Which NEW o/u would you get for under $1000

[Mn Fats]

Never owned an o/u before and I'm looking to add one to my collection. 12ga for clay pigeons. I know the choices aren't the best, and I'd hate to...gulp...but I am willing to save more and pick up a BT-99 single (I'm really hoping to keep it under $900-$1000 so I didn't list that as a poll choice)

Used isn't an option for me due to my being in the middle of nowhere and gun shows being not at all what they used to be. So I'll be ordering new.

Looking for a workhorse over beauty-fit/finish. Any experience with any I listed? Any to absolutely stay away from? Any I forgot? The CZ stands out to me, how's they're break action shotgun rep?

Thanks.

 

[RugerOldArmy]

I'd look for a USED Beretta, USED Browning, or a USED Win 101 in that price range.

You'll end up with a far better gun.

I know you stated "New", but if I were you, this is what I'd hope people would advise me. Buy once, cry once...and it is an O/U.

FWIW, you can get a NEW Win 101, made by FN, for a bit over your price range. I have one, and love it.

IMG_0307

• RugerOldArmy
• Jan 24, 2018

Winchester 101

 

[Armored farmer]

Gunbroker is a good investigative resource, even if you don y want to buy through them.
What little I hear from CZ is good.
I personally had some notsogood luck with Mossberg silver reserve.
I would MUCH prefer a well used Beretta or Browning for clays work.
Hundreds of rounds will separate the good o/u from the bad o/u in a hurry.

 

[rbernie]

Knowing now what I have learned through trial-and-error, I would never order a shotgun that I had not previously fired and determined that it fit me.

 

[RugerOldArmy]

Knowing now what I have learned through trial-and-error, I would never order a shotgun that I had not previously fired and determined that it fit me.

That is at once, both wonderful advice, and totally evil. The shoot it to see if it fits you is wonderful. Having him shoot an over and under, that fits, is both...for once you shoot a good O/U that fits, you'll have to have it, and can't live without it.

 

[Mn Fats]

I'd look for a USED Beretta, USED Browning, or a USED Win 101 in that price range.

You'll end up with a far better gun.

I know you stated "New", but if I were you, this is what I'd hope people would advise me. Buy once, cry once...and it is an O/U.

I understand this will be the general consensus...

I would never order a shotgun that I had not previously fired and determined that it fit me.

As well as this...

But I'm not a serious shotgunner, I only shoot backyard clays with the family every other weekend so I'm willing to gamble on fit but not if it's going to fall apart after a box of shells.

I do quite well with my Wingmaster and last weekend I shot 49/50 with one of my A-5's (mind you they were only hand thrown with the occasional "trick throw" mixed in) but I kind of wanted to throw an o/u in the mix for awhile now.

If the ones in the poll are really trash I'll keep looking used I supposed. Just no luck yet (the 2 lgs near me price thier used guns as if they're the gun gods gift to man) and im getting a little impatient I suppose.

 

[George P]

Used isn't an option for me due to my being in the middle of nowhere and gun shows being not at all what they used to be. So I'll be ordering new.

Not quite; if you are looking to order sight unseen, then I would go used with a Beretta or Browning (whichever fits the best) for about the same money. A BT-99 is a great gun - for a single barrel trap gun. If, however you also want to try skeet or sporting, then it is useless.

Look on GunBroker, GunsInternational, and similar sites. I prefer Guns International as it is a sale site, NOT an auction

 

[cdb1]

Knowing now what I have learned through trial-and-error, I would never order a shotgun that I had not previously fired and determined that it fit me.

I’ve bought a bunch of shotguns through the years. I’ve wasted a lot of money buying shotguns that didn’t fit. The one positive to come out of wasting the money is I now know what fits. If I know the stock dimensions I can tell if a shotgun will fit or not and will buy sight unseen. But again I spent a bunch of money getting to that point.

So OP, if you don’t know what fits you it will be a crap shoot buying online.

I didn’t vote because none of the choices were applicable to me. If I knew who made Charles Daly I might have voted for it but doubt it. I’m a big fan of CZ rifles and handguns but not their shotguns and it has nothing to do with their shotguns being made in Turkey. I have several Turkish shotguns I like. Have owned two CZ shotguns and shot a number of them. They all went bang, had atrociously heavy triggers, and did not have the best barrel regulation I’ve seen.

I’d own a Stoeger semi, in fact I have but I’d run from a Condor. Don’t know anything about the Mossberg. I will say I haven’t handled an under $1k O/U or SxS I’d own except for possibly an Orion. For a little north of $1k I might be willing to try a Franchi but for not much more than a Franchi you can get into a Browning or Beretta.

Whatever you buy you might as well plan on having to have some fitting done, unless you get lucky.

 

[kudu]

I have a couple of CZ/Huglu Turkish made SxS's and they work well, triggers are horrid, at 7+ pounds, but the guns work well. Will you get a gun in your categories that will last 20,000 rounds or more, not likely, that at one point was about my yearly average shooting. Even with a used higher end O/U at the same price point I think you would get more for your money. I wore out a Ruger Red Label at about 40,000 rounds.

If you just want an informal cheap O/U to play with, maybe a 1000 shells a year I think the CZ would be your best bet, possibly Charles Daly, but you still get what you have paid for. I have had buyers remorse on more than one occasion by buying something I was hot to get only to realize I just blew several hundred or thousand on something I really didn't care to shoot very much, and then lose money selling a 'used' gun.

 

[rbernie]

I’ve bought a bunch of shotguns through the years. I’ve wasted a lot of money buying shotguns that didn’t fit. The one positive to come out of wasting the money is I do know what fits. If I know the stock dimensions I can tell if a shotgun will fit or not and will buy sight unseen. But again I spent a bunch of money getting to that point.

Absolutely - BTDT. This describes my experiences perfectly.... <sigh>

CZ Redhead
Mossberg Silver Reserve II
Stoeger Condor
Charles Daly

Of the choices provided, I've owned a Condor and a Mossy: the Mossbergs have a really nasty habit of breaking firing pins early and often, while the Condor is a QA crapshoot and will have terrible barrel regulation.

If you're bound and determined to stick solely to this list, the CZ would probably be the best choice. But remember this - when you sell it (and you will), it'll be worth at best half of what you paid for it. The market for used low-end OU's is very poor.

 

[RugerOldArmy]

Bass Pro Shop Win 101 Field Grade $1099

A FAR better value than the ones listed!

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/Winchester-Model-101-Ultimate-Field-OverUnder-Shotgun

They're very well built, and much more forgiving than the older ones.

 

[eastbank]

to me there is no new o/u for a 1000.00 I would buy for any clay games, maybe for hunting with only a few hundred rounds a year. how ever if you shop around you may find a good used name brand o/u that would fill your needs for a hunting/clay games shotgun. I happen to like brownings, but there are many other name brands that would do also.

 

[Mn Fats]

Bass Pro Shop Win 101 Field Grade $1099

A FAR better value than the ones listed!

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/Winchester-Model-101-Ultimate-Field-OverUnder-Shotgun

They're very well built, and much more forgiving than the older ones.

What the hell? When I checked gunbroker for a price reference they were around $1,500. The 101 looks like it could be a winner to me.

And guys, with the fit- I'll be fine. I get it's sacrilege. If it's horrendous I'll have it fitted.

 

[RugerOldArmy]

What the hell? When I checked gunbroker for a price reference they were around $1,500. The 101 looks like it could be a winner to me.

And guys, with the fit- I'll be fine. I get it's sacrilege. If it's horrendous I'll have it fitted.

I was looking around too...it looks like they're $1350-1500 for the Field Grade Win 101(s) now. I got my Field Grade for $999 from CDNN last Summer...they sold like hotcakes. @$1500, the field grades are still a steal. Would I rather have an older 'like new' Browning Superposed? Sure. Yet they're made in a factory that made the Brownings, have a great trigger selectable trigger, a really strong action. The only downside is they're a tad on the light side, and the engraving is simple (but tasteful). I just love mine. I bought it as a hunting gun, but it is great for trap/skeet.

I don't have as much love for the higher end (beyond field grade) Win 101(s) due to the ported barrels...but that is just me.

When FN makes a 20 gauge Win 101 Field...I'll buy it in a heartbeat to have one of each.

 

[George P]

Back in 1994, I bought the Browning Gti O/U for $1000 as it was being discontinued for the new 325. I shot it for 20 years, put somewhere between 250,000 and 300,000 through it before giving it a rest for a few years. I had one repair when it hit 90,000, and it is probably getting ready for another set of springs and pins - about $100. I can also sell it for at least what I paid for it - all of that will NOT happen with the choices you mention above. Again, go to a local shotgun club, be nice, bring some nice ammo as a thanks and ask folks if you can try their guns for a round. When you find the brand that fits (or is very close), then scour the web for a nice used one from a reputable seller.

 

[joed]

I agree with RugerOldArmy, I would buy a used Browning, Beretta or Win 101 before buying any of the choices listed.

Why? Because I went down the path of something else and have the black and blue marks from that decision. After I realized my O/U was spending more time with the gunsmith then me I quickly sold it and bought a used Browning Superposed.

 

[kudu]

Again, go to a local shotgun club, be nice, bring some nice ammo as a thanks and ask folks if you can try their guns for a round. When you find the brand that fits (or is very close), then scour the web for a nice used one from a reputable seller.

This is the way to go if possible. Most shotgunners will go out of their way to help someone pick out or try out a shotgun. Many times I have let new shooters shoot my guns, whether it's my $4000 Beretta or one of my many Remington 1100's or 870's.

 

[MCgunner]

CZ Redhead, mine's in 20 gauge. I LOVE THIS SHOTGUN! It fits me as if tailored. I'm not a clays kinda guy, just a dove hunter, and even if it don't last a case of ammo, it'll last me a while. Actually, though, it's a very well built shotgun IMHO. Should last a hunter a lifetime. Now, a guy that shoots 300,000,000,000 rounds a week, maybe not.

 

[MCgunner]

Oh, my buddy has a Daly 12 gauge and has been shooting it for about 10 years. I can highly recommend THAT one, too. Of course, he's just a hunter, too.

 

[bannockburn]

Mn Fats

For myself I would save up a bit more money and get a Franchi Instinct L. I have always liked the way Beretta and Franchi O/Us felt and handled for me, having had both a Beretta Model 680 and a Franchi Renaissance for a number of years. Both guns were exceptionally well built and extremely reliable.

 

[MCgunner]

Mn Fats

For myself I would save up a bit more money and get a Franchi Instinct L. I have always liked the way Beretta and Franchi O/Us felt and handled for me, having had both a Beretta Model 680 and a Franchi Renaissance for a number of years. Both guns were exceptionally well built and extremely reliable.

About 7 years ago I handled a Franchi Instinct at a gun shop in Corpus, where I was living at the time. It was decent, but frankly, the CZ fits me better. The Franchi didn't have quite enough drop for me, felt okay, but not perfect. The CZ is perfect. Now FIT is highly individual and very important. I'd choose a well fitting CZ every time over an ill fitting Browning or Beretta or whatever. Of course, for what some of these shotguns cost, if you can afford it, you can afford a custom fitted stock, I guess. But, I'm retired, not made of money, and not a clays shooter, just an old Fudd terrorizing the dove population.

 

[bannockburn]

MCgunner

I'd choose a well fitting CZ every time over an ill fitting Browning or Beretta or whatever.

That's the same way I felt when I first went looking at O/Us. Didn't care for the Remington 3200, the Winchester Model 101, or the Browning Citori. Nice shotguns but none of them felt right to me; like they just didn't balance and handle like I thought they should. But the Beretta; I knew as soon as I picked it up and shouldered it that this was the right shotgun for me. Years later when I went looking for another O/U I found that same feeling after trying out a Franchi Renaissance.

 

[entropy]

The CZ is the only one in that list I would consider. That said, as others have mentioned, I'd look for a used gun of the various makes mentioned. In fact, that is what I am starting the process of doing, though I'm more likely to get a single barrel, for Trap. But if a good deal on a used Citori, 686, Win. 101 (like the one I should never have sold) or Superposed pops up when I have the money next spring, I would not count an O/U out.

 

[Armored farmer]

Okay Mn Fats,
I climbed my stairs and dug in the safe in order to take this pic.
Here on the left we have a diamond grade charles daly (copy of a win 101). It is currently failing to reset the trigger, making it a single shot.
On the right is a great little sweet pointing fun gun that i bought to shoot sporting clays and quail hunt with. A mossberg silver reserve 28ga. I have replaced broken firing pins in it myself.
And in the center.....is an 1100 sporting competition. Adj stock. Tubes. A great gun. I have taken it dove hunting too. #2 son just broke 50x50 with it at the Illinois State ATA trapshoot 2wks ago.
....just saying.
Im gonna be 100% in Favor of whatever you choose.
Best wishes.

 

[Ironhand54]

I bought a Stoeger last year for shooting trap. I am very pleased with it.

IronHand