What should I look for in a used Over/Under

[Rockrivr1]

I've always wanted to get an Over/Under for shooting Trap or Skeet, but the price of some new ones are just plain out of my reach. So I'm thinking of getting a used one and trying that. I was at the Kittery, ME Trading Post and they had close to 100 used Over/Unders. As I started looking them over I realized I was WAY out of my league and that I had not done enough research to make a logical choice. Hence, here I am asking you fine knowledgable folks.

The first thing I noticed is that a lot of the 12 gauge over/unders had fixed chokes that were in the price range I could afford. I don't mind the fixed choke scenario, but there were all kinds of combinations. What fixed choke combination works best for Trap mostly and some Skeet? There were several that had interchangable chokes, but they were priced much higher. Would you just save more and get the interchangable chokes?

Besides the fixed/interchangable choke issue, what else should I examine as known trouble spot for over/unders? Some had extractors, some didn't. Some had one trigger, while others had double triggers.

Lastly, should I just give up the dream of having an over/under and just get a good semi-auto?

Anyway, any help would be appreciated.

Oh and before someone replys that the search is your friend, I tried putting in over under and running a search. It comes back that the words are to common and will not run the search.

 

[BozemanMT]

well
For me
I'd look for a brand name, something I knew would still hold value (Browning, Beretta, etc)
I'd then look for fit, make sure it fits me and I like it's style and barrel length and I would probalby look for removable chokes if I wanted to do clay games.

Then, i would look for general wear. do the barrels fit tightly in the joint (good), is there any rust (bad), bar still to the right (good), any wear or dirt in the barrels (bad), any repairs on the stock (bad). I would make sure the safety works, the barrel selector works, both barrels can fire (ask for snap caps)

It's pretty hard to kill a top quality O/U and most high quality O/U's will go 100,000 rounds before needing major work and most people don't shoot that much.

Then I would find out how much it's worth and offer a little less. (never hurts. )

I'd take it home, clean it, lube it (a lot) and go pattern it.

But that's just me and I'm way too easy when buying guns.

 

[Tiny in Ohio]

What I look for when assessing an over / under, the first thing I look at when opening the breech is the stiffness of the action. Do I need to push the barrels down, or do they fall by themselves? To me the stiffer the better. Less rounds down the tube. Next look at the breechface, is it all nicked up? Always look at the vent rib, does it show signs of repair, or is it bent? Some vent ribs are extremely delicate, and will bend easily.

Most of the higher names have barrel selectors integrated into the safety, the lower lines will have a settable trigger. Look for fitment of wood to the metal. Pull the forearm off and look for excessive bluing wear under the barrels. Will the barrels move side to side excessively when breech is open? How is the overall bluing on the gun? If it has been reblued it is only worth about 1/2 of original cost.

Fixed chokes are not a bad thing, it is individual preference. My Citori has fixed, Full over Full. I use it for trap, not so good for Sporting Clays. If you want one gun to so all shotgunning, adjustable chokes are a necessity. Most trap guns will shoot higher the POA, to allow sight of clay pigeon over the sights. On mine the sights make a figure 8.

Take your time, the right one will show up and you will know when to make it your. And it will last the lifetime.

 

[ArmedBear]

For Trap, a gun with Full chokes will work, and Modified/Full is probably the best for a double gun, so you can choose a tighter constriction as you move farther back from the 16 yard line.

A Skeet choke is between Cylinder and Improved Cylinder.

There is no fixed choke combo that works well for Trap and Skeet. It would be hard to imagine a gun that would be desirable or even useful for both trap and skeet without screw-in chokes. But for one or the other, fixed chokes can give the best patterns and the easiest cleaning.

There have been some oddball O/U guns over the years, and some of them are great. One that sticks in my mind is a Valmet that had a locking mechanism like an old Model 32 Remington. I know a guy who bought several on a closeout, and he loves 'em. So Brownetta isn't your only option, but it's a safe bet if you don't know what else to look for (and if you want parts to be readily available).

SKB or Ithaca-branded SKB guns are wonderful and sometimes not expensive. Parts for them are generally available. Ithaca also imported and branded Perazzis years ago. Those can be a real bargain for what they are, though they're not exactly dirt cheap. Also, I think that some of the Japanese Brownings have been sold under other brand names. You might save a hundred bucks or more by buying the same gun with a different name on it.

Single triggers come in several varieties. Some are selectable (O or U shoots first, depending on a switch setting on the trigger or safety). Some are not. Some are recoil-operated and switch barrels only after a shot or after you slam the gun hard against your thigh, some are mechanical, simply firing 1-2 whenever cocked. I don't know which is more reliable, but the problems I've seen are with the recoil-operated ones, including old Perazzis.

All of that said, do you plan to reload shells? If not, you should be able to get a good 1100 with a screw-in choke, or sometimes multiple barrels on an older one, for a much better price than a good O/U. Actually, you can reload from a semiauto, too. You'll just have to pick up hulls and dust them off.

 

[BigG]

If you can remove the bbls, hang them from the lug by your finger and tap lightly with a pencil. Should ring like a bell. If dull sound, solder is defective.

 

[Rockrivr1]

Thanks everyone for the information. I'm thinking I'll save up a little more and get one with removable chokes.