Recently I took delivery of a 28 gauge FAIR Iside SXS boxlock shotgun. It was a special order gun with left hand wood, and reversed double triggers. I ordered the English model with scalloped back frame and ejectors. I can report that I am pleased with the gun. It was made in Italy and imported by the Italian Firearms group in Texas. I had some initial trouble ordering it through the first man I contacted there, but my second contact with a female rep went well. The gun has 15” LOP to the front trigger. That a tad long for me with heavy clothing, but I removed the buttplate and it’s fine. In a thin shirt 15” works fine. The FAIR idea of cast is not much, about 3/16”, so I had to have it bent more for me. The cast off for right hand stocks is about the same. I paid about $75 extra for a left hand stock and $200 for reversed double triggers. Single triggers are standard. The gun weighs 5 lb 4 oz with 28” barrels. It shoots both barrels to the same aiming point and I shoot it pretty well. I was after a lightweight gun I could carry in one hand and this fits the bill. I can encircle the gun at the balance point and my thumb and middle finger touch. That’s small because I have small hands. I have less than $3K in the gun including bending the stock. The delivery time was 10 weeks. Your dealer can place the order directly with the importer. They have a decent inventory on hand. The Iside (Ee see dee) model is available in all gauges. They also make O/U guns in a variety of models and gauges.

I suspect that my made in Italy “Rottweil” .410 over and under was made by FAIR.
The mechanism on the lumps and ejector work appears identical to the picture posted by Stan of a “Verona” FAIR (?) 28/.410 over and under on the thread “Good starter over and under in 20”.
Having said that I would appreciate any more definite information. It was made in about 2007 and I purchased it second hand.
As that was not long before lockdown I have only had a chance to shoot one round of skeet with it thus far, but it seems to be well made and the online reviews were encouraging.

Vol423, I love 28 ga too.

Can you show us your new shotgun? Quick delivery time.

Enjoy it!

I've looked at the FAIR sxs and have considered ordering a 16 gauge Iside with 30 inch barrels. They look like very nice guns, although the wood on the base Iside model is pretty plain. My only complaint about them is that the grip on the straight stock is bulkier than that to which I'm accustomed on British and earlier Italian guns. I suspect that's because the guns are intended for modern American ammunition, including the 1-1/4 ounce and high speed loads that are available in 16 gauge and they wanted to beef up a potential weak point.

I have 16 gauge w/30" barrels that I ordered through John Boyd before he retired. I asked for custom dimensions and they were close, but I ended up sand-fitting mine for just a little more drop and cast. While the grip is indeed thicker than an English pattern gun I have come to appreciate it because I like and shoot B&P F2's at pheasants and don't worry about cracking the stock, but that's as hot as I'll go. The new 1 1/4 oz. 16 gauge loads are ridiculous. I also shoot a fair volume though it at clay targets. The triggers are very nice and mine were 3.4/3.9 lbs. from the factory on my digital Lyman gauge. This would all be moot if I didn't shoot it well, but I do!

My .410 Iside Tartaruga Gold has been perfect. Ordered through Bazil Slaughter in NV with custom dimensions and options and received a couple months later. It has 30" barrels, ejectors, double triggers, fairly decent wood not to have been upgraded, and custom LOP. It, also, is regulated very well.

Great gun for the $$$. I love mine.

SRH

I tried to order a custom 16 Iside last year, and had difficulties with the first gentleman I talked to, as similarly noted above in the op. After a couple weeks, I gave up waiting, and bought an H&H Dominion 16 instead, only to have the woman from IFG call me a few hours later with the quote I needed to order the custom Iside. Too late. I shoot the H&H very well, and at 6lbs and 30" it is the proverbial wand, but the idea of a modern, affordable sxs with tubes that can handle all available modern ammo still has great appeal, especially when I'm banging around the chukar rocks. I'm not surprised the Isides are selling well. I still may get one at some point.

Michael Yardley reviewed a 20 bore FAIR Iside in the April 2020 issue of The Field saying “The vast cost of some guns becomes, frankly, harder to justify when something this good can be made this reasonably” and “One of the best performing lightweight side by sides I have shot recently”.

Digital back numbers of The Field are available going back to 2012, so you should be able to buy a digital copy online. Try magazine.co.uk but you may have to do a Google search if that does not come up with the digital back numbers.