Going old school...which Stoeger?

[cluttonfred]

OK, I am thinking about getting a shotgun for general purpose use, maybe a little hunting but mostly pest control, fun shooting and home defense. Yes, I could go with any number of inexpensive pump shotguns, but I am thinking about a 12 gauge double gun. So, if you were to only own one shotgun, and had to choose from one of these three, which would it be and why?

Stoeger Coach Gun (side-by-side, fixed IC & M chokes, double triggers, bead sight)
Stoeger Coach Gun (side-by-side, fixed IC & M chokes, single trigger, bead sight)
Stoeger Condor Outback (over-and-under, screw-in IC & M chokes, single trigger, fixed rifle sights)

I picked these three because I have heard good things about Stoeger and noticed that they are all exactly the same price from Able's. I know many people will want to suggest something completely different, and that's fine, but please do complete the poll and give your choice among the three.

Thanks

 

[BCRider]

For a defense weapon the coach gun option is the way to go. Far less barrel to foul yourself in halls and around corners and such.

For general fun they are a hoot as well and if you go for the more deluxe option that uses chokes (the cheaper ones are fixed cylinder as I recall) then they are useful for a bit of bird hunting.

If you're looking at the idea of any clay shooting then it'll let you down though.

If you're really intent on having ONLY ONE shotgun then I'd go for a Mossberg or Remington pump. Get the long hunting version and then go shopping for a short barrel that'll live on it most of the time for HD. For birding or clay shooting swap the barrel to the long one and install the appropriate choke.

Besides, in many HD situations I strongly suspect that the simple sound of a pump shottie shell being chambered will make the bad guy stop and try to remember if his will is made out without the need to ever even get your finger near the trigger. And that's a sound that a break action SxS can't make. With luck the simple sound of chambering a round in a pump will send the bad guy running so you don't ever have to face up to the justifications. Sometimes those can backfire on ya depending on the area and local laws and viewpoint of the authourities. Far better that the sound itself or the sight of it be all the deterence you need to scare them away.

But in the end shotguns are like peanuts. You can't have just one. I only got started on guns less than a year ago but already I've got three of them along with a long barrel for the Remington 870 Express Police that has worked out nicely for introducing me to trap shooting. The other two are both SxS's. An itallian birding gun that I've used for a bit of trap just because the other shooters say it's no good and a cheapie Baikal I got and shortened to make up part of my Cowboy Action set.

But get what you want. ANY shotgun is great fun along with being a good tool for a lot of tasks.

 

[RetiredLawman]

For general use, all purpose, I'd select an Uplander with 26 inch barrels. If there was a 24" Uplander, I'd go for it. The reason I wouldn't select a 20" barrel is the deafening noise. I have an Uplander with 26" barrels and double triggers. I like it. I'd like it better with a 24" barrel but I bought it used for a song and can't complain.

 

[plumberroy]

If you are going "old school" It has got to have double triggers Plus I like short handy break open shotguns. If stoeger would ever build a condor outback with double triggers I would "have to" have one in 20 ga.
Fixed chokes are not as much of a handycap as some want you to think
Roy

 

[snooperman]

I like the Condor outback

Short, light, choke tubes, rear and front sights, can be an all around fun gun. I also like it for home defense. PRICE IS RIGHT.