Double barrel

[mcmurry]

Any suggestions for a fair double barrel shotgun? Preferably less than $500.00.Will possibly be used for skeet, clays, bird hunting, and just to have one.
Thanks.

 

[burrhead]

If $500 is your budget you'll do much better to find a lightly used Remington 1100 with choke tubes. If you can move up to $1,000 you start to crack the door of decent used doubles. A Citori would be a good place to start. The problem with the lesser double guns are that barrel regulation is a crap shoot and, generally, they're not going to hold up very well to shooting a lot of clay birds. A well maintained mid-priced auto or higher end pump will last a lot longer.

Sorry, that doesn't really answer your question but them's the facts.

 

[hq]

I'm not sure what kind of money Baikal 111:s go for these days, but a few years ago base models were real bargains at $1000 or so on second-hand side lock market. Mechanically they're pretty much identical to premium-series 111:s, ie. russians "borrowed" quite a few design features from Holland & Holland and Purdey.

IMO if you're going to buy a side-by-side, you might as well get a side lock. The only reason I have a box lock Sauer & Sohn is because my father bought it new in 1944 and it has all original german markings from 1942 manufacture date. Without a personal attachment, I would probably have traded it in for a side lock long ago.

 

[evan price]

Good used Savage 311.
Stoeger.

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

Picked up my 311 for around $349. Great gun.

 

[dprice3844444]

http://www.gunwatcher.com/ here ya go check here for savage/springfield 311 dbl

 

[MikeJackmin]

I've been perfectly happy with my Stoger Uplander. I've heard that the guns with extractors are better behaved than the ejector-equipped versions.

 

[jmr40]

The Savage 311's were a cheap budget gun that sold new for $100+/- a little depending on when made. They were never intended as a high volume shooting gun with a lot of cheaply made internal parts. Most are already been pretty well used up. If I owned one with family history I'd keep it. I would not recommend buying one.

With a $500 budget I'd pass on a double. For that money instead of buying a bottom of the barrel double, you could have a top end pump or used semi. I like a double as much as anyone, but given the choice between a cheap gun, and a quality gun I'd buy quality.

 

[HammsBeer]

I lucked out and found a nicely refinished 1912 Fox Sterlingworth for $550 on the used gun rack at a Cabelas. Refinishing old SxS guns drops the value significantly, but it was nicely done and in my budget. If you look around you can sometimes find them in original condition for about $1000, and will be a very good shooter.

 

[SC Shooter]

Take a look at the Spartan over/under with a single trigger. It is manufactured in Russia for Remington. They are well balanced, with attractive wooden stocks. I picked one up new for under $400.

 

[Speedo66]

You didn't say how often you intend to shoot trap, etc. If you only intend to do it a few times a year, same for hunting, those Savage/Springfield/Stevens 311's will probably do you fine.

They may not hold up to weekly high shell counts, but they have stood the test of time for the Average Joe.

To be honest, I prefer to have something I don't worry about when hunting. If it gets a thorn or rock scratch, I 'd rather think of it as patina than economic loss.

 

[Steve C]

The current Remington made by over seas contractors sell in your price range and look nice. You should be able to pick up a Savage Fox SXS for around $400 to $500. I'd bought my Fox w/ 24" barrels choked mod and improved cyl for $325 but that was 10 or 15 years ago.

 

[MCgunner]

The Spartan SPR220 is my most versatile go to shotgun for most stuff from dove hunting to utility. I've shot a squirrel, a deer, and a duck with this shotgun just in the last few days while out back doing chores. I LOVE this gun for dove hunting, but I'm quite used to it. It's a coach gun, a bit whippy. Purely for hunting, they did offer a 28" gun, but I love the little coach gun for what i need, short and handy, quick to the shoulder. it makes a great combination gun, too. I was sneaking up on the tank to see if there were any ducks on it when I saw this bad boy. I had a 3" magnum 4 steel in the I/C barrel and a 3 buck in the mod. I usually load 3 buck in the gun for big stuff as I don't wish to screw up and pull the wrong trigger and send a slug skyward. The 3 buck did the job with a head hit, though.

I bought this gun in 20 gauge for its light weight, 12s are heavier. This thing is maybe a bit over 5 pounds. I don't think a 12 gauge slug would be very nice to fire from such a gun.

I bought the Spartan about 6 years back, I guess, for $299 and tax. It ain't that pretty, but it shoots where I look (after shimming the stock as much as I could to get a little more drop and get the cant out, I'm a lefty) and this thing is rugged, will last me my lifetime even though it gets carried nearly every day and gets a lot of rounds through it during dove season. Much is mentioned on here about the round counts a serious clays shooter fires, but even when I've shot clays, I've not fired that much as I can't find a recipe for a clay pigeon. Doesn't sound like you're wanting a serious clays gun, though.

For what I do with it, I love this gun.