F.A.I.R combi 308/20g anyone have any experience?

[Tubby’s Canteen]

Good evening gentlemen was wondering if anyone has any experience with the F.A.I.R company and or there combination guns I’m leaning towards ordering a 20g/76 over 308w as my next rifle and would appreciate anyone’s feedback

 

[Redfishga1]

I have not heard good things. We have a dealer close by and several of the doubles have been nothing but trouble.

 

[Hedge774]

I suggest looking into an old Savage/Steven's. I have my Grandaddy's 410/22 that he and his brothers called the "Stewpot gun" for obvious reasons. He said he'd love to know how many rabbits, squirrels, and doves had been put into the stew pot because of it. I don't know the age, but I'm guessing late 40's manufacturing. It still functions flawlessly. I don't know anything at all about FAIR firearms, but I can certainly vouch for the Savage/Steven's Combo's. Good luck!

 

[analog_peninsula]

I have both FAIR and Fausti o/u rifles that clearly are from the same production source albeit with differing levels of finish and both are perfectly serviceable rifles, very accurate when used as a single shot, and acceptably accurate when used as intended. I’d buy both again. That said, I also own a Blaser D99, now out of production and it’s a work of engineering art. I’ve no idea why it was discontinued.

 

[Rick R]

I have two FAIR O/U shotguns, the 12ga Carrera has been flawless over several years of sporting clays use. The 20ga Racing had a small part break and the importer fixed that here CONUS.

If memory serves, FAIR is the second largest manufacturer of Italian shotguns behind Beretta. FAIR and Fausti are made in the same area of Italy and their only relationship is that a fellow named Rizzini started FAIR and one of his brothers married one of the Fausti sisters.

If the price is agreeable I’d not hesitate to buy a FAIR combo gun.

 

[Noah Hutchens]

I used to have a FAIR double rifle in 30-06. It hunted white tail with it for two years and it was always great for me.

 

[FlyGuy]

No experience with their rifles, but I can’t fault their shotguns.
Excellent!

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Huh. Never heard of them. Thanks for expanding my knowledge base Tubby.

I have a Savage as well. Mine is a V-A; it's a .30-30 over a 20. The price was too good to pass on (>400). My goal is a trip that produces a caribou and waterfowl on the same trip someday. It shoots birds wonderfully well - I once took down 3 cackles with a single shot. The rifle can do 1.5" at 100. I tell people in an apocalypse it would be my one gun. .30-30 ammo is common, and I can load up or down to kill pretty much anything in Alaska, and the 20 would cover birds and small mammals.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

Huh. Never heard of them. Thanks for expanding my knowledge base Tubby.

I have a Savage as well. Mine is a V-A; it's a .30-30 over a 20. The price was too good to pass on (>400). My goal is a trip that produces a caribou and waterfowl on the same trip someday. It shoots birds wonderfully well - I once took down 3 cackles with a single shot. The rifle can do 1.5" at 100. I tell people in an apocalypse it would be my one gun. .30-30 ammo is common, and I can load up or down to kill pretty much anything in Alaska, and the 20 would cover birds and small mammals.

That’s kind of my justification as well .308/20 gauge will comfortably take any game in Nova Scotia and all in one package also saves me walking into the camp carrying my bps and my tikka it’s a fairly long hike in.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

That’s kind of my justification as well .308/20 gauge will comfortably take any game in Nova Scotia and all in one package also saves me walking into the camp carrying my bps and my tikka it’s a fairly long hike in.

It's not a sexy answer, but I think it is a super practical one.

I get that there are prettier combo guns out there - like with any action type. But 24s are probably still some of the best value out there.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

It's not a sexy answer, but I think it is a super practical one.

I get that there are prettier combo guns out there - like with any action type. But 24s are probably still some of the best value out there.

The 24s bring high dollars here 1000-1200 easy to the gun shows

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Good evening gentlemen was wondering if anyone has any experience with the F.A.I.R company and or there combination guns I’m leaning towards ordering a 20g/76 over 308w as my next rifle and would appreciate anyone’s feedback

@Tubby’s Canteen
Good to see you are still playing with weird and wonderful toys you can try and then horse trade because you don't like them.
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha
If'n y'all want a good combination try and find an old Tikka with a 7x57 top barrel and a 12 bore bottom. My mate Ted had one and it was very accurate with 175gn round nose but someo liked it more than him and it went down the road.

 

[Bullthrower338]

@Tubby’s Canteen
Good to see you are still playing with weird and wonderful toys you can try and then horse trade because you don't like them.
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha
If'n y'all want a good combination try and find an old Tikka with a 7x57 top barrel and a 12 bore bottom. My mate Ted had one and it was very accurate with 175gn round nose but someo liked it more than him and it went down the road.
[/QUOTE

I have a tikka that is 12 over 222, very cool gun, I believe later 80’s manufactured. I wish it was a 7x57 or a 308.

 

[mark-hunter]

Italian lock on combo rifle should be good. There are tradition, know how, and final look, etc.

As long as rifle barrel shoots bullets and smooth bore shoots shot shells should be OK.

I would worry about shooting slugs from smooth bore, with smooth bore being aligned for slugs to rifled barrel.

I know few acquittances of mine, drawn by attractive price and overall look bought newer Italian combination guns for driven hunt, where smooth bore slug is necessary, and ther were very dissappointed.

To be honest, one of those was some Sabatti, the other I am not sore. Not necessarily FAIR company.

Pricewise, combination gun costs, and if I were to buy new one it would be of German make. I would not test my luck with Italian combo guns.

On second hand market, best buy: Brno Super, old phased out Checz combo gun. Brno Super is arguably the best Checz combination gun ever made. With some luck it could be bought with few sets of barrels. Shotguns, combination, double rifle. As much as we love ZKK 602, and CZ 550 rifles, Brno Super holds the same status in combo gun world.

Brno Super, photo from internet:

 

[mgstucson]

I have Valmet 412's and Tikka 512's. Valmets were made in Finland. Valmet was bought by Tikka, Then Sako/Tikka was bought by Baretta, and the double tooling was sent to the Marocchi factory in Italy. They are called Finn Classics 512's now. These are great double rifles, combination guns, and o/u shotguns. The double rifles and combination guns have adjustable regulation. These are excellent guns wih excellent reputations for reliability and and function.

Here is my double 30-06.

Also have double 9.3x74r, double 375, Combination 12 over 7x65r, 12 over 5.6x50r, and double 12's

 

[Muskox]

I would do the Merkel, Blaser, Heym B26, or Krieghoff.

If you can find an older gun the Tikka combination guns are good.

I would not buy a Spanish or Italian Combination gun, honestly the Baikal Russian guns were better (though ugly).

 

[mgstucson]

With all due respect, all my doubles are Finnish made Valmet's, except my 9.3x74r is a Marocchi built Tikka. I can't tell any difference in appearance or function. The only complaint I have heard about the Valmets was that on the ejector models (not extractors), the ejectors are hard and too brittle, and can break after 1000's of uses, usually on 12ga's used in competition A LOT. I don't think it comes into play much on the double rifles, especially the big ones. I haven't had any problems with it myself.

I cannot speak for other Italian built or Spanish built guns.