Gun test: Caesar Guerini Summit Ascent Allsport 

Drennan Kenderdine gets better acquainted with the new Summit Ascent Allsport, which has a particularly interesting stock configuration

One thing that pleases me is when a manufacturer has listened to your comments and those of shooters on the circuit. The team at Caesar Guerini not only listens but also takes it to the next level, putting those ideas into practice with a new creation – the Allsport. 

It’s called the Allsport for a good reason! The Summit Ascent is not a new gun – it has been around for as long as I dare to let my mind go back. It’s had a good history with shooters like Brody Woollard cutting his teeth on it before moving to the Invictus, and Tania Faulds using the Summit to this day. So, the Summit is a gun that’s proven itself via some rather important names in our sport. 

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Caesar Guerini would have reached the limits of what they can do with the Summit, and in particular, the Summit Ascent; but you would be wrong. The Caesar Guerini UK team decided to take the Summit Ascent to the next level by bolting a Monte Carlo stock onto its rear. I can already hear the cries from the gallery … “That’s nothing new, it’s called a Trap gun!” Well, in this particular case that’s not quite right, because this isn’t like any other Monte Carlo stock you’re likely to encounter! 

The all-new stock 
Caesar Guerini has taken the comb dimensions of a Sporting stock, used that measurement of drop at the front of the comb, then built a Monte Carlo stock of that drop height... and that, quite frankly, is ingenious. 
So, what does this achieve? A Monte Carlo stock is designed to give the comb a parallel height, so that wherever the shooter places their cheek on the stock, they will get the same amount of height from the comb.

I use a Monte Carlo set-up for all of my shooting, and I do have quite a 'head forward' style – if I do move my head slightly further back, the alignment from my eye to the rib stays the same, due to the comb height being the same all the way back. I have a friend who shoots nothing but Sporting using a Monte Carlo stock, and he places his head towards the rear of the comb. So, a Monte Carlo stock has more uses than many think, considering it is a configuration most often considered as suitable for Trap disciplines only. As Caesar Guerini knows this, they aptly named this new addition to the Summit Ascent range the Allsport. So yes, without stating the obvious, it’s a gun for all the disciplines.  
 

Other features 
The Allsport is everything you want from a modern Sporting clays shotgun, without the additional cost of an adjustable point-of-impact rib. The 10mm high tapered top rib is designed to shoot at 50/50% point-of-impact, allowing for an upright shooting position and improved target visibility, making it a proper competition-grade gun.  

The stock, which we’ve already spoken about in depth, also incorporates the DTS (Dynamic Tuning System) Stock, allowing for adjustment; this gives a variety of shooters the ability to adjust the gun to fit precisely how they want and need it to.  

The mass in the stock and barrels are designed so the gun will balance well as it is sold, but I also made use of the DTS Kinetic Balancing System that Caesar Guerini sells separately. This had several advantages: Firstly, it gave a slightly rear-weighted balance to the gun, which I prefer; secondly, the spring system does reduce recoil, making the gun comfier to shoot for longer periods of time, and also aiding target acquisition on the second shot.

It’s not an in-your-face noticeable movement, but the difference between shooting a round of Sporting with some seriously hot cartridges, with and then without the DTS Balancing System, highlighted how much more fatigued I felt shooting without it. I now get all of my students who use Caesar Guerini guns to employ the DTS Balancing System. They all say they wouldn’t be without it now, and I don’t use any Caesar Guerini without one either! The DTS Kinetic Balancing System is beautifully made, easy to fit, and turns any Caesar Guerini into a gun with added superbness.  

The fore-end is a Trap-style or beavertail fore-end. I’ve always found this style more responsive to the input you give the gun. It provides a much more planted feel to the gun’s handling, which is a result of being able to grip the fore-end comfortably but with assertion. 

All current Caesar Guerini barrels coming into the UK after February will be 3" bored. They will also be supported with a Fleur de Lys symbol, allowing the safe use of steel shot and of high-performance steel shot. So, Caesar Guerini has future-proofed not only the barrels on the Allsport, but on their entire range of guns.  

How did it shoot? 
Overall, the name of this gun is spot-on and says it all. It’s a gun for “Allsports” of shooting! As mentioned earlier, I took it round the Sporting course a few times, and I also took it onto a Trap range for a quick blast. I found it very smooth and responsive to shoot, and overall was impressed with this competition-grade gun. It is backed by a 10-year mechanical warranty, and comes with a super smart flight case, barrel/stock socks, eight extended chokes, along with choke key and case, and an Allen key to adjust the stock and trigger. With an RRP of £3,595 for all that, it is one of the market leaders. 

TECH SPECS 
Make: Caesar Guerini 
Model: Summit Ascent Allsport 
Type: Over-and-under 
Calibre: 12g 
Chamber (in): 2 ¾” (all new Caesar Guerini’s are 3”) 
Rib: Double ventilated, 10-8mm tapered 
Barrel Length (in): 30”, 32” 
Chokes: Multi, 8 extended chokes provided 
Safety: Non-auto SSTE 
Trigger: adjustable 
Stock: Wooden, DTS adjustable Monte Carlo 
Recoil pad: Trap-style  
Length of Pull: Adjustable 
Action: Satin black with clear protection 
Accessories: Flight case, chokes with key and case, stock and trigger Allen key 
Additional options: DTS Kinetic Balancing System and barrel weights 
RRP: £3,595 
Visit: caesargueriniuk.com or your Caesar Guerini dealer