doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com F.a.i.r doubles Any info?

Been out for a while after this covid thing, job change, etc.

Was looking online and ran across F.A.I.R doubles.

Never heard of them. Any info?

Thanks

F.A.I.R. (Fabbrica Armi Isidoro Rizzini) was founded half a century ago in Brescia. It employs some 44 workers and makes over $10 Mil yearly. They are mostly known for middle class o/u shotguns but since about 15 years ago they also make double rifles. Their DRs are mostly short-barreled (55 cm) over unders with single triggers but they also offer SxS DRs and even a hammer DR properly employing double triggers. Calibers offered are from .243 Win to 9.3x74R. I've handled one of their first DRs and they feel very lively, with their short tubes and modest 3 kilos. Between shotguns and rifles they make combis and short-barreled o/u slug guns.

www.fair.it

With kind regards,
Jani

Interesting. Quality and price wise.. how do they stack up with other italian makers such as sabatti?

While I do own a couple of Italian doubles, one being a DR, and the other my favourite go-to shotgun, I do not consider myself an expert on Italian guns; but I know a bit of them anyway, and handled many, in all price ranges. My first DR was a Sabatti O/U and it was handy and accurate (but not classic enough for my conservative tastes so it was replaced by a vintage Merkel). I would say FAIR is generally in the same league as Sabatti, maybe a notch above.

With kind regards,
Jani

Jani,
Good post and the same as my opinion of the Fair DR.

You have aroused my curiosity as to which Italian Double Rifle you have. I ask, because I have and shoot a Beretta DR in .45-70 and am presently toying with the regulation.

crs,
My Italian double rifle is a Bernardelli Minerva hammergun in 9.3x74R. I only test fired it once and is now a safe queen. An interesting piece, but I mostly prefer Austrian and German products.

With kind regards to Texas,
Jani

+1 on the German products from Suhl- My Simson in .405 WCF:

This is a a great and rare Simson DR, with very nice wood.
Did you try it on Texas pigs, BTW?

With kind regards,
Jani

I own a special order FAIR Isidi. SxS 28 ga English model with extra 410 barrels. ordered with double triggers, straight grip, ejectors and left hand wood. Two seasons and no problems. Shot about 250 times so far. 5 months for special order.

F.A.I.R. are well thought of in the UK, and a 20 bore SxS BLE got a favourable review in the Field by Michael Yardley not long ago.

I suspect that they also made the Rottweil .410 O/U some years ago. He also thought well of that gun.

I own two FAIR doubleguns ...........one a O/U, the FAIR Verona, and the other a FAIR Iside S X S .410 special order. I love them both.

Thousands of rounds through the O/U, probably 500-600 through the Iside, so far. Would purchase both again.

F.A.I.R. first came into the US through New England Arms bit more than 20 years ago. I own a NEA 500 in 16 ga. They are CNC made with tolerances close enough that you can order a second bbl. and in most cases it does not need fitted to the gun. I have 28" and 30" bbls. for mine.



The 30" I use for clays on occasion I used to shoot it a lot at one time. Hard to tell exactly how many rounds through it somewhere between 15K-20K. Never had any problems with it. The 28" I use for ruff grouse.



Their next venture was with BC Outdoors and the Verona models. Bought my son his first 12 ga. a Verona 5xx O\U don't recall the exact model number ~15 years ago. Never had any issues with it either.

Also own a F.A.I.R. Iside in 16 ga. Just the basic model but I shoot it extremely well and it is my favorite grouse gun.



Good chance my next gun will be a custom order F.A.I.R. much like Vol423, a 28 410 combo. Except it will be Gardena wood (Beavertail & Pistol) with 30" bbls. for clays. And a single trigger with extractors. And upgraded wood.

There are 6 of us that shoot together as often as we can, scattered over a fairly large area. But usually squad together when at least 5 of get together. Out of the 6 of us 5 own F.A.I.R. Isides and some multiple FAIR Isides in different gauges. The 5 of us all have at least one Iside 16 ga. and one gentleman just placed a custom order for his second 16 Iside. They are a great gun IMO.

Having no experience with Sabatti I would only note that the same parent group, IFG, represents both FAIR, Sabatti and Pedersoli. I feel like they compare very favorably with Beretta in reliability, fit and finish. IMO the FAIR Verona O/Us are a huge value in the market. I feel like I stole mine, at $1400. It is a 692 LX Gold E Combo, with both 28 and .410 barrel sets and forends, 30" barrels.

Mine came with a target buttstock, sorta like the Gardena buttstock that Cold Iron mentioned, but it shot too high for me. I found a replacement buttstock in field configuration for $50, repaired a crack, and fitted it to my gun myself. Now it shoots dead on for me.

I own a FAIR 702 jubilee o/u in 28 gauge, side plate box lock with gold wire trim. English stock, and 28 barrels. My go to gun for many yeas in Alaska. Have taken more snow shoe hairs, grouse and ptarmigan than I can remember. Never an issue and I am sure over a 1500 rounds or more through her.
I mostly use it now for crow hunting and dove hunting. For the money, it’s well worth the value.

Rich

When Jim Austin at New England Arms initially imported the FAIRs, only OU's were available. The standard configuration was round knob/SST/vent rib. However, straight grip/DT/solid rib were available as options.

When NEA went out of business, Cabela's acquired the FAIR OU's and sold them at very attractive prices. Nice guns. The consensus seems to be that the B. Rizzinis are maybe a notch higher in quality. I'm sure others here who've owned both could comment.

I have a 16 gauge I. Rizzini Iside. I've shot the heck out of it at targets and birds for 3 years without a problem. I've had more expensive doubles, but none have ever shot better. Shoot it so well I had Mark Larson give it a makeover. Just returned from South Dakota yesterday. I plan on adding another 30" 16 gauge, one with a single-trigger and ejectors, and a 30" 28 gauge (double trigger w/ejectors). These hit my performance/price sweet spot for hunting guns.

I also have a B. Rizzini 16 gauge OU target gun. It has a nicer fit and finish, but doesn't perform any better where the rubber hits the road.

I have two B Rizzini O/Us and three FAIR O/Us, and I don't see any appreciable difference between them. BR has the reputation and higher prices, but there is nothing wrong with the FAIRs in a direct comparison at the owner/user level.

That's good first-hand information, Replacement. Thanks for offering that.

Here's a thread from a few years ago:

https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=529490&page=1

I wouldn't think that all of them have this issue with barrel regulation, but you won't know until you shoot it. Good luck getting a good one.

Our group has 6 Isides and they are all regulated just fine. I guess we all got lucky.