The number of women joining the hunting and shooting communities has been constantly increasing as well as their requests for dedicated products. Who can better understand their needs than three ladies sharing the same passions who are also gunmakers?
The number of lady shooters of all ages has been steadily increasing over the past few years. Women no longer go to shooting clubs just to be with their husbands, fathers, sons or brothers like they used to do a few years ago. Now they go shooting and they want to do it well. And so, while men may be at home on Saturday mornings, their significant others may go shooting targets or chasing pheasants and woodcock up and down hillsides and mountains.
The relationship between women and gear has also changed: women no longer want to adapt to apparel and accessories designed for men, but they expect to find gear designed for them and their bodies. And of course, shotguns have not been exempt from this new trend.
Gunmakers have not entirely neglected these new requests, but they have often approached them in a very superficial and oversimplified way by changing colors or adding minor and insignificant details. The result has often been more offensive to that femininity they were trying to gratify.
Thankfully, there are exceptions.
Just like we did with small bore guns, we at Fausti – one of the most dynamic gunmakers in Italy – were ahead of the curve when we successfully introduced a lady version of the DEA model, called the DEA Lady, a few years ago.
The FAUSTI range was studied, designed and engineered from the very first strokes of a pencil to meet the specific needs of lady shooters and hunters. It has just become more comprehensive and targeted with the addition of the “APHRODITE” model. The “APHRODITE” is not a standard over/under shotgun adapted to women by reducing weight here and there or adding engraving or finishing women are believed to like. The APHRODITE is a brand new and totally dedicated project.
As a matter of fact, who could better get the secrets of a product totally meant for ladies than three ladies who run a gun company by trade and who hunt for passion? The result is called “APHRODITE,” an over/under shotgun dedicated to the Goddess of beauty, love, procreation and spring. The archetype of women of all ages and all classes. This is a lady shotgun with no compromise and offered in all traditional bores from the 12 to the .410, including the 20 and the 28, in either a traditional hunting configuration or a sporting one, chambered standard or magnum.
With barrels from 63.5 cm to 76 cm long, with either fixed chokes or interchangeable choke tubes, the APHRODITE is ideal for all hunting applications and styles as well as competition. Long forcing cones and new bore geometries help reduce perceived recoil, which makes shooting and pointing easier, improves ballistic performance and yields perfect shot patterns.
All FAUSTI guns are famous for their perfect balance and ease of carrying. However, these qualities are extremely enhanced in the “APHRODITE” model, thanks to its custom stock dimensions, LOP, “Montecarlo” style stock with drop dimensions that allow women to mount the gun very naturally.
The proverbial attention to details FAUSTI Gun Maker pays at all times is very evident in this model where century-old hand skills and the benefits of industrialization are harmoniously combined.
At FAUSTI hand files go hand-in-hand with CNC machines to produce top quality work and levels of customization unthinkable anywhere else. As a result, shooters can choose between extractors and ejectors, single trigger or double triggers, pistol grip, POW or English stocks, wooden butts or rubber recoil pads as well as schnable or splinter forends. The APHRODITE is a truly bespoke gun just like a tailored dress.
The laser engraving lends itself to the round lines of the action and the scene combines ornamental and English scroll with the classical portrait of the Goddess the gun is named after. The Aphrodite scene on the action back is framed by a gold wreath with the name of the Goddess next to the model and gunmaker names.
A cameo image of Aphrodite is pierced by hand in the top lever and is a unique touch of class that tells the “APHRODITE” apart from all other guns.
Another level of customization is offered with the action that comes with either coin finish or color case hardening.
A custom air travel approved case in ABS comes standard with the APHRODITE over/under shotgun, which is destined to become a new “must” for women who want to shoot competitively and hunt in style with a sober elegance which defines true femininity.–Barbara Fausti