[Jaenak]

Anyone know of a good but "cheap" double barrel side-by-side? All the double barreled shotguns I see are either over/under or $2,000 and up.

[HOLY DIVER]

seen one today brand new $289 out the door
academy's website!check it out

[harbinger_j]

Look for a stevens 311 used I got mine for $300
What are you going to use it for?

[1 old 0311]

www.classicarms.com has a nice SxS for $200. Mine looks good, shoots well.

[HOLY DIVER]

stevens has been making side by sides for allong time...........

[scout26]

Stoeger Uplander Runs from ~$300-$500 depending on finish and # of triggers.

http://www.stoegerindustries.com/firearms/uplander.tpl

The one I use works as advertised, if I do my part, and kills pheasants dead.

[macFarlaine]

I may get a torrent of abuse here.Have you tried a Baikal,cheap heavy build but rarely go wrong.
Another hard working gun is the AYA Yeoman,Spanish built.

[MCgunner]

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/shotguns/SPR_models/SPR220_side-by-side.asp

Got one of these for $299 plus tax. It IS Baikal now, import agreement with Remington arms. Great shootin' shotgun, well built. Ain't real pretty, not adorned with the best wood, but it's a shooter!

[jamz]

I've got a stoeger sxs that I bought a year and a half ago in 20 gauge that is great. I'm actually selling it (cheap!) to free up funds for another purchase though.

[ArmedBear]

t IS Baikal now, import agreement with Remington arms. Great shootin' shotgun, well built. Ain't real pretty, not adorned with the best wood, but it's a shooter!

I've got an idea for them now that they own Marlin (which means they have access to people and equipment who can actually machine and finish a gun, which seems to be a skill lost at Remington, except for the guys at the Custom Shop, who can do that stuff, but only for a silly price).

Ditch the "Spartan" line and the current European-made (who does make them?) "L.C. Smith" line. Contract with Baikal to make barrel assemblies. Ship them to Marlin, who makes receivers and stocks, and finishes the whole guns. If you see my recent Model 39, it will be clear why I'd want Marlin to do the receiver, the finishing and the wood.

Seems to me they could make nice American (mostly) shotguns that don't break, but are gorgeous, well-balanced and come in under a grand.

I have no real problem with "outsourcing" parts or assemblies. Importing guns, even good ones, and just stamping your name on them, though, makes me look elsewhere. I'd kinda like to buy SKB from SKB (or, if I wanted to, Baikal from Baikal, Khan from Khan). Makes me feel like I'm not paying 20% extra to a middleman who adds nothing to the deal.

When Remington, Marlin, and Weatherby, right on their web sites, flat-out TOLD me that, in order to get really nice shotguns at decent prices, they had to go buy them from Italy, I did the only sensible thing: I took them at their word, went and bought a Beretta.

[Okiecruffler]

Cheap, you're looking at either a Russian/Turkish import, or a used utility grade American gun. Other than my beloved 311's, I've seen some pretty decent field condition Ithicas for under 5 bills. I see some Spanish guns from time to time that I'm tempted by, but I don't know enough about them to make a good choice. I would stay away from anything marked FIE.

[macFarlaine]

What do you want to know about Spanish guns ? In the 90s I sold hundreds of them,I have had three returned,two with broke F pins and one with a dent in the barrel.Cheaps as chips but they last.

[zinj]

Ditch the "Spartan" line and the current European-made (who does make them?) "L.C. Smith" line. Contract with Baikal to make barrel assemblies. Ship them to Marlin, who makes receivers and stocks, and finishes the whole guns. If you see my recent Model 39, it will be clear why I'd want Marlin to do the receiver, the finishing and the wood.

Actually, I have seen pictures of Baikal shotguns with very nice fit and finish from the factory, at least the equal of an entry level Browning or Beretta. Remington just imports the base model Baikals that are more roughly finished.

[MCgunner]

I would stay away from anything marked FIE.

I have a Spanish 12 imported by FIE marked "Felix Sarasqueta y Cia" Eibar Spain that I bought new in 1971 at Cook's Discount in Bryan, Texas for $100 plus tax. That gun still shoots fine and has been rode hard and put up wet shooting mostly waterfowl the first 15 years or so of its life. I slowed down using it in the early 80s after steel shot got mandated and I traded a guy out of an old Revelation 310 (aka Mossberg 500), but it's a fine old shotgun. The only small troubles I've ever had with it were from banging it around in the bottom of boats (a cracked fore stock I patched with a dowel and refinished. It don't look near as pretty as it did when new, but it still shoots like it did.

[Markbo]

I've got one of those good ones in .410. Beautiful little gun. It is just hard to tell fine detail shen buying one online.

[Jaenak]

Wow, I didn't know most of those shotguns existed. I was thinking about a 20 gauge with a short(er) barrel. Reason is because some shotguns feel like they have a barrel longer than I am tall. I don't like that feeling. I was thinking I'd use it for something akin to pheasants or something about that size.

[paintballdude902]

i love my remington spartan spr220

its 12 guage and has a 28 in barrel

my dad got ti for me for my 16th birthday it was 230 out the door .....but i ourchased it on camp lejune so i didnt have to pay tax

[Markbo]

I just gotta post pics again! :p
http://www.svt-enthusiast.com/albums/Marks-Guns/EMF4.jpg
http://www.svt-enthusiast.com/albums/Marks-Guns/EMF1.jpg

Note the very unobtrusive safety. It is capable of 'cocked and locked' carry afield. I think it is going to be a neat little brush/quail gun, though with that steel butt plate I think I will keep it to field loads. :scrutiny:

[PTK]

Markbo

Brand, gauge, etc?

[Feanaro]

The Stevens 311 is a great choice for a budget side-by-side.

[jamesb]

You can also look at used Zastava(Yugoslavian) or TOZ(Russian) shotguns. I have one of each and like them very much.

[Markbo]

Sorry PTK. That is an EMF Hartford model in 12 gauge. No longer made, though supposedly a duplicate of the TTN model currently available. 20" cylinder choke barrels. I lucked across this on AuctionArms. Double triggers, hammers canted inward and very nice bluing in addition to the real CCH.

It was used, but you would never be able to tell. Not a mark on it and it is tight, tight. In fact it would have to be worked over to be used in cowboy shooting. There is no one handed opening or snappy shut the barrels. I sure hope to be able to stumble across a set of 28-30" barrels to be able to swap out for hunting. Don't know how... EMF doesn't sell it or even parts for it any more, but I will keep a look out for something that might fit.