Page 63 - GUNS Issue n.01

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1_The forend is thin and sleek, with a slight beavertail to improve the grip of the weak hand.

2_The barrel is 24 inches long, weighs 800 grams (1.7 lb.) and has a chrome-lined bore.
The exterior surface is matte blued. The gun is equipped with internal interchangeable
chokes, the rib is ventilated and equipped with a red fiber optic front sight.

3_The barrel has a 3” chamber. The spring-loaded ejector is located on the barrel extension.

even in the early hours of the morning and the wind has not yet picked up speed. We face the first climb. Keira
is moving among the junipers looking for scents. I carry the Affinity 3 without a sling, resting it on my shoulder
or on my left arm without particular difficulties. The weight of 2,695 grams (5.9 lb.) is perfect for upland hunting,
the short barrel makes the shotgun compact, a feature that would certainly be more appreciated in the woods,
but which I still appreciate even in the mountains. After a few minutes, we reach the end of the first climb and
go down on a plateau. Keira, about fifty meters ahead of me, suddenly stops with her nose upwards. She is
down on the ground and “chews the air”: the grey partridges are certainly near. I disengage the safety and get
ready; I approach the dog and she begins to move. Five meters, then ten, twenty and finally we see our preys. A
covey of about twenty grey partridges takes off about thirty meters ahead
of me and heads for the summit. With the shotgun in mid-air, I remain
undecided about what to do: the distance seems too great and I don’t want
to risk injuring an animal unnecessarily. Suddenly, about ten meters from
me, a grey partridge appears. Without thinking about it, I shoot the animal.
Keira makes a good retrieve and then sets off again in the direction of the
flock, disappearing behind the mountaintop.
The feeling of the first shot was excellent. The shotgun proved to be quick
and intuitive, the 24” barrel was suitable for fast shots and the choke,
combined with the felt wad of the cartridge, was perfect for an instant
kill. Suddenly, I feel the smartphone vibrate: the app of the Benelli Caddy
gps collar warns me that Keira is pointing 120 meters higher. I reach the
dog not without a good dose of effort and I find her standing still with her
nose upwards. I am almost certain that she has seen the flock again, so I
try to approach Keira on her side, a little further on, to try to close the grey
partridges between her and me. My intuition turns out to be a good one, but
instead of the flock taking flight it is once again a solitary bird, who must
have broken away from the group. Closed between me and the dog, the grey
partridge launches itself downward, looking for safety towards the bottom
The pistol grip features the Allround of the valley. I fire the first shot without thinking, then I recover the sight
Interlacement checkering. The only hint alignment and manage to hit the partridge with the second shot, stopping it
of color in an entirely black gun is the at a distance of approximately 25 meters (27 yards).
orange “F” under the pistol grip. The morning continues with grey partridges that take flight at distances

Franchi aFFinity 3 Black Synt 20 gauge_TesT shoTgun 61