I know some of you new Sabatti owners and potential owners have been waiting for a qualified evaluation of these big bore DRs.

I just got off the phone with JJ, who has finished disassembly and examination of the first Sabatti he has seen in his shop. This was my new Sabatti 500 NE ejector. Following are his comments and corrective action, for which I received his permission to post:

"I have no problems with it...it is good at the price...it has some nice touches."

He doesn't believe it is a weapon to be fired daily for the next 30 years, but for African safari he has no problems with it other than it is too light for caliber, which he corrected by installing two mercury recoil reducers, bringing the overall weight from approximately 9.5# to 11#.

He also stippled the safety button so that it wouldn't allow the thumb to slip off it when wet or under pressure. This was the only recommendation he made beyond what I requested - he called me to discuss this and get authorization before proceeding.

Following is the work I originally requested and which he completed:

Adjust trigger pulls to 4# front & 5# rear
File the front sight to 45 degrees
Install mercury recoil reducer(s)
Install the included Weaver mount
Replace the POS recoil pad

Once I receive the rifle back, I intend to add some oil coats and a sealer to the wood. Then I will begin shooting it. Ele is on the schedule for next year and JJ is now making the same improvements to my hunting partners Sabatti 500.

Bottom line is that at the price of $5500 w/ejectors this should be considered a good buy on a large bore DR for Africa DG hunting.

My thanks to JJ for his help. Hope this information is beneficial.

quote:

bringing the overall weight from approximately 9.5# to 11#.

You ruined it!

Sorry Will, but the one I shot was really a thumper at 9.5#, and I do recoil fairly well.

Mike, did the recoil reducers effect the balance?

JJ is shipping it back to me tomorrow, so no answer yet, but my guess is if anything it helped. I suppose JJ would have mentioned it if there was a problem.

Thanks for the info Mike. I have seen a few of these rifles and was anxious to hear a qualified review from someone like Mr. Perodeau.

Nice to hear for sure since I already bought one and really like it. Makes me feel all the better, gotta get lucky every now and then! Thanks for the info.
Rick

Well done. This is exactly what I sought from JJ when I found out he had finally seen a Verney-Carron/Demas, to which he gave a thumbs up BTW.

I was just looking at Cabela's Gun Library and see a number of 450-400, one 450, one 470 and six 500 currently listed, most with ejectors.

Thanks for posting. Sounds like there are no issues of concern. You wonder when a new DR comes out...

If it get JJ's seal of approval it's good to go.

Rich
DRSS

BTT

Say Rich, does the Boise Cabelas happen to have one of those six .500's on hand?
I think that is what I have decided on now that I know that JJ has approved adding the Mercury as an option.
Frank

Where are they manufactured?

Italy.

quote:

Originally posted by Showbart:
Well done. This is exactly what I sought from JJ when I found out he had finally seen a Verney-Carron/Demas, to which he gave a thumbs up BTW.

I am NOT surprised by this at all.
___________________________________________________

It's good to hear of this report about the Italian rifle.

quote:

He doesn't believe it is a weapon to be fired daily for the next 30 years

Did he elaborate on this part?

quote:

Originally posted by degoins:

quote:

He doesn't believe it is a weapon to be fired daily for the next 30 years

Did he elaborate on this part?

What weapon is expected to be fired daily for the next 30 years? I would guess that if you take all the doubles ever made, more than half have been fired under 200 times and fewer that 10% have been fired over 500 times.

quote:

What weapon is expected to be fired daily for the next 30 years? I would guess that if you take all the doubles ever made, more than half have been fired under 200 times and fewer that 10% have been fired over 500 times.

All true. Just wondering why he would make that statement.

As I recall, he made the comment after he said, in effect "...IT'S NOT A HOLAND & HOLLAND ROYAL..." and of course it isn't but it is substantially less money also. That was his point. It's called an analogy.

Hope this puts it in perspective.

Can you give the stock dimensions of your rifle? I have no problem with the weight: my .505 wildcat, which matches .500 NE performance, weighs only 8 3/4 pounds, but the stock design, particularly the drop at comb and heel are critical. The only stock dimension I have seen on Cabela's web site is the length of pull.

Fit and finish can be commented upon but without knowing materials, doing hardness testing, and all that other stuff, only time will tell.

If you wear it out, throw it away and buy another one.

quote:

Originally posted by xausa:
Can you give the stock dimensions of your rifle? I have no problem with the weight: my .505 wildcat, which matches .500 NE performance, weighs only 8 3/4 pounds, but the stock design, particularly the drop at comb and heel are critical. The only stock dimension I have seen on Cabela's web site is the length of pull.

If you search here for all of the sabatti topics, you'll find the one with the pic of the sabatti with two other brand of doubles the poster owns.

The obvious that jumped out of that pic was the straighter stock of the sabatti, which is a good thing to me. I didn't want to start a stock fit fight so I didn't mention it.

quote:

I would guess that if you take all the doubles ever made, more than half have been fired under 200 times and fewer that 10% have been fired over 500 times.

That is sad if true.

My 500NE K-gun,(the first delivered US gun I was told)

has fired far more than that in its life and

went through 20 rounds day one.

Several more days (& years )followed including one 80 round day(which was too much).


Besides, would you be comfortable going against Tembo after only a few rounds through your brand new double?

JJ had a bad day last Thursday and the gun was re-scheduled to ship this past Monday, but because I am off to Kauai Friday for a week of R&R, I asked them not to ship until I return. I now expect to receive the rifle the first week of October. A report will be forthcoming sometime later that month, after I get to the range.

quote:

It's called an analogy.

Oooooooh......I'm so ignorant.

Quote "He also stippled the safety button so that it wouldn't allow the thumb to slip off it when wet or under pressure. This was the only recommendation he made beyond what I requested"


I m wondering why he recommended this since my .450 and all of the other Sabattis I have seen come with fairly deep cross hatch engraving on the safety slide as well as a ridge on the end that will stop your thumb from sliding off.

degoins,

no problem with that. Everyone in this world is ignorant, of many things. Take the Kenyadent. He doesn't understand capitolism or how it works.

Ignorant just means you do not know about some specific thing.

Rich

Stupid, now that is impossible to fix.

I would be interested as to how the rifle regulates with the added weight of 1.5 lb plus the recoil effect change of 2 mercury recoil reducers?
APB

quote:

Originally posted by Aussie Powder Burner:
I would be interested as to how the rifle regulates with the added weight of 1.5 lb plus the recoil effect change of 2 mercury recoil reducers?
APB

Yep...

I now have my Sabatti 500 NE back in my hands from JJ. Here is some info you've requested:

The balance point is just IFO the trigger guard, which is correct for my standards.

Front trigger breaks between 4.5 and 5.5 pounds while the rear trigger breaks closer to 6 pounds. I expect these to change slightly as the rifle is broken in and the round count approaches 100.

Weight is now 11# 5.7oz. with A-Zoom snap caps inserted in the chambers.

I should receive an EOTech XPS-20 next week and hopefully will have an initial range session soon thereafter. This will add another 8oz. to the rifles weight, bringing it to just under 12 pounds.

Range reports will follow as available.