Latest options on Coach/SxS and thoughts? And a few Q's

Well I have a CIA coach gun that I bought about 5 years ago, external hammers that function. It is what it is. If you are going for a fun factor it is fun, if you want something to compete with go with something a little better. For HD/SD it should suit you fine. The only problem that I have with mine is that it has a crossbar safety that is finicky in the sense that something got knocked a little loose with one of the firing pins so it doesn't freely move back into safe. Additionally that particular firing pin sometimes doesn't fully engage when I shoot that barrel, it has two separate triggers.

The external hammers are at different angles so the gap between the hammer spurs is wider than where the face of the hammer strikes. Unless you have long thumbs you will have to manually cock each one.

The Remington/Baikal unless it has been changed recently has been known for stiff action when opening. This can loosen up with use but I think I there may be some sort of action work you can do on one of these.

The Stoeger is the more common entry level SxS for SASS and even with internal hammers, when I was competing most guys were using 97 clones. Stiff action will loosen up with use on these and if you are going to do SD/HD with it and not any kind of hard shooting then I don't think you will have to worry about firing pins.

If you are set on a break open action shotgun, you might want to look at the single shots as well. With practice you can shoot, break, eject, load and be ready to shoot real fast, both with single and double. I think a pump might be a better option though for your purposes, you can get anywhere between 3-8 shots in a pump, depending on plug requirements and extended magazine tubes. You can have an 18.5" barrel so its not as long or heavy so for hiking it will work that way. Also you will probably be able to find a a cheap beater pump for less than a double of any kind unless it is used and priced really low.

That's my $0.02 anyway.

MD

Baikals have been offered with dummy hammers, real hammers, and no hammers.
EAA is now picking up importation again & expecting a shipment shortly.

The Baikals can be smoothed up a bit in the action, frequently the Stoegers need it too.
Denis

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I picked up my CIA J2000 for $199 at Big 5 several years ago, have several hundred rounds through it, several hundred dead clays chocked up to it, 0 problems with it, and couldn't be happier.

Rossi's are pretty good too.......

The Chinese Jinmai J2000 (or whatever it's called) seems to me from the ones I've held to be cosmetically OK but really crude guns. Just like period-correct guns I guess. I have big hands and I had trouble getting both hammers back with one hand and that spoiled the fun.

I was going to go with the Stoeger; dull nickle and black wood, it felt the best to me.

Then I got a wild hair and picked up an old Fulton boxlock hammerless double that was about 100 years old and had 30" barrels dented out by the muzzle and attacked it with various hand tools. Now it's a half-decent 18.25" coach gun with a smooth action and tight lockup. Squaring off with a row of water jugs and blowing both barrels at once is just giggly feeling. Plus now I know how to work on these old guns and that's almost as valuable as the gun is.

I picked up my Baikal IZH-43 12 ga S x S for $220 and can find no fault with it. I did put a good recoil pad on it and coated the stock with Tru-Oil. Wouldn't change anything else about it. My Grand-daughter's husband just LOVES to shoot both barrels at once. Me, at 66, have fun shooting it but not enough to shoot both barrels at once. "Boomer" stays by the headboard of the bed now.

Go to www.eaacorp.com and click on "Search for a dealer" button.

If it doesn't have to be new, used field-grade doubles can be found at the prices of entry level imported guns. I saw a Stevens SxS in a pawn shop not long ago for around $300. You would have to cut the barrels down though.

One advantage the hammer gun has over the hammerless in CAS, you can cock the hammers, after the last two shots leaving the stock at your shoulder , then trip the opening lever, the hammerless barrels will just fall down , the hammerless has to cock the action so after the two shots, usually you have to dismount, trip the lever, pull the barrels down, remount to the shoulder, it takes more effort and that= more time.

First off, welcome to THR.

The (current) problem with SxS coach guns is that they're still pretty pricey as far as shotguns go. You're not going to pay any less with a coach gun than you are for a budget-priced pump action shotgun, and I think that's kind of a shame.

Out of the ones on your list, I'd probably go with the J2000 also, just because it's an external hammer gun. It seems to be a consensus that leaving an internal hammer gun cocked, and loaded is a bad idea, and I'm not nearly enough of a SxS expert to disagree. With the external hammers you can leave it loaded, with the hammers uncocked, so you don't have to fumble around with your ammunition to load the gun if you need it to defend your home.

SxS coach guns is that they're still pretty pricey as far as shotguns go

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Are you serious? Do you have any idea what a real QUALITY SXS starts at? (about $3,000 for low end) Those guns are some of the cheapest in price (and quality) guns you can buy

Check out CZ

I like the Rossi coach guns. They are well made and work great. Plus, they don't have any extra safties like the newer models. Here's one that I've decided to sell.



It is a 20 gauge and I have some photos on this website.

Hammer guns are much safer ( Lupara ) to carry around hiking ect. if loaded. Savage 311 is a good hammerless gun and you can find them as new for less than $300 and cut them down if not a rare riot model all ready.But any cocked and locked SG is not as safe IMHO as a rebounding outside hammer gun that stays uncocked and loaded. The Baikals are good and I've had mine 35 years- was smuggled in thru Canada in the middle 70s , make that excellent! I do keep a hammerless loaded SXS 10 gauge for HD but it is in a place it does not and can not get fooled with .