Stan - How do I like my FAIRs?
Sorry for delay in responding, but I've been tap-dancing the past number of days - readying for the deer season, winter, reloading, and range zeroing several rifles - LabRadar is quite the chronograph, after years and YEARS using a Shooting Chrony.
(The late) Brian Dwyer/GunMart, Brockville Ontario phoned me at work and said his FAIR O/U ordered guns of 2002 had arrived.
Went down to buy a 20Ga O/U and examined the nine or so available. Several IMMEDIATE "real KEEPERS" smiled at me. On spec, I decided to look at the three 28 Ga FAIRs that came in too. At this point I had never even fired a 28 Ga shotgun. Examined all three and one I simply would NOT release my grip on. Went home with it. Pretty sure the wood is Turkish, with nice figure and standard cast-off for a right-handed user. I was so impressed with it, a week or two later I gave Brian my order for my "semi-bespoke" DREAM 16 Ga O/U.
Asked that FAIR leave the barrels and butt-stock as long as possible, English hand, double triggers, funeral finish with gold lined border encompassing the sideplates. IIRC Shooting Sportsman magazine had run a New England Arms ad with a FAIR with that "funeral finish" with surrounding gold line that raised my blood pressure. The Dwyers made their then annual January(?) trip to IWA or EXE and placed their (and my) orders. for the upcoming year. Six months or so later their FAIR annual order came in and my "semi-bespoke" 16Ga FAIR had arrived. It arrived - but due to a price increase Brian thought I would balk at, the asked for frame "finish"' was changed to a dot-matrix design that I figured I could eventually "live with" - as the rest of the gun was just so delightful. Anson forearm release and fretted action lever/release were standard.
These FAIRS (of the early 2000s anyways) were GREAT value for the money. I suspect Isodoro Rizzini (FAIR) makes the frames for MANY Italian firms. They aren't Piottis by any sretch - but IMHO the ones I saw and own are GREAT value for the money.
Have used both my FAIRS a "fair" bit and never had a problem. Very quickly learned to keep my right elbow HIGH when using the 16Ga with English hand.
If times ever "get tough" these two FAIRS and my L.C. Smith 3E SxS 12 Ga will be the last ones "to go".

Last edited by Ian Nixon; 10/27/20 02:50 PM. Reason: correction