Astra 650 and Astra 750: Rare sporting shotguns from Spain

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Astra 650 shotgun (Photo: Astra)

Astra-Unceta is widely-known for their pistols but rather less well-known outside Europe for their sporting guns, a state of affairs they are now seeking to remedy. Their home market has been satisfied by conventional single and double guns for some years, but they have now developed an over-and-under specifically for export.

Difference between Astra 650 and Astra 750

The Astra 650 and Astra 750 differ in their trigger arrangement; the Astra 650 has double triggers, while the Astra 750 has a single trigger with a selector to permit firing either barrel first. Either can be had with automatic ejectors or with manual extractors. The barrels are bored to modified and full choke.

Design

The gun is well finished, with a walnut stock with a pistol grip and well-executed checkering on stock and fore-end. The receiver is neatly roll-engraved, the fit of metal to wood is first-class, and the barrels are well polished and blued. The receiver body is somewhat deep due to the use of bottom bolting, but this leaves ample room for the hammers and firing pins and the selective trigger mechanism so that the component parts are robustly proportioned and easily reached for repair or adjustment. The firing pin holes in the standing breech have removable bushings. A ventilated rib surmounts the barrels with a gold bead front sight.

The Astra gun handles well and delivers consistent patterns. It was considered a sound and reliable gun that should give long service for its price.

Technical specification

Manufacturer: Astra, Unceta y Cia, Guernica, Spain
Type: superposed, single, or double trigger
Caliber:  .44 Magnum
Gauge: 12
Barrel: 28 in (711 mm)
Weight: 7.34 lbs (3.33 kg)
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