New hardware - new questions - Rizzini Vertex Sporter

Zedbra

Zedbra

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Squamish
After months of pondering about purchasing a proper trap gun as my interest in the sport keeps growing, I fought my internal Irish stinginess and decided to treat myself to something 'nice'. Read a lot, maybe too much, as there is always one step forward and two steps back regarding gun opinions with us - but after seeing what was available with my champagne tastes and beer budget the Irish in me was happy that I may not splurge on that first nice O/U I was craving....until Clay at Prophet River putting on another one of his great sales and home came a Rizzini Vertex Sporter; it's Christmas in November at chez Zed's.

I've searched without success on a few questions on how to best care for this fine Italian model that I get to put my grubby mitts all over. So please bear with me on my newbie O/U questions henceforth:

* Should I do anything with the chokes prior to first use? Grease/oil?
* What kind of grease should be used on the action? I generally use Motul - a high heat bearing grease that is yellow and it goes brown with wear, making it easy to see when it needs to be replaced.
* Cleaning - planning on a good cleaning after every use. I love the smell of Balistol - I use it on all my wood. How often do I need to pull the stock and clean the trigger group? (someone please say never)
* Does anyone know a good gun fitter in Southern BC? I have the comb at the height I think is best, but I can't figure out what to do about cast (if anything at all).
* This is the Wet Coast and I will be shooting in the rain. How does that effect cleaning afterwards? Use compressed air on the pins/trigger?

Obligatory pics, albeit anxious cell phone ones immediately upon opening it:


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Congratulations on your new baby.
You're going to get a variety of answers to your questions so I'll take on an easy one -
cast: mount your gun naturally while looking at a distant object and wearing what you would wear at the range. Look at your rib and if your mid bead and front bead are not aligned vertically then need to move comb right or left. When you think you have everything perfect then confirm at the patterning board. Check both barrels when you pattern just to check convergence/POI

My lube approach might be a contentious one. If you use it, I would strip away your old grease whenever you clean your gun and apply fresh and not too much of it. What my double gun smith tells me though is don't use grease because its thickness forces the moving parts away from each other. Instead use a light application of gun oil or if you can't bring yourself to do that then use light q-tip application of vaseline. Don't let either get near the stocks. I used grease for a long time and so does everyone else I know however this is from a very respected guy who says grease brings him business when guns become loose.

Not on the wet coast but have acidic sweat so I strip my exterior metal of oil with alcohol then apply conservator's wax to all exposed surfaces - wood and metal. Then I try to only handle gun with a cloth or when wearing gloves. Have some permanent finger prints etched into my clays gun which serve as a reminder.

Looking forward to hearing what other approaches people take to the same thing.
 
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Londonshooter said:
Congratulations on your new baby.
You're going to get a variety of answers to your questions so I'll take on an easy one -
cast: mount your gun naturally while looking at a distant object and wearing what you would wear at the range. Look at your rib and if your mid bead and front bead are not aligned vertically then need to move comb right or left. When you think you have everything perfect then confirm at the patterning board. Check both barrels when you pattern just to check convergence/POI

My lube approach might be a contentious one. If you use it, I would strip away your old grease whenever you clean your gun and apply fresh and not too much of it. What my double gun smith tells me though is don't use grease because its thickness forces the moving parts away from each other. Instead use a light application of gun oil orif you can't bring yourself to do that then use light q-tip application of vaseline. Don't let either get near the stocks. I used grease for a long time and so does everyone else I know however this is from a very respected guy who says grease brings him business when guns become loose.

Not on the wet coast but have acidic sweat so I strip my exterior metal of oil with alcohol then apply conservator's wax to all exposed surfaces - wood and metal. Then I try to only handle gun with a cloth or when wearing gloves. Have some permanent finger prints etched into my clays gun which serve as a reminder.

Looking forward to hearing what other approaches people take to the same thing.
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Congratulations on your purchase. Rizzini are in my opinion one of the best value for your dollar double guns out there. My Berettas and Brownings had nowhere near the same fit and finish for the same $ as my Rizzini. I truly think they are a great gun.

Cast is set through the adjustable comb being moved left or right as needed. Rizzini has THE best comb kit in the industry in my opinion. If you look in the top of the comb hardware you’ll see two flat edged screws. Those flats fit in the slot between the vertical posts in the stock preventing the comb from sliding downward should the set screws come loose on the pins. I wish I could find an identical aftermarket adjustable kit like that for my other guns.

This!! I use nothing but a light application of oil. In the past I found grease holds dirt easily causing premature wear on parts even when stripped and cleaned each outing.
 
Congrats on your new acquisition!! Enjoy.

After cleaning I wipe the entire gun down with a microfibre cloth sprayed with G96. I then use a Q-tip to apply a very light application of Clenzoil to all metal on metal surfaces. I also put a periodic application of Renaissance wax on the wood and exterior metal surfaces.
 
I use anti seize on choke tubes, and no issues when removing them to clean them.I do use a light grease(Kreighoff Gun Glide) on the hinge joints, but I wipe it all off and re apply before each use. I use G-96 synthetic gun oil for other moving parts. I use G-96 Gun treatment on all metal surfaces.
 
Dont over think it.
Use what you always use and clean it when you get home.
Does a 40k Kreighoff shotgun used in the Goose Pit complain when it gets dirty?
Clean it after use and lube it with your lube of choice and it will last a lifetime.
Rob
 
the spank said:
Congratulations on your purchase. Rizzini are in my opinion one of the best value for your dollar double guns out there. My Berettas and Brownings had nowhere near the same fit and finish for the same $ as my Rizzini. I truly think they are a great gun.

Cast is set through the adjustable comb being moved left or right as needed. Rizzini has THE best comb kit in the industry in my opinion. If you look in the top of the comb hardware you’ll see two flat edged screws. Those flats fit in the slot between the vertical posts in the stock preventing the comb from sliding downward should the set screws come loose on the pins. I wish I could find an identical aftermarket adjustable kit like that for my other guns.

This!! I use nothing but a light application of oil. In the past I found grease holds dirt easily causing premature wear on parts even when stripped and cleaned each outing.
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Why does my poor memory think you and some shooters from your area had issues with your Rizzini’s.
 
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the spank said:
This!! I use nothing but a light application of oil. In the past I found grease holds dirt easily causing premature wear on parts even when stripped and cleaned each outing.
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^^

Grease holds dirt and makes it invisible. Gun oil on all pivot points, every use. Regarding the trigger group, I always store my shotgun disassembled in its takedown case. I have had oil leak down into a trigger group before from storing assembled upright in a safe. This is the only time I have had to remove and clean a shotgun trigger assembly.

That is a beauty. Haven't had the opportunity to shoot a Rizinni yet, however I hear they are quite nice, and decent value for someone that doesn't want to shoot the same gun as everyone else (my range has at least 10 725's on any clay day!).

Cheers,
C
 
^ I was all lined up to buy a Citori 725 trap, was waiting for my local store's year-end sale. Part of that reading too much I mentioned above, I kept coming across reading about multiple people having their butt stocks cracking on the 725s and then Browning taking months to replace the stock - had me slowly backing away. I also read a few negative things about the 725's mechanical triggers, which at first I quite liked the idea vs inertia triggers, so I started looking elsewhere.

Having a long face, I knew that an adjustable comb was needed and with that wood being able to go up, so does the price tag on Berettas and Guerinis. Hence, Rizzini - seemed like good value for under $4k. We shall see how it lasts, as I am only shooting about 1000 rounds per year right now, but I want to increase that now.
 
Westward1 said:
Why does my poor memory think you and some shooters from your area had issues with your Rizzini’s.
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I never had issues with mine except delivery of a trap combo I ordered. When 5 months became 17 and still no gun I bought a used Perazzi for the interim then cancelled the Rizzini order and bought a JEG Beretta. True to form from past experience the Beretta just wasn’t right for me and fortunately I hadn’t sold the Perazzi. I sold the Beretta and stuck with the Perazzi. It works well for me. The others who had issues were using ammunition with cheddite primers. I use only Federal or Winchester and never had an issue. The others had issues with punctured primers from the bottom barrels. I never had that happen with my Rizzini and had I known how the ordering a combo was going to go I’d never have sold the Rizzini I had. It was a magnificent piece of crafstmanship. I’d have kept it as a dedicated doubles gun and found a single for singles and caps as I have done now.
 
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Managed to get to the range for a few hours yesterday to give the Vertex its inaugural shots. I forgot that it had ejectors and just about ate the first few shells. Also noticed that I have to push the barrels down with some pressure or the bottom shell won't clear the action - I suppose that will loosen up a bit with use. I was practicing two eye open shooting, something I never dis from my hunting background and field guns, and my patterns were a higher split for the top of the target with both eyes open - so that is promising for clay busting; now to put that learning to practice.

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It’s new and being a quality gun made to exact tolerances everything is tight. Quality o/u’s require a bit of pressure to open fully when new and often for up to a few years . It will get easier after about 10-20 thousand rounds!! :)
And two eyes open is THE WAY to go for all shotgunning if you can do it.
 
adamg said:
That looks a great deal like a Beretta. Are we sure it isn't a Beretta that gets different wood and metal finishing?
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No they are not a Beretta and yes they do bear a resemble to them as do 90% of the Italian guns but once you see the internals, breech blocks etc the differences are easy to see.

https://youtu.be/uOS-XZA4g1M
 
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First time out busting clays today and I think the Vertex and I are going to have a nice long relationship. Being able to see the bird vs covering the bird with my old field shotgun is definitely worth the price of admission, but when we shot from 25 yards behind the house the full choke barrel was busting the long shots like no other.

Our club doesn't shoot traditional 5 stand unless there are enough shooters that want to shoot 'practice' rounds as they call them. So I only shot one round of traditional 5 stand and had only missed one shot with the upper barrel and full choke, I didn't fare so well with the last 5 shots through the lower barrel and IM choke. Earlier I had tried shooting both eyes open, couldn't make it happen; when I get more time at the 'practice' house, I will teach myself that fine skill.

Overall, the fit is great, the gun swings perfect for me with the 30" barrels - I am quite content thus far with this one.

I also shot that one round of 5 stand with my international student, who had never shot a gun before, and let me tell ya - he is still all smiles.
 
Cardamonfrost said:
Love that Hunter with the blue grips.

If you haven't already, Volquartsen Target Sear and Sam Lam bushing. Turned my already amazing Competition Target into a tack driver supreme.

C
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I put the entire VQ MKII Accurizing kit in it - bye bye mag safety and just over 1# trigger. Everyone that shoots it, loves it; it comes to the range with me almost every time.
 
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