Gun

Marocchi Model 99
32 inch Sporter

MAROCCHI'S LONG ONE

The Marocchi Model 99 is now available with 32" barrels  - and an all-black action. Richard Rawlingson has been testing it.

It was exactly a year ago that we first unveiled the Marocchi Model 99, testing some of the first guns to arrive in this country in 30 inch trap and sporter form. Since then the range has expanded with the introduction of some very attractive grade two and three models, with game scene engraving and upgraded wood and now the sporter can be had with 32 inch barrels and the option of plain black actions instead of the high gloss chrome of the original grade one. Having had only a brief time with the first samples, I was keen to get my hands on the new gun.

There is no doubt that 32 inch barrels are very much in vogue once again on sporting guns, indeed with Perazzi now pushing the boundaries even further by introducing 34" tubes on their MX12 sporters this length may soon come to be viewed as nothing unusual. It has not always been that way of course. The modern 32" sporter can be traced back to Winchester and A.J. Smith in the late 80s. 'Smoker' used a long barrelled Winchester 6500 to devastating effect during his period of domination of the FITASC scene and the company sold many guns on the back of his success. There followed also a trend for adapting long-barrelled trap guns for sporting use, with the old Miroku Model 3800 a favourite for conversion. Many of these are still in use in the hands of some of our top shots.

That long barrels have survived and not proved just a fad is I think down to some fundamental changes in the type of targets being presented these days. The growth and influence of FITASC Sporting is being felt very clearly in the domestic discipline and the almost universal use of automatic traps has also brought about changes in the way course builders work. The result is more targets being shown at longer ranges and an increasing proportion of edge-on quartering birds for which the long barrels are particularly well suited.

Much of the current impetus is also coming from gunmakers relatively new to the sporting scene. Perazzi I have already mentioned, while George Digweed is doing for sales of 32" Kemens what A.J. Smith did for Winchester. Which brings us neatly back to Marocchi. Regular readers will remember that the Model 99 is an all-new gun designed to be built entirely on the latest CNC machines. As a result it has the look and key features of the Boss-style guns but, at prices starting around £1500, operates in a totally different price bracket. On the surface it should be a powerful combination and the introduction of the longer barrels will certainly broaden the appeal.

Cosmetics

All of the Model 99s I have handled have impressed me with the build quality and the high standards of fit and finish and this latest one is no exception. Although nicely done, I found the highly polished grade one a little too bright for my personal taste and the option of the black action does totally change the look of the gun. I constantly hear the mantra from sections of the trade that 'black guns don't sell', none of which seems to have harmed Perazzi or Kemen one little bit. Instead I think buyer acceptance of plain black has changed so that it is now associated with quality and higher prices. It is interesting that Beretta also chose to go down this route with the new DT10.

The effect on the Marocchi is quite subtle, but it does seem to lift it quite definitely away from the lower price bracket and into direct competition with those more expensive rivals. I find it interesting that such a small change can make such a difference.

I noticed one or two other small changes also from the original guns. The adjustable trigger blade, with its spring-loaded button, was one area of detailing that lacked the refinement of the rest of the gun. This has been reworked and is much neater.

The test gun, like others I have seen, had attractive wood that would not be out of place on a gun costing £1000 more and there is nothing about it to make the buyer feel that he is making do with an inferior product.

Specification

Our test gun came with multi-choke barrels although, mindful that many users of long guns prefer not to add weight right at the muzzles, fixed choke barrels can also be specified. The short tubes are in any case quite light and the difference between the two specifications relatively slight. My notes tell me that the original 30" sporter I shot had barrels weighing 1.51kg while those of the test gun were 1.55kg. This is both respectably light for long tubes and also a reflection of how hard the factory have worked to keep the weight down on this new model. Both bores are marked at 18.5mm - .727" Imperial measurement.

As before both top and mid ribs are ventilated and they have retained the 10mm parallel rib from the first model, with its plain cross-cut surface. This is one detail I would have changed for the longer barrels. I am a total convert to tapered ribs - something like 12mm down to 7mm is about ideal and I would also have for preference a centre channel cut into the rib. Both features I find lead the eye much more naturally out to the target. I would also ditch the pink 'strip of toothpaste' front sight for something less obtrusive.

Elsewhere the judiciously chosen stock dimensions and particularly well-shaped grip are as I remember. A neat but rather thin and firm recoil pad finishes the stock off. Removal of the stock takes moments with the supplied hex-head driver, revealing an action of impressive solidity.

On Test

I should state from the outset that I have had mixed results in my own shooting with 32" barrels. I have flirted with them on a couple of occasions over the years and always ended up back with my 30". It is only with very fast handling models that I prefer the longer tubes.

It was not surprising therefore that I found this gun a bit of a handful. At almost exactly 8lbs (3.6kg) it is not particularly heavy, but I struggled to achieve my usual rhythm and consistency with it. I found it particularly difficult to adjust on stands with a change of pace between the first and second targets and it was only towards the end of my test session that I started to feel comfortable with the gun. This is one of the things to remember about stepping up to 32s. It may take some time to get used to the change and for some people and some shooting styles it may never be the right move. I remember George Digweed warning in the book we wrote together that long barrels take 'a lot of driving' and those words came back to me as I struggled for rhythm with this gun. I would certainly recommend anyone considering a change to get as much experience as possible with a range of models before taking the plunge.

None of this is any real criticism of the Marocchi, just a reflection of my personal reaction to it. When we did click on a tricky pool shoot I got some tremendous kills from the half choke on a tricky long crosser and managed to put together ten straight, yet earlier I had struggled on a quite innocuous and routine pair. It is difficult to explain why. Certainly the gun feels nicely balanced - with just the slightest hint of weight forward bias - but we just did not get on.

As on the earlier guns we tested, the trigger pulls were maybe a pound or so heavier than my ideal at 5 lbs, but otherwise unremarkable and everything works on the gun with a reassuring sense of solidity and precision.

The Marocchi Model 99 is a lot of gun for the money - and looks even more so in this latest guise. I know how much thought has gone into its development and the firm should be proud of the standards of build quality they are maintaining. As for the 32" barrels? They will suit someone out there down to the ground - but not me.

More information: Anglo Italian Arms 01451 870725