[Lawyerman]

Double.

[Lawyerman]

Spent a few days in South Texas whitewing hunting this last weekend. Was a great time. I shot my Browning Citori and a borrowed Ruger Red Label. I liked the Red Label quite a bit but it has one feature that I did not care for and that is the automatic safety when you break the action. At times I wanted a quick reload and this cost me a couple of shots, the Citori you have to manually put on safe which I much preferred. Other than that I shot them both quite well-under 3 shells a bird on 50 plus birds.

Had so much fun shooting doves that I am thinking about a second over and under. I don't want any of the Turkish or Russian guns-the Mossberg/Remington etc....value line guns. The Berettas seem nice but very expensive since our dollar is in the toilet. The old Winchester 101's are good guns but heavy......

I would buy a used gun of course and am thinking strongly about another Citori or if I got the right deal a Red Label. Anything else I should think about? A Weatherby Orion/SKB? Could I find a Beretta for $1000 -probably so if I look for awhile but I haven't shot one?

I do want interchangeable chokes and a 26" barrel...that kills some of the older guns I'm guessing-Ithacas, SKB's etc......

Thoughts?

[Jimmie]

I've got a Beretta 686 Essential I'm probably going to sell when I get home in a few weeks (W TX). It doesn't fit me. It'd be much less than $1000. I'll have to look up values to figure out what I'll need for it. PM me if you're interested and not in a big rush (i.e. you can wait until November). I'd let ya shoot it with me before you bought it, even.

[Coronach]

This thread is a dupe of one you just posted. Since the other one has a little more detail in the opening post, I'm going to close this one and move Jimmie's post to the other thread.

Mike

[Coronach]

Okay, I lied. I merged them instead and reopened it. I couldn't move Jimmie's post over easily, so I just did this instead.

Mike

[Lawyerman]

Very good. I dunno how I did that but I deleted the first one.

[skinewmexico]

I have to ask.......why an over/under anyway? I know it's the stylish thing and all but.........

[RNB65]

Look for a used hunting grade Browning Citori.

[benatilstate]

I bought my red label new for 1400. Get a good used one, or maybe you could find a deal for 1100 or so (I know u said under 1000), but you get what you pay for.

I watched a guy struggle with his stoeger o/u the other night at the skeet field and was very happy that I waited and paid more for a much better gun.

[Dave McCracken]

I don't see many Red Labels in the hands of SETS*, but the owners of Red Labels seem a happy lot.

The 28 gauge RL is pure D, triple chrome plated fun.

*- Steely Eyed Target Sharks....

[Mannlicher]

you did not say if you were looking at the used market, or looking to buy NIB.
I picked up both of these two Golden Eagle (NIKKO, Japanese) O/U 12 Ga shotguns for $1000.

http://www.myhostedpics.com/images/Mannlicher/img1668.jpg

[Lawyerman]

Several things....

Why a double? Because I have over a DOZEN Remington 870's....they pretty much all look the same. Not a bad thing, they are reliable to a fault and shoot well, they are also about as exciting as a Geo Metro. I have a half dozen Browning A5's, a Benelli auto or two......I own one over and under, my Citori, and I shoot it VERY well. I'm at the point in my life where hunting is a shared experience, it's not about killing things so much (don't get me wrong I do like shooting though)...a high quality shotgun makes it that much better to me.

Used, you betcha. Most every gun I own was bought new by someone else. I'm not hung up on that new gun look. Most of my guns have been bought at Pawn Shops at substantially under new cost, usually in the neighborhood of 1/2 of new cost truth be told.

I will probably end up with either a Red Label or another Citori the way it looks. I do have a line on a Red Label, it is a little older gun but does have choke tubes. Unfortunately, someone allowed the barrels to get a little surface rust- no pitting but enough to take the sheen off the bluing....I am thinking that I would have my gunsmith who owes me a favor or two blast the barrels and all the other blued parts and Duracoat them in black. Gun is very reasonably priced at $700. Wood is very nice and I don't think it's been shot a whole lot, 26" barrels, just what I'm looking for. Now if I can figure out a way to deactivate the auto safety......

[Lawyerman]

Local pawn shop has a Nikko for $499. Very reasonable I thought. I should go take a look before I do anything...may not even be there anymore but it was last week. Fixed chokes and I can't recall barrel length for certain. Well, needed something to do at lunch today anyhow.

[MCgunner]

Me, I'm STILL interested in that Yildiz at Academy. Nice gun and nice working man's price. I ain't got the cash for those Red Labels and Citoris, even used. I'm just a po boy. Frankly, I think I could shoot a Yildiz just as well. Maybe in my next life I'll study law instead of Wildife and Fisheries Science and I'll make a quarter million a year. But, for now, I have Purdey tastes and a Mossberg pocket book. That's pretty much why they sell Yildizs and Spartans, because there are lots of guys like me out there. :D

[Lawyerman]

Let me tell you a little story.

Was a guy who wasn't very much into bird hunting. He was mainly a combat style shooter....owned many, many Remington 870's that did double duty as bird swatters the few times a year guy went out Dove hunting. Guy always thought though that doubles were pretty neat, handled well, very classy...way too expensive.

One day he is in a favorite pawn shop. He sees a Browning Citori 12 gauge on the rack. He knows this gun sells for about $1,500 new, plus tax etc.....Much more money than he can justify for an occasional bird shoot. BUT, he decides to look anyway, what can it hurt?

The gun is indeed a Browning, in fact, a Superlite, Schnable foreend, Invector chokes, English pistol grip. The gun has very minor, honest-ne classy, wear- a little loss of bluing around the action from carrying.... It handles like a Ferrari, light, points wonderfully.....he looks at the price tag....$399.

His eyes get large and his grip tightens on the gun....a case of dynamite could not now pry it from his grasp. He tells the clerk, "I'll take it" and they proceed to ring up the sale.....during the process the clerk mentions that "It has a case too, in the back".....he disappears for awhile and soon emerges with.....a Browning leather breakdown case in excellent condition which when opened reveals three extra chokes and a very expensive choke wrench...

It looks just like this:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=81278832

I have killed a pickup load of doves with that gun, wouldn't swap it for anything!