Anyone else like single barrels?

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goon

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I have to admit that I prefer single barrel shotguns to others. My cheap little NEF Pardner 12 gauge is light and easy to carry and comes to my shoulder instinctively. The fact that I only have one shot at any one time means that I have to take more careful aim and that if I do miss I have a built in excuse. It won't win any praise from the gun mags, but it does what it needs to do as well as anything else could.
I do have an 870 on layaway that will end up being an HD shotgun, but the single barrel will most likely always be the one that goes into the woods with me.
 
Singles have a special place for many of us. We started out with them and often find ourselves using them when we have other, more complicated weapons around.

IMO, part of their appeal is they are the minimum shotgun. Nothing can be taken away without disabling the weapon. See the Archives, there's a few old threads this.
 
Yup, got a couple and have started brining them back out to the field. Also have one or two (or so) stashed around for a quick grab. Best thing about them is they allow you to enjoy hunting without worrying if they get scratched or wet.
 
If you mean single shot, yeah, my favorite gun is my dad's old Marlin 59 bolt action .410. Whenever I bring it out people seem to oooooh over it.

But I'm still a double fan mostly.
 
I still have the little .410 single shot that my father got me 50 years ago. Once in a while I take it rabbit hunting still. Mainly I clean it now and then just for the memories of the good times I had with that gun and my father so many years ago shooting pheasants in Iowa.
 
I like my kid sized $20 Pardner 410 better than my Benelli Nova. I get better scores with it in trap too. The trigger is *really* nice.

I'm selling the Nova soon and :eek: getting an 870 youth 20ga.
 
I have to admit, their is nothing quite as satisfying as wandering the woods with a break open 12 guage single and a handful of the cheapest promo loads and a sack half full of rabbits. :)
 
like my kid sized $20 Pardner 410
Click to expand...
Where are you getting these for $20? I'd take a truck load!! :)

I just glanced at 2 Pardner's yesterday. A 12 and a 20. But $85 each with 60% finish didn't seem like a deal to me. :eek:
 
My Uncle started hunting with a brand new Stevens 20 Ga single barrel. When I was around 7, he gave it to me. I took my first deer, ducks, squirrel, rabbits, dove and quail with this single barrel.
When my son was about the same age, I took him hunting, with his 'new' Stevens 20 GA single barrel. As he grew older, the cut down stock was replaced with a new one from Savage. He and I both still hunt with that shotgun.
When he has his first son, the Stevens will change ownership again.
 
winchester md 37 ...16 gauge

Got to shoot with it every new years eve from the time I could hold it till I was 12 and could hunt in Pa. Killed just about everything around Northwest Pa.with it that deserved it..
 
My grandfather, despite having acess to the greatest in modern shotguns, hunts with a Sears single. He has been hunting with it for so many years I shudder to think at the pile of game it has gotten. The action is so worn that it does not lock closed safely, however he would not use any other gun, not even a modern single.

We finally found an identical Sears shotgun in very good condition at a gun show and gave it to him. It's not quite as field-polished, but he's working on it.

I hunted with it a couple times and understand its allure. It's super light, easy to make safe and goes through the briars like no other firearm.
 
Out on the family place we had a stand of trees and briars, about 40 acres worth, that was just chock full of cottontails. Only problem was you had to walk thru there all hunched over, sometimes actually going to your knees. And the bunnies only gave you about a nanosecond to prove what a lousy shot you really were. Not exactly optimum conditions for my Mossberg 20ga bolt, nor my Stevens 12ga 311. First single shot I bought was an old 12ga of some forgetten make. It had lost all the blueing, but no rust, and had about a 34 inch barrel. A hacksaw took care of that and I soon had a quick handling bunny buster. But it had 2 problems. First being that it was missing any kind of recoil pad, just good old fashion wood, so it kicked like a mule. The second, and more worrisome problem was that sometimes when you shot it the action would come open and you'd get a face full of gas. Didn't take long for me to decide that wasn't a good thing.
Then I found a Westernfield SK100B 16ga in a pawn shop for $35. Same hacksaw pruined that barrel back to 18" and the bunnies were never the same again. I still have it in the closet, but it misfires about half the time. One of these days I'm going to replace those springs.
 
hey all, like the single shot break open a lot have sent many many rabbits, grouse and turkey to the stewpot at the end of my great granddads 1897 h&r 12 ga. the shotgun simple, uncomplicated and effective.
 
Update...got a 23/24/24 in wobble trap with my Pardner .410 today. :p

An older gentleman with an obviously expensive O/U and numerous patches was cheering me on.

He got a 20. :scrutiny:
 
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