Fabarm L4S Allsport Shotgun Review

The Fabarm L4S Allsport is a jack-of-all-trades target gun, made to shoot every target discipline. Let me point out that the full “jack of all trades” proverb reads: “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” The point of the proverb is not that generalists are bad, but that versatility is good, and the L4S Allsport is versatile. The quick-change rib, adjustable comb and excellent choke tubes of the L4S allow you to switch it from sporting gun to trap gun in a couple of minutes. Those features save you from having to buy another entire shotgun.

I recently took a test-model L4S Allsport to the range and put it through it’s paces. Here is my full review.

Fabarm L4S Shotgun Specs

• Weight: 8 pounds
• Barrel: 30-inches with interchangeable vent rib, white bead, five choke tubes
• Action: Gas semiauto
• Trigger: 7 pounds
• Capacity: 4
• Finish: Blued steel, black anodized alloy with enamel highlights
• Stock: Oil-finished walnut
• Chambering: 2 ¾-inch 12-gauge
• Price: $2750; $2950 for left-handed model

Fabarm L4S Overview

Generally speaking, the Italian-made Fabarm L4S is a very good gas gun that hasn’t quite yet received its due in the U.S. It is both reliable and soft-kicking. All of the guns in the L4S line that I have tested have cycled everything, even very light, sub-1-ounce loads. The gun is built a little bit differently than most. Removing the barrel requires first removing the forend, which is held in place by a nut resembling a regular magazine cap. All it does, however, is hold the forend in place, both keeping it snug to prevent wiggling, and to reduce stresses on it. Once that is off, you undo the real barrel nut, and take the gun apart. The gas system parts are beautifully polished and shiny, and the gun has its action spring around the magazine tube where it’s easy to see and clean.

The barrel, like all Fabarm barrels, is both proof-tested to a higher level (1630 BAR) and deep-drilled to Fabarm’s Tribore dimensions. Each Tribore barrel has a long forcing cone taper, an over-bored section, then a long taper to the choke section. Apparently, by tapering the bore at the end, the Tribore does add a small velocity increase courtesy of the Venturi Principle, which we also use when we put our thumb halfway over the end of a garden hose to make the water spray harder. Fabarm’s focus on barrel making is also reflected by the fact that they make their own choke tubes, a part many gunmakers outsource.

What separates the Allsport is it’s versatility, particularly its quick-change rib. The gun comes with two ribs, one set up to deliver a 50/50 point of impact for skeet and sporting clays, the other gives you the elevated 65/35 POI that works best for trap. The ribs interchange in less than a minute. You push a pin out at one end, slide the rib off, slide the new one on, and replace the pin. It is that easy. If you want to change the stock dimensions when you switch disciplines, the Micro Metric 3D adjustable comb takes a little longer to change than the rib with an allen wrench, but not much longer.

Fabarm L4S Test Results

My test gun had a 30-inch barrel and weighed exactly 8 pounds on my scale. On the range, I thought it moved well to the target, and even with heavy 1200 fps, 1 1/8-ounce target loads, recoil was negligible. It is a very pleasant gun to shoot. It is, however, stocked with the assumption that you’ll be shooting it pre-mounted. I found it very difficult to shoot from any kind of low-gun start. Shooting it gun-up, however, was a breeze.

The trigger breaks at 7 pounds. The weight of it didn’t bother me at all, especially because the pull was crisp and clean, but it might annoy the easily annoyed. The Allsport also has an enlarged bolt handle and bolt-release button. The bolt release is located on the left side of the receiver, which is unusual. Once you realize that all you have to do to close the gun is bump the button with your palm, you wonder why all guns don’t have releases on the left side. The L4S Allsport, like all Fabarm guns, has a cleaner, modern look, with blue and white enamel highlights on the receiver and matching blue controls and forend nut. The wood is oil-finished, nicely grained walnut, without any of the fake-grain enhancement one sees on some Italian guns. The furniture has a combination checkering/stippling to enhance your grip, and right-handed palm swell. True left-hand models are also available.

Final Thoughts on the Fabarm L4S Allsport

Pros

• All-discipline versatility with interchangeable ribs
• Soft recoil
• Excellent fit and finish
• Sturdy hard case

Cons

• Not suitable for low-gun shooting

The L4S Allsport is good-looking, soft-shooting, versatile and, while $2750 is a fair amount of money for a semiauto shotgun, the Allsport may be the only gun you need to buy.