Fire Away!
Legacy Pointer Arista
column By: Staff | March, 20
On the Bench
The Pointer Arista over-under is one of the many such competitively priced Legacy models currently available. It’s built as a flexible-use field shotgun. Although it’s comparatively inexpensive, however, that doesn’t make it “cheap.” The Arista comes with features one might not expect on a gun in its price range.
The durable coin finish on the practical aluminum receiver delivers more than just a “plain Jane” look. So, too, do the oil-rubbed Turkish walnut stock, pistol grip and Schnabel forearm. On the function side of things, the barrels are chrome lined, with a ventilated rib. Additionally, the gun features an optic front sight. Finally, in addition to the adult-sized gun our team field-tested, a youth model is available in both 20- and .410-gauges. It has a 26-inch barrel.
Such a proportionally equipped shotgun proves to be a sound purchase.
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At the Range
Our shooters liked the look and construction of the Arista noting its “nice fit and finish, Schnabel forend and decent machining.” Also, its “appealing lines and wide rib — the venting between the barrels and the even checkering.”
One of the two shooters thought the gun felt a little “heavy between the hands” while the other noted it was “light and fast handling to a little bit whippy.”
Both shooters saw good results when shooting the gun. “The length of pull seems a little short, but overall it shoots as pointed — you don’t have to hold low or completely cover the target. It’s just right,” said one shooter. The other said it “broke targets and seemed to have a high pattern on point of impact. Good for rising birds.”
All was not without a snag, however. We had the gun set up to shoot the bottom barrel first, and it failed to fire on almost every attempt. We’d then throw the barrel selector to the top barrel, and it would shoot without a hitch. There was just a problem with the bottom barrel. Next, we adjusted the gun so the top barrel was supposed to shoot first and “Bang-bang!” No problem.
Then, after sitting in the gun case for two weeks, the gun performed flawlessly.
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