Good 12ga SxS for reasonable price?

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Bryan_Willman

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I'm sure this has been asked, but I couldn't find it via search (maybe wrong term?)

I think I'd like to buy a side by side (SxS yes?) 12ga for sporting clays, etc.

I'm not interesting in $25,000 guns that take 3 years to get.

I am interested in names of manufacturers/guns that are priced sensibly and at least by reputation are of good quality.

I prefer to have ejectors and a single trigger.

(Example - is a Ruger Gold Label SxS a good gun? A problematic gun?)
 
r u interested in mossberg side by sides and also what barrel length?

There are a few good shotguns do u want new or old? and what is ur price range
 
$300-600, Savage 311.

$1K or a bit more, Fox Sterlingworth, Ithaca NID, Long Range, Nitro Special.Various SKBs and Winchester 24.

$2K or so, Browning BSS, Winchester 23, Parker Trojan,or a screaming deal on a Parker Repro.

$3-4K, CSM RBL, Ansley H Fox, etc.

SxS shotguns can be a morass for the unknowing. Get any older shotgun with a 3 day return policy and get it to a competent smith ASAP.

And note that like 870s, SxS shotguns do not breed but they tend to multiply.

HTH....
 
http://classicarms.us/

I got this cheap rabbit ear double trigger chinese beast for cowboy action. For the price it is suprisingly like and it gets the job done. For budget SxS stoeger and baikal (remington) have a certain respect.
 
Dave has spoken, so there's little else to say.

I can tell you that I like my CZ/Huglu Durango SxS and killed some birds with it, but I must defer to higher expertise.

But I'd say that you will have to narrowly define "reasonable price" - $800, $1000, $1200, $1400, $1600, $1800, $2200, $2250, $2500, $2750, $3000, or more?? Also, new or used?
 
$1000. or less it’s a crap shoot, Better to get an autoloader or pump you’ll get more gun for the money.

$2000. or less a new o/u or SKB & BSS

When you get to $3000. you should get quality and at this level deals are safer especially from the large dealers like jaquas or Cabela’s
 
Franchi's SxS guns are gorgeous and well-balanced for about $2500 NIB. It's hard to think of a "good" SxS for less than that price, new.

I bought an old 16 Gauge Lefever Nitro Special (actually an Ithaca-built gun similar to the NID), did some work on the stock, and for $250 I have a great field gun.:)
 
http://classicarms.us/

I got this cheap rabbit ear double trigger chinese beast for cowboy action. For the price it is suprisingly like and it gets the job done. For budget SxS stoeger and baikal (remington) have a certain respect.
Click to expand...

I got one of these too, took it to a sporting clays shoot for the first time last month. Had a ball with it, but don't expect to hit the clays that are out real far. Just too much spread with the 20" barrel.
I did have to do a lot of massaging to get the norinco to the level of a dependale shotgun. Example, the hammer dragged the stock and slowed it down for soft strikes with a no fire. Pocketknife and sandpaper and some stain fixed it. Then the shell extractors were rusty and was hanging up. Then when I took it out for the shoot, the humidity caused swelling of the wood, and the extra small hole the hammer spring guide goes back into was interferring with guide rod. These few bugs were will worth the price of admission. Now I want the CZ coach gun with all the fancy engraving and case hardening finish. But at $800.....
 
Look at a Winchester 23 or a Browning BSS. You are looking at 2K or so, but you will have a SXS you will be very proud of and that will give years and years of great service. DO NOT buy a Russian made Remington. You will be sick of it the first time you pick up a "real" sxs. The quality of a good sxs will last years longer than the thrill of a cheap price tag. See below:

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=117593541

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=117349736

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=117646770

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=117048124

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=117542206
 
Excellent replies, thank you all.

As for 870s multiplying - I have two of them. Serious black guns with 6 round mags and short barrels. I'm very happy with them as guns to defend with, and plan to use them for sporting clays, etc.

But I really think SxSs are cool, but don't know much about them. (And for some reason O/U don't appeal to me, even though they may have some advantage and I suppose I might like them better for some uses.)

When I went to pick up some pistols today, a Very Shiny Stoeger lept off the wall into my hands, and followed me home. I think you'd call it a "coach gun" (18" barrels) Very handy. Probably too short to be a clays gun, but we'll see.

I will research all of the suggestions.

For those wanting more clarification on what I meant, reasonable price means "less than $5,000" and available "now, or in 2 weeks." I was reacting to stuff I saw in "Double Barrel Journal" or some such about $25,000 guns made to order with a 2 year wait. I prefer to buy new, because I don't know much about the mechanics of guns and therefore fear buying used. And sporting clays/5-stand is probably the most realistic use.
 
I have gotten Browning BSS 20 gauges for under 1500 on a regular basis. Also I have never payed over a 1K for a Winchester 24. YMMV. You have to hunt and hunt hard. When I decided I wanted a quality double for a reasonable price I looked for the better part of 2 years and payed over 1500 and it was a screaming deal. Once again you must define what your reasonalble price is.

I prefer SxSs with double triggers and extractors and these always tend to be the more expensive or older guns geared towards the wealthy. Everyone out there selling doubles seems to think they are worth "double" their weight in gold. Unfortunately there are more piss poor doubles out there than good ones and that list starts with SxSs.

If you want to spend under 1000 and you want a 12 gauge you should not have a problem finding a decent one. The only ones I can really recommend though are the Stevens 311, Ithaca NID, Ithaca/LeFever Nitro Special. If you want the latter 2 in 20 or 410 you better be prepared to dish out 1000 or more.
 
N.R. Davis & Son

I bought an old N.R. Davis & Son SxS from a local shooting club member. The gun needed a little tweaking of the firing pin springs but other than that it is in very fine mechanical condition. The balance is outstanding and this gun has dispatched a lot of birds. These field grade guns are not expensive and often can be found for under $450. I paid $350 for mine and wouldn't sell it unless someone made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I think there are several fine old field guns out there waiting for someone to give them new life.
 
Well different strokes for different folks.

I am very happy with my 200 dollar SxS coach mainly because

I use it for a recreational shooting that is very short range only. No illusion it is an excellent skeet or bird gun at all. I somewhat understand the EXORBITANT price of double barrel shotguns with the attention to detail needed to get them tuned right but if I did develop an obsession for on the wing shooting I prefer an O/U over a SxS. Folks who say you have to spend 2000 or you don't have anything are operating on a totally different sets of criteria than mine. Quality is always expensive tweaking every effort to get performance but the differences aren't always blow you away superior.

Mine has gone bang every time after I loctited up all the screws. Will it continue to do so? Dunno but so far so good.

Material and workmanship is better than you might think. Suits my cheap sense of bargain. It was 200 dollars.

Just a side effect and observation but folks seem to be really intimidated by the little beast. My wife and boys have deemed it the scariest gun I have even above my totally converted and decked out Saiga 12. Maybe it is just movies like the scene in Kill Bill with the guy in the trailer sitting and waiting with one patiently to later unload both barrels with rock salt into the ninja amazon and send her sailing backwards. The coach gun has a reputation and respect. I like that.
 
I presently own a 12ga SKB model 100. There are plenty on the used market that may meet your requirements. Mine is a "basic" model, so it has extractors rather than ejectors, but does have a single selectable trigger. Some higher end models are equipped with ejectors. I have found the build quality of SKBs to be outstanding. Most came with fixed chokes, but can be equipped with thin wall tubes. I haven't done this to mine because I'm selling it. Not because it isn't a nice gun, but it doesn't fit me very well and consequently doesn't get shot. If an SKB fits you, I would say consider it. Prices may vary, but for a good used SKB SxS it starts at about $750 or so. Also, some were marketed under the Ithaca brand.
 
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