Rizzini Round Body Sporting

Are we allowed to call something Round Body? Somebody somewhere will no doubt take offence at the term, more than likely someone with a Round Body! However, whilst we, or at least I, can get away with it, I’d like to introduce you to Rizzini’s new Round Body Sporting. Body description aside, it’s the Sporting bit that’s of greater concern, since as I’m sure you’ve been able to work out, this new Italian 12-gauge is a competition shotgun that in many ways follows the Italian tradition of being, shall we say, unusual.

For want of a better description, all competitive shooting in Italy leads very quickly back to Trap, irrespective of the fact that the Italians are rather good at Skeet. But it’s the Trap disciplines that stir their soul and this tends to reflect in rather a lot of their competition shotguns. And so, it is with Rizzini’s Round Body Sporting, their new clay breaker designated for sporting clays, whilst the gun itself is overtly orientated towards going away targets.

This however is nothing new, the famous Miroku MK38 Trap is often regarded as a very accomplished Sporting 12-bore, so the Trap/Sporting crossover defiantly works and works well. Still don’t believe me? Well, one Italian maker produces a Trap gun that by dropping the adjustable rib and comb instantly becomes a Sporter and an excellent piece of kit it is. I shot with one a while ago, with noticeable success.

Subtle shooter

The one notable aspect of Italian competition shotguns is that the top brands tend to lean towards understatement when it comes to looks. After all, said 12-bore is ultimately a tool with which to break clays and gather silverware, what the gun looks like to a degree immaterial. So, not to be outdone, Rizzini’s new Round Body Sporting is finished in a rather pleasing shade of matte gunmetal with dark furniture.

Arriving in a black, lined, compartmentalised travelling case, along with a boxed set of flush-fit choke tubes and neat slips to add a little extra protection to the stock and barrels, once assembled the Round Body’s discreet appearance rather adds to the gun’s looks. A soft rubber recoil pad rounds off the stock, the semi-matte finish picking out the walnut’s attractive, yet still straight grain, whilst the open radius grip and palm swell profit from precise panels of chequering that’s replicated on the rounded and very comfortable forend. One point of note: the grip’s hand-filling profile ensures the shooter’s hand fits well; it might be a marginally large for those with smaller hands.

Only one shade of grey

Whilst 50 is currently the chosen number of shades of grey, Rizzini require only one; as previously mentioned, with the Rizzini and model script inlayed in gold with a black top tang, top lever and manual safety. Underneath, the inertia boxlock’s rounded profile a black fixed trigger and black guard complete the looks, the whole based around the time proven action the Italians have become renowned for.

Continuing with the metal, the 32-inch blacked barrels swage into 3-inch chambered monoblocs, a narrow vented mid-rib and a 10mm wide low stanchion vented top rib. Completed with the Rizzini’s only splash of colour, namely the bright orange extended bead; it’s rather ironic that this small, oblong attachment at times looks a little out of place in comparison to the rest of the gun. It rather looks like someone at Rizzini wondered what they could do to liven up the Sporting’s looks, when in fact they shouldn’t have done. Fit a white one chaps, much more in keeping!

Overall, providing you ignore the bead, Rizzini’s Round Body Sporting is embodied with an elegance that defines the term ‘less is most defiantly more’. This is a nice looking shotgun but does it shoot? Yes and no, is the answer!

Low and slow

Dimensionally, the Sporting, with the longest available barrels fitted is 49½-inches long, whilst tipping the scales at 8lbs 4oz. Length of pull is 14¾-inches, whilst the trigger weight is a crisp, predictable and pleasantly light 5lbs, the whole gun balancing directly beneath the hinges. But even before the first pair of Cheddite cartridges were dropped into the chambers, a few dry mounts instantly highlighted that for me at least, the comb was rather low. With my cheek positioned correctly on the stock, all I could see was the top lever, which meant I’d have to slightly missmount the gun. In real terms, it would mean that I’d need the stock altering or an adjustable, or possibly a Trap stock fitting.

On the positive side, the design and chequering of the rounded forend means that no matter how or where you hold the rather attractively styled piece of walnut, you’ll have a secure grip, whilst the shape allows the shooter to keep the gun moving. However, even with the gun’s balance point more or less equidistant between the hands, this Rizzini needs driving on, most notable on crossing targets.

Loading up with 28g Cheddite Mach3 shells and heading out on Malmo Gun’s private layout, the Rizzini performed reasonably well as an all rounder. Shift position and treat the incomer as a going away bird and the gun without question came into its own; clay after clay vaporising as quickly as the trap could throw them.

With the shorter 28-inch barrels fitted, which of course means an overall decrease in length and weight, plus a balance shift back towards the shooter, the Rizzini Round Body Sporting will more than likely live up to its name. But with the 32-inch barrel set attached, the gun’s origins come to the fore. Price wise, UK importers ASI suggest that irrespective of your chosen barrel length, the Rizzini Round Body Sporting will set you back £2400, which I suppose isn’t at all bad for a 12-bore of this quality and one that carries such an illustrious name.

Conclusion

With the shorter barrels and nice wide chokes screwed in, this Rizzini will more than live up to its name and description. But with the long tubes up front, it’s a Trap gun in all but name and stock dimensions. Try one for yourself but I’m sure you’ll probably agree with me; the shorter option is most defiantly the way to go. That said, it could just be me!

With thanks to Malmo Guns for making their private clay shoot available and for supplying the 28g Cheddite Mach3 cartridges.