An elegant side-by-side from Rizzini

I make no bones about it: one of the most important aspects of shooting for me is the style of it - I love putting on my plus fours, colourful shooting socks and all that jazz. That’s why I can’t ever see myself wanting to use anything other than a side-by-side. Sure, I may well shoot better with an O/U (wouldn’t be hard), but I find the aesthetic of a side-by-side so much more appealing. Recently I wrote about how much I love my 1970s AYA, and also by how impressed I was by the new Rizzini-built William Powell side-by-sides, so you can imagine that I’m excited by Rizzini’s own side-by-side offering.

Both AYA and Rizzini are distributed in the UK by Anglo Spanish Imports, headed by Edward King, who more-so than anyone I can think of, enjoys shooting style as much as me. This association means that it should come as no surprise that the Rizzini BR550 RB 'de Luxe' is a really good looking gun. The fact that this model carries the initials of Battista Rizzini himself is another indicator that the BR550 RB 'de Luxe'  is a good ‘un. In actual fact, this is the founder’s favourite model of Rizzini.

 

Edward King: the epitome of shooting style and UK importer of Rizzini shotguns
 

The looks come courtesy of carefully selected, well-figured Turkish walnut and deep-cut foliate engraving. The stylistic flourish of the scallop-back action is a lovely touch and is not something seen on every shotgun, and the same is true of the exquisitely engraved extended tang/trigger-guard, which runs along the bottom of the stock from the trigger guard to grip cap.

 

I would have loved to be able to tell you that I’ve given this model a go, but sadly the day on which I was due to put it through its paces was cancelled for COVID-related reasons. Fortunately for you, and for him, come to think of it, my colleague Frank Stephenson lives just down the road from the ASI offices and was able to head out to a clay ground on a Friday afternoon to give it a swing.

 

He told me that the gun is a delight: “The BR550 RB 'de Luxe' is incredibly elegant, it has fantastic deep scroll engraving and is built on a decent piece of wood. The mount and swing are smooth - silky even!”
 

Being steel-proofed and with 3-inch chambers, you should be able to use a range of cartridges through it, though Frank noted: “We were only using light clay loads and being a fairly lightweight gun you might not fancy using big cartridges a lot of the time.”

 

Frank went on to say “Given that Rizzini are renowned for their O/U's they have really put together something to compete with their Spanish counterparts.” Frank’s experience of a Rizzini SXS matches up with my experience of the guns that they have made for William Powell.

Machined from a solid piece of steel and with a solid game rib, the BR550 RB de Luxe is built for stability and strength. Well-balanced, and options of 12-, 20- and 28-bore as well as a .410, and barrel lengths ranging between 28in and 30in, it’s a side-by-side that would suit any game shot, and perhaps most importantly, look bloody good at the same time. It is also worth mentioning that the gun also comes in 16 bore, built on a 20 bore action, making it a beautifully balanced and light gun – 6 lbs on the nail with 29” fixed choke barrels to keep the balance. As with most Rizzini guns, there’s a number of customisable elements, including choice of stock styles (straight-hand or pistol grip) and fixed or multi-chokes.

 

At £5,695.00, this is the most expensive of Rizzini’s side-by-sides, but it still represents pretty good value if you’re in the market for a good-looking, reliable, elegant side-by-side shotgun that you can use for all but the highest of driven birds and with a variety of loads. For more information, visit the ASI website.

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