I read this thread and I was really surprised by what was said by the poster who said he had a couple of Blaser S2s and "broke both of them." I have a Blaser .470 and I have to say that I really like the gun and can't really understand how you could "break" one. It regulated perfectly with 500 grain Woodleighs and 100 grains of IMR4831 or a Kynoch wad and 87 grains of Reloder 15, is very, very accurate and they are hell for stout. In fact, S2s are noted for their accuracy and their ease of regulation. It is a Luxus grade gun and it has a superb piece of wood on it.

When the R93 first came out, many of the traditional Mauser bolt crowd promptly rejected them. However, if you have ever shot one you soon realize that they may be the finest takedown rifle ever produced. The S2 is not a "traditional" double and when it came out, it was similarly rejected by those who insist on a "proper" English double. I just don't have that prejudice. I buy what works and trust me, the S2 works. I have a friend who has had a number of doubles and had some pretty significant issues with a Heym .500 NE. He shoots my S2 and likes it much better than his Heym.

There is one criticism of the S2 that is indeed correct. They don't handle as well as some of the other doubles. A really good English gun has the correct barrel contour in each caliber to help the gun balance. Blaser puts pretty heavy barrels on the .470 and .500 and aims to get the gun to balance by adding weight to the stock. That is not the best solution and makes them seem a little "clubby." On the other hand, some of the other continental makers like Merkel and Krieghoff use one barrel contour for all their guns with the consequence that the .375 is too heavy and the .470 and .500 are too light. Despite what John Taylor says, you'll will understand when you touch off a .500 NE in a 10.5 pound Merkel!

Just my two cents but I love my S2 and I think it is a joy to shoot.

Dave