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Since I'm bought my fiancee an engagement ring and will be her a wedding band (who knew I had to buy both ) She's agreed to get me an engagement gift of my own. I not so subtly dropped hints about wanting an SXS bird gun.
I know these can be thousands of dollars, but are there decent makes in the 500-600 range?
I bought this browning BSS in 12 gauge back in the mid-late 70s cheap I think for 1/2 price on sale at jack firsts gunshop when he had it in lancaster calif. He would put stuff out at the 1st of the year and take 10% off every day for 5 days. I only went out with it once that I can remember!
Wonder what its worth these days?
I also bought this ithica model 37 there the same way. It is a 20 guage supreem skeet and I have NEVER fired it!
CZ is importing some nice looking stuff. I was looking at a .410 the other day that was really sharp. Can't remember the price but the .410s always go a little higher for some reason.
jasonB " Another Dirty Yankee"
" Tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?"
If you have a Gander Mountain in your area, you can sort out what is available. When you find what you might like, look for a good price elsewhere. I like S X Ss but prefer O/Us as I think they may last longer. Seems like many of the old S X Ss I have handled has seen much use and were.....well.........rickety. Good luck in your search.
Lefever Nitro Specials can be had at a decent price as well - $500 or so. Mine was $350 about 4 years ago and I assume it's gone up a bit. I have another $100 into it getting the chokes modified and a pachmeyer installed and it's a sweet shooter. 80 years old, beautiful case colors, AMERICAN MADE, and reliable.
+1 on the :Lefever Nitro Specials, or a Baker Gun Company double. Snoop around small town gunshops that cater to farming communities and you will see them....just be picky and get one that locks up tight and shows no sign of abuse. Even better if you can find a Remington 1900 with fluid steel barrels.......absolute perfection. Fixing it will be expensive as you might have to get the parts hand made, but worth it in my opinion.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
I have a Russian Baikal SxS that I'm very pleased with. They are imported by Remington as Spartan these days......very much value and not too much money.
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Might want to look at the Remingtons that are being made in Russia I believe, could be Turkey. I have seen several of these and they look great and seem to be built quite solid. I was at my dealers and saw an ad for some of them and his price was very reasonable. They had some 20" barrel models in 12 or 20 guage with or without hammers for around 250.00 dealers cost. Saw a nice one with screw-in chokes going about 400.00 or less used. Remington as I understand it finally got the Russians to make them to our standards of fit and finish. Theirs were robust and heavy but they have ironed out that problem now. Might want to check on them they do look nice. ATB
You didn't say what you plan to use it for but for the CAS folks looking for an entry level priced SXS, now days I steer folks to the Russian made Baikal. For years they were imported by EAA of florida but they are now coming in through Remington as their Spartan Gunworks . When I heard Remington had them I was concerned that getting parts was going to be an issue so I did some calling and found out that EAA will still be doing the service and parts for these guns. From a gunsmiths point of view that's important.
Many folks like the Stoeger SXS's but ever since Bennelli bought them out getting parts has been impossible.
I sell this Rem Spartan 20" 12ga to the CAS folks for for $350 and with my action work it is $499.95
I have a few that have screw-in choke tubes, too.
Hobie wrote:I prefer the double trigger myself. No fiddling with selectors.
Is that how a single select trigger works?
I have to profess my ignorance on this one.
Usually the selector is in the safety. You have to fiddle the safety around to select a barrel. On my Sterlingworth the right barrel is improved cylinder and the left is full. Being able to instantly select the barrel without mucking about or mechanical failure/miscue is wonderful.
Sincerely,
Hobie
"We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find in our travels is an honest friend." Robert Louis Stevenson
Hobie wrote:I prefer the double trigger myself. No fiddling with selectors.
Is that how a single select trigger works?
I have to profess my ignorance on this one.
Usually the selector is in the safety. You have to fiddle the safety around to select a barrel. On my Sterlingworth the right barrel is improved cylinder and the left is full. Being able to instantly select the barrel without mucking about or mechanical failure/miscue is wonderful.
I was unde the misunderstanding that barrel slection was an automatic function.
Yes them Baikels are built very strongly, a few have passed through my hands and they don't break.
Yep, I'm a double trigger man also. Recently whilst shooting geese on dark my freind shot a goose for one shot and then opened his gun only to be closed again without reloading the empty chamber as another bird was coming in fast. He was so busy fiddling with his selector I just quietly said "bet you wish you had two triggers now hmm."
Some of those Baikels have single triggers but have no selector. My 410 over/under fired bottom first with no option.
Nath.
So Nath, what are you using now for a double? If I recall you have at least one muzzleloader. I don't recall if you've shared with us a white powder SXS.
I have a 20ga SxS coach gun 20" barrels. I think the maker is Boito from Brazil. Great ruffed grouse gun in the thick stuff. Its choked imp cylinder and modified.
Happiness is a comfortable stump on a sunny south facing mountain.
Hobie wrote:I prefer the double trigger myself. No fiddling with selectors.
Is that how a single select trigger works?
I have to profess my ignorance on this one.
Usually the selector is in the safety. You have to fiddle the safety around to select a barrel. On my Sterlingworth the right barrel is improved cylinder and the left is full. Being able to instantly select the barrel without mucking about or mechanical failure/miscue is wonderful.
I was unde the misunderstanding that barrel slection was an automatic function.
You learn a lot here.
Hi Jason,
The Remington Spartan comes as single select, too. But, the selector is on the trigger. It's that little dark spot on the trigger.
See #4, 5 and 6
That said, I don't recommend low end single trigger SXS's. I have seen too many either double or only one side would shoot.
If you really want a single trigger SXS spend the bucks to buy the BSS or SKB.
Jason the barrel selection is for which barrel is fired first on a single trigger double barrel allowing you to chose which choke you wish to use first for a given shot. The switching between the hammer that just dropped to the second hammer is automatic if things are working correctly; But then there are those model 23s that get hung up switching between barrels and Fox Stevens that double you pattern by letting both barrels go on a signle trigger pull.
Not all single trigger guns have a selector, most do but not all. It's usually no more than sliding the safety left or right to select the first barrel.
I've had a lot of Side by Side shotguns over the years. The previously mentioned Browning BSS is one of my favorites, but they have gotten very pricey. Another favorite is the Ithaca/SKB line of SxS's. My hunting SxS now is a Ithaca/SKB model 100 with 26 inch barrels choked IC/MOD.
I also have a Stoeger coach gun. It surprised me, it's a nice little shotgun. And they make field models just like it.
I have two Stoeger double guns. A "Coachgun" w/20" barrrels and an "Uplander" w/26" tubes. I've used them both in CAS and the "Uplander in skeet and for dove. In the 20+ years I've had them neither has ever required any repair.
Only problem I've heard of is deformed firing pin bushings. I happen to feel that's a result of excessive dry-firing. Nate may know more about 'em tho'.
Griff,
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There is a fine line between hobby & obsession! AND... I'm over it!!
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Warhawk wrote:Not all single trigger guns have a selector, most do but not all. It's usually no more than sliding the safety left or right to select the first barrel.
I've had a lot of Side by Side shotguns over the years. The previously mentioned Browning BSS is one of my favorites, but they have gotten very pricey. Another favorite is the Ithaca/SKB line of SxS's. My hunting SxS now is a Ithaca/SKB model 100 with 26 inch barrels choked IC/MOD.
I also have a Stoeger coach gun. It surprised me, it's a nice little shotgun. And they make field models just like it.
Warhawk,
I used to sell a lot of the Stoegers. They were bought out by Bennelli awhile back and now getting parts for them have become a real problem.
Jason, back in 1988 I was looking for a new grouse gun. When all o/u were rugers and brownings way out of my price range. I ended up finding a Charles Daly field grade O/U new for $299. It was made in Spain and had no choke tubes , single trigger. It has been a great gun and still is. I have shot hundreds of grouse with it. When grouse hunting the barrel selector is a non factor. I never change the selector because when grouse get up you want the open choke to fire first and if you miss the modified next because the bird is farther away. I don't need choke tubes because it's set up perfect for slaying grouse.
That being said ,it is nice to see how many affordable double barrels there is today compared to 20 years ago. If I were to buy one today it would be the mossberg. They are priced in the $400 dallar range and there fit and finish are excellent. The CZ's are nice but are more expensive.
Make sure what you buy the wrist of the stock fits your hand and comes up to your cheek correctly. I also like the 26 in barrels on mine verses the 28 in that they most come with. Quicker pointing. But get what brand fits you.
But for grouse hunting , getting the right tool for the job makes all the difference. The first year I got my O/U I shot 35 grouse compared to only 8 the year before.
Mossberg announced for 2008 SxS . If their quality is as good as their O/U 's I will be getting a 20 guage next year.
) She's agreed to get me an engagement gift of my own. I not so subtly dropped hints about wanting an SXS bird gun.
