Adler A110

Shotguns come in all shapes and sizes; we are accustomed to single and doublebarrelled, to semi-automatic and pump action guns in the UK, they are the norm. But the new to the UK market Adler 110 is not the norm – it’s a lever action shotgun!

First, let’s look at Adler; the Turkish firm was founded in 2007, initially for producing firearms for hunting. They have grown since then and come up with some innovative stuff. The lever action principle for firearms stems back to 1800s, so it is not a new concept. It was mainly discarded by manufacturers due to the rise of the semi-automatic systems improving greatly and becoming more reliable. Also, the military dropped it, as it was difficult to operate from the prone position. One unmistakable advantage is the fact that lever action shotguns are fully ambidextrous. Practical Shooting Supplies is the name behind the firm bringing in the Adler 110 shotgun to the UK, the man behind PSS is a practical shooter himself and saw the Adler as having the potential to be a good practical shotgun. The firm’s moto is “Who cares wins” and he knows his practical shooting that’s for sure. The lever action puts the reloading element onto the trigger hand, leaving the front hand to control the aiming element.

The A110 has a few tricks up its sleeve; you can load the tubular magazine when the lever/gate is in the closed position, an advantage for practical shotgun. PSS can supply it as a section two shotgun (2+1) or the normal section one model is a 4 + 1. Practical Shooting Supplies can supply a magazine extension to take it to 11+1, as I had on the test gun.

Load Up

The Adler A110 comes with a 24-inch barrel with interchangeable chokes, they supply it with modified, skeet and full choke and also a choke key with a plastic handle, all in a neat plastic box. I also found a spare firing pin in a box, which is useful. The test model has the plain barrel but it also comes with a vented rib if required, check with PSS on the current price and availability.

The crisp trigger feels a lot lighter than the 2.5kg it registered on my electronic trigger gauge and the safety catch is right behind the trigger, push in from the left to set on safe. When set on safe, it locks the trigger as well as locking off the lever action in the closed position. The silver button has a red ring around its circumference, which shows on the left-hand side when in the fire mode. The loading gate is ideal for fast reloads, with it capable of being topped up even when cocked, perfect for a practical shotgun. It doesn’t have a mega sharp ‘fork’ on the end of the gate, so is not a thumb trapper. The angle of the trigger guard means you can double load, meaning holding two shells in the hand push both in in one movement, one behind the other, very quick. I could get five plus one in the standard section one configuration using 67.5mm long ammunition, the blurb states it only takes four plus one. I also managed to get 12+1 in rather than the normal 11+1. The last round was on a weak spring, so I would fine-tune the magazine as you have to do with all practical shotguns to get them 100%. The lever action worked flawlessly.

Manual shotguns have a distinct advantage over semiautomatic shotguns; I own and run both types and semis need the owner to pay attention to regular maintenance to keep them running. I found I needed a glove on my trigger hand after a while, just as a bit of padding on the back of the hand, which does get pummelled during the loading process. I would wrap the bottom of the lever in padded material for a competition gun, as you would potentially have to shoot weak shoulder in some stages.

A Ok

Being a manual, in this case lever action, gun, it also means you can shoot lighter loads than semi-automatic shotguns, which may be a factor in choosing an A110. Also, being a lever action, the front hand stays on the gun when aiming and shooting, keeping the gun pointing exactly where you want it, with a pump action the aiming is compromised by the fact you have to rack the slide to reload the gun, potentially making a lever action better for practical shotgun than a pump. Adler made the A110 as a hunting shotgun and for that reason it has sling swivels fitted, one on the rear stock and one on the end magazine cap. The rear stock and forend have large chequering pattern panels for grip on both the right- and left-hand sides, these also have a thin border line around each panel, a little design touch showing Adler care about their products and how they look, as well as function.

Conclusion

I enjoyed shooting the Adler A110, quite a lot, in fact; it made a real change from my pump action and semi-automatic section one shotguns. As with all practical shotguns, they need a bit of polishing to slick them up but I found the action getting slicker in the time I had it. If you are looking for an alternative to the run of the mill pump action shotguns, then the A110 lever action has a lot to offer. Especially when you look at the price, at half the cost of an Italian pump action practical shotgun, it is a true good value, or in real terms cheap entry level practical shotgun, a rare thing these days. Western fans should like the lever function too.

Thanks to Richard at Practical Shooting Supplies for help with production of this article.

PRICE: £499 RRP (Plus £49 for magazine tube extension)
CONTACT: Practical Shooting Supplies, www.practicalsportingsupplies.co.uk