Spandau Arms Premier Field Over/Under Shotgun Review

Shotgun snobs often turn their nose at the mere mention of Turkish-made scatterguns, unjustly labeling firearms manufactured there as poorly crafted performers. Admittedly, I have had minor problems with one Turkish-made shotgun in the past, but by and large, the majority of them I have tested and reviewed have delivered reliable performance while boasting reasonable price tags. Spandau Arms Premier Field over/under shotgun was no different, as I put it through the paces this fall in pursuit of a variety of upland birds across the West without a glitch. It is worth noting that while Spandau Arms shotguns are manufactured in Turkey, they are imported and distributed by SDS Arms, who proudly call Knoxville, Tennessee home.

Since their introduction, Spandau Arms has taken great pride in engineering and manufacturing shotguns that excel from the duck marshes to the Olympic fields and everywhere in between. While I do enjoy a good waterfowl hunt each fall, the majority of my feathered hunting efforts are spent targeting the wide variety of upland birds that call the West home. With that said, I was eager to get my hands on Spandau’s Premier Field over/under chambered in 28 gauge.

Feature Rich for the Field

The Premier Field over/under is a clean-looking shotgun with a beautiful Turkish walnut stock, stainless receiver and trigger guard and blued barrel. All Premier Field models are hand finished, including the intricate checkering on the grip and forearm, giving each one their own unique appearance. The crisp mechanical trigger is a noteworthy addition with a trigger weight just a hair over 5 lbs. Other features include a vented rib, brass bead and shotshell ejectors.

Spandau Arms includes a hard-sided travel case with each Premier Field shotgun as well as five chokes (SK, IC, M, IM and F) that come in a convenient clam case. The choke tubes utilize the same thread pattern as the Benelli/Mobil Choke Tube System.

I chose the 28-gauge model as it best fit my needs, and I am simply a fan of small-bore shotguns. The Spandau Premier Field is also offered in 12, 20, 28 and .410 models. Shooters can also choose between 26- and 28-inch barrels depending on their personal preference.

Pulling the Premier Field from its case and assembling it for the first time, I was impressed. The barrels easily connected into the receiver, and the forend snapped solidly into place. The wood-to-metal finish was not perfect, but close. Length-of-pull is 14 3/8 inches, which is ever so slightly long for my 5-ft., 10-in. frame, but that didn’t present a problem in terms of shooting it well. It was also evident the shotgun was well-balanced and swung with ease. It was time to take it to the field.

In-Field Performance

Within an hour of my home, I have the ability to hunt a wide variety of upland birds including dusky, ruff, sharptail and sage grouse, Hungarian partridge, chukar and pheasant. These opportunities keep myself and my three bird dogs busy between big-game pursuits from early September through the end of January each year. With Thanksgiving knocking on the door, I have had the pleasure of walking many miles behind my bird dogs this fall carrying the Premier Field in tow, knocking down many birds along the way.

It shoulders well, swings with ease and has yet to fail me. However, there are a couple of minor grievances that are worth mentioning. First, the 28-gauge model I tested is bored for 2 ¾ inch shotshells. Unfortunately, many of the premium hunting loads currently available for 28-gauge shotguns are 3-inch loads. Looking at Spandau’s website, it does say that it is available in 3-inch chamberings, so this mistake is 100% on me. If you decide to purchase a 28 gauge, learn from my mistake. Second, the safety selector allows you to flip the safety on and off, as well as select which barrel you want to fire first. This is a nice feature, but I did have the selector jam on one covey rise of sharp-tailed grouse. Again, this is partially my fault as I had the selector somewhere in the middle ground, a common ailment with shotguns that have a similar shared safety/barrel selector. But for those two grievances, I couldn’t find a fault with this well-made Turkish scattergun.

Cost Effective

Wandering the upland fields as a young boy, I idolized the over-under shotguns my father and grandfather carried. As I got older, I quickly realized that, while functional in the field and an ideal choice for serious upland hunters, most over/under scatterguns are hung with a hefty price tag. Many modern over/under shotguns do still carry astronomical price tags, but there are many affordable options available that won’t break the bank including the Premier Field. It totes an MSRP of $1,350, but a quick Google search will reveal retail prices hovering right around $1,100. For a sleek and reliable over/under, you will be hard pressed to beat that price.

It may not be the flashiest over/under on the market, but I can confidently say that whether you are looking for a clay-busting competition shotgun or a reliable and deadly scattergun for your feathered pursuits, the Field Premier from Spandau Arms is built to be a workhorse for the everyday shooter.

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