America's Game, Part II

If a trap shooter from 100 years ago were to be magically transported to today, he instantly would recognize the field of play. The targets would be no mystery. Plastic shells would be a bit of a novelty but no doubt familiar. The vests, blinders, glasses, earmuffs, et al. likely would be a source of some amusement. The casual attire might be perceived as having “dumbed down” the character of the game. But the piece that might leave our time-warp friend totally mystified is his first sight of a totally adjustable state-of-the-art trap gun. Indeed, Buck Rogers might feel more comfortable with the latest offerings for the sport.
As discussed in July/August, trap is a game that came straight from live-pigeon shooting. Hence, the early guns used in the hunting-rich, cash-poor, rural US were bird guns, with no real degree of specialization. They were the guns shot for everything. But as the game grew in popularity, special trap models began appearing from manufacturers.
It didn’t take long for trap to become a game of perfection, with misses translating into one being out of the running. Given the competitive spirit of man, shooters began looking for any advantage to improve their performance. Longer barrels, heavier guns, Monte Carlo stocks, raised ribs and release triggers made inroads, but it took many years and a big increase in disposable income for the average shooter to drive the major changes.

Side-by-sides grudgingly gave way to repeaters, and a look at the current market reflects the number-one reason: cost. The single sighting plane was likely a second reason to choose a repeater, as the side-by-side never rebounded even after increasing incomes made it possible for many to shoot a double if they chose. A few single-shots held their own for a time, and the singles never did disappear like the side-by-side. (The Ithaca 4E Flues, which debuted in 1914, and the Parker SC come to mind. One still can find both for sale as shooters or collectables.) Even into the 1950s and ’60s the game was played mostly with Winchester Model 12s, Remington 31s and the newer Remington 1100s and 870s—all bird guns with a twist.
It wasn’t until factory wages climbed that specialization became the norm. It takes money to buy toys, and once the boys had the money, they were willing to try buying a target or two. Guns no longer had to kill birds and clays. Union wages and a booming economy meant that shooters could have different guns for different purposes.
Over/unders, once as scarce as hen’s teeth, became more common. Monte Carlo stocks, often custom made, proliferated. Adjustable combs became commonplace. Low ribs were replaced with high ribs, and eventually high ribs were replaced with higher ribs. Specialized single-shot designs were developed to shoot forever with a modicum of care. Thumbhole grips came and went. “Top-singles”—over/unders with only a top barrel—were a simple adjustment for manufacturers to make, and they were all that was needed for shooting single targets.
If a top-single was good, then a gun with one functioning lower barrel would be better, as it would keep recoil more in line with the shooter’s shoulder and reduce felt recoil by reducing gun rotation. Thus, the “unsingle” (for “under single”) was born. Combo guns with a set of shorter O/U barrels and a longer single barrel gave shooters the perfect gun for single and doubles events.
These days a question often asked at the introduction of a trap model is: “Does it have a release trigger?” Tens of thousands of rounds with a body locked into a gun absorbing tons of recoil have forced many shooters to seek solace in a trigger that drops the hammer when the finger is relaxed. A frazzled nervous system no longer lets them smoothly pull a trigger.
Through the years points of impact have risen steadily from the 50/50 centered pattern of field guns to 70/30 (70 percent of the pattern above the aim point), 80/20 and on to 100-percent high, so the gun would never cover the target. That leads to the second question commonly asked: “Does the gun have an adjustable rib?” These days if a new gun has a release trigger and an adjustable rib, it is instantly trap-acceptable. A manufacturer might get away with only an adjustable rib on a new model, but there will be instant naysayers if there isn’t a release trigger—or at least an aftermarket conversion available.
The current thinking on trap form is that it is better for the head to remain erect—in the normal “looking” position—while shooting. The feeling is that the heads-up attitude decreases felt recoil and makes it easier to see the targets. This approach has led to significant design changes in both stocks and ribs, because the bore lines have remained low to keep recoil going straight back into the shoulder. Mainstream manufacturers have responded in this direction, but boutique makers have gone to the extreme in pursuit of the perfect gun to shoot perfect scores.
For example, it is common these days to see guns with ribs several inches above the barrel. Frankly, these ribs, which often remind me of railroad bridges, can offend the sensibilities of those who admire fine lines in a gun. One must appreciate the functionality to get past the appearance.
Of course, high ribs require Monte Carlo stocks with major-league combs to raise the eye to the head’s-up position. Along the way, high points of impact have generated a wave of innovation in rib design. Trap-gun manufacturers can’t realistically produce models for 60/40, 70/30, 80/20, 90/10 and 100-percent-high shooting, and dealers couldn’t afford to carry them all even if they did. The industrial solution is to build a gun with an adjustable comb matched with an adjustable rib so a trap shooter can go to whatever end of the rib/point-of-impact spectrum he cares to with just one gun.
Adjustable ribs are often hinged on the breech end, whereas the muzzle end is adjustable either by way of a screw (turn the wheel) or a toothed system that allows the rib to move in the base to raise or lower it. They are fascinating to contemplate and no mean feat in terms of engineering. Weight has to be kept reasonable so the guns stay shootable, which relegates manufacturers to aluminum in terms of materials. The mass of the super-high ribs demands solid attachment to keep the ribs on the barrels through the recoil of tens of thousands of shells. That statement, simple though it may sound, has cost many a manufacturer sleepless nights. Recoil from a single round may seem meaningless, but multiply that force by 100,000 and solid rib attachment takes on its true relevancy.

Current Offerings
Today every major manufacturer has its offerings and its fans. Certainly Beretta (www.berettausa.com) has made contributions, both on its 680-series actions as well as its DT10 design with over/unders, combos and unsingles. (There is no factory release trigger, but one is available from a third party.) In addition to the standard offerings, the UGB25 Xcel is finally being delivered in the US. A break-open auto with no release trigger and a look that is a bit different, the UGB25 was developed for International trap, where shells are left in the barrels as shooters change stations. Traditional autos aren’t well suited to such a custom (for safety’s sake), so Beretta decided to build one that would be socially acceptable. It is inertia operated and bottom ejecting, so that flying empties won’t enter the next shooter’s peripheral vision. Appearances aside, the gun feels pretty good, and no doubt some will be showing up on American trap fields—even with that strange action that has the second shell hanging in a carrier where the ejection port should be. Don’t forget the utilitarian 391 semi-auto. Reasonably priced in today’s marketplace, with add-on weights to make it feel however a shooter wants it to feel, the 391 can do whatever needs to be done.
Browning (www.browning.com) has long offered the Citori action in trap dressing—combo and otherwise—sans adjustable rib. This year the Cynergy model gets its share of trap-shooting accessories, including combo status and an adjustable rib on the unsingle. I handled a Cynergy combo at this year’s SHOT Show and can honestly say that I liked the way it felt. It seems trap shooters are looking for better handling qualities these days than simply a set of heavy barrels on a shooting platform.
Across the hall, Winchester, (www .winchester.com) offers the new 101 Pigeon Grade Trap. Although its flat rib and lighter weight (7 pounds 12 ounces) buck conventional trap-gun trends, it could well have appeal for a shooter on a budget wanting to shoot trap and sporting clays with the same gun. One still can sneak onto the range with a Model 12 or Super X1 and not draw a sideways glance.
Can one talk trap without the Perazzi (www.perazzi.com) name shouldering into the conversation? Although Perazzi has moved forcefully into the sporting clays market, one can’t overlook the company’s trapshooting roots. Perazzi model designations are based around two main distinctions: MX-8 guns have leaf springs powering the hammers; MX-2000 models have coil-spring locks. (Leaf springs purportedly give the best trigger pulls but have a finite life span. They sometimes break while they are being used, which means one must install a new spring quickly or, as many shooters do, carry a spare trigger group that can be instantly swapped out without holding up a squad. Coil springs don’t break, although they do take a set with age, diminishing their power to some extent. Some claim that the trigger pulls on coil-spring guns can’t match, or be made to match, those on leaf-spring guns.) Both styles are used by shooters with great effect in every competitive venue in the world. For a good look at Perazzi trap models, visit www.trapshooters.com/perazzi.
Did I hear you ask about Krieghoff (www.krieghoff.com)? The K-guns are on the trap fields with the rest of the shooting alphabet. There are combos, singles, over/unders, adjustable ribs and even factory release triggers in the K-80 variants. The company’s Website does a good job of explaining the various barrel lengths, rib configurations and stock dimensions available.
The “other” K-gun, Kolar (www.kolar arms.com), offers trap guns of all flavors as well. Unsingles and O/Us are available as individual units or combo sets. Customers can get exactly what they want in terms of point of impact, pull or release triggers, custom stock dimensions and engraving.
Guerini USA (www.gueriniusa.com) now offers a full-fledged, all-the-bells-and-whistles trap gun in either unsingle or O/U configurations. The rib is easily adjustable for point of impact. A factory release trigger is available. The stock design matches the versatility of the rib. The adjustable-comb hardware is of a new patented design that offers great versatility to meet fitting needs. The trap gun is based on the same basic action as the company’s field guns and is backed by Guerini’s almost legendary level of service.
Relatively new to the shooting scene and even newer to the trap fields, Blaser (www.blaser-usa.com) recently introduced a trap version of its innovative F3 over/under, including O/U and unsingle models. There is no release trigger available at this time.
In the déjà vu category with Winchester’s Model 12 and Super X1, Remington (www.remington.com) offers the 870 and 1100 models that many became enamored with in the ’60s. On a shooting field now dominated by break-open guns, the 870 and 1100 bring to the table the same price advantages they had the day they were born. They are working-men’s guns that work.
The new offerings from Parker Bros. Makers (www.parkerbrosmakers.com) borrow the durability and “Made in the USA” label of the original Parkers and convey those same characteristics to a modern design. These custom-made over/ unders match a very-low-profile receiver with whatever a customer desires: specified barrel weight, length and point of impact; custom stock; engraving of choice; drop-dead-gorgeous wood; trigger pulls; and rib profile. The company currently is focused on the International trap market but can build a fixed-rib gun for the American trap game. No adjustable ribs or release triggers but an incredibly tough, sweet-handling gun built to dimension means one doesn’t need much in the way of adjustable “stuff” for a shooter to perform at his or her optimum level. Though not inexpensive at $18,000 base, no aspect of the gun was taken for granted in the design. Every feature is there for a reason, and innovation abounds.
Antonio Zoli (www.zoli.it) has been building guns for more than 60 years. Four years ago the company embarked on a new drop-trigger O/U design now being offered in the US as the Z Gun. The purpose of the design was to build a target gun that would match the performance of the K&P target guns at a more modest price. Those who shoot Z Guns think the goal has been met. Zoli currently doesn’t offer a bells & whistles trap gun, but shooters who prefer a flat-shooting gun for trap will find that the Z can cross over to the skeet and sporting clays fields without breaking a sweat.
SKB (www.skbshotguns.com), the maker of the late-model Ithaca side-by-sides loved by many, offers the reasonably priced 85 TTR in over/under, unsingle or combo versions. V-spring triggers are standard as are .735" bores. Although the 85 TTR may not offer some of the glamour of more-expensive guns, it has a proven design, and the price puts it within reach of many shooters who can only lust over the $8,000 to $10,000 guns that are almost common among dedicated trap shooters.

Dedicated Single-Shots
As mentioned, the single-barrel trap gun has been around for a long time, and it remains alive and well, thanks perhaps to Browning’s 1963 introduction of the BT-99 more than any other factor. The BT-99 offered many of the features trap shooters wanted at a reasonable price. The package and price kept this single-shot in the marketplace despite an onslaught of O/Us, top-singles and unsingles. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that a gun that can stay in the maker’s catalog for 45 years is offering users what they are looking for. In a one-target game, a one-barrel gun is all that is needed.
The BT-99 still reigns at the average man’s price, but through the years several other guns have appeared that share its single tube. Krieghoff’s KX-5 is a dependable, workhorse gun that offers K-gun quality at a price considerably less than that of the K-80. Although not inexpensive, the single-barrel gun requires fewer parts, hence it is a bit less expensive to manufacture than the company’s two-barreled guns.

Super Singles
Then there is the group of trap guns that I’ll refer to as the “super singles.” These guns are not inexpensive. They are custom built utilizing bank-vault-tough actions with simple, robust trigger designs. The customer chooses his or her desired point of impact and the gun is built to it. Stocks can be crafted from incredible wood. The heavy receivers offer broad, flat frames—an engraver’s delight. They are custom guns in every sense of the word, except that some of them are available in Full choke only. Built to last longer than the people who shoot them, they exist for one reason and one reason only: to break trap targets from here to eternity. I suppose that some shooters might think they are strange looking for guns with base prices of $7,000 to $10,000, but they are beauty incarnate to dedicated trap shooters.
Ljutic (pronounced “Lew-tic;” www.ljuticgun.com) single-shots have been gracing trap fields since the 1960s, and early guns are still on firing lines across the country. The Ljutic Space Gun, although no longer produced, is one of the oddest-looking target guns ever to have popped a primer. Current models are a bit more conventional in appearance, at least in terms of trap guns.
Tom Seitz developed one of trapshooting’s workhorse guns. He passed away in 1988, with only a few guns produced. Today his design lives on with two companies: Bruce Bowen & Co. (www.bb guns.com) and AIM, Inc. (www.silverseitz.com). The Seitz “family” guns are striker fired, utilizing an in-line striker rather than the familiar rotating hammer to instigate primer ignition.
Bill Cole (www.colearms.com) has his version of a super single with whatever options one cares to put on it. Mechanically, that comes down to pull or release triggers, but wood, engraving and other options provide the personal touch.
Alfermann shotguns are tough to find. Pictures are available on several Websites that have guns for sale, but neither the company nor its primary dealer, Merlyn’s Trap Guns, have Websites.
Dennis DeVault of DeVault Industries (www.devaultind.com) offers the newest design in the super-single lineup: the Infinity. It is a descendant of DeVault’s first offering, the Mach One. The company also offers high-rib conversions of 391s in an effort to turn them into ultimate trap autoloaders, as well as custom stocks and their rib conversions on other models of over/unders. DeVault has a growing list of happy customers in a world of very demanding shooters.
The unique quality that the builders of the super singles share is that they are shooters—more specifically trap shooters. They are intimately familiar with the demands of the game and are willing to put in the time and effort that innovation requires. Perhaps it is the commitment to the game as well as the guns that permit so many to survive in what is very much a niche market.
It may be that we never see another era of trapshooting popularity like the one experienced in the last century. After all, we are now an urban society with Black-berries, the Internet, big-screen TVs and such. Many members of the younger generation prefer video games to participating in sports. But one still can get a sense of the vitality of trap by simply viewing the array of guns offered by different makers. And although these days trap is a game of perfection, it remains the shooter who must be perfect. We often chase perfection with equipment, but in the end trap must be mastered by the eyes and hands of those who appreciate the same challenges faced by those who first stood on the line years ago and uttered a shooter’s favorite four-letter word: “Pull!”

Dave Holmes is the author of many gun-related articles. He has a never-ending fascination with shotguns and the games they are used for. His first trip to a trap shoot was in 1967 with a 30-inch Model 870. The gun has changed, but the kid is alive and well.