20ga O/U Search

C

chuter

New member
Folks: I'm looking for a 20ga over/under for grouse that won't break my wallet. I saw a Savage at a recent NRA banquet that looked and felt very nice. So, that's on the list. Any other recommendations. Nothing fancy, it will be a well used field gun. Thanks,
 
I would say Ruger or SKB ...on the less expensive side ....around $1,250 / both good serviceable and durable guns.

For a little more money - Beretta White Onyx series or Browning Lightning series ( about $ 1,600 ) are good solid long term guns.

All 4 of those are solid long term field guns / my personal bias is for the Browning Citori models.

There are a lot of used guns around / for all 4 mfg's - for $ 300 - $ 500 less than new...that are good buys.

As an example, Browning Citori Lightning field gun ( in 12 or 20ga, sold new in 1988 for about $ 750. Today that same gun, used, in good condition is still worth $ 1,000 - $ 1,250 even if its had 20,000 shells thru it.

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I think the Savage is retailing for around $ 600. I don't know who is making them .... there are a lot of O/U's these days retailing under $1,000... Remington, Mossberg, etc ....but generally they're all short term guns / hit and miss on whether you get a decent amount of usage out of them with no problems. If you're only going to put 200 - 500 shells a year thru it / most of these guns will hold up for 5 years or so. But they won't retain any resale value to speak of.
 
+1 to BigJimP's and oneounceload's responses.

Do you recall if you were looking at the newish Milano O/U (MSRP $1,714) imported from the Brescia Valley of Northern Italy, or a Savage (Stevens) 512 Gold Wing (MSRP $699)? I'm guessing, if it was at a NRA banquet, then they where showing off their new Milano. Typically, a 512 doesn't get much more than a ho-hum reaction. Obviously, these guns are aimed a two different markets.
 
A nice used Browning, Beretta, or SKB can be found in a field version for around $1,000 that will last you and your kids and their kids through grouse seasons. IME, Ruger quality has been hit and miss. Are you looking for single or double triggers?
 
I bought a Remington SPR 310 O/U a little over a year ago for $500. They're made in Russia, and they're very well made at that. Selective single trigger, choke tubes (not Rem Chokes, but Trulock makes some for SPR's). It was stiff as heck until I got about a thousand rounds through it, about half of which hit clays (so the gun must be at fault somehow!).
 
Unless you're willing to look/buy a used gun, you can't go wrong with either the Savage 512 Gold Wing or the Mossberg Silver Reserve, each selling for around $550 - $600, less than half the cost of the high-priced spread.

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Unless you're willing to look/buy a used gun, you can't go wrong with either the Savage 512 Gold Wing or the Mossberg Silver Reserve, each selling for around $550 - $600, less than half the cost of the high-priced spread.
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???? Brownings and Berettas, or SKB's are NOT the "high-priced spread". They're the LOW end of decent O/U's that will last and not break so easily. Even the next major price ranges of $3-4,000 and $8-12,000 aren't the "high-priced spread". THAT realm STARTS with David MacKay Brown and ends somewhere around James Purdey, Ivo Fabbri, and the Bertuzzi brothers.

And before someone starts wanking how "us regular folks aren't in that stratosphere" - a lot of folks are and choose to buy something that not only looks nice, but functions flawlessly for the task at hand
 
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