In the December 1995 issue, we tried a couple of double-barreled shotguns that retailed for less than $900. Both of the 20 gauges in this head-to-head test, a Gentry and a Brittany, were imported by American Arms. Here’s what we foun.
American Arms Gentry: Reliable, But Much Too Stiff
The Spanish-made Gentry is a relatively inexpensive side-by-side shotgun with a boxlock action. It is available in 12, 20, and 28 gauge and .410 bore. The latter two versions come with double triggers and 26-inch barrels, while the others have single, selective triggers and 26- or 28-inch barrels. Other features include an American-style stock, chrome bores, extractors, and fixed chokes.
Our 20-gauge Gentry’s blued barrels and trigger guard were unevenly polished, but the receiver’s silver finish and simple scroll engraving were satisfactorily done. No cosmetic flaws or sharp edges were found. The barrels had no play when open, and locked up solidly. However, the action was extremely stiff, and the single trigger had a lot of side-to-side movement.
Both sections of the stock were made of plain-grained walnut with a smooth, satin finish. We considered the checkering to be sloppy, due to numerous cuts that overran the borders of all three panels. Nevertheless, the vented black-rubber recoil pad and spacer were carefully installed. In wood-to-metal mating, the only shortcoming noted was that the buttstock didn’t flush along the left side of the tang.
In our opinion, the Gentry’s handling qualities were nothing special. This butt-heavy shotgun shouldered smoothly. Pointing and target acquisition were satisfactory, though neither was what we would call natural. The light muzzle swung fast but decelerated quickly. Our shooters considered the comb to be reasonably comfortable, and it afforded a good view of the sighting plane. The full pistol grip made pulling the gun into the shoulder easier than that of the other shotgun covered here, and the semi-beavertail fore end provided an adequate amount of gripping area. Felt recoil was average for a 20-gauge shotgun.
Both of this side-by-side shotgun’s controls worked smoothly. When pushed to the right, the top lever on the receiver unlocked the action, allowing the barrels to open. The manual safety, located just behind the top lever on the tang, also served as the barrel selector. Sliding this control rearward put the gun on Safe, and pushing the switch forward allowed it to Fire. When moved to the right, the right barrel was selected to fire first. In the left position, the left barrel fired first.
Functioning was reliable, but the action was unacceptably stiff throughout the test. We had to use a considerable amount of muscle to wrestle the barrels open and closed, which made reloading slow and tiresome. Since the barrels pivoted readily with the fore end removed, we suspect the troublesome resistance was caused by the movement of the firing mechanism and extractors. Once we did manage to get the action fully open, the shells in the chambers were elevated about a quarter-inch by the extractors to facilitate their removal.
The single selective trigger had an ungrooved quarter-inch-wide face that was brassy-gold in color. It reset mechanically, allowing the second barrel to be fired even if the first barrel failed to do so. Regardless of which barrel was selected to fire, the trigger-pull let-off was 6.5 pounds.
Between the barrels was a solid, 5⁄16-inch-wide rib with a matte sighting plane, which prevented glare in direct sunlight, and a small, brass bead on the front. All of our shooters felt that this set up provided a satisfactory sighting reference.
We considered the performance of the Gentry’s fixed chokes to be satisfactory. The right barrel’s choke was rated as Improved Cylinder, and the left barrel’s choke was rated as Modified. Both produced patterns with good pellet distribution using Winchester No. 71⁄2 and Fiocchi No. 8 field loads.
Bottom Line: The American Arms Gentry might make a good bird gun for those who prefer a stock with a pistol grip and don’t have a pile of money. It handled and patterned well enough to get the job done. However, our test gun’s stiff action prevents us from recommending this 20-gauge shotgun.
American Arms Brittany: Nice Handling, Unreliable
For those who prefer a traditionally styled side-by-side shotgun with more convenient features, American Arms imports the Brittany. This Spanish-made shotgun has an English-style stock, screw-in choke tubes, and automatic selective ejectors. It is available in 12 or 20 gauge with 26-inch barrels only. In spite of their differences, the Brittany and the Gentry appear to share some of the same parts.
Our 20-gauge Brittany’s receiver had a color case-hardened finish with shallow scroll engraving, while its barrels and trigger guard were evenly blued and polished. A few minor tool marks were noted on the top front of the receiver. Structural components were satisfactorily fitted, but the firing mechanism definitely needed more work.
The two-piece stock was made of sparsely-figured walnut with a smooth satin finish. The checkering was unevenly cut, though it wasn’t as carelessly done as that of the Gentry. No other cosmetic shortcomings were found, and the vented black-rubber recoil pad and spacer were neatly fitted. The buttstock and the removable fore end were well mated with the remainder of the gun.
All of our shooters felt this shotgun’s handling qualities were very good. Due to its muzzle-heavy balance, it swung smoothly and followed through well. Shouldering was relatively fast, and target acquisition was instinctive. The comb was reasonably comfortable, and establishing a proper stockweld aligned the shooter’s dominant eye with the sighting plane. Maintaining a secure grasp on the straight grip and semi-beavertail fore end wasn’t a problem. The kick this 20 gauge generated during recoil was equal to that of the Gentry.
Operationally, our Brittany was unreliable. It failed to fire the second barrel a half-dozen times, and double-fired once. The safety/barrel selector, which initially worked in the same manner as that of the Gentry, froze up after the second misfire. After only 25 rounds, the right ejector stopped working. Although the barrels opened and closed readily when the action was cocked, they moved stiffly after both barrels were fired.
Movement of the shotgun’s single selective trigger was inconsistent. The trigger itself was brassy-gold and had a smooth quarter-inch-wide face. According to our self-recording trigger pull gauge, the left barrel let-off at 6 pounds, and the right barrel fired at 9 pounds.
Like the other shotgun in this test, the Brittany’s sighting system consisted of a solid 5⁄16-inch-wide barrel rib with a small brass bead on the front. The top of the rib was checkered to prevent glaring. In our opinion, this arrangement provided a simple, easy-to-acquire sighting reference.
Three interchangeable choke tubes, which were marked as Improved Cylinder, Modified, and Full, and a wrench were included with the Brittany. With Fiocchi No. 8 and Winchester No. 71⁄2 field loads, all three tubes produced uniform patterns that were appropriate to their ratings.
Bottom Line: All of our shooters liked the American Arms Brittany’s handling and convenient features, but its extremely poor function was very disappointing. Needless to say, we give this 20-gauge shotgun a thumbs down.
In 2025 dollars, the Blue Book of Gun Values has the American Arms Gentry 3-inch 20 gauge at $625 for a gun in 100% condition, and then the prices scale down from there: $475 (98%), $375 (95%), $300 (90%), $280 (80%), $260 (70%), and $240 (60%). The Brittany has a higher top end of $725 for a gun in 100% condition, and the price scale from there goes $575 (98%), $485 (95%), $435 (90%), $400 (80%), $375 (70%), and $350 (60%). Based on the performance of our Brittany 20 gauge in 1995, we have a hard time recommending it at any price. But, we suppose, if you were to take our review and verify a used gun you found didn’t exhibit the same problems as we documented above, we might offer half the money across the Blue Book line. The Gentry in good shape would seem to be a better choice, and maybe time would have loosened up its operation. As a knock-around gun, we can’t see offering more than $300 for a used Gentry in any condition, and we’d scale down $25 per condition drop from there. If you own either shotgun, we’d love to hear your experiences with it.
Adapted by Gun Tests Staff, using evaluations from Gun Tests Team members. GT
