Combo guns

[Jason_W]

I recently purchased a Baikal O/U combo gun in 12 ga/.308. While there are a few tweaks I'm going to make to the gun and a few tings I would have done differently in terms of design, I really like the gun and think it will make an incredibly useful hunting gun.

The combo gun concept got my imagination going on design variations i would make if I had the means to start my own gun manufacturing company. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like the concept is very popular and likely my ideas would appeal only to me.

Anyone else here a fan of combination rifle/shotguns?

 

[gp911]

I like them, but they can be heavy & if the barrels aren't regulated well it becomes just another heavy novelty piece. They are/were popular in countries where gun ownership is restricted & owning one gun with rifle and shotgun options allows one to hunt a variety of game without applying for more gun licenses, etc. So there are a lot of neat old drillings/combo guns from Europe floating around if you know where to look.

 

[scramasax]

It the US they were mainly used on the farm for rodent erradication. They make great forageing guns. But both occupations are things of the past. Now most of our food is imported or grown on large corperate farms. The pioneer who has to forage for thier food is non-existant. While mnin ranches/farms were on the rise for hobbies a lot of them have been foreclosed on. As long as oour society is the way it is now there is no market.

I still have the Savage 24 22lr/410 that rode on the tractor on my granfathers farm. Many rabbits, squirrells and snakes met thier maker with it.

Cheers,

ts

 

[Jason_W]

The Baikal appealed to me because it enables me to take small game during my walk home after a long day of not seeing any deer.

I can't count the number of times I've been walking home after a deer hunt or have been just about to give up when a rabbit our grouse walks by.

 

[gp911]

I forgot to mention my combo is a Savage 24 in .22wmr over .410. I'll never sell that gun. Someday I'll get one of those fancy old drillings in 9.3xsomethingRimmed over 12 or 16 bore, or some other cool combination.

 

[browningguy]

I've still got the drilling my grandfather and my dad used back on the farm starting in the '30's. 9.3x72R x 16 ga., a fine old warhorse but the locking hinge finally shot loose back in the '70's and I stopped shooting it then.

 

[Texas19Delta]

I have a savage 24 in 222/20 gauge. A useful truck gun. I am considering having it rechambered in 223 for cost and availability of ammo.

 

[mljdeckard]

A friend of mine has a 20/.223 and it's a lot of fun. But at the same time, I don't see it taking the place of my regular shotguns or rifles.

(My little brother is also a TX 19D.)

 

[Jason_W]

The biggest problem with mine are the triggers. They're very stiff.

I'm hoping a gunsmith can lighten them for a price I can afford.

I'm also less than happy with the stock sights, but that's easily corrected by scoping the gun.

 

[dennis228]

I still have my compact Savage 24 Camper's Companion 22lr/20 gauge and also my old (pre-Savage) Stevens 22lr/410. Nice for backpacking or just woods bumming and as stated these are great for small game, pests, snakes etc. I know that Savage will be releasing the newest version the Savage 42 which has syn. stock and sized more like my little Camper's Companion. People are always interested in these two whenever I have them out and about. Both of mine are quite accurate.

 

[Iramo94]

I would love to have a vierling in .22LR over side by side 12-bores over [insert heavy African cartridge here], but I doubt that is made.

 

[DM~]

I can't even guess how much meat i've put in my freezers over the years with combo guns!



And much much more with my drilling, like this moose,



and this buck i shot last fall,



DM

 

[gp911]

Drilling Man? If that's you I've drooled over countless pics of cool combos on GBO that you've posted over the years!

 

[ADKWOODSMAN]

My combo gun is very handy when there is a lack of deer you can also pot small game.
Mine is also a Baikal O/U in 12 ga/.308.

 

[DM~]

Thanks gp,

My love affair started with combo guns over 50 years ago, and i've never been without a combo gun for long, since then.

If you get a "good" one, it will be a life long friend and never let you down!

Thanks again,

Drilling Man

 

[MCgunner]

My uncle brought back a Sauer drilling, 16 gauge double over a 8x57JR barrel, from Europe after the war as a war trophy among others he had including a P08. I fired the gun, quite accurate and well regulated. The safety was on the left side of the receiver, the tang being the selector between rifle and shotgun. When you pushed the selector to rifle, a little rear sight popped up on the rib. For shotgun, it was out of the way, just like a shotgun should be. I always thought that was WAY cool. My cousin got it after my Uncle died, probably hocked the thing knowing him. I priced one at a gun show once around 1980 and was stupefied. I don't even wanna know what they'd go for, now.

I coulda bought an old 24 Savage .410/.22 from a pawn shop, might still have it, but I passed. It needed a hammer. It would fire, but there was something wrong broken on the hammer as it would depress the firing pin if you pushed it down even without pulling the trigger. Not a safe situation and as i didn't know if I could get parts, I just passed. They wanted something like 240 bucks for it.

 

[OrangePwrx9]

I've got a pair of Savage 24s, a 24V in .223/20ga. and a 24F in .223/12 ga. The stocks are very different on the two. The 24V's wooden stock with a bit of a Monte Carlo, is a rifle stock. the 24F's synthetic stock has a lot of drop and seems to be more of a shotgun stock. Both were bought new.

Both shoot the .223 into MOA at 100 yds. using iron sights...from the bench. Neither is well regulated, with the shotgun pattern centered somewhere other than where the sights would suggest. Neither shoot very good shotgun patterns either, though the fixed full-choke 20 ga. barrel on the 24V seems to do better than the screw-in choked 12 ga. 24F which showed plenty of holes in limited testing.

I've tried scopes on both guns, but quickly returned to iron sights. The scope worked best on the rifle stocked 24V, but the stock on the 24F didn't afford proper cheek-weld with a scope. Of course, wing shooting was out of the question with a scope.

I really like the 24V and will probably never sell it. At one time I could wing shoot doves quite predictably with it. It's taken it's share of woodchucks too.

The 24F's fit & finish is very rough in comparison and the gun is heavier. It might get swapped off, particularly if Savage re-introduces a combo gun in .22LR/20 ga. Can anyone direct me to more information on the Savage 42 (or 24?) that's being re-introduced?

 

[Jason_W]

Here's what I was able to do with my MP94 at 50 yards (which is likely as far as I'll ever have to shoot in the Maine woods).

The slugs actually hit reasonably close to where the .308 rounds did.

The groups aren't the tightest which is more my fault than anything. I have a tough time with the miniscule stock open sights. I'm guessing everything will shrink a little with the addition of a scope.