An extraordinary gun for an extraordinary year, Krieghoff’s 2020 Gun of the Year captures the beauty and essence of the Galapagos Islands.
The Krieghoff Gun of the Year for 2020 portrays the raw beauty of the Galapagos Islands and the vast wildlife that roam the untouched islands of Ecuador. Engraver Chantal Schaschl captures the stunning detail of the sea life and prehistoric reptiles that have lived on the islands for thousands of years. Also depicted on this one-of-a-kind piece are some excellent portraits of the unique birds that live in the Galapagos. All of this is deeply engraved on the side of Krieghoff’s new K80/S – a perfect canvas for a work of art like the Galapagos gun with the large side plate.
The left side showcases the island’s unique reptiles like marine iguanas and the nearly extinct Giant Galapagos Tortoise which can live for well over 100 years. Also pictured is the majestic Galapagos hawk with its talons and beak engraved in gold. The receiver’s right side focuses on the island’s coastal creatures. Engravings include birds that are common on the island like the Galapagos penguin, blue-footed booby and well recognized Great Frigatebird. Artistically shown is the vast difference in sizes of the lizards, from the large marine iguana to the tiny lava lizard where no detail is missed. Finally, sea lions are shown basking on the coast line in high relief.
The base of the receiver shows the beauty of the Galapagos that can only be seen from under the clear water of the Pacific Ocean. Shown is a magnificent spotted eagle rays with its distinct white spots along with schools of angel fish that like to call the islands vast variety of coral home. A leatherback turtle can also be seen cruising along the coral. The trigger guard has a mirrored look and feel of an Iguana’s back that can be seen and felt in great detail. The top latch is engraved in great detail with a prickly pear cactus along with its beautiful flowers commonly found on many of the Galapagos Islands. Extending from the top latch to the top lever is an engraved Galapagos racer, one of only three types of snakes found on the Islands.
The complete gun is beautifully balanced and draws the viewer in with greater detail the closer you look. With multiple colors of gold contrasted with deeply engraved figures the overall look is stunning. As with past Krieghoff Guns of the Year, the new owner will have the chance to choose the final barrel and stock configuration with custom wood and specifications.
Shotguns on Review contains 38 of Bruce Buck’s most popular gun reviews for Shooting Sportsman: The Magazine of Wingshooting and Fine Guns. The reviews have been updated where necessary, covering field and target guns ranging from serviceable to exquisite. There is also an informative section on how to analyze a gun intended for personal purchase.
Buck clearly discusses the mechanics of each gun and compares it to its peers. Each review is accompanied by color photographs shows the details of the gun. Where helpful, manufacturing techniques are explained to broaden the reader’s background. Most importantly, Buck uses his years of shotgunning experience to write about what the guns are like to shoot according to their intended usage.
