Fabarm Elos C Sporter

Fabarm’s fortunes in the UK are undoubtedly on the rise since Anglo Italian Arms (formerly Guerini UK) took over the importation of the brand and it’s a name that has never really been embraced by British shooters until now, which is surprising considering that its one of the largest shotgun producers in Europe, manufacturing in excess of 30,000 guns a year. Anglo Italian have introduced a heavily revised range tailored to suit British shooters tastes. This has been well received and includes everything from full on competition models through to game guns, semi autos and even a practical shotgun. The Elos C Sporter though is at the cheaper end of the double gun range at £1,450 should prove to be a popular choice!

Familiarity Breeds Content

As the adage goes ‘if it aint broke don’t fix it’ and the Elos is a prime example of this! The action being based along the tried and tested Brescia boxlock principle of a full width locking bar engaging in a notch along the bottom of the monobloc. Technically speaking there’s nothing new here, the single selective trigger and non auto safety doing what it’s asked to very well without needing any revolutionary new ideas to be employed. The trigger pulls are pleasantly crisp with just enough slack to allow the user to apply a little pressure before the final release while the blade is comfortable even after prolonged use and is adjustable for length of pull by using a simple hex key.

Out of its ABS case the Elos looks attractive enough, the oil-finished stock is pleasing to the eye while the semi round action is nicely finished in simple scroll engraving that is elegant without being too busy. The barrels appear particularly well struck for a high volume gun, a matt finish combining with the vented rib to look purposeful yet pleasing to the eye.

New Tube

When it comes to barrel technology Fabarm seems to be leading the way. The principle behind the Tribore barrels found on all their competition guns have been picked up by other manufacturers, most notably by Beretta. Their new high end DT11 seems to closely mimic the idea of making nearly the entire barrel into one long forcing cone to improve patterning and retained pellet energy.

The Fabarm technology has another added benefit in that it is proofed to an enormous 1630 BAR, and is able to shoot steel shot through a full choke; as yet the only manufacturer to produce barrels capable of doing so safely. The 10mm wide rib is cross cut and fitted with a fibre optic bead to aid visibility, while the matt finish of the tubes minimises glare for the user while helping the shooter to remain unnoticed in the pigeon hide.

Those steel-proofed chokes are what Fabarm calls its “HP” hyperbolic system. At 80mm long they are some of the longest on the market and on test they certainly impressed everyone who tried them! They are also knurled to allow easy changes by hand though a wrench is supplied just in case they are left in for too long and need a little persuading to come out.

Shoulder Arms

The woodwork on the Elos is well presented for a gun at this price, with a good colour, some nice grain and a real oil finish that more and more manufacturers are at long last returning to. In use the dimensions are more of a compromise than those expected for a dedicated competition gun with comb drops of 40mm and 60mm which gives a flatter sight picture than one might expect to see. Not that it is too low, far from it, it’s just that it bucks the trend of very high combed competition guns using a set of dimensions that put it closer to field and game guns in having something of a flat shooting feel.

Similarly the pistol grip is not as close in terms of radius as some of its brethren which makes it more appropriate for a mix of clay and game. The 22mm thick rubber recoil pad does a decent job of keeping the user insulated from any hard knocks while mounting cleanly into the shoulder with the minimum of snagging.

Lock and Load

A round of sporting at Wylye Valley Shooting Ground proved the Elos C to be a highly capable contender. At just under 8lbs it feels quite lively when instinct shooting at close in fast targets, the more open chokes vaporising everything in combination with some hard hitting Eley Superbs. It proved to be versatile enough to deal with the long stuff in an equally convincing manner, even at ranges in excess of 55 yards it was able to pulverise targets with consummate ease. The tighter chokes being very effective which along with the striking energy gains from the Tribore barrels made short work of everything. There was no shortage of shooters keen to try the Fabarm and it was well received, people being impressed with its balance and handling, while the breaks from the Tribore system proved to be quite the talking point. Muzzle flip was minimal thanks to the guns overboring while the wide rib made acquiring the target very straightforward.

Breaking News

Despite the Elos C being sold as a Sporter (there is also a field version available) to me it makes a lot of sense as a good all rounder. A gun for those who want to break a few clays, perform admirably against pigeons and be seen out in polite company on a game shoot. Technically speaking it brings nothing new to the party in terms of its action, but the Tribore barrels are it seems a step ahead of the majority of the competition. Add to that its pleasing looks, nicely finished furniture and keen price and it looks to me as if it could prove to be a winner. 30,000 people a year can’t be wrong and although the Fabarm name may not be as widely known here as in the rest of Europe, it does give a certain advantage in terms of exclusivity, if you like the idea of standing out from the crowd with something different then the Elos C might be just the gun for you. Do yourself a favour and take a closer look…

PRICE: £1,495