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Joined: 18 Jul 2007 Posts: 32 Location: WI

Would like comments on the Tristar Brittany and Brittany Classic.I'm thinking about buying one.

Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 972 Location: Keller,TX

W P ,my brother. I own a 16 bore BSA, Which is the first incarnation of import of the Brittany Classic. They are both the same gun, manufactured by Zabala Hermanos in Spain. I purchased mine in February of this year at Cabelas in Ft Worth, TX. I consider it one of the better purchases I have made on a firearm. $ 820 and I was out the door! Wink

I have put upwards of 2000 rounds through it on various clays games since my purchase. ZZ, trap, and sporting clays present no problem to it. I really like this gun! Wink

There are other owners on this board who have one or two and consider them good solid guns. O'l Southern Lawyer has one I know of.

I have only two minor criticisms. Mine weighs about 7 lbs., which I find rather heavy for a roughshooting gun. The other is that the action is rather stiff upon opening. I suspect the action will smooth up after another thousand rounds, and the weight- well I can live with that on the duck blind or the dove field. I'm really anxious to try it on doves on the Glorious 1st.

It is a very pretty little gun with its' satin oil finish and brilliant case colors. The checkering is laser cut, and the wood to metal fit is even, if not a little proud in spots. The screw chokes are good and it shoots to point of aim within 3 inches at 40 yards. The barrel selector is like the Browning "H' type and is very positive and doesn't hang up if you don't!

I think it's a great bargain for a first SxS or a beater when the McKay Brown might get scuffed up a bit in the plum thickets. Wink

PM me if you have any other questions.

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

Put some graphite on the contact points and it will help to slick 'er up Wink

Yeah, Brent you remember correctly, ol' pal! I have a 16 model same as you. If memory serves, I even got it from the same dealer as you during a trip down in Texas last year.

My thoughts pretty well mirror yours exactly. Heavier than I'd like to carry all day, but a great back-up gun if weather gets really nasty in the field. Also, tons of fun for duck and dove where you don't have to lug it around all day. Gun shoots well...no problems. Conversion point for barrels on the money.

Now get some good light grease to keep it lubed up so it will open smoothly until fully broken in. I used some slide grease I bought from a music store to keep my old trumpet in playing shape, and it works as well or better than any other product I've used. Like Brylcreme, a "little dab" will do ya!

I have virtually the same gun in 20 ga, and it is a real fun shooter! I got it a couple years ago direct from Tri-Star's offices/warehouse in Kansas City. It is the "sporting" version of their earlier Brittany model. I also got a wood upgrade with this one (hey let me in the warehouse to pick out my choice, I'll always go for the gun that was the shop "foreman's friend") and it is really a looker! An expert saw it in the rack at my gun club one day and asked me if it was an AYA. I hated to tell him it was likely 2K less worth of gun. I understand that while Zabala was making most Brittany models for TriStar at that time, due to a larger run of doubles, some had been farmed out by the Zabala Brothers to Ugartechea and mine was one of those. But heck, I don't know!

Wanna have a little harmless fun? Hit www.zabalahermanos.com Then click on shotguns and hit the Anthea model. It is a new model from them, and I wish somebody over here imported it...available in 16 ga, and a real looker!

Cheers!

OSL