Over and under..?
- Thread starter Rsadams
- Start date
When I was looking for a gun many years ago when I shot a little trap, I looked at the Ruger Red Label also. A couple of the old guys I shot with told me they wouldn't hold up to all the rounds you will shoot in these games.
They said shooting 5k rounds through one and it would be pretty loose. And I don't think the pins and pivots are easily replaced.
Joe
They said shooting 5k rounds through one and it would be pretty loose. And I don't think the pins and pivots are easily replaced.
Joe
liljoe is right on the Ruger. Cool looking gun and fine for a hunter. For a high volume shooter, not so much. I own one and I like it for what it is but when I shoot competition I shoot a Blaser F3. I may stir up some but I'd also avoid the CZ shotguns. Just my opinion from knowing some that shot them in competition(one of which was sponsored by them too).
Dave
Dave
CaptainMal
Silver $$ Contributor
Funny this came up. Just yesterday I had a few hours to wait for my wife's chemo treatment to end. Rode to a 90 acre property near the doctor's office and shot some shotguns. One was my old Beretta O/U Silver Snipe. The other a new model Mossberg O/U made for Mossberg in Turkey. Got that one from a fellow at the marina just getting rid of it because of a divorce. Never shot that one before so wanted a comparison.
Man I can say it seemed to outperform my old Beretta. I played with choke tubes. Was impressed with the results. More impressed with the exact impact point of both barrels together. Thought it's handling was as good as the Baretta and felt the same about the selective trigger/safety operation.
Came away thinking this is quite nice and even came with some etched quail in the frame like the Baretta.
Price? Well I gave the guy $300 for it about two years ago. Think he bought it new two years before that. I say see if it's still marketed. If so, the new price is under a grand. Check Gunbroker also. Might be some available there.
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/740231350
Just checked. There's a bunch of them for sale.
Man I can say it seemed to outperform my old Beretta. I played with choke tubes. Was impressed with the results. More impressed with the exact impact point of both barrels together. Thought it's handling was as good as the Baretta and felt the same about the selective trigger/safety operation.
Came away thinking this is quite nice and even came with some etched quail in the frame like the Baretta.
Price? Well I gave the guy $300 for it about two years ago. Think he bought it new two years before that. I say see if it's still marketed. If so, the new price is under a grand. Check Gunbroker also. Might be some available there.
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/740231350
Just checked. There's a bunch of them for sale.
GSPV
A failure to plan is a plan for failure.
Stick with what you’re shooting now, save your pennies and buy a used Beretta 682. Solid as a bank vault. Can’t wear one out. Easy to work on. I had over 26,000 rounds through mine and had replaced one hammer spring.
Mine was destroyed when I stupidly left a bottle of Hoppes inside the gun case and it broke. I have a K-80 now and wish that I had the 682 back.
Whatever you do, do NOT get 26” barrels. You’ll have a hard time moving a skeet O/U with them if you want to upgrade.
Mine was destroyed when I stupidly left a bottle of Hoppes inside the gun case and it broke. I have a K-80 now and wish that I had the 682 back.
Whatever you do, do NOT get 26” barrels. You’ll have a hard time moving a skeet O/U with them if you want to upgrade.
I would highly recommend it.....there is the biggest reason to buy a good quality over and under. It was touched on, but I didn't see anyone specifically spell it out. You really want to make sure you get an O/U that has the ability to be put back "on face" when it wears out. When a break action gun closes but has a little "wiggle" then it is said to "off face". The better made guns will have provisions to correct this. Otherwise, once the gun is "off face" then it is useless and done for if it cant be corrected. E.g. Beretta has replaceable trunnions in the receiver that the barrels rock on and the little lock bolts {for lack of a better term} can be ordered stock or oversized when the barrel recesses get wallowed.
I am a side by side man myself, but I have several O/U guns. I like the Beretta's the best because they are the thinnest and they swing and feel the best to me. They also hold their value and will take a lot more wear than most. If you remember only one thing I tell you make it this; you cannot shoot these guns with the action dry...you must have a good layer of grease on the hinge pin or rocker and the lock mechanism.
I have a number of different shotguns but favor the Berettas for toughness & longterm durability. Since you don't want to spend much to get started, my recommendation would be a 300 series Beretta with my preference being a 390 or 3901 (basically same gun) in a sporting clays model, especially if you are average to big person. If you are small framed, go for the 391. You can use those very effectively for any shotgun venue and can add forend and/or buttstock weight to get weight/balance that you want, plus the buttstock shims to get desired fit (and you can add an adjustable comb, too). Get 30" barrel with screw-ins and you have a tough, reliable shotgun that will work well for anything and not beat you to death. If you find that you still want an O&U after shooting for awhile you can get one then, with the benefit of having been around many other shooters in the meantime, giving you a much better perspective on what to get.
With shotguns, it all about fit. Before you buy anything be sure to spend time at the range with several different guns. While quality (used) O/U shotguns can be had for less than $2K some will swing like railroad tie for you. It’s also important to shoot the guns at a pattern board to see if the good feel translates to centered patterns.
Pretty is as pretty does.
Pretty is as pretty does.
When I competed, I was shooting 600-1000 rounds a week through my A400 blue smurf Beretta semi-auto. Never had an issue...but needed cleaning a lot depending on the powder in the ammo.
From my personal experience in the clay sports - my opinions are: The best Krieghoff, even the older K32s, built like a tank with the precision of a Swiss watch. Heavy and solid. Kolar close second. Perazzi lighter, not as solid. Then Browning, Winchester, Beretta, Ruger and CZ, which I consider all in about the same class. Never owned a Beretta or Kolar, but was able to shoot other people's.
I'd advise either Browning or Beretta. That advice was given to me 10 years ago but I didn't listen. I was talked into a Ruger Red Label All Weather in 12 ga. That gun didn't last for 2 years before I started having problems. After 2 trips to a gunsmith and talking to Ruger I traded it in for a Browning. Buy once and don't take a beating on junk, go with a proven name.
Food for thought, my father in law used to hand me my backside with his old sxs ... made me think on more than a few occasions that the old 101 was ready for the heap lol.
Sure used to have a lot of fun tho.
Had to do it all over again I would say to buy a nice used shotgun that fits you well.. You will have more fun with a good shooting shotgun when it fits well than should be allowed by the law lol.
Good luck keep us posted what you find!
Sure used to have a lot of fun tho.
Had to do it all over again I would say to buy a nice used shotgun that fits you well.. You will have more fun with a good shooting shotgun when it fits well than should be allowed by the law lol.
Good luck keep us posted what you find!
Yep, the K guns were very well built with a lot of History in the line. BUT nothing under 1K in price. Same with Kolar's, Perazzi, and then in the Beretta's, Brownings (too heavy for me) then Rugers and others at the 1K and under price points. I know a guy with two K guns at over 85K each. Beautiful engraving in 2 one of a kinds.
HTSmith
Silver $$ Contributor
All this for $1000?
Hey Joe, do not worry about getting parts for your SKB. SKB USA bought all the parts from Japan when they closed the factory. They say they have parts to last 30 years or more. I shoot skeet with a SKB 785 sporting 32" and love it. It just fits me better than any other O/U I have owned. (and that's a bunch)
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
I like the feel of an skb but shoot a 101 winnie. But im not near what youd call a shotgun guy if my 101 comes out of the case its chasing feathers. Scored me a super x1 a few years ago and its quickly replacing the 101
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