St James Shotgun
The St James over and under took William Evans back to its roots by being produced in much the same way that led to the company’s own success and that of numerous other English gunmakers during the industry’s heyday. With the traditional infrastructure of the English gun making industry having disappeared William Evans elected to work with Caesar Guerini, a specialist sporting arms manufacturer in Italy that shares the same ethos. From its purpose-built factory in Brescia, Caesar Guerini produce guns, which are renowned for excellent standards of wood-to-metal fit, reliability and handling.
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Noted for its elegant lines, the St James combines state-of-the-art Italian engineering with the bespoke features and traditional finish that characterises William Evans hand-built English guns. Its single-trigger boxlock action is forged from the highest-quality steel, which means that not only is it lighter but also better at absorbing recoil than a conventionally-machined design. A further benefit is that it is suitable for use with heavy-load cartridges up to 3”, which are becoming increasingly popular for reaching more distant targets.
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There is a choice of 28" or 30" chrome-lined barrels in 12, 20, and 28bore calibres, which are fitted with a traditional 6mm-wide solid game rib with brass bead sight. The 3" chambers are proof-tested to 1370kg, approved for use with steel shot. Five factory-fitted multi-chokes (improved cylinder, quarter, half, three-quarters and full) are supplied standard, although customers can specify the Teague system.
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Elegant lines
The St James is based on Guerini's most prestigious model, 'The Forum', which is manufactured at the company's purpose-built factory in Brescia, the region at the centre of the Italian gun making industry. Noted for its elegant lines, the new gun uses a single-trigger boxlock action which is forged from the highest-quality steel, making it both lighter and better at absorbing recoil than a conventionally-machined design, as well as being suitable for use with heavy-load cartridges which are becoming increasingly popular with those who shoot high pheasants.
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Other notable features include fully interchangeable hinge pins made from extremely wear- and stress- resistant materials, locking lugs that have wide surfaces to provide a long, trouble-free life, a receiver which features hand-polished internal surfaces and two-stage hammers that remain within the action, making the gun very safe and smooth to operate. The ejectors feature a solid operating cam to provide strong, reliable extraction with all types of cartridges together with a round boss that is typical of fine-quality guns and prevents ejector breakage, even when the shotgun is very heavily used.
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At £10,000 +VAT including a case, the St James provides an excellent opportunity to acquire a piece of William Evans history and ultimately a gun that will last for you many years to come.
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