Pedersoli La Bohemiene

If there’s one thing Davide Pedersoli does well its recreating guns of a bygone era, the company’s range of muzzle loaders, hammer and blackpowder revolvers and rifles are popular the world over for those looking to shoot old school weapons or those into Cowboy Action Shooting or re-enactment.

But what few people know is that Pedersoli have slightly modernised their train of thought and introduced a small range of modern, breech loading, hammer action shotguns that combine the old with the new so providing a smoothbore that appeals to a far wider audience. And whilst these new hammer guns are designed to shoot the latest ammunition, the occasional blackpowder cartridge does add to their spectacular effect.

Bohemia Bound

Called the La Bohemienne, this Pedersoli side-by-side 12 bore is literally all things to all men. Open the box and you’re presented with a shotgun that recreates the hammer gun age, 28” browned chopper lump barrels that feed into a colour case hardened action complete with a curvaceous hammer on either side, all of which is complimented by lustrous, well grained walnut. But whilst the initial effect is almost 19th Century there are definite tell-tale signs that the La Bohemienne isn’t as old as it looks.

Modern Take

To start with the muzzles flare ever so slightly so as to accommodate the flush – fit choke tubes of which you get a full set of five. These in turn are separated by a raised, concaved rib that tapers from 5mm up to 7mm that extends into the standing breech, widening out just above the 3” chambers and extractors, none of your modern fangled ejectors to be found here thank – you very much. Head a little farther backwards and just to the rear of the short top – lever sits a modern sliding manual safety – catch.

The action itself is lightly ornamented with small panels of scrollwork in amongst the chemically applied blues and browns, with the ‘La Bohemienne’ name running along the base of the action. One point of note is the two screw heads located above and below the script and the fact they are both at irregular angles to each other. It doesn’t take a lot to have the both running in parallel to the length of the gun and although just a small visual cosmetic anomaly that most would overlook, the offset heads of these and two others that affix the buttplate hint at a lack of attention in Pedersoli’s final stages of completion of the gun.

Two aspects that have benefited from care and attention are the stock and forend both of which are formed from very nicely grained and lacquer finished walnut. Based on the American – style broad, flat Beavertail design with superbly cut scalloped checkering that also features and enhances the rounded pommel half – pistol grip, a neat Deeley & Edge latch holds the forend securely in position whilst another much appreciated period touch is the metal buttplate, the effect showing Pedersoli have given this detail some additional thought. Equally, fit and finish of the furniture is excellent and an example of how it should and can be done.

Bounce Back

The hammers themselves are of the manual cocking, rebounding sort. By this I mean you manually cock each individual hammer by pulling back on each hatched spur with your thumb unlike others that roll back to full cock when the gun is opened. The La Bohemienne’s hammers and lockwork emit a satisfying click, confirmation that each hammer is drawn back, locked into place and ready to go. Likewise, after the shot has been taken, each hammer then sits about 1/8” back from the rear of the firing pins which means as their name implies, they bounce or rebound into a safe, de-cocked position.

This is also the position they fall into should you elect to de-cock, a simple exercise carried out by pulling each hammer backwards and gently pulling the appropriate trigger before slowly lowering the hammer down into the safe position. Do note that the safety when applied locks the cocked hammers and that although you can open the gun with the hammers cocked, it is good safe practice only to open the gun with the hammers down.

A slightly longer winded process than many are used to, the cocking and de-cocking takes only a few extra seconds and to my mind adds to the appeal of the gun. It also reinforces to those around you that both you and the gun are safe, hammers down and open means there’s no way whatsoever that this Pedersoli can be accidentally discharged. And do remember that until the modern hammerless shotgun was invented, this is how it was all the time, some of the top shots refining this process into an art form.   

Take Your Time

The first outing for the La Bohemienne was fifty of Yorkgate GC’s sporting clays shot I may add under challenging almost gale force conditions.  Mainly due to the weight of the triggers it was half way through the round that things started to gel, my mind and finger starting to overlook the required heave and eradicate the initial exertion the haul on the blades at first caused.

Physically the La Bohemienne tips the scales at 7lbs 6oz with an overall length of 45½”, 28” of which are the barrels. Balancing directly beneath the hinges with the bulk of the mass lying in the leading hand, the drops at comb and heel of 1 7/16” and 2¼” give the gun a flat shooting character whilst the 15” length of pull to the front trigger eliminates any potential hunching over the stock. However, whilst the dimensions and general feel of the Pedersoli are extremely well thought out and executed there is a very noticeable negative and that’s the weight of the triggers. Breaking at 8lbs 7oz on the front and 9lbs 6oz on the rear, the release poundage somewhat defies belief; the haul required suggesting that something is wrong with the gun.  Take my word for the fact there’s nothing at all wrong - it’s just how they are. Yes they can be adjusted so they balance, but the system only allows for the front blade to become as heavy as the back blade. Granted these poundages are too much and at first seem detrimental but take my word for it when I say you do get used to them. Handling wise, once you’ve become accustomed to it the Pedersoli really does swing, the big forend filling the leading hand which in turn means once the swing has started its easy to maintain, the weight of the gun keeping movement sustained and flowing.

Giving myself what could best be called a decent chance by choking up the gun ¼ and cylinder, a definite working partnership started to develop. Loaded up with 28gram Eley VIP

Sporting, the last fifty percent of the clays started to break on a regular basis, the weight of the Pedersoli acting in its favour, the swing of the gun seemingly adding impetuous to the triggers’ release whilst the quality of kills more than confirmed that an even, well distributed pattern was being thrown. The other feature was the sight picture from the stock, a classic view between the ‘Rabbit’s Ears’ made all the more enjoyable once clays started to shatter, proof that taking time to acclimatise to the Pedersoli’s characteristics pay positive dividends.

Whilst the La Bohemienne makes for an obviously alternative clay breaker, it’s as a game gun that it was designed. And so it came to pass, a hundred rounds of 32gram Eley Grand Prix, a classic load in itself, along with a day’s walked up shooting to celebrate the end of the season allowed this Pedersoli to shine. Pulling rapidly climbing pheasants out of the sky, picking off an unexpected partridge or even levelling out a startled hare, the La Bohemienne shone irrespective of the fact that by the end of the day the weight of the gun had started to become noticeable. The downside was that with no ejectors I had no excuse for handing over all my spent cases for counting up in the day’s sweep!

Days’ Gone By

To describe the La Bohemienne as an anomaly would be incorrect as would relegating it to nothing more than an elaborate, long-barrelled Cowboy Action gun would be an unforgivable disservice. The best way to describe this Pedersoli is a modern 12 bore that genuinely recreates day’s gone by. Whilst you can still order yourself a bespoke hammer gun at many thousands of pounds or seek out some English named Turkish built models from a few years ago, even second or third hand, these will still cost far more than the Pedersoli.

If the expenditure of £1,350 is within your budget for a shotgun that you’ll only use some of the time and have the patience to devote to teaching yourself exactly how to work with it, I absolutely guarantee that the La Bohemienne will quickly become a joy to use. What will at first be a talking point or subject of humour for your fellow shooters will quickly become the focus of more serious enquiries once the gun’s undeniable performance has been demonstrated.

All I’d ask from the manufacturer’s perspective is please lighten the trigger break weights and kindly line up the screw heads. Neither request is difficult to address, would improve the gun’s appearance and enhance the Pedersoli reputation. That said though, even as its stands, for me the La Bohemienne was a joy to use and sufficiently different to make me want to own one. Let’s face it; shotgunning is a sport which means it should be enjoyable, Pedersoli’s La Bohemienne adding as much pleasure to the late season day as the company and the excellent birds that accompanied it.