FAIR Iside reviews?

B

browninggold

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
80   0   0
Location
Essex County, Ontario
Anyone out there own an FAIR Iside, preferably in 20 or 28g and can tell me how they like it? Also any dealers in Canada that have them available besides Bilozir? I’m very interested in the EM or most likely Prestige model.
 
I have one of the Vintage SxS 20ga hammer guns, bought it off Bilozir. There was someone advertising they handle them, but I expect Bilozir is the Cdn dist anyway. I used mine for duck & goose field shoots this year, very happy with it, no beefs whatsoever.
 
I have the FAIR Iside Prestige in 20ga. I have hunted with it and shot some clay's with for the last 5 years, awesome gun. Light weight fast handling well balanced and put together game gun. You wont be disappointed. With the rounded action on my 20ga lots of people who have handled it think its a 28ga at first. I only know of Bilozir selling them in Canada but I wish another dealer would start selling them as well.
 
I have the EM in 28 and the Prestige Tartaruga Gold in 20. The unfortunate thing about Bilozir is that all sales are final and all guns are not created equal. I don't know if it is special ordering but some of his FAIR shotguns fit me perfectly and others do not. I would be very hesitant ordering on line even if you know your preferred measurements. These little guns are done in a concave rib style so a certain amount of barrel needs to be visible to center the pattern where you are looking. Fit of course is always vital but I believe even more so in a light gun that is designed to quickly obtain fast moving targets. Basically, if you get one that fits you, you will absolutely love it.

If you watch on line there is videos of FAIR boasting about it's modern machining practices and how it enables them to produce hand fitted quality at a fraction of the price. Having stripped these things to the tiny parts along with a couple of O/Us that I have, I find the internal metal work near flawless. The fit is extremely tight and if any quality control was needed it must have been well executed. I had full intentions of spending some serious time honing and polishing but none was needed. The triggers break crisply as they should and internal parts are smooth and well fitted.

The wood on my 20 is very nice and the wood on my 28 is outstanding. The laser checkering and scroll work is tastefully done but lacks the personality and elegance of a truly hand engraved piece, a piece like I could never afford anyway. The wood to metal fit is very good on both of mine although the Gold model obviously took more time with the fitted side plates.

Both of mine are listed as 28 inch barrels but the 28 ga. is slightly shorter. This is a good thing as it balances perfectly at the hinge. It weighs around 5 pounds and is as comfortable to carry as a good walking stick. It can easily be handled with one hand when weaving through thick stuff and is very quick to target. I had full intentions of selling it when I purchased the "upgraded" 20 but just can't bring my self to part with it. It takes a little getting use to as it is quite easy to over lead birds in some situations because of it's quickness.

The 20 is obviously heavier and IIRC is 6.5 lbs on the scale. It is probably the ideal upland gun as it is plenty fast for the bush but still swings smoothly in open terrain. Not as fun as the 28 but it is much easier to shoot. Most anyone can hit clays when they try it but some struggle with the 28. It too is perfectly balanced and a wonderful thing to carry for pheasants.

It is sad that these are not more readily available. The group that brings them in to the US lists many models never available here at a much reduced price. The starter models of both SXS and OU are an outstanding value and some of the top tier stuff is absolutely stunning. It would be awesome if a person could order with confidence and know there was at least some dealer support if a problem were to arise.
 
Be aware, that if you order a gun, and it comes with dimensions that don't match the order form, which has happened to myself and others, the dealer will not give you a refund or replace the gun with what you ordered. Once he has your money, you are on your own.
 
Thanks for the replies. MK2750 you have the exact gun I will likely order, the Prestige T Gold 20 with 28”bbls. Sounds like a very sweet gun! Unfortunately I’m a few provinces away, so I can’t walk into his shop and shoulder them, I’d have to buy sight unseen and hope for a good fit and great wood. I can usually adjust very well to most standard stock dimensions so unless they are off the charts, I should be ok with the standard factory English stock. He’s putting an order through in Jan so hoping I can get an order for myself added to his list
 
I have been closely examining these guns at gun shows for at least the last five years, they appear to be an outstanding bargain in today's market and their track record in the field seems to be terrific. If you can get to any decent sized gun show in Western Canada Bilozir will be there and he will have a few of these guns for your viewing pleasure. You can buy one of these or order your own right there.
 
I don't have an Iside but I've had a couple of FAIR over and under's and have handled a bunch more, in general I think the FAIR product is good. In fact, in my opinion they make a really good gun for the money, the metal work is well done, the bluing is really nice and the wood to metal finish is above average. The durability of the guns seem to be pretty good but in fairness I've only put about 10,000 rounds through the one that I still have. The only place I'd fault them is in the wood finish, the wood is very good and the finish is fine but the wood grain is not filled and the ones I've owned were 18 LPI checkering, probably because the course surface won't lend itself to anything much finer than maybe 20 or 22 LPI. That's a pretty small beef on my part but it does set them apart from more expensive guns in that filling wood requires more labor and the more expensive brands charge for it in a big way, it's one of the few things that cannot be done on a machine these days and is still old world craftsmanship. Based on my experiences with the FAIR over and under's, I'd not hesitate to recommend one of their side by sides.
 
Falconflyer said:
I don't have an Iside but I've had a couple of FAIR over and under's and have handled a bunch more, in general I think the FAIR product is good. In fact, in my opinion they make a really good gun for the money, the metal work is well done, the bluing is really nice and the wood to metal finish is above average. The durability of the guns seem to be pretty good but in fairness I've only put about 10,000 rounds through the one that I still have. The only place I'd fault them is in the wood finish, the wood is very good and the finish is fine but the wood grain is not filled and the ones I've owned were 18 LPI checkering, probably because the course surface won't lend itself to anything much finer than maybe 20 or 22 LPI. That's a pretty small beef on my part but it does set them apart from more expensive guns in that filling wood requires more labor and the more expensive brands charge for it in a big way, it's one of the few things that cannot be done on a machine these days and is still old world craftsmanship. Based on my experiences with the FAIR over and under's, I'd not hesitate to recommend one of their side by sides.
Click to expand...

Very true of the wood. I find it saves me a step as I don't need to spend hours stripping poly based fillers and finishes that most manufacturers are using in this price range. When I first picked up mine at a gun show my hunting partner couldn't believe I was considering such a bland gun especially since I was parting with a very nice Beretta to afford it. The mineral in the butt stock was hardly visible in indoor light. After a daily dose of Tung Oil well rubbed in for a couple of weeks it really began to look nice. I added some hardener for protection and it is now very nice to handle and admire.

eWQFqGl.jpg
[/IMG]
 
I would agree that it was well worth the time, that's a great looking piece of wood!

I'm not smitten with the checkering style they've used on the Iside but that's just my taste and I'm sure that some folks are head over heals in love with it. It does look very functional and I'd probably get used to it.
 
For me there isn't much not to like on these, I really like the barrels with no monoblock seam, no other double that I am aware of at anywhere near the price has that. Also love the complete one piece action, immensely strong and sleek. I would prefer a long bottom tang like the Fausti has . Any that I have seen ( dozens) have very nice quality wood, well above the price point of the gun. Agreed, the checkering pattern isn't to my taste either but it's well done machine checkering in it's style. And the unfilled grain of the stock is a common fault on most Italian and some German guns going back as far as I can remember, you'll see it on Rizzini, Fausti, Merkel, lots of good european guns. To North American taste it looks unfinished but at least it isn't a big deal to rectify. I prefer the EM model, was going to custom order one with the case coloured finish, double triggers, fixed chokes and discuss custom hand engraving and wood upgrade but every time I manage to put together the funds another pretty face comes along first and POOF! I see the EM is now available with that case coloured finish, I might just buy one of those out of stock. Bruce Buck reviewed one of these guns in 28" 28 gauge for Shooting Sportsman magazine a few years ago, a very glowing report.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom