double barrel

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shattered00

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I was just wondering as to what purpose, if any, these double barrel shotguns serve nowadays with all the pumps and semis out there. Are they used for any particular shooting event etc? Do they go bang more often than a pump or semi? More powerful? Are they now relegated to being a gun to have for the "cool" factor only?
 
alot of the top quality duck guns and skeet guns are double barrels. ( over under style mostly) they are an elegant gun. in most situations you will only need/get 2 shots so any more would be unnessasry, and ive heard some states/ countys only allow for 2 shots to be loaded in a gun at once ( if i heard correctly its basicly to keep people from just spraying the sky)

also there are many western style shooters who like the side by side style of double barrels ( or coach guns, where the term "riding shotgun meant something real good) for thier historical context

and with a simpler design there is less to go wrong, so its a good reliable gun for the field

added: for a good example, check out the beretta SILVER PIGEON V on http://www.berettausa.com or see more pictures and some price estimates ( 1,500$+!) on a site like gunbroker.com
 
I absolutely LOVE a fine double, but have a Mossberg budget...:banghead: But, I hunted waterfowl with a Spanish made double gun for years until the steel shot law came around and I didn't want to mess up my twice pipe. So, it's relegated to other duties. Last time I hunted with it was turkeys and I killed a nice tom and a squirrel that wouldn't leave me alone one afternoon. :D

I have carried this gun all of my adult life, but only now and then now days. One thing I do like about it is I can break it down and it's easier to store in a gun sleeve strapped to my Goldwing. Won't fit in the bags, but it don't look like a long gun in the sleeve broke down.

Most folks prefer the over/under because it has a single sight plane for both barrels, but I'm quite used to the side by side and have a soft spot for them. It's as viable a hunting gun as ever it was and, to me, there is no advantage in using a pump or an autoloader, just that they are cheaper afield. I beat that old double up pretty bad hunting salt marshes with it. I won't tote an expensive gun down here for waterfowl anymore. I take a pump. But, I still prefer the looks, the feel, and the utility of a double. Some day I'm going to buy an over/under, an affordable field gun. I'd love to be able to afford an expensive gun of some kind, but I reckon even the Ruger Red Label is a little out of my reach unless I save over 5 years of it or something.

You'll find over/unders in about every shotgun shooting activity, but the old side-by-side is shunned for the most part. It works just as good as any over/under to me, but hey, that's what's popular. In America, side-by-sides are few and far between in the field. I saw a guide using one goose hunting up in Eagle Lake once. Picked it up, it was an import, forget the brand, in 10 gauge. It must've weighed 20 lbs! :eek: But, I reckon that's an advantage in a 10 gauge. Sure wouldn't wanna swing on a flushing quail with that thing, though, LOL!

My old 12 is light, under 7 lbs. It kicks like a mule with 3" loads in it, but it swings QUICK, a lot quicker than my auto or pump. I used to take it out to west Texas to chase blue quail. It was fantastic for that! It's a good flushing bird gun because it is so quick, but get used to the longer, slower guns and take it duck hunting and I can't hit squat. LOL Just takes some getting used to, I reckon.
 
I have a variety of shotguns, but find myself coming back to my Stoeger Uplander 12ga. side by side, over and over again. It's just my go-to gun. It has killed hundreds of pheasants, dozens of rabbits, dozens of woodcock, some squirrels, several ducks & geese and even a raccoon that was attacking my spaniel. Doubles are simple, elegant, and functional, even in this age of high-tech gear. Mine cost about 300 bucks ten years ago, and it's probably the best gun investment (including handguns, rifles, shotguns and muzzleloaders) that I ever made. The Stoeger has outlived many, many pairs of boots and is still going strong.
 
Most folks prefer the over/under because it has a single sight plane for both barrels. . .
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I much prefer the double sighting plane of a SxS as it allows me to focus on two targets at once. Makes doubles on the covey rise almost automatic!

:D




Scott
 
:confused:

Well, with the side-by-side, the barrels either side of the rib blot out some of the sky you're shooting into, can hide a rizing bird. Maybe that's a better explanation? With stacked barrels, it's as if you were shooting a single barrel or repeater.

Anyway, I like side-by-sides, too. I just like to look at 'em, no real reason other than aesthetic. I admit that functionally, the stack barrel makes more sense.
 
I won't even go into the O/U is better than the SXS arguement (you godless O/U heathens). But for me the double just swings smoother. And you have the ability to choose between 2 different chokes or 2 different loads with the twitch of a finger. I used to hunt alot of quail in areas where cottontail ran thick. A load of 8's in the mod barrel and a load of 6's in the full made for a fine gun indeed.
 
"I was just wondering as to what purpose, if any, these double barrel shotguns serve nowadays with all the pumps and semis out there. Are they used for any particular shooting event etc?"
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Well, they're very popular among participants in Cowboy Action Shooting games, which is the fastest growing part of the shooting sports these days. Maybe that explains some of it. Lots of single action revolvers and lever action rifles are getting sold these days too.

"Do they go bang more often than a pump or semi? More powerful? Are they now relegated to being a gun to have for the "cool" factor only?"
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They aren't really that much more reliable than a modern pump or semi, but a double (with two triggers anyway) is still the fastest two shots you can get. It's been that way for a long time and isn't likely to change. Doubles don't shoot any harder than a repeater, but they do have a few advantages that keep them useful.

For example, they are the shortest legal multi-shot shotgun you can get, when cut down to legal overall lengths. That's the case because the action is so short. They are mechanically simple and easy for the non-'gun person' to understand and operate. And they are fairly inoffensive looking too.

But mostly they are traditional. A hunting double can give you almost instant choice between two different chokes or even two different loads, depending on the situation. That can be a useful advantage in the field, where more than two shots in a great hurry aren't really a matter of life and death.

"Cool?" I definitely think so. Far as I am concerned there is nothing cooler than a good bird dog, a nice 20-ga. SXS and a few hundred acres with a few covies of bobwhite in them, and a good partner to share it all with...

lpl/nc
 
We could hash this out for a very long time. but the best way to see if a double of either orientation is good for a given shotgun activity is to shoot it at that activity.

I like most shotguns, even those that don't say "Wingmaster" on them. I've owned a couple SxS shotguns that were delightful companions when escorting various so called bird dogs through bird habitat.

What was common to those SxS guns was an inate ability to follow the jinks and gyres of birds through some complicated manuevers and to reduce them to possession.

In clay shooting, the repeated and predictable trajectories of the tatgets give the advantage to the O/U, though a good hand with either can give a decent account. When things aren't known and predictable, lost of folks do better with a SxS.

But take not my word for it. Go shoot some, have fun and learn what works for you under certain conditions.....
 
And then there's drillings. My cousin has a JP Sauer double 16 with an 8mmJR rifle barrel. Flip the tang mounted selector and a rifle sight pops up on the rib. Safety is a little weird, on the side of the gun. My Uncle picked this thing up in Germany during WW2 along with a P08 my Cousin has. I've fired and even hunted dove with the drilling. It's a cool gun, but those things ain't cheap now days.

Think of it as a side-by-side with a twist. You can't do THAT with an O/U!
 
I was just wondering as to what purpose, if any, these double barrel shotguns serve nowadays with all the pumps and semis out there.
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Why do some choose to drive a corvette when a saturn would get them to the same place ?

A good quality double either SXS or O/U is a joy to own.
They are and old design that still fit the bill as a field gun, maybe more so now as there's less game to hunt.The focus goes to the experiance of the hunt and 2 shots at a time are enough.
 
What is nice about a double barrel...

shotgun is you can pull both triggers when one shot is not enough :what: .....I keep buck in the right barrel and a slug in the left barrel of my bedroom gun.....chris3
 
A double gun has several advantages:

You have two chokes, so you can shoot two shots at a clay or live bird flying away or towards you, with the best chokes for the changing distance.
Cleaning is easier and not as critical.
Transport and storage are a pleasure with a takedown break-action gun.
A 30" double gun is still a good field length, whereas a 30" repeater borders on unwieldy; a 26" double gun is downright compact.
The warden factor: if you hunt, as I do, somewhere with "No Hunting" access trails, you can easily load and unload the chambers, and you never wonder if you forgot to put the magazine plug back in when you cleaned the gun.
The RSO, hiker and hunting buddy factor: it's easy for someone to see when a gun is open. It makes RSO's and hikers less nervous, and hunting with a buddy safer.
You can often get two different gauge barrel sets -- it's not cheap, but it's cheaper than buying another gun, and you only need to get one stock fitted.
You get two shots without having to pump.
You can easily check for barrel obstructions without a ramrod. Just break the gun open and look down the barrels.
Break-actions are much more forgiving of out-of-spec sized shells, and they don't scar up the brass. If you reload, you'll care.

But, a pump or semiauto has a list of advantages over a double, too:

Three (or more) shots.
Many inexpensive accessory barrels make it possible to have one gun for all imaginable purposes, including home and camp defense, big game hunting, small game hunting, waterfowling and upland hunting.
A gun can be tailored for many purposes with a barrel change, even if you're just fine-tuning for skeet vs. 5-stand, for example. You can make the same gun swing differently with a barrel change.
An 870 will do nearly anything, it's got good balance, and it costs a lot less money than a far less versatile double gun of equivalent quality and durability.
Gas-operated semiautos are "softer" feeling when they recoil.
Even the best double guns are a lot more delicate than a decent pump, or even a semiauto. If you know your gun will be heavily used and abused, get a pump gun. If you're going to lend your gun to a neophyte, make it a pump gun, unless you like the sight of your expensive break-action getting torqued.

Bottom line?

If you know exactly what you are going to do with the gun, and you're willing to buy an arsenal, a double might be your best choice. If you only want to or can afford to buy one gun, repeaters offer a lot of value. Even a lot of shotgun connoisseurs use a beat-up pump for ducks, because the guns are reliable and a lot less painful to drop in the mud.:)
 
I believe there is a rule in Trap that allows you to refuse to stand next to a shell chucker.
 
Go ahead and pull them two triggers at the same time with buck and a slug. Be sure to do it with your off side shoulder so writing won't be a pain with the cast on and all.
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It's not that bad. My brother has an old Sears 12-gauge double that sometimes fires both barrels when one trigger is pulled (and sometimes when you close it, but that's only happened once :uhoh: ). He's had both go off at the same time with buckshot, and couldn't even tell. He knew it was more recoil than usual, but didn't realize it had doubled until he pulled the other trigger and nothing happened.
 
I grew up hunting upland birds (dove, quail) with an old Stevens SxS in 20 gauge that my father bought when he was in high school (it's a 52' or 53' I think) - and I like to think the gun made me a better wingshooter - it just swings well, carries easy, and makes you think before you pull the trigger. I've got an older 20 gauge semi, and all that ever gets me is "blam, click... aw heck, did I forget to reload?" - Or a modified shotgun tap / rack / pick up loaded shell...where was that bird?

The double always goes bang.

I recently inherited my father's gun - the same plain - jane Stevens 311 in 12 gauge. Now it gets the call for grouse, pheasant, and quail.

I'd second that it's nice to be able to pick your choke by picking your trigger, I like the tang safety, and I never have to pick up a shell casing...

Never pulled the trigger on an O/U, so I couldn't comment.
 
It's not that bad. My brother has an old Sears 12-gauge double that sometimes fires both barrels when one trigger is pulled (and sometimes when you close it, but that's only happened once ). He's had both go off at the same time with buckshot, and couldn't even tell. He knew it was more recoil than usual, but didn't realize it had doubled until he pulled the other trigger and nothing happened.
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Well, I can tell ya, I've had it happen a couple of times, figure slips off the front trigger on recoil and slaps the second trigger and I wind up on my arse in the mud with a bruised face and shoulder. I knew it'd happened, put it that way.:D That was with 3" mag duck loads back in the lead shot days.

I've fired a few slugs out of the modified barrel and actually carried the gun deer hunting up in east Texas. I cannot imagine torching both barrels off with slugs in 'em. OUCH! I fired off a rest and was pointing 12 O'Clock with ONE barrel! My gun is quite light, under 7 lbs, but that's a lot of load to fire.
 
The Remington Spartan side by side sells for $279, according to my newstand catalog. It looks cool and comes with 20 inch barrels, but is made in Russia. I'd rather a Ruger side by side made in America. The Ruger does cost two grand and has 28 inch barrels though. Would someone please tell me what's the law about shortening the barrels?
 
Barrels have to over 18", overall length has to be over 26". Unless you pay your money and jump thru the hoops, then you can pretty much do as you will.
 
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