguably more of an issue in 12 than a 20 (yet the test 12 looks pretty svelte and shows what may be accomplished with a little styling). The action design offers benefits too. It is very strong with lots of bearing surface. Notably, it allows for 3” chambers and high pressure proofing at 1630 BAR (which may become the new industry standard).

For me, the most interesting thing about the Fabarm is its barrels (which are deep drilled from seasoned round bar steel rather than hammer forged). Axis models and new Fabarm semi-autos benefit from Fabarm’s intriguing TriBore system. This is a form of graduated back-boring - with the widest section being in front of the chambers. It was introduced back in 1999 - a little while before the Axis models themselves. At this time, I have been told, Fabarm were dealing with H&K for the US market. They suggested that it would be good to do something on the over-bored barrel front as Browning had already done well with it - the Tri-bore was the result.

My practical experience is that over-boring reduces felt recoil. Fabarm themselves wax pretty lyrical about the TriBore: “If you increase diameter you reduce friction and patter distribution improves. There are fewer hot-spots.” It may also be the case, I suspect, that pressure and hence penetration are marginally reduced, but it is my experience nevertheless that back-bored guns are more user friendly.

Fabarm also offer what they call Hyperbolic chokes. This it seems began because the International Proof Commission has recommended a reduction in choke cone angle to 1 degree or less if steel shot is to be used. Fabarm, meanwhile, wanted to take the opportunity offered by a change from steel to lead. Ambitiously, they wanted to be the most advanced company on steel shot if they could and so developed their sexily named hyperbolic tubes which come in flush fitting and extended variants. They are the longest concealed chokes on the market.

Internally Hyperbolic tubes don’t have a straight cone, rather, the edge has been smoothed to reduce shot deformation and ease its way through the choke. By having a longer tube, they can also achieve more constriction with a reduced angle. It makes sense, and I must admit, that I have observed that guns bored to this system seem to throw excellent patterns even with moderate constrictions (a feature of other back-bored guns).

If by now you are getting the impression that Fabarm is a go ahead concern, you would be right. Although, the engineering of the Axis’s action is quite conventional, they have been working on it as well. They used to opt for intercepting safety sears, which have now been dispensed with in favour of slightly heavier pulls (2 kg plus). This may not sound an especially good idea - it is a simplification - but, in the field, light pulls are a real danger, and Fabarm found that the intercepting sears were no real world benefit (more important was the ability to withstand a drop test). I will reserve judgement, and note that fears of US litigation may explain the change (the trigger pulls seemed perfectly adequate I might add).

The receiver design of the Axis Elite (but not the basic Axis) has changed, moreover. The Axis uses a separate pillar between top tang and trigger plate, now the Elite design is just two parts - action body and a trigger plate incorporating a pillar. The Axis design also offers, most unusually, adjustable opening tension. There are two screws on the forend iron, one is eccentric and this may be turned to adjust opening tension as the barrels fall. This introduces the possibility of regulating the forend when the gun becomes slacker (as many over and unders including some quite expensive ones do with use).

The stock of the test Elite is made from good wood. The full pistol grip is well shaped, not too tightly radiused and has unusual button chequering which I would guess is cut by laser. The forend is most unusually shaped and has clearly been given a make-over by one of the design houses that seem to rule the roost in the Italian gun making world. The dimensions are not bad. The length of pull is 14 ½” - a little short. There is the usual 1/8” extra at heel and 3/8” at toe (my shelf dimension after experiment would be ¼” and ¼”). Drop is considerable, an 1 ½” or so at the nose of the comb and 2 ½” at heel. Too much in my opinion. As one might expect, there is a little bit of cast for a right-hander too. The stock feels comfortable, the comb of the butt is not too thick and the unusual looking forend is ergonomically efficient. I rather like the stock - different though it is. Then, I might apply the same comment to the gun.

Shooting Impressions

Overall this gun was good on the range. It’s a bit muzzle heavy (something which might easily be remedied by lead or steel in the butt), as although it has a narrow rib and back-bored barrels the tubes are actually quite weighty for a 30” gun at around the 1550 mark. The upshot, is that it feels heavier than its 7lbs 3 oz. Nevertheless, the Axis is a predictable, comfortable gun to shoot. There is an adjustable trigger should one need it, and the butt might easily be extended as it is fitted with a wooden butt plate. You could get 15 1/4” just by adding a 1” pad (a little more if the trigger is put into its forward position). I rather liked this distinctive gun. I take my hat off to anyone who takes the risk of producing something a bit different. The Elite has no real shooting vices, and the styling really is quite smart. The deep medium scroll is appealing (as is the coin finish), and I even like the matt gold panel in the belly of the action which bears the legend ‘Axis ELITE’. I would recommend this as a sporting/field hybrid in the 30” narrow-rib form as tested.

My thanks to Lyalvale (Express) for the cartridges used in the UK test.

ACTION TYPE:
‘boxlock’, semi-bifurcated over and under with split hinge pins and Browning style bolting

PRICE: £2000 approximately. Each gun is supplied in a semi rigid travelling case