Fausti Class Aphrodite

As would be expected, the growth in the number of female shooters has created a concurrent demand for guns specifically suited for women. Gunmakers keenly aware of this target demographic have been introducing shotguns with handling qualities and stocks specifically for it. Fausti was at the forefront of the effort with this month’s review gun. The Class Aphrodite over/under is a dandy addition to an increasingly crowded field of women’s shotguns. I welcomed the opportunity to review the Aphrodite, as it allowed me to not only address a broader audience but also engage my female peers and solicit their opinions.

Fausti is a multi-generational family company that was established in 1948 by Stefano Fausti. Seventy-six years later, Fausti’s commitment to “innovation, technology, and craftsmanship” has resulted in a diverse line of “ultra-modern 21st Century” hunting and competition shoguns. Fausti has made significant investments in CNC machinery and uses top-of-the-line materials and specialized workers to blend modern and traditional gunmaking practices. Making components, finishing, fitting, stocking and assembly are completed in-house—much of it by hand. Fausti’s “unwavering focus on endeavoring to meet the most stringent excellence standards with every shotgun” is manifest in the Aphrodite. 

The Class Aphrodite, which retails for $4,815, is a field gun available in 12, 16, 20 and 28 gauge as well as .410 with a choice of 26", 28" or 30" barrels. Our 20-gauge Aphrodite’s 28", deep-drilled, chrome-lined barrels were well struck with a stunning black gloss finish. The cleanly cut  muzzles were gap-free around the rib-end plugs. The jointures for the full-length center ribs were flawless. The machine-filed 6mm vented flat top rib was finished with a silver front bead. Upon closer scrutiny, there were slight gaps between some of the rib’s posts and the top barrel. “FAUSTI USA INC/FREDERICKSBURG VA – MADE IN ITALY” was etched on the right rear of the top barrel. The gauge, chamber length and safety warning were on the left. The seams at the jeweled monoblock were superb. The machining for the bites, trunnion hooks, lugs and ejector channels were excellent, and the ejectors fit snuggly. The 3" chambers transitioned to 1.18" forcing cones (although I had expected longer cones in a women’s gun to mitigate recoil). The .625" bore was overbored from the nominal .615". The five blued-steel chokes (Cylinder, Improved Cylinder, Modified, Improved Modified and Full) were 2¹/₁₆" long, with notches indicating constriction and cut-outs for the included wrench. Other than “No Steel Shot” indicated on the IM and F chokes, they were unmarked. The Cylinder choke measured .000" and the Modified .015"—both spot-on nominal. The others wandered some, with the Improved Cylinder measuring .004", so more like Skeet; the Improved Modified measuring .025", so closer to Full; and the Full measuring .030", so really Extra Full. A trip to the patterning board and some patience counting holes would have provided the best picture of how these chokes performed. The chokes threaded easily and sat recessed ¹/₁₆" from the muzzles. 

The winsome, scaled, rounded action felt lovely in the hand. It is milled from block steel and features full-coverage floral and scroll laser engraving and a matte silver finish. The engraving was well defined, with sufficient depth and symmetrical, even borders. Gold floral accents and the Fausti name adorn each side. On the bottom a profile of Aphrodite framed in gold leaves has banners stating “Class” and “Aphrodite” above and below. The engraving is a little busy for me, but it is tasteful and appealing. Sculpted, stippled fences are a nice touch. The blued toplever, barrel selector/safety, and trigger guard contrast nicely with the silver receiver. The toplever and trigger guard are embossed with the stylized Fausti logo.

The action’s interior also has a matte silver finish. The machining for the lug cutouts and wedges was exceptional. The surfaces were free of swirls or blemishes. The knuckle is polished, and parallel blued cocking bars run along the bottom. Fausti’s Four Locks mechanism is impressive. In addition to a thick underbolt that emerges at the bottom of the face to engage a broad bite in the monoblock, two lugs on the bottom of the monoblock settle into recesses in the well of the action and cutouts engage two milled wedges on the action sides. The barrels swing on replaceable trunnions. 

The neatly arranged internals of the triggerplate action reflect Longfellow’s maxim that “the supreme excellence is simplicity.” There is nothing extraneous. Sears hang from the top, and hammers pivot on the bottom. The inertia block and lifter sit at the center. Stout coil springs run along the bottom. The firing pins are set deep toward the breech. Save the springs, everything is blued. The components are precise and well fit. There are no burrs or lamentable machining marks. The sears, hammers and lifter are all forged parts, as opposed to the inertia block, which is cast. 

The toplever opened with a silken ease that spoke to a well-fit bolt and first-rate spring. The manual safety rides on wire springs over a roll pin. It was positive with a hint of grittiness that might have smoothed out over time. The barrel selector was a little stiff, moving right to select the bottom barrel and left for the top. The fixed inertia trigger has a wide silver blade. While there was noticeable take-up in both pulls, the trigger was not sloppy. The bottom barrel broke crisply at 2¾ pounds, and after some creep the top barrel broke at the same weight.

The AA+ Turkish-walnut Monte Carlo stock was dark with pleasing horizontal figure, especially through the wrist. It was hardly lavish, but an effort had been made to provide wood commensurate with the gun’s price. The low-gloss oil finish had no gaps or overruns and filled the grain and pores. The gentle-radius, rounded pistol grip; dainty wrist; and shortened reach to the trigger will accommodate the female shooter. The laser-cut checkering had well-defined—albeit shallow—symmetrical borders. There was adequate depth to the checkering, and the grip was secure. The drop at comb on the Monte Carlo stock measured 1¼" to 1⅝", with the drop at heel measuring 2¼". The cast-off at heel was ¼", and the cast at the toe was ½" (read: slight toe-out). The LOP was 13⅝" to the back of a rubber pad, and there were 6° of pitch. Every effort had been made to create a stock suited to the female anatomy and to promote easy gun mounting and shooting comfort. The stock did have several notable shortcomings. While the ½" rubber buttpad and spacer were well fit, the pad was hard. Also, the head of the stock was not sealed, which might allow moisture and excess oil to come in contact with the interior raw wood. The wood-to-metal fit was quite good, save a small gap between the top tang and stock. 

The splinter forend had excellent checkering. The oil finish was flawless, and the underside was fully finished. The engraved blued iron contrasted nicely with the silver receiver. The Deeley latch operated smoothly and secured with a definitive click. Inside, the iron’s inletting was precise along the sides, although there was a gap near the top as though the iron should have been longer. While the forend was not uncomfortable, I think the Aphrodite would be better served with a trimmer forearm more suited to the svelte proportions of the stock.

 I headed to the clays course with boxes of Winchester AA 2¾" ⅞-oz loads of No. 7½s at 1,300 fps. (I picked a stouter target load to mimic what might be shot in the field.) The gun patterned 50/50 with IC/M chokes, and convergence was excellent. Well-timed ejectors threw hulls five feet. At 6¼ pounds, the Aphrodite balanced right at the knuckle, with a touch more weight felt up front. I had several women shoot it, and they lauded its aesthetics, nimble handling qualities and agreeable grip geometry and dimensions. They agreed that it was comfortable and easy to mount. Interestingly, the two most seasoned shooters (a Level III instructor and a pro-staff shooter for another gun brand) commented on the gun’s recoil. One described it as “abrupt”; the other said that it was “spicy.”

I also noticed the sharp recoil while aiming at the patterning board. This stands to reason, as the short LOP was not appropriate for me. But it got me thinking that a more-forgiving buttpad and slightly longer forcing cones might help mitigate recoil. That said, once I got in the rhythm of shooting clays, the recoil did not register with me at all. In fact, once I made some adjustments to adapt to the LOP, the gun was a hoot and I shot it very well. I would describe it as “frisky,” and it was very pointable. I couldn’t miss on a variety of targets. It was counterintuitive that I would enjoy such success with a gun designed for women. Then it occurred to me that it felt remarkably similar to my primary field gun: a 1960s 20-gauge Beretta BL-3. This is certainly an admirable gun for the Aphrodite to approximate.

Out of curiosity, the next day I shot the gun using some lighter 1,100-fps ¾-oz loads of No. 7½s, and the recoil was more agreeable. Ultimately, the Aphrodite is a charming little bird gun and occasional clays crusher. It would be delightfully maneuverable in tight cover and a joy to carry in the quail field. It has excellent aesthetics, admirable build quality, sound handling characteristics and good value. And I shot it lights out! 

Every effort has been made to make the Aphrodite comfortable to shoot by women. 

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