Kemen KM4

I’ve been looking at one of a pair of custom side-plated, drop-lock, Kemen over and unders this month. Usually, I conduct our gun tests on the bench and at a local clay layout. This one breaks the tradition having been completed at the end of last season in Spain on one of that county’s finest partridge shoots - Cenicientos. It is situated some fifty miles from Spain’s capital ,Madrid. The shoot is run by Juan Lurengo, who is an extraordinary sportsman. He could, and should, fill a book with his close encounters and record beasts. When I met him, he had not so long previously finished off a boar with a knife having jumped from his horse. He has let his great passion for the hunt take him all over the world.

I have met many shooters in my life; I have met none – save perhaps for Paul Roberts in London – who have shot as much quality game in as many unusual places as Juan. He has shot vast numbers of birds, hundreds if not thousands of trophy boar and deer, and just about everything that Africa and Asia have to offer as well (including the legendary Marco Polo ram).

The Test Gun

Juan had invited me to double gun at Cenicientos. Ever generous, he also offered to supply me the pick of his armoury to save the hassle of travelling with guns. I am usually reluctant to shoot with other people’s hardware, but I knew that in Juan’s case the anxiety was misplaced. He has a lot of guns including two new pairs of Kemens – one side by side, the other over and under. There was the added bonus of two new guns for testing. So, at Cenicientos, I used both a new pair of over and unders as discussed here and pair of Kemen’s new drop-lock side by sides – called the Paralelas.

The test Kemens were bold and beautiful - engraved with Purdey style rose and scroll on theor brush polished actions - and a little shorter barrelled than my preference at about 28”. That said I often advise shorter barrels for game shooting, especially in heavier guns. The test guns hit the scales at about 7 ½ pounds, solid but not excessive. You can, of course, have the stock measurements and barrel length you want, you may also specify the barrel weight, overall weight, rib type, etc. If you want to spoil yourself there is a lighter titanium actioned option now (as preferred by Juan Carlos, King of Spain). Kemen, unusually, will guarantee barrel weight within 5 gramme, something few other manufacturers will do. [If you order a gun from the excellent UK Kemen dealer, Mike Megisson, of Kelbrook Shooting lodge. Mike will also be able to sort you out on the gun-fitting front. He is really first class in this department – and this is not a compliment I give lightly.]

The featured Kemens are of the new MKII pattern. Thinner to the rear of their metal work, they require less wood to be removed from the grip area of the stock. This is a significant improvement. Many detachable trigger lock guns have a tendency to crack through the ‘hand.’  Too much material needs to be removed from the stock to accommodate the box for the trigger lock. To make the gun stronger one can either make the action narrower or increase the size of the grip. The former, and better, plan is adopted here.

My favourite clay busting Kemens – as featured in these pages on several occasions – usually have long, but relatively light, 32” tubes weighing around the 1550-1580 gram mark with 18.7mm diameter bores. These guns, clearly, are a little different, but they are specified for a very specific purpose - double gunning at Cenicientos. Barrels were short, and, relatively heavy as noted. I can’t give the figure, but it will be into the 1500s I suspect.  The guns balanced out well, though, with, notably more weight fore than aft. This proved a useful controlling feature when I shot them.

The construction of the barrels is typical – monobloc combined with well finished tubes made from Kemen’s special steel (which is more elastic than the average). Joining ribs are solid as suits game guns, sighting ribs are slightly raised. A raised rib is not usually one of my favourite patterns but once I was using the guns, I did not in all honesty notice the rib because my attention was on a very large number of birds! The join between barrel tubes and monobloc was good as it should be when one is paying 10K or more per gun, it was also heartening to note that the barrels were straight when subjected to internal examination, and the barrel-action jointing was excellent.

The barrels, like the rest of the gun, are not the product of a high-tech production line. Because I was abroad and without instruments, I did not have the opportunity to measure the consistency of the wall thicknesses, but I have little doubt that they were up to the mark. On early Kemens there were some issues, as there were with cracking stocks (though it did not seem to effect the excellent shooting qualities of the guns). The latest Kemen guns are amongst the finest sporting guns in the world regardless of cost. They may not be quite as finely finished as some exquisite sculptures in metal that carry a 50K plus price tag these days, but their shooting qualities are second to none.

The barrels on the test guns bears Spanish proof for 2 3/4” (70mm) shells, have a slightly raised rib as noted, and a slight over bore as also mentioned. As for the choking, Briley tubes were in place and the constrictions were not especially tight (as suits double gunning for partridge - improved and quarter to the best of my memory. Traditional plain metal beads sit at the muzzle end of the ribs – by far the best option for game guns.

The KM4 MK II action is of low profile like a Perazzi and owes a debt to both Boss and Woodward. Top lever and safety are well shaped and function well. I am especially fond of Kemen’s trigger blade design as well. It is quite wide, but well shaped and elegant. Next we might consider the trigger lock itself which is not removed by pushing the safety forward as on a Perazzi. Instead, there is a sliding catch just to the rear of the trigger guard. This system, which requires a key or something similar to operate it, is not quite as convenient as the Perazzi (which is virtually instant and requires no tools only a thumb), but it means that it is less easy for someone to ‘borrow’ or tamper with the works of your gun should they have the inclination.

The stocks on the test guns were well conceived too. Beautifully figured wood was combined with sensible dimensions. The actual design was typically continental with fairly thick combs and a distinct thumb notch forward of the nose. The comb was comfortable, but quite thick. It might have benefited from a little more shape (taper) to the front. The radius on the substantial grip was quite tight too, but provided excellent purchase and thus muzzle control. It was comfortable as well. The forend was of rounded, Boss-like, pattern with a button release at its tip (the release button being shrouded elegantly in a skeletonised metal shroud). The finish of the stock was traditional hand rubbed oil and neat, quite small, chequering. A simple black recoil pad was fitted. The rear surface was flat, and heel and toe were rounded.

Shooting Impressions

This is the fun bit. I’ll cut straight to the chase. The guns were excellent and did not miss a beat even when the action was fast and furious. When the sky was dark with partridges, they did the job. The Kemens pointed naturally, controlled recoil well and were exceptionally comfortable to shoot. The shorter barrels proved to be a necessity, everything was happening so quickly and some shots were taken quite close because some of the pegs were set in challenging positions on hill sides and near rock faces.  The shooting, moreover, was truly spectacular. We shot well over 400 birds.

I am not a great one for big bags routinely, but the occasional indulgence is good for the soul. Especially when the quality is there. And, it was. I had a loader sitting in front and a secreterio who counts and retrieves the birds. This is the way they do it in Spain. The typical bag at Cenicientos is 400-600 (and sometimes more). I had a most memorable day with the finest hospitality. Beaters and fellow Guns were great – kind, jolly and truly welcoming. I love shooting in Spain. To shoot on one of its great shoots with a fine pair of guns and expert loaders is something to be remembered. My warmest thanks to Juan, Jaime Paliday and to Kemen. Meantime, if you want a Kemen gun get in touch with.

PRICE:
12K plus in this form, prices from about 7K for plainer guns without side-plates