B525 Game Laminate

[haggis]

Had  a look at one today. Feels nice in the hands and practical too. Im hopefully doing some pigeon shooting and a bit of marsh work next year. Wanted to replace my 725 32" with something i could use for everything including clay. Anyone else got one?

Edited December 31, 2024 by haggis

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, If that was me i would be going for a normal Walnut stock 

[haggis]

Everyone I speak to says it looks **** but it did handle nicely. 

[arjimlad]

My 525 Game was proofed in 2006. It is a 30" MC with walnut stock. For me, it is a keeper and a great all-rounder.

It would suit your suggested uses well save that the gape of a OU is not the most practical choice for a pigeon hide, compared with an auto which would be my choice for pigeons and marsh. 

The 525 action has been very reliable. 

[Red carp]

On 31/12/2024 at 14:02, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, If that was me i would be going for a normal Walnut stock 

I am with this guy 👍  

Edited Thursday at 11:12 by Red carp

[Westley]

I too would be wanting a walnut stock, however,  my 2 Grandson's at 18 and 21, both think their grey laminates are 'cool'  !    😂

[Poor Shot]

I've got one that I've used for the past two seasons on driven game. It's also used down on the marsh, for any rough shooting and it occasionally steps in for clay target shooting when my main gun is away for servicing or repair. 

It's not the lightest owing to the laminated stock which is heavier than the standard walnut stock option but it is fair bit more robust and doesn't have a mark on it after the two years. Usually a walnut stock would have picked up some marks by now from button poppers and zips on my shooting jackets, being placed on the ground, hit by cover when walked up shooting etc. Laminated stocks also seem to bend less under recoil which means the recoil has a slightly different feel to it. Hard to put into into words but less springy and more direct but you shouldn't notice this unless your banging out 36g 3" HP steel loads one after the other. This could also be down to the fact it's relatively straight stocked in both cast and drop like other traditional game guns. Laminated stocks also don't seem to suffer from swell or raised grain when wet. Pretty low maintenance with just a wipe over required after being soaked or caked in mud. 

Checkering was a tad sharp on mine when new and did cause some irritation to the parts of the hand that contact the pistol grip but it has worn with time and is just fine now. 

I think it looks good also being a stained brown laminate rather than grey. Certainly different from the hundreds of grade 3-5 walnut stocked Brownings, Berettas, Blasers and whatever else you'll see on most game days. 

It seems to handle 3" HP steel loads quite well, you're going to notice the difference between a standard 2 3/4" load and a 3" load but it's not going to knock your fillings loose when you fire them. It's still quite stiff to open after hundreds of clay loads, hundreds of 32-34g lead and steel game loads and circa 100 3" HP steel loads. 

Barrels are coated black and not blued which is better for the **** wet conditions we seem to have had for the last two seasons. Barrel ends and breach are still bare steel though and will rust if not looked after. I did get some surface rust to the barrel ends after a session down on the marsh in which I must dipped the ends of the barrels into salt water while moving about. It went from brand new to coated in surface rust in the time it took to walk off the marsh and drive home. No lasting damage and came up good as new with a little emery cloth and elbow grease. 

It's important that you are able to shoot a gun with standard dimensions as they aren't as easy to bend as a standard walnut stock. It's worth getting your hands on a modern 525 game gun that hasn't been messed with first and be sure that the fit is suitable before committing to purchase.