Most beautiful shotgun

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retgarr

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Some time back I posted a thread asking for pictures of people opinions on the most beautiful pistol. It received a good response.

Today I thought that since I consider the shotgun to be the best canvas for firearms artistry there should be a most beautiful shotgun thread. So here it is.

Now I don't mean for everyone to go out and find a picture of some Holland & Holland and post that. I want you to post a gun that you feel something about. "this here is my grandpappys sears double. I repaired the stock with brown duct tape. Too me it's the most beautiful gun in the world" or "I have always like the browning superposed in 26", 28" is too long. I love the receiver the lines the way they do ...". That's what I'm looking for, specifics why you like the particular gun you post.

Anyways, here is me being a hypocrite by not psting anything. I don't know where to start.
THIS THREAD IS USELESS WITHOUT PICS!!!
 
This is 444's picture, of his shotguns. I'm very partial to that Browning Auto-5 - aesthetically pleasing, somehow, with that 13" barrel. Nicely carved stock, whilst the short barrel gives it an interesting utilitarian feel.
Yep, I like the Humpback. The reg'lar length ones seem to shoulder and balance nicely, too...
 

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I've shot an Auto 5 that was quite attractive, in 99% condition, fully engraved, gorgeous old thing. Teenage girl was shooting it at the trap range; seems it belonged to her grandfather or something. But it was still an Auto 5, and felt as odd as any shotgun ever made, when you shot it.

I don't think there's a repeater that really qualifies as "most beautiful". Maybe if there were no SxS guns in the world, and no O/U's. But there are.

Nah, THIS is a beautiful shotgun...
ParkerA1_largeL.jpg
 
Place and time decides.

When it's the middle of the night and the dogs are barking there is nothing more beautiful than my 870.

When I'm going to the last station tied for the lead my MX8 is the most beautiful gun in the world.

When the dogs are on point there is no gun more beautiful than my little custom sxs.
 
AB, that's a Parker A-1 Special, probably a Turnbull restoration or upgrade.

Lessee if I can find that old pic of Frankenstein....
 
I don't think there's a repeater that really qualifies as "most beautiful". Maybe if there were no SxS guns in the world, and no O/U's. But there are.
Click to expand...


Agreed, and especially shotguns with flashlights and crap hanging off of 'em....:barf: Nothing beats a beautiful side by side IMHO, especially an ornate side lock. I'm partial to the looks of a side lock. Engraving beats checkering. :D

frontgun.jpg



Hey, you asked for beauty, not affordability. Nope, I ain't got the budget for it. Pretty to look at, though. I really prefer hunting scenes to scroll work like this one.
 
Love the wood on that 1100. Pretty gun, but below the glitter there's an 1100. :barf: LOL Not that bad, there's just other autos I'd prefer. Purty, though. :D

It ain't a shotgun, and I might get something less than a grade VI, but I want one of these someday and might actually be able to afford it. :D I just have a thing for these little guns and never owned one. My uncle's favorite knock around gun was a Browning, though, so that's probably why I like 'em. The higher grades are nice. Hell, the field grade ain't your average 10/22. LOL

021002l.jpg
 
Am I the only person here who thinks that the fancy, engraved, polished guns look absolutely hideous?
What do I think is the most beautiful?
I really like this one:
DSC00123.jpg
(WANT)
 
That 1100 and to a lesser extent the Parker pictured above raise the question of when the price is less about the gun than the adornment. Inside that Remington is just another 28 gauge 1100 with all of its inherent faults.

Meanwhile the Parker has very fine line Fleur de Lis chequering. While not to my tastes, one can't help but admire the craftsmanship required to execute that pattern even though the chequering is probably too fine to be useful. Similarly the higher grade Foxes produced by Galazan are the work of magnificent craftsmen but often the end result is gaudy and unpleasing to the eye.

IMO, what makes an expensive gun beautiful is understated elegance. Sometimes less is more.

zeus_dett1.gif
 
That IS beautiful; you're right. For exactly the reasons you say.

I just pulled that Parker off Turnbull's site as a response to the ugly guns in the picture above it; I didn't look around for what I REALLY think is most beautiful.

As I've said before about the 1100, it's like laws and sausages. You don't want to see how it's made.

That round-receiver boxlock is a truly fine gun, elegant, and without overkill. Winner so far.

It's a delicate balance, really, as is the appreciation of a fine gun. As you said, one may appreciate what it takes to make something, but acknowledge that it is form over function. The flipside, of course, is failing to appreciate the functional beauty of a fine SxS.
 
If beauty is defined as function, I'd place the Blaser F3 hat in the ring - the one with the fencepost-plain stock and unadorned receiver. The ones I've seen (don't own one) seem to define "as good as it gets" in an O/U with no adornment. It took over from a plain DT-10 in my personal hit parade of grind 'em up plain looking tools that do an exemplary job in other's hands.

If adornment enters the equation I'd confess to liking elegant as much as the next guy but I'm still fascinated by the Beretta Dianna set. It's got as much fru-fru as can be rammed into an artifact of its size but it's well executed.

The 28Ga entry:
28_Large_woodcock.jpg



In the "dirty little secret" department, I harbor a possibly unhealthy urge to take a Cynergy with composite stock and send the stock to an artist for application of highly unconventional paint job.

When I hit the lotto, I'm sending my 1949 L.C. Smith to Turnbull for an upgrade along the lines of:
Catalog_LC_Deluxe.jpg
 
DT-10, Blaser F3, and I'd add any of the plain Perazzis.

Plain-looking blue gun, but when you click it shut, it closes effortlessly but feels like a vault door, and you raise it to your shoulder, you recognize that true beauty runs deep.
 
Browning BPS's are usually nice looking although heavy.
 
Engravings on guns makes them look wussy-fied.


P1060351.jpg

Guns that put hair on your chest are the only ones worth having.
 
DH, I was seriously considering putting the 1740 up there as my choice.
But I went with the cut down 870, instead.
 
ArmedBear said:
DT-10, Blaser F3, and I'd add any of the plain Perazzis.

Plain-looking blue gun, but when you click it shut, it closes effortlessly but feels like a vault door, and you raise it to your shoulder, you recognize that true beauty runs deep.
Click to expand...
Indeed. But a wood upgrade does help.;)

P1010179-1.gif
 
I still think about this Fabbri from time to time. I could afford it if I sold my house and lived in my car.

8SUW%20L.jpg


My father bought this 28 gauge Guerini Woodlander two days after we ran across it in a local shop. He was 81 at the time and I was handing him 28 gauge guns to try just to see what he thought. He didn't like the fit or the feel of the Berettas, Brownings or Rugers. I nearly fell out of my chair when he called the office that Monday and told me that he'd bought it.

Six or seven months later, having thoroughly broken it in, he gave it to me for my birthday.

DSCN0153aa.jpg
 
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