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I am an absolute Zoli fan. I’ve owned about every flavor of them over the years and have an Evo sitting downstairs as I write this. I have RA and as a consequence, triggers and grips are my priority in a shotgun now. If I shoot a gun with a heavy trigger reset pressure, relatively speaking, my trigger finger gets sore and stiff in pretty short order. The average shooter wouldn’t notice, but I do. The K trigger treats my hand much more kindly than the Zoli ( or any other brand I’ve shot lately). I also like the slightly slimmer grip the K gun offers. It helps keep my small hand from screwing up by letting the trigger finger drop onto the stock. My hand is such that I don’t notice it happening until I’ve messed up because of it happening. I’ve also figured out that I needed another 1/8” offset, from 3/8’s to 1/2”. That takes care of the constant aggravation in my neck and shoulder. It sucks too get old and dainty! I have cut offset into stocks for years and have a lovely fiddleback stock for the Evo that I trimmed up, cutting all the offset I could get into it and reducing the grip circumference. The grip was also reprofiled. It feels great, except I still need the extra offset. My first Krieghoff “cure” was a standard K80. It took me a long time to get comfortable with it and even then, the front end weight would get my lower back aching. I got to really liking it. It’s 9 pounds was well balanced, but proved a bit more than I could handle for a full afternoon’s shooting. My current and likely last solution from Krieghoff is a fixed choke parcour with a K80 stock re-inlet at the head for extra offset and with a trigger overhaul. It weighs 8lb 8 oz, enough weight to tame recoil, but not enough to bother my back. Even then, with the comb set all the way over, I was still getting pressure on my jaw that still led to headaches. My solution was too simply reverse the comb, putting the skinny part on the back of the comb. So when I saw I prefer my ParK80 over the Zoli, it has nothing to do with the overall build quality of the brands and everything to do with being able to get what I needed for my dainty disposition from the Krieghoff. The issue to pay attention to with the K80 sporter is the weight. It doesn’t work for everyone. The Zoli is a less expensive option that IMHO doesn’t require one to settle for a lesser gun. The Zoli design lets one change firing pins at home. The Krieghoff requires someone who knows what they are doing and freight isn’t cheap. The recent K gun price increase tips the scales a bit more toward the Zoli for many shooters. I couldn’t afford the all the guns and have a bruised and battered retirement account to prove it

@@daveholmes6407 hi David, appreciate the info, I shot the Z sport HR yesterday for the first time and realized no matter how much I want to or think I can get used to and settle for a high rib gun, even tho I have a longer neck, it just doesn’t feel right not having my head crammed down on the stock like I’ve been doing since 75’ with all shotguns. Very frustrating. This is the issue to when wanting something new to try, without being able to go and shoot to demo them, it’s a huge ramble spending big money and hoping for the best. Living north of our American friends, the people who own these high end guns are usually good to let you try their guns but we really need to shoot a round with them to know for sure and that’s asking a bit much. This is my first Zoli and yes it feels good to mount, aesthetically it’s beautiful but so are berettas and Perazzi and neither of those two can I shoot. Not sure what direction to go now, maybe try a Z sport low or mid rib and see if they work.

@@FYMM69 I was almost a year and a half working with the K80 (off and on) before I started to feel comfortable with it. Well, other than the weight. The Parcour/K80 stock has been about 4 months. we're starting to feel like friends, but I'm still capable of a trigger hand relapse at any time. I honestly think a six month adjustment period to a new gun is to be expected. I've heard some very good shooters say a year. the unknown in the equation is how much different the new gun is than the old. I went with a high rib for a year before I decided that although I shot it reasonably well for me, I didn't think there was the potential for improvement that I was hoping for. With the ParK80 as I call my hybrid, I've found three sets of stock dimensions that I thought were great. Each has been higher than the last. I've simply changed my head position a bit as I've gone along. Now targets break at significant distances when the picture is right. I think I'm done, although looping target can be a bit problematic, depending on the day. There might be another slight change on the horizon. You may want to give that high rib a bit more of a run before you can it. I'm not a fan of crammed faces during gun mounts. That may be an indication that more than one dimension is off and you are jamming your face into the gun to compensate. Obviously, that is just a guess, but it's based on quite a few years of experience.

Yes

Price is what it is. Some will dismiss the gun because of the price. Others feel the features are worth the price. I really like the quality of the finish. The barrels are highly polished and slick. The epoxy finished stock also has, to me, a great feel. The engraving on the standard guns is laser engraved. I find the pattern aesthetically pleasing over all. That said if one chooses to isolate small parts of the engraving, one can perhaps find design elements that might raise an eyebrow. But, polishing takes time and time is money. Even laser engraving takes time and costs money. Hand engraving on the higher end models costs a lot. The stock shaping is a notch above many standard models. I don’t know of any other stocks that offer the range of adjustments found in the K gun stocks. I prefer the K80 stock. My arthritic hands just prefer the grip and my hands make the decision for me. I recently picked up a fixed choke lightweight barrels (1404 gram) gun and swapped a #3 Sporter stock for the Parcour stock. It has taken a little getting used to, but I have finally gotten the comb set for me and I’m really starting to enjoy it. I really like the balance in the guns. Add all that together and I would have to say that, compared to other brands, the features in the K guns can justify the price. We need to acknowledge that labor costs are higher in some countries are higher than others. Germany ranks at or near the top. Guns from Germany have always been and will likely always be, relatively high. But the quality tends to be high as well. Put it all together and my concern for others isn’t that the gun is over priced, but it is priced at a point that, for most shooters, the investment makes it imperative that the shooter gets the model that is going to work best for them. One move that I consider a smart move, is to buy a used gun. Then, given a modicum of care, one may well be able to shoot the gun for awhile and sell it for pretty much what he or she paid for it. My retirement account may still be pouting over my K guns ( I traded into a standard sporter model as well ), my heart is happy.

Thank You Dave

They have a slight bit of offset to the right, and the adjustable comb. The combs are fairly thick. I need a fair amount of offset and had to cut it in. For the lefties, there are left hand stocks available.

There’s a bit of offset to the right, but a thick comb quickly makes one glad there’s an adjustable comb. I need a fair amount of offset and had to cut the body of the stock in to be able to get where I needed to be. Left-hand stocks are available.

@@daveholmes6407 this shotgun will be a whole family affair. Some are lefties and some righties; this is why we much prefer a total neutral cast. The great Benelli's are also either left or right with no neutral available. We don't do Benelli's, but we might consider these since they as yet are not overly priced.

@@olegig5166 If a lefty didn’t need much offset, I think the right handed stock could work. The right handed palm swell is the most right handed part of the gun. If a leftie need more than 3/16” or so offset, that might be walking the line.

@@daveholmes6407 thanks

4K for the guns and it could be repaired with Perazzi parts. I did a review on the Marrochi guns a long, long time ago. A comment I made was basically there’s nothing wrong with the gun, but it will be interesting to see if they can make it in the marketplace. It is a tough nut to crack. The ProStar importer isn’t relying on them to pay the bills. That might be what I t takes to get them over the hump.

I got the hat from John Gilopidis at ProStar’s main office. He sent it for the video. I suspect if you called and told them you’ve bought two guns, they might be able to find a hat for you. I’ve seen a used PS for sale that has wood to die for. I spend a few minutes every day looking at it and an hour convincing myself I don’t need another gun!

Honestly, the Z guns can hold their own against either of the two models you mention. If you have the patience to wait on a custom ordered Perazzi, you may gain some advantage by a stock that fits better. Of course, for less money, you could custom stock the Zoli. We all deal with the bug to get a new gun and that’s totally understandable, but it’s easy to get to the point where we aren’t necessarily buying a “better” gun, just a different one. Ask yourself what you would like to change about the Zoli, then, as devoid of passion as you can be, see which of the other guns offers those features and give one a try. It’s enjoyable to do and a road often traveled. The Z, K and P have differences in feel. You are the only one who can figure out which is best for you. The quality is there in all three. Unfortunately, the performance relies on us.

The Zoli video and several others will be coming as soon as I get my new mic system that was back ordered and we finally get some decent weather. Spring has been awfully slow getting here. Lots of rain and lots of wind and not much heat.

Target Shotguns, John Woolley, Larry Friedman, August Fine Guns, Pacific Sporting.

I love to to tinker with guns and ideas. I have five guns that I alternate, depending on what “philosophy” I’m dealing with at that moment. Lately, I’ve been working on a stock for an A400 with a trip to the range later today to see if I accomplished what I was after. The other guns are a Zoli Evo with a completely reworked stock, a K80, of course, the ProStar, and a lowly A300 Ultima that I love the feel of. If the 400 stock works out (I put a field stock on instead of the target stock, changed the lop and cut offset into it.)I’ll begin the winnowing process to see which gun I get serious about for the summer. I have two 7 1/2 pound guns, two 8 1/2 pound guns and a nine pounder. The nine pounder is likely too heavy for me on quick targets. I dearly wish there was another 1/8” drop on the ProStar. I shoot it well, but have to push into the comb and sometimes the RA in my neck takes exception to that pressure, but I love the way it moves. The Zoli stock got trimmed up, offset cut into it, the comb nose moved back, the grip slimmed up and opened up. The amount of change I was able to get on the factory stock was fascinating. It moves quite nicely, not quite as quick as the ProStar, but it’s sweet. The K80 came along because it had a grip that most suited my arthritic hands and I could get all the stock dimensions I needed with the factory comb and an LOP change. The semis are unspectacular, but the 7 1/2 pound weight is so easy to move and recoil stays tolerable. So, which one gets the front seat? I dunno. I’m reasonably sure which one will be first in the back seat. If my hands flare up, a great deal of attention will be focused on the grip and my ability to get the trigger pulled in timely fashion. When I get things sorted out, some of them will need to find new homes. I’m 70. Nobody needs that many guns, let alone somebody with one foot in the grave. Registered shooting will be at a minimum. There’s nothing of significance less than four hours away and the good stuff is six hours away. Between the cost of gas and groceries, my shooting will likely be in very large part over my own traps. Hopefully, we can start getting some decent weather to shoot in soon. Northern Michigan only has the slightest idea it might be spring now.

John Woolley, Larry’s Trading Post, Target Shotguns and August Crocker Fine Guns have them in stock.

John Woolley, Larry’s Trading Post, Target Shotguns and August Crocker Fine Guns have them in stock. All but Woolley are on Gunbroker or Guns International. You can even buy two.

I tried Augusta Crocker...haven't heard back? I will try the other guys. Thank you

From the importer.

Thanks you still happy with your Yildez I’m waiting on mine to come in

@@bigal2021 Yes, I am. I was having trouble with my hands (RA) and the grip is long enough that I was having trouble pulling the trigger. Don’t ask me why, but my trigger finger started working right again and the party is on. Three hundred rounds this week and I feel like I’m shooting the best I have in years. I love the way the gun moves.

Pacific sporting arms and John woolly both have them in stock

Covid really wreaked havoc with deliveries this year. Even in a good year, I got the impression that production numbers wouldn’t be high, hence the limited number of dealers and certainly not enough guns at present to support another distributor. I doubt you will see the ProStars in Academy. Target Shotguns and Larry’s Trading Post seem to have the best supply. August’s Fine Guns has the occasional one.

Agreed on seeing the rib. It’s a weight adjustment tool on the barrels, without being labeled as such. K isn’t the only manufacturer to use it in that way.