24-Sep-2026
Fabarm is one of those names British shooters keep meeting without ever quite being introduced. You see the badge at clay grounds, you notice one on the rack in a gun shop, someone on your peg swears by theirs, and yet compared with Beretta or Browning, very little is written about them for a UK audience. That is a shame, because Fabarm occupies an interesting position: Italian-made, competitively priced against the big two, and with a range that runs from serious competition guns to genuinely practical field and utility shotguns.
This guide sets out the Fabarm range as UK buyers actually encounter it, what each family is for, and what to check if you are buying used. If you want to see what is on the market first, browse the current Fabarm shotgun listings on Rightgun.uk.
Where Fabarm sits in the UK market
Fabarm is an Italian manufacturer with a long history in Brescia, the region that produces a remarkable proportion of the world’s sporting shotguns. The company has built its reputation on barrel technology and on offering specification that would cost noticeably more with a more famous badge on the receiver.
For British buyers, that translates into a fairly consistent proposition: you are usually getting more gun for the money than the obvious alternatives, at the cost of a slightly thinner second-hand market and less name recognition when you come to sell. Whether that trade suits you depends on whether you buy guns to keep or to trade.
The other thing worth knowing is that Fabarm has historically been associated with technically ambitious barrel and choke work. If you are the sort of shooter who reads about backbored barrels and long forcing cones with genuine interest, this is a brand worth your attention.
The Elos family: Sporting and game over-and-unders
The Fabarm Elos is the range most UK shooters encounter first, and the Elos N2 in particular has become Fabarm’s calling card here. It appears in several configurations, sporting variants aimed at clay grounds, and lighter field builds for game shooting, and the N2 Allsport is the one that turns up most often in British searches.
The appeal is straightforward. It is a well-finished Italian over-and-under at a price that undercuts the equivalent Beretta or Browning, with the sort of stock and barrel specification that competition shooters actually notice. If you are cross-shopping, our comparison of the Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon and the Browning B525 covers the guns an Elos is most often weighed against.
The Elos N2 RS variants sit toward the sporting end of the family, with the specification aimed at high-volume clay use rather than carrying through a hedge.
Axis: The competition line
The Fabarm Axis is the serious end of the range, Fabarm’s answer to the dedicated competition over-and-under, with the RS12 Sporting being the variant British clay shooters ask about most. These are heavier, more deliberately balanced guns built for repeatable performance on registered targets rather than for walking.
If you are shooting a lot of sporting or trap and are weighing an Axis against the established competition names, our guides to the Beretta DT10 and DT11 and the Perazzi MX8 give a sense of the company an Axis keeps at this level.
Gamma, Classis and the field guns
The Fabarm Gamma is the model many British shooters know from the used market, a straightforward, well-made over-and-under that has quietly done a great deal of game and rough shooting in this country. Gammas represent some of the better value available in a used Italian over-and-under, precisely because the badge does not command a premium.
The Fabarm Classis sits in similar territory as a more traditionally styled field gun. Both are worth a look if you want an Italian over-and-under for the game season without spending Beretta money, particularly relevant as the season approaches and demand for field guns rises.
L4S and XLR: The semi-autos
The Fabarm L4S is the company’s gas-operated semi-automatic, aimed squarely at the same buyers considering a Beretta A400 or a Browning Maxus. It has developed a reputation for soft recoil and reliable cycling, and the Initial Hunter and Deluxe configurations cover field and clay use respectively.
The XLR name appears on semi-auto variants including composite-stocked builds aimed at wildfowling and rough weather use. If a synthetic-stocked gun that you can leave wet in the back of a truck is what you need, this is where to look.
For a wider view of how gas semi-autos compare, our guide to the Beretta A300 and A400 covers the mechanics that apply across the category.
Buying a used Fabarm: What to check
The good news is that Fabarms tend to be sensibly priced used, which means your money goes further. The thing to be aware of is that fewer UK dealers stock the brand, so parts and chokes can take longer to source than for a Beretta. Ask the seller what chokes come with the gun, because replacing a missing set of proprietary chokes is more of an errand than it would be for a more common make.
Check the barrels carefully. Fabarm’s barrel and choke systems are a genuine selling point, but they also mean you should confirm that any chokes fitted are the correct type for that specific gun rather than a generic substitute.
Beyond that, the usual over-and-under checks apply: look at the state of the hinge pin and locking lug for evidence of the action going off the face, check the ribs are tight, and ask about round count if it is a competition gun. Our checklist for buying a second-hand shotgun covers the general ground in more detail, and shotgun fit is worth reading before you commit to any gun, regardless of make.
Finally, confirm chamber length and proof before buying, especially if you intend to shoot steel. Our explainer on shotgun chamber lengths sets out why this matters.
Is a Fabarm a good buy?
For a lot of British shooters, yes, with one caveat. If you value specification per pound and do not mind owning something less common on the peg, Fabarm is one of the better-value routes into a quality Italian shotgun. The Elos and Gamma in particular offer a great deal for the money on the used market.
The caveat is resale. A Beretta 686 will always find a buyer quickly; a Fabarm may take longer and give up more of its value. If you change guns every couple of seasons, factor that in. If you buy a gun to shoot for a decade, it matters far less.
Frequently asked questions
Are Fabarm shotguns any good? Fabarm has a solid reputation among shooters who own them, particularly for barrel quality and recoil characteristics. The brand is less widely known in the UK than Beretta or Browning, which affects resale more than it affects the shooting.
Where are Fabarm shotguns made? Fabarm is an Italian manufacturer based in the Brescia gunmaking region, the same area that produces many of the best-known sporting shotguns in the world.
What is the difference between the Fabarm Elos and the Axis? Broadly, the Elos is the sporting and field over-and-under family, while the Axis is the dedicated competition line, heavier, differently balanced, and built for high-volume clay shooting.
Is Fabarm cheaper than Beretta? Fabarm generally sits below the equivalent Beretta on price for comparable specification, both new and used. Whether that represents better value depends on how much you weight resale and dealer support.
Browse Fabarm shotguns on Rightgun.uk
Fabarms do not come up as often as Berettas, so it pays to look regularly. See what UK dealers and private sellers have available in the current Fabarm listings, or explore the wider shotgun listings to compare against the alternatives.
Further reading: Best semi-automatic shotguns UK by budget, Best game shotguns UK by budget, Second-hand shotguns UK: the best buys at every budget, and Browning B725 shotgun: A modern classic for clay and game shooters.
