now this looks like a very promising gun...

Slugo

Moderator
the new FABARM XLR5 Velocity fully adjustable autoloader. Built to professional standards. They are just starting to hit their authorized dealer's shelves...

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the reviews have been excellent...
 
Find another gun whether it's an autoloader or O/U with the same attributes of the XLR5 for $3K and offers the same high quality. There aren't any... :rolleyes:
 
Coming in a LH version makes me interested, but reliability, not gizmos, is a more important factor to me - right now, the A400 and 391 are on the top of my short list
 
Bruce Buck has his review coming out in the next Clay Shooting mag, also one of the best and honest reviewers out there. Since I know him he gave me his take and will be letting shoot his try gun. I won't jump his article by revealing what he told me, but the shooting should tell me whether a 9# semi is worth it or not - that, BTW, is heavier than the Beretta UGB which many feel is too heavy and best left for the trap fields, not the sporting, so it will be fun to compare it to that
 
Looking forward to Bruce's review of the XLR5. Been reading him for years. Good sense of humor too... :)
 
Saw Bruce today and shot this gun on our 5-stand. Before my comments, a few caveats - while Bruce and I are about the same height and arm length, he is much thinner through the face and had the comb adjusted for him accordingly, the same with the shims - he is RH, I am LH. He had the rib set for 50/50 pattern and I am used to floating the bird at 60/40 or 65/35

First - this gun is heavy - with the three weight attached, it was tipping the scales right at 9#.

The "checkering" done by a laser, was neat - not your traditional criss-cross.
Shooting my 7/8oz reloads running at 1250 was no issue - it digested each one.

You MUST get your second all the way into the tube, though - no "ghost" loading on the carrier.

I did NOT like the grip - I have somewhat wide hands but not long fingers. The wrist is fairly thick all the way around and I just could not get the grip like I am used to on my O/U.

Shooting with this high rib felt more like aiming than pointing.

While it seemed decently balanced, it was difficult at times to shoot a pair that a L2R and a R2L making me swing the gun hard one way and then try to reverse that motion.

When I hit the targets, the M choke absolutely SMOKED them.

The recoil was minor, basically negligible. Since this gun is set up for ONLY 2-3/4" shells recoil should stay that way, even with some stout pigeon loads - although a different recoil pad might make it even softer.

Holding the gun pre-mounted on one station, i had three broken birds in a row - holding still for that long with that gun made my off arm tired from the weight.

Overall, I believe this will be one of those like/dislike (not really love/hate) guns - you either like it and it fits your style well or you won't.

I can see trap shooters really liking this gun with its heads-up rib, ability to go 90/10, etc more than I ca see a sporting clays shooter liking it - BUT I am told, the majority of current buyers are sporting shooters so WTH do I know?

The price is a little high for me, but I can see where Wes Lang is coming from - build a gun with all of the aftermarket adjustable stuff already built in from the factory and charge the equivalent.

All in all, it isn't a bad gun, not for me and my size and shooting style - but it should do well amongst those seeking a soft-shooting semi with all the bells and whistles already built in.

You really need to shoot this before buying it, IMO to determine whether it is right for you
 
you get what you pay for. I'll be damned if I would ever buy a Benelli for $2900, but the XLR5 is a whole new concept and will outshine many O/U's...
 
One thing to consider - no matter what gun is involved - do you want to try and fit yourself and shooting style to the gun, or do you want to have the gun fit to you and your shooting style? Similar to - do you walk your dog or does your dog walk you?

If you normally shoot a high-rib, heads-up gun that is not conducive to instinctive-type shooting, but more towards trap, this gun should do a good job for you. If you shoot with a soft mount or low gun at slow and fast crossers in tandem, or targets below you and above you, this is most likely not the best gun you could use.
 
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