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Webley 2012 o/u

Webley 2012 o/u

The new look Webley & Scott’s shotguns would seem to be like the proverbial buses. Nothing for quite a while then they all come at once. What I will say is that here in England, importer’s Highland Outdoors are doing a fantastic job of eradicating the reputation of what went before, the shotguns that now bear the Webley & Scott name are at last something to be reasonably proud of. If they could only start building them here in the UK and they’ve cracked it! But until such halcyon times come to pass, the current crop of Turkish built examples are more than worthy of the old name, especially as quality control is applied at source and once again when the guns are in the UK.

Good Looking and a Nice Price

Latest in the ever expanding W&S range is the 2012 Premier Boxlock, an upmarket 12 bore that’s designed to please the eye whilst pleasing the wallet even more. Arriving in a fitted plastic travelling case, both the action and barrels are further protected by W&S’s bright blue velveteen drawstring pouches whilst a small black case contains a full set of flush fit multi-chokes. But it’s when you remove the two halves that you soon realise where the premier part of the 2012’s name comes from.

Finished in an attractive mixture of bronzes, browns, purples and blues, the colour case hardened finish transforms the Italian inspired mechanical boxlock action way beyond that of any mass produced engraving. Granted its chemical and not bone and leather, but add into this the gold inlaid Webley & Scott and 2012 nomenclatures, and the effect is complete even down to the top and bottom tangs along with the forend latch and irons,  impressive attention to detail for a gun of this type. Only the short throw top-lever, manual safety and trigger guard have been omitted, their deep black finish complimenting the barrels. 

The 30”, gloss black 3” chambered monobloc barrels have vented side and a low 8mm top rib that displays the slight concave so loved by many of the older American manufacturers and their competition models. Interestingly, W&S have elected to go for what I refer to as friction multi-chokes. Unlike others that display a pair of slots or similar to nip them into place, a smooth steel plug acts as the key, the friction between choke tube and key providing the necessary bond that allows the choke to be screwed into place without over tightening it. If this design has a downside it’s the fact that you need to check your chokes periodically since they can and will at times loosen off most unexpectedly. The plus side is that this type of choke produces a far more attractive, neat muzzle to a degree the 2012 doesn’t actually look like a multi-choke shotgun. 

Oil Finish

The stock has nicely figured oil finished walnut, with what’s now becoming W&S’s trademark; gently scalloped around the stock head, where the stock fits up against the action has now become something of a feature adding some extra style to part of the gun that usually receives little if any figurative attention. Add into this the gun’s gently rounded pistol grip that exhibits a gentle palm swell in this case on the right hand side, moderate cast, precise panels of close cut chequering on both the grip and forend and you have a multi-purpose 12 bore that should fit most people.

Interestingly, for what is described as a sporter or clay gun, a recoil pad has been omitted from this particular example. As to whether it’s an option or features on the game version I couldn’t say but some shooters will insist on the fitment of something, especially on the competition version. Instead the butt has been finely chequered, a style often associated with more aged or upmarket game guns. 

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Weight Watching

Webley & Scott’s 2012 is one of those shotguns that the moment you see it you want to pick it up and shoot - mainly because it looks great. So within hours of its arrival both of us were ready and waiting to tackle fifty of Bond & Bywater’s summer’s evening clays, a few moments with the Arrow Laser Shot confirming that the 2012 shot fractionally high to point of aim. Similarly, since the 2012 sporter will look equally at home on any pheasant shoot the chosen ammo was an eclectic mixture of Express game and competition loads ranging from 28g World Cups to 34g Supreme Game all shot through ½ and ¾ chokes.

Mounting the 2012 at once highlighted that the drops at comb and heel of 1 15/32” and 2 3/16” immediately gave me a perfect view over and beyond the bright orange bead whilst the 14 13/16” length of pull mated to a consistent 7lbs 1oz break suited me perfectly, although some who tried it found it slightly too long and a tad heavy. If I needed any adjustment it would have been for an extra couple of degrees of cast but that’s down to my own physical shape. Where for me the 2012 doesn’t quite suit is not so much in the 8lbs 2oz weight but in the distribution of the mass. Balancing 1¾” in front of the hinges the 2012 is rather biased towards the barrels.

The upside is that the recovery time between shots is almost non-existent, the downside being that the bulk of the weight sits in your leading hand, in my case the left. This means that instead of guiding the gun to and from targets the 2012 requires more effort in pushing and pulling which can make the 2012 a slightly tiring gun to use over extended periods. This means that in many respects the 2012 exhibits some of the traits of a trap gun, a style favoured by some due to the weight forward attitude and having a positive effect on producing a slower, more defined swing. Where the weight does tell is in the fact that even with more potent game loads the recoil has been kept down to an acceptable level, the ejectors throw the empties high and wide whilst the chokes keep their patterns well defined and well within defined restrictions, to such an extent that you’ll be able to open up by at least one compared to your usual selection.

Serious Contender

If you were buying a shotgun on looks alone, Webley & Scott’s new 2012 would without doubt be a serious contender. Similarly, at £1,299 its well within the budget of most shooters, even those on a budget, with the 28” barrel version in either guise costing the exact same. However, its because of the price tag that see this new 12 bore go head to head with some big names who’ve introduced some more reasonably priced shotguns, established budget orientated manufacturers and the fact the weight distribution for me wasn’t quite as refined as it could be and maybe a potential stumbling block for the 2012.

It wouldn’t take a lot to get the 2012 exactly right (for me); adding lead into the stock would shift the weight rearwards and bring the point of balance to directly beneath the hinges. And it’s for this reason alone that the 2012 doesn’t quite get my full blessing, the last one percent of the dynamics for me needing to be addressed. Given that it’s good to shoot, patterns well, is well made and finished and particularly elegant to look at, colour case hardening one of my great likes irrespective of how it’s been applied.

You on the other hand might find the 2012’s dynamics exactly to your liking and if so, you’ll have yourself a truly worthy shotgun. Similarly, given that the game and sporter models cost the exact same and with such small detailing differences, the both are equally suited to both game and clays, it’s more a matter of which you personally like that’ll determine which one you eventually buy. With slight adjustments for personal taste, the 2012 could possibly be destined to become one of W&S’s most desirable 12 bores.

PRICE: £1,299 srp

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  • Webley 2012 o/u - image {image:count}

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  • Webley 2012 o/u - image {image:count}

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  • Webley 2012 o/u - image {image:count}

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  • Webley 2012 o/u - image {image:count}

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  • Webley 2012 o/u - image {image:count}

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  • Webley 2012 o/u - image {image:count}

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  • Webley 2012 o/u - image {image:count}

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gun
features

  • Calibre: 12 bore
  • Barrels: 30” (Steel proofed)
  • Action: Boxlock over – under
  • Stock: Walnut sporter
  • Weight: 8lbs 2oz
  • Chokes: Flush-fit multi
Arrow