Fifteen years ago, the market for the Spanish Side-by-Side shotgun had collapsed, which is hard to believe given today’s buoyant market. For 10 years sales had slowed to such an extent that the oldest of the Spanish Gunmakers, Victor Sarasqueta, founded in 1883, closed.
     Spanish gun making had always specialized in the manufacture of Side by Sides, copying proven British designs, while the Over and Under was the domain of the Italians, Japanese and Belgians. So you can imagine the surprise in the gun trade when, during one of the worst trading periods for the Spanish guns, Juan Cruz Sarrigute opened a workshop in Elgoibar, close to Eibar in the Basque region of Spain, to manufacture the Kemen, a high-end competition-quality over and under!

    I am sure some must have thought him mad, but today he can be justly proud of his hard-earned success. Shooting a Kemen, George Digweed won the World Sporting Championship... Richard Faulds choose to use a Kemen in his early Olympic efforts, and Australian Trap Champion Adam Vella did likewise.
      Kemen also enjoys royal patronage - both the King of Spain and Sultan of Brunai choose to shoot a Kemen.
     From the outset, Sarrigute’s intention was to build a gun of exceptional quality and reliability, with dynamic balance and handling. The gun is built on Perazzi lines, but the removable trigger mechanism is a Kemen patented design.

Each gun is hand-crafted and custom-built to the client’s individual specifications, including the choice in barrel weights and stock configurations, to ensure exceptional handling characteristics.
Kemen’s bestseller and the Competition Gun of Choice in both the UK and USA is the KM 4. Its sleek black lines, gold inlays and deluxe walnut stock combine to make a gun that not only shoots straight, but also looks great.

If you are interested in learning more about Kemen shotguns, in the North contact Bryan Bilinski at Fieldsport: 231-933-0767-3313, and in the South, contact August Crocker at Eley Shotshels: 512-821-9953, Cell: 512-567-7855, sales@eleyshotshells.com, PMB 414,12407 North MoPac Expressway, Suite 100, Austin, Texas 78758-2475.

     As every Side-by-Side enthusiast is all too aware, the benefits of the desirable weight, balance and handling of the Side-by-Side are often offset by excessive recoil. In the Side-by-Side, recoil impacts in three ways: down, in muzzle flip and laterally and up in the second phase of recoil. These recoil responses can result in the loss of muzzle control which is often the cause of second barrel misses, both in the field and on the shooting grounds.
     High pressure loads, while affording some advantages, can also significantly increase recoil.A second consideration with higher pressure loads, is the wear and tear they place on lighter guns - particularly older pieces that were not designed for some of the propellants in today’s cartridges.
     Eley Shotshells has always specialized in loading cartridges for fine British game guns.

     The Eley Hushpower is a one ounce load that exits at approximately 950 fps. Enough to break long crossing and out-going targets with very low recoil, it will not break the sound barrier, but is a good choice for a long day of shooting clays. (It won’t cycle an auto-loader, however!) It is also very good for game birds in the field. The Hushpower is available in 12 Gauge only, in 7/8 ounce loads.

These and other fine Eley Shotshells can be delivered to your door or the site of your next hunting trip.

Visit their website: www.eleyshotshells.com. Eley Shotshells, Eurosports LLC, PMB 414, 12407 N. MOPAC Expressway, Suite 100, Austin, TX 78758-2475 Call: 512-821-9953, Fax: 512-821-9954

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