This year marked Fabarm’s 100th  year in business. Or maybe not. Born in Italy’s Val Trompia, the company that would become Fabarm was started by the Galesi family in the early 1900s, at a time when gun making was transforming from a specialized craft to an industrial operation. It isn’t until 1924 that there is clear evidence that the Galesi’s family gun business—which would become Fabbrica Bresciana di Armi—was established. Translated from the original Italian, the name means Arms Manufacturer from Brescia. The company would become universally known as Fabarm.

The History of Fabarm

In its early days, Fabarm manufactured pistols and side-by-side shotguns. However, in the years following World War II, the brand added compressed air rifles and over/under shotguns to their catalog. By the 1960s, the company added their GOLDENMATIC long recoil-operated semiauto shotgun, and in the 1970s, they launched the STL line of over/under shotguns that would win Fabarm its first world shooting championship title. That same year, the company began offering their ELLEGI semiauto gas-operated shotgun with an ERGAL 55 aluminum alloy receiver.

The Galesi family maintained control of Fabarm until 1979 when the company was purchased, and Fabarm’s new owners began to expand operations and incorporate new, sophisticated machining practices into their firearms production. Some manufacturing was moved to a new facility in Travagliato, not far from Brescia, and Fabarm began to expand into new markets—including North America.

The 2000s were a period of rapid innovation at Fabarm. In 2005, the company patented their TRIBORE HP barrels, which are overbored to reduce recoil and friction, feature a long conical area (narrowing of the bore diameter), and come with elongated, hyperbolic INNER HP and EXIS HP choke tubes. Fabarm barrels are deep drilled from quality chromoly steel to reduce stress, and to create a perfectly straight profile that results in accurate point of impact and consistent performance over the life of the gun.

2011 was a significant year for Fabarm. Fellow Italian gun company Ceasar Guerini acquired controlling interest in the brand, and Fabarm released their XLR semiauto shotgun, which would become a favorite of shooters and hunters over the next few years. After Fabarm was purchased by Caesar, Guerini Fabarm USA was established, marking the first time that Fabarm guns had been widely available in the United States. Previously, H&K had imported a handful of Fabarm guns, but it wasn’t until Guerini became the principle owner of the brand that Fabarm guns became popular in the U.S.

It wouldn’t take long for Fabarm to make waves in the States, either. In 2013, little more than a year after Fabarm USA was established, competitive shooter John Yeiser set a new world record by breaking 25 clays in 64.14 seconds with a XLR5 Velocity shotgun. In 2015, Caesar Guerini became the sole owner of Fabarm, which, along with Syren, makes up the current Guerini family of brands.

Fabarm Today

Fabarm shotguns have only been widely available for a little over a decade in the United States, but in that short amount of time, the brand has established itself as one of the premier manufacturers of upland and competition shotguns.

Several factors have led to this success. For starters, Fabarm prides itself on being an Italian brand that uses entirely Italian parts. Fabarm is also one of only three Italian brands that manufacture their own barrels, and their deep drilling method results in strong barrels that shoot accurately.

The barrels aren’t just straight, but also incredibly strong. CIP (the European organization that is charged with proof testing small arms) has standardized pressure testing for shotgun barrels, and every shotgun must be proof tested— bearing proof marks to verify that it has been evaluated. The standard proof test for 12-gauge, 3-inch loads is 1,320 bar, but Fabarm proofs their barrels at 1,630 bar.

When I asked Caesar Guerini’s president Wesley Lang why hunters and shooters should consider Fabarm guns, his answer was simple: quality of materials and construction.

“We put our heart and soul into our product,” Lang says. He advises potential buyers to lay Fabarm shotguns alongside rivals and begin looking at each feature of the gun—from the machining, to the finish, to material selection. He asserts that Fabarm guns stack up well to similarly priced competition, and I agree with his statement. One thing that I’ve noticed about the Fabarm guns tested in Gun Dog is that the material and build quality meets or exceeds rivals. Fabarm guns also offer a list of impressive features, from their deep drilled barrels to hyperbolic choke tubes, and exceptional wood. For instance, the ELOS N2 Allsport shotgun, which is designed with competition shooters in mind, features a QRR (Quick Release Rib) that allows the owner to quickly swap the 50/50 POI rib for a 65/35 rib. This effectively makes the gun suitable for skeet and sporting clays, as well as trap. Fabarm guns are also available with left-handed stock options like its Guerini and Syren brand mates, which makes these guns especially appealing to southpaws.

This level of quality has not gone unnoticed by hunters and shooters, either. One reason Lang said that Fabarm has not released more products in recent years is that the company is working hard to meet demand for existing products.

Lang says that these increased profits have been redirected into improving the company’s state-of-the-art factories, and this allows Fabarm to build guns with better fitment at improved cost and efficiency—without sacrificing the quality that customers have come to expect from the brand. Fabarm guns are backed by a five-year warranty, and the entire Guerini/Fabarm/Syren family of guns is backed by what is arguably the best customer service in the firearms industry. It’s unlikely that you’ll have an issue with your Fabarm, but there’s nothing more irritating than having to deal with customer service departments who aren’t willing or able to quickly help their customers remedy any issues that arise.

Testing the ELOS 2 Elite in the Field

One of the most striking field guns in the Fabarm line is the ELOS 2 Elite, their boxlock over/under, which is available in both 12- and 20-gauge, with 28- or 30-inch barrels. Both the 12- and 20-gauge guns feature 3-inch chambers, and both are available with left-handed stocks.

MSRP for the ELOS 2 Elite is set at $3,895, and the left-handed stock option is an additional $195. It’s priced higher than the ELOS D2 ($3,250), and just below the entry-level Caesar Guerini Woodlander over/under ($4,695). The ELOS 2 Elite is a beautiful field gun with a round-body action that rests comfortably in the hand while carrying the Fabarm in the field, and the deluxe walnut stock comes with a pistol grip, Schnabel forend, excellent fine-line checkering, and a matte hand-oiled finish.

Unlike the ELOS D2, which comes with a nickel-plated ERGAL 55 aluminum allow receiver, the ELOS 2 Elite features a precision machined steel receiver with an elegant case colored receiver with gold game bird accents. The steel receiver adds a bit of weight; the 20-gauge, 28-inch ELOS 2 Elite I field tested weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces, while the ELOS D2 weighs about 6 pounds in the configuration. The Elos 2 Elite is well balanced, though, and the added weight is a benefit when shooting heavy field loads.

Five INNER HP flush-fit choke tubes come standard with the ELOS 2 Elite, as does a zippered Integrale carry case. A 12mm black rubber recoil pad with a rounded heel comes standard, and the gold-plated inertia trigger features a deeply curved profile with checkering on the face of the trigger. Average break weight for the trigger was a crisp five pounds for ten pulls, which is among the best of any over/under factory shotgun I’ve tested. There’s a non-automatic tang-mounted barrel selector/safety that’s easy to access, and it moves positively from the safe to fire positions with no slop. Auto ejectors come standard on the ELOS 2 Elite.

Length of pull for the stock measures 14.625-inches while drop at heel is set at 2.25-inches and drop at comb 1.5-inches. There’s a slight cast at heel (.125-inches), a five-degree pitch, and a quarter-inch cast at toe. These numbers will matter to those who study shotgun stock dimensions, but even if that’s not you, there’s an immediate perception that this gun fits well, and it shoulders naturally and comfortably without hanging up—just what you need from an upland gun.

That covers the black-and-white specs of the gun, but the truth is, to truly appreciate the ELOS 2 Elite you must hold and shoulder the shotgun. It’s unparalleled in balance and feel, and the trigger is sublime. It differs slightly in profile from other over/unders (primarily because of the lowered top lever), and that’s in keeping with Wes Lang’s description of Fabarm’s more modern aesthetic.

The ELOS 2 Elite is pure joy to shoot, quick to the shoulder, and as svelte and smooth-handling as it is elegant. The fit and finish are well beyond many competing guns, and the sculpted forearm and palm swell offer a consistent anchor point and allow for a smooth, controlled swing, which is the hallmark of quality stackbarrel field guns. Interior finish and the detailing around the push-button takedown lever in the belly of the forearm were superb. This is a beautiful gun that’s well put together.

It also performs well on the range. Shooting both outgoing and crossers from a low-gun position, I found that the ELOS 2 Elite was very controlled and consistent. If this gun fits you properly, and you are adept at the mechanics of proper wingshooting, you’ll likely find that this gun simplifies shooting and improves performance—much as the ELOS N2 Allsport or ELOS N2 RS Sporting does during clay competitions.

As stated, the 20-gauge ELOS 2 Elite weighs in at around six-and-a-half pounds, which is good for clay shooting and preserve or wild bird hunts that don’t require excessive climbing and walking. If you prefer the thin-air altitudes and intense leg workouts associated with birds like chukar in steep mountain country, you may consider the ELOS D2 and its mass-reducing aluminum alloy receiver. The ELOS D2’s light weight will result in more potent recoil, though, and even though it’s a well appointed field gun, it can’t match the Elite’s stunning looks.

If I were to change anything on this gun, I’d prefer a slightly longer forearm, and a gold bead to match the accents on the gun, but those are my only quibbles with the Fabarm. The brand’s commitment to quality is on full display with this firearm, and though it costs more than some competitors, and won’t be available on the shelves of sporting goods and big box stores (and likely won’t be deeply discounted—Fabarm guns command their asking price but hold that value well), the ELOS 2 Elite is a phenomenal hunting gun that you’ll be proud to own. Fabarm might be celebrating 100 years, but I believe the best from this brand is still to come.