The Best & Worst Guns of 2023 

In his book Good Guns, author Steve Bodio asked "why kill a beautiful bird with an ugly gun?' So, my favourite guns reviewed at TGS Outdoors in 2023 are the Purdey side-by-side sidelock ejector, AyA side-by-side English Game Gun, and anything Simon Reinhold suggests we feast our eyes on!

Thanks Johnny, for a great year of solid content. I especially appreciate the ever-improving cinematography, and the bigger/deeper questions and ethics and questioning of trends and directions that you pose - and appreciate the field shoots to all of these beautiful places around Great Britain especially, but also your international trips. As a Canadian, it's really cool to see how it's done across the pond, which is so very different from North America.

Thanks for another year of beautiful, inspiring and entertaining films. Happy New Year to the TGS Outdoors team and I hope 2024 is the year I might be lucky enough to catch you at Bywell's

Happy New Years Jonny !!!- Looking forward to 2024 videos on everything TGS. Have to agree with you on the Browning A5. Wonderful work as always. Thanks again from Missouri, USA.

Outstanding year, thoroughly enjoyed everything you produced, every time new material is loaded the cinematography raises the bar continually. Looking forward to 2024. Have a great new year.

Happpy new year. Thoroughly enjoyed your content 2023. Hard to see how you’re going to top it in 2024. As always extremely informative and absolutely stunningly filmed and produced. Well done.

Wishing TGS outdoors ( film crew and shop) a very happy new year! Please keep it up guys and girls.

Hope you had a great new year. Sadly I only own and only shot one gun in 2023, my old Beretta SP1 sporter, that I picked because you(once upon a time) said it was a fine gun that was cheap to fix, and showed how easy it was to take part. Its still going strong and clays still drop of i point it the right place. Thanks and looking forward to seeing many new great videos from you.

Great, subjective summary - exactly what we asked for. Bought a Redolfi EOS Sport 30" second hand this year. Great gun for the price point (800eur), except... the tri--gger. Would be great to hear more comments on the crispness of the trigger pull in general. Happy ending 2023!

I can't believe a certain members Blaser didn't make this list 🤣 Happy New Year!

You should put really good stock on the Ruger Red Label, If you put a really really fine grade stock on it, think about all the snobs you would offend.

Great video and I’m looking forward to 2024s content. I love my Auto-5 but totally understand your viewpoint - my 1971 Alfa 1750 GTV would be the last car I ever parted with, so we see them the same way, just from opposite ends!

Best shooting channel by far. Thanks Johnny. Greetings from Alabama where we love the A5 Sweet Sixteens of our youth. Love mine so much I haven't shot it in 20 years!

Interesting, Johnny..As I have told you previously if you want to excel at 410 have Jim make you a set of barrels in 410 for your Longthorne that balance exactly to your12 bore barrels...Problem solved for winning some 410 events!

Ahhh the smile you gave me when talking about the Ruger red label 🫶🏻😊 love my red label shotgun. Happy new year 🎉🎆

Happy New Year to all at TGS Thanks for keeping me entertained over this last year. Keep up the great work👊

Out of the 6 firearms I bought this year, an old but almost unfired mint T. Wild SxS is the best. Hand made everything and incredibly perfect on walk up game! Worst is the same gun as the safety isn’t a 100% one the front trigger and haven’t yet figured out why. I have a pretty extensive gun collection and that is the only one I’ve ever had the safety not work as intended. Once a year travel somewhere you’ve never been and do something you’ve never done! Happy New Year everyone!

James Purdey & Sons Sidelock Side-by-Side = Perfection

I agree Johnny with you on your choices. I had an auto 5 it nearly jumped out of my hands when you shot it and hit me fingers they nickname them (pogo sticks) .XS & XT pro's for me 32" L/F both barrels great👌👍

Happy new year to you all at TGS, Hope to see you at the gun show 👍.

The A5 is not a clays gun, it is a classic meat harvesting machine. I owned a minty 1963 light 12 that didn’t fit me , kicked way too hard but somehow just never failed me in the field

Wow! Thank you for putting a spotlight on the Browning BPS .410. I purchased this exact same shotgun in 2023 and, as you said, it is the most unreliable gun that you have come across. I thought that I was the problem and tried every possible combination of .410 cartridges that I could and still - it remained unreliable. In Brownings defense (somewhat) I have a 20 ga BPS and I have never had a single reliability problem with it.

Great film Johnny, have a great new Year

Happy New Year Johnny. I agree, I hate the Browning A 5 as well. Thank you very much for all the great videos this past year, as well as all the awesome guns you showed us. Hope this coming year will be an amazing year for you, and your family. My best gun for me has to my Beretta a400 Multi target with kick-off. The gun I do not like that I have had since I was 16, is the Brno SxS double trigger. Might sell it in the year to come.

Another great video. BUT, how can the 20gauge Cosmi Superleggero you hunted with not even make it into the honorable mentions/ runner up category?🤪🤪🤪

gutted , not one side by side in your good gun group . happy new year great channel , see you at the Stalking Show

Happy New Year. Here’s to another year of great videos.😊

Happy New Year TGS team and thanks for all the great videos. Old school Browning Auto 5s are marmite. I own four (two section1s and two section 2s) and I am lucky that I shoot accurately with all of them but some people don't like the weird looking hump back design and the finicky internals. I guess different preferences are what makes shooting a fun sport 😇

Happy New Year Johnny and the team.

Happy New Year. Please make that 410 video happen. Best gun of the year? Is my first clay gun: Rizzini BR110 sporter. Fantastic gun period let alone for the money

Great videos! No Miroku on the list? Good you review the newe Miroku mk 38 sporter grade 3?

I want to say Steve Gordt's AYA that he loaned me at Gwysaney. Can't remember if it was a No.1 or 2. Beautiful stock albeit 16" LOP. Never imagined I would shoot it as well as I did and remarkably low perceived recoil for wood butt plate and high pheasant extreme. Was much softer shooting than Michael's Browning x25.

Thanks for another annual Best/Worst episode. Throughout the year I find myself wondering which guns will make it to this video. Also, thank you very much for the positive opinion of the Ruger Red Label. She may not be the belle of the ball but she is rock solid and a natural born killer. As for the BPS .410, yes they are finicky as pertains to ammunition. The extractor angle is cut for US shells (i.e., AA, STS, TGS). I had the same problems with Italian made Fiocchi shells leading me to believe the gun was defective. I switched to Federal TGS and had no more problems. Upon further inspection I found the Fiocchi shell rims were considerably smaller in diameter causing the extractor to slip over the rim and not eject. I know of several people who have had similar experiences with Fiocchi. They have worked well in our o/u's but are problematic in pumps and semi-autos. It would be interesting to see what the rim diameter/thickness of UK produced shells might be. Happy New Year and may 2024 be your best season ever!

Here's to another year of awesome TGS content!

Good afternoon, In anticipation of the New Year's feast, I was pleased to see your rating... Thank you! It is very interesting to hear your opinion about the Soviet Boss (MC-109 in Russian МЦ-109), MС-111(МЦ-111), as well as MС-8(МЦ-8). Good luck in the New Year! Sincerely, Alexander.

Worst by a country mile was Ryan's Side by Side with a Scope on top. Fully expected to do to myself what you did with a scope!

I held a Savage Fox Side by Side by Connecticut shotgun yesterday. I've always kind of ignored it, but it was actually really cool. I'd like to see you guys look at more of those. Can you tell me if They are sold ever in the United Kingdom?

Johnny, try a Browning B2000 you will be absolutely amazed at this first Browning gas autoloader…….

Had access to one of those 5 Shot Autos in the late 70's Handled like a potlug scaffold brace as I recall and soooo ugly. WE used to shoot down the line with it and rabbits from the back of a Landy.Not a bad drey monster too.

I had a BPS12ga. loves it. if you did not keep it lubricate it would not full cycle and end up with 2 shells trying to load

Best gun for 2023 is the Brand New Beretta 690 Black I found at a dealer in their safe. It is just an amazing shooter. Well balanced. Love the weight. Just suits me as if Beretta built it for me specifically. Sold my 725 as the 690 is just perfectly built for me.

I picked up a 682 gold E the other day for £800, 32” barrels in exceptional condition for a 23 year old gun, much prefer it to my browning or Miroku.

Hi , did you tried the 410 BPS with american shells? 410bore hulls in Europe can be made either with SAAMI or CIP standards, CIP standard shells does not function in SAAMI semiautos or pumps , they do not even work in most sub gauge tubes (Briley ,Kolar ). find some AA winchesters snd give it another chance.

#1 - have 3 auto 5s in 20, 16, 12 and love them. Never had an issue so no idea what issues you have or why the hate ... all 28" and they cycle wonderfully - great old guns. Used to shoot a hirib K80 but have moved to their 34" parcours (and a 34" sporting) and they are incredible. Picked up a Perazzi High tech out of curiosity and have to say i pretty much hate it .. feels sloppy compared to the krieghoff. thanks for the content loved the channel

How about a round action o/u comparison…Rizzini RB EM, C.Guerini Ellipse, Fausti Class RDX etc.

I would have said your (rusty) Woodward gets my vote for best gun as it looked truly beautiful and handled so well, but I think it featured in a video from last year, in which case, the prize goes to the Boomstick, the Classic Doubles side by side on account of how it impressed everyone!!

Great vid but i love my dead reliable bps 410 for skeet over a red label any day.

I have a mk70 and would love to see your thorts on it have you done or could u do a honest revue on one thanks

Infinitely better, Johnny!

The original A5s long recoil action is a bit distracting at first, but in terms of craftsmanship (as opposed to robot build quality)for the money, I think it's great. And I appreciate having something easy to take apart for cleaning and repair

Comments about the a5 could not have ever been more true. My older brother and dad love the, not me for exactly the reasons you said

Had a auto 5 off and on for 50 years always keep going back lol

my blaser f3 vantage tried one shot the best I ever have so ordered one First, I noticed no wrench in the case to remove the stock. then I went out with the next day 2 pound trigger pulls incredibly light. Then a friend noticed a patch on the barrels not properly. Blued worst gun I’ve ever bought and I’ve had some Guns

Thanks fornthe A5 comment. A5 was great 100 years ago when it was introduced. Thing have gotten better since then. Much better options.

That Garbi indeed deserves its spot in the list!! 😉

I love the A5 not for aesthetic reasons, but rather for the absolute genius of Browning's design. To create a functional autoloading shotgun at that time was an engineering triumph. To create one as reliable and long lasting as the A5 was closer to a miracle.

I have followed you since the beginning and a huge, huge fan. Browning Auto Five. Young English man, the difference between Yorkshire Pudding, Fish and Chips - Hamburgers and Fried Chicken says it all/smile. The Auto five is as American as the Stars and Stripes a working man's tool created by a genius. Could not let your worse vote slide by! P.S. Huge shout out to the videography over the past year! Brit living in The U.S.

Happ new year team, worst for me was that armi 22 m16 wannabe skulls gun in holts video, that thing belongs in the smelt to make toasters, best was Kromson, just a cool gun all round, shimmed over and under is a very underrated design

Happy new year team ,but no mirouki in the top 5 😂

The crooked picture on the wall kinda irritated me once I noticed it LMAO

My friend would disagree with you about the Beretta DT11! He has the anniversary model, the barrels are rusting out and going back to the factory for the second time this year! $13,500. Junk!!

I cant find anything about that army cassini online

Still waiting for you to get your hands on a cz all american sporter model and tell us your thoughts 🤣

My best gun of 2023 is my Winchester M12 shotgun. I been looking for one fore years and it was worth the wait (now i know why it is called "queen of pumps"). You really must do a video about them (Winchester M12).

A Happy New Year to all at TGS. 💥💥

In my little experience, I am afraid that no matter how "bad" a gun may be, if in skilled hands, it still breaks clays.

Hey Jonny 👋🏻 You didn’t include any side-by-sides 🤔 I thought you were a serious convert (or possible convert) to them. No likes or hates??? 🤠 Happy New Year 🎊 🎉🍾

That Garbi is a stunner.

Extra $100 at manufacturing point equals to extra $400 at retail.

I love the color of your walls

Glad the £1.50 Sussex Armoury o/u didn't make the bottom 5, please make a video on it.

Johnny please can you straighten the pic behind you, my OCD is peaking 😂

Best gun - my 725 ProSport when I hit stuff Worst gun - my 725 ProSport when I miss stuff It’s a love/hate relationship

Agree 100% on the Auto 5.

Question from a non shotgun shooter - at 2:49 is it just camera angles or is the person on the tower platform seemingly being flagged as you lead the clay ? Do shotgun loads loose energy that quickly that this is not a concern ?

I seem to remember a very expensive gun you bought to grimsthorpe that broke after 2 shots… 🤣 👀

That Luciano Bosis 28b in the holts sale…. 😍

Shot a browning A5 the other week and my Chiappa triple crown 20g smoked it. Handles better and no jams.

Never liked the auto 5 to shoot cool that they was used to train ball turret gunners but that’s about it 😂

im sorry Jonny but i don't know if i can accept that Auto-5 slander. My 1950 made one with a extra full choked barrel was one of my best competition guns ive ever used and my buddy has one with a cutts compensator and that gun feels like shooting a pellet gun (although if you stand near it you will feel it in your skull lmao) Also a suggestion for a shotgun to try to get your hands on is a Husqvarna, because it'll be funny

Where does the Cosmi fit in.

Great Vlog as always, but when you do a best of I think you need to divide them into a $ class. Say under $2000 and unlimited. Most of us poor folk would be divorced if we spent over $2000 on a gun.

I need to get the purple shooting glasses put me on them please

You lucky lucky😂😂😂😂😂. You and Sash deserved this year. My top 2 guns of the year are my Winchester SX4 and I've fallen in love with, and you're not gonna like this, a Beneli 828U. Hope 2024 treats you and yours well.

The Ceasar Gureni Invictus Multisport should have been a top gun.

No 16 making either list.😊

God, couldn’t agree more about the auto 5. Never understood why people like that damn gun

Yes a 410 reveiw plz😂

I was just about to criticise you over the Webley and Scott when you did bring it up. This HAS to take top prize for the ugliest gun, ever! I would not dare turn up with that gun. My shooting companions are brutal, funny but brutal. Can you imagine the ammunition that would give them if I turned up with the W & S competition???

What about the G1? Please respond..

Oh Brit’s nvm

Hipoint.

No worst gun list complete without the TR Imports Silver Imports. Turkish made doesn't always mean it's good. Stay away from TR Imports. Not only a bad gun, but the worst customer service in the business. Stay away from the Sporter.

The best guns are the ones you shoot very well the bad guns are the ones that break and you dont hit anything with iv moved to America for 40 years one reason to have real freedom and the mases shoot sporting clays we dont dress up we wear regular clothing i put my shells that i need for the station in my pockett and cheap hearing stuff cheapest cartridges cheapest guns i own expensive guns but i love light 5 lb 20 gauge dont miss much i only go there for sociable and laughter exesersize and a bit of shooting average 20 shots and then iv got my own clay ground its great thanks for your programs you are a gun snob but its good you like it if i lived in england i just borrow a loner gun couldn't do the complex computer stuff i now know why richard did all the paperwork at cris potter guns its ridiculous i got very easly my shotgun certificate in the 70tys weid you should have 5million shooters it would help your industry

For everyone telling you the Auto 5 needs this or that to be a great gun. Rubbish, bullocks, bullshit. The Auto 5 is an iconic shotgun. It was the first commercially successful semiautomatic made. It was a beautiful gun for about 50 or 60 years. Then they figured out gas technology. I love the Auto 5 not for what it is but for what it represents. It was a genius design in 1898. It’s a brut, a tank or a gun, it’s massive, it’s chunky, it has a very odd yet very recognizable shape. But for anyone to sit there and say it’s as good or better than what’s available today. They are delusional. It’s like you said about classic cars, beautiful but you don’t care to drive them. Yes because the technology is old and the operation is raw and unforgiving.

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😂

Worst Guns Purchases of the past 3 years. First off, since 2020 Beretta's manufacturing quality is beyond poor, it is in the sewer. If you aren't spending at least 10,000 USD on a Beretta today odds are good that it may require some repairs before you fire one shell. On any new Beretta it is imperative that you check to see if the safety can be moved before spending anything on a new sub 10,000 dollar Beretta' Good news that particular problem is only a 10 minute fix for a good gunsmith but it's a clear indication that you'll get better quality with a well made Turkish shotgun such as a Yildiz or CZ USA. Number One, purchased May of 2021 a Beretta Silver Pigeon III Sporting 410/28 combo with a EELL wood upgrade. Out of the box the safety could not be moved my hand, pulled the stock and used a Diamond file on the tips of the retaining pin for the safety slider to provide some clearance between pin and top tang. Then found that the bottom That the bottom tube of the barrel set leaks Ballistol cleaning solution at the junction between barrel tube and monoblok, cause is likely due to a line worker picking his nose before applying the silver solder paste to the tube before it was furnace brazed. Note, over 40 years working and a Manufacturing Engineer means I have first hand knowledge of every process used to build a shotgun. Final issue, after 2 years and roughly 7000 rounds fired the rear stricken face of both firing pins had peened badly enough the gun wouldn't fire. After removing the trigger plate and replacing the firing pins I found the originals were 0.023 inch shorter than the new firing pins. I also found that Beretta had torqued the bottom trigger plate screw to 35 ft.lbs. (47.5 NM) of torque, 4.7 times what is recommended for a 5mm screw. Problem 2. In Dec of 2022 I purchased a 30 inch Optima HP Sporting barrel set for my 20 gauge 686 Field. The barrels only needed a very light touch up in order to fit the receiver perfect. However when latched in this brand new barrel set had the top lever sitting a bit LEFT of the center of the top tang. So I had to order in a new +1 locking pin set and install in in the gun to get the lever to actually lock in properly. Cause is Beretta didn't every check to see than the production line was properly set when my barrel set was made. BTW, SPC mandates that at any change in tooling is made due to worn tools the entire manufacturing stage must be re-certified, so the first 10 pieces go to the Quality lab where every single dimension is checked and confirmed to be well centered in the tolerance range for that dimension. Problem 3. In July 2023 after having to replace the firing pins in my original 410/28 combo I decided having a spare would be a good thing because they Fit 100% perfect but I've lost enough trust in Beretta that having a spare for my primary practice and competition gun would be a good thing to have. Gun fit was again perfect and the EELL wood is just a bit prettier than the original. Problems. First the safety lever could not be moved, been there done that with the original and had to repeat that correction. One would think in 2 years that Beretta would have the person assembling the safety tab would actually check the fit after hammering in the retaining pin. Because of this I am pretty certain this is a common fault with new Beretta's today. The second issue is the top tube for the 410 gauge barrel set is Off the Face. Shoot 4 boxes at a match and the top ejector and monoblok are pure black. Out of curiosity I took the 410 barrel set from my original and tested to see if it would fit the receiver of the new gun to see if it would fit, not a chance of that at all, the breech face on the new gun is probably about 0.005 to 0.010 inch closer to the trunions than the original. I'll also note that after examining both of the new gun's barrel sets that it's pretty obvious that both had been filed on HARD to fit them to the receiver. As most of my Skeet Squad shoot Beretta's this one stands out as having the poorest looking breech faces as any of the others, file marks are both deep and obvious. This is the first time I have ever seen this, the barrels on my original combo fit my 20 gauge 686 perfectly. And I've swapped barrels for my 12 Gauge 686 Sporting with a shooting buddies 1992 vintage 686S and the barrels fit the much older gun perfectly. Note, he was thinking about a new HP barrel set and wanted to test drive mine before spending the money.