Favorite SxS double barrels?
- Thread starter ksdjfdss
- Start date
oneounceload
Moderator
old timers - Fox, Parker, LeFevre among US names - only the Fox is still in production by CSMC - they now start at $15,000 and go up from there. CSMC also has their line of RBL guns - good guns, they start at a more affordable $4,000.
Modern guns? - Lots to choose from - English, French, Spanish, Turkish, Japanese, Italian and some really cheap junk from Russia, Brazil and China.
Personally I have always liked the Spanish AyA, although the Ugartechea from Spain is a tad more affordable. AyA is even sold through Cabela's Gun Library. AyA has the look, feel, and balance of a fine English gun at 1/10 the cost. S&W had a double built in Turkey (and NOT from Huglu) that is an excellent gun - real color case hardening, well-regulated barrels, rounded trigger plate action, etc.......a nice 20 gauge for upland birds.
Brownings and SKBs, while well built, are just too heavy for lots of walking in the uplands, but are well made
Modern guns? - Lots to choose from - English, French, Spanish, Turkish, Japanese, Italian and some really cheap junk from Russia, Brazil and China.
Personally I have always liked the Spanish AyA, although the Ugartechea from Spain is a tad more affordable. AyA is even sold through Cabela's Gun Library. AyA has the look, feel, and balance of a fine English gun at 1/10 the cost. S&W had a double built in Turkey (and NOT from Huglu) that is an excellent gun - real color case hardening, well-regulated barrels, rounded trigger plate action, etc.......a nice 20 gauge for upland birds.
Brownings and SKBs, while well built, are just too heavy for lots of walking in the uplands, but are well made
oneounceload
Moderator
Them Kimber was made in the same factory as the S&W, and they were a steal when discontinued and sold off at half retail. If I could find one, I would buy it at that price, a sleeper of a side lock.
But for a good gun that is still made and therefore still serviceable from a parts standpoint, the aforementioned "Uggie" is hard to beat, as is a used AyA 4/53
But for a good gun that is still made and therefore still serviceable from a parts standpoint, the aforementioned "Uggie" is hard to beat, as is a used AyA 4/53
I've owned more than a few, over the years - including a 16ga Parker Bros VH Skeet gun, a 20ga A Grade A.H.Fox, and a BSA (England) 12ga (besides Stevens, Savages, etc) - and have found that I like my current 28ga Ithaca Flues Model the best of them all.
I've learned to stay FAR away from "economy" imports, from SA, Spain, Italy, Belgium - and a few made many years ago, right here in the USofA.
YMMV, though, depending where in your life you are, and what your current needs/desires are.
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I've learned to stay FAR away from "economy" imports, from SA, Spain, Italy, Belgium - and a few made many years ago, right here in the USofA.
YMMV, though, depending where in your life you are, and what your current needs/desires are.
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Oneounce and others know a lot more about SXS's than I will pretend to know ...but in general...while they might look cool ....they tend to have very short length of pulls ...and a lot of drop at the comb.
Many SXS's were built more for the European style of bird hunting...vs the high gun ..mentality that is dominant in the US.
Like you ...I'm often attracted to the "look" ...but although I have fired a lot of the old SXS's ...from buddies ....Fox, Purdy, Parker, etc ...none of them fit me ( and long term would just beat the stuffing out of me ) ...unless I had them restocked ...( which would be a shameful thing to do to a nice old Fox, Purdy, Parker, etc...even a lower grade one...
I don't know if Kimber is still importing that SXS shotgun they had a few yrs ago ...Valier or something like that ....but I know there are still some of them around.
If you're serious about this ...I might suggest you look for a Browning BSS as well....guys that have them and use them for some of the vintage shoots...think they're ok / and as far as I know they're still reasonably priced at $ 1,500 - $2,000 or so based on what I see in the used gunshops in my area.
Krieghoff Essencia is another gun out there ....but big money ...in the
$ 30,000 price range...or more...but a very nice gun / if you're really - really serious about a SXS...
but remember ...in all shotguns..its all about "fit" ...or its a waste of money !
Many SXS's were built more for the European style of bird hunting...vs the high gun ..mentality that is dominant in the US.
Like you ...I'm often attracted to the "look" ...but although I have fired a lot of the old SXS's ...from buddies ....Fox, Purdy, Parker, etc ...none of them fit me ( and long term would just beat the stuffing out of me ) ...unless I had them restocked ...( which would be a shameful thing to do to a nice old Fox, Purdy, Parker, etc...even a lower grade one...
I don't know if Kimber is still importing that SXS shotgun they had a few yrs ago ...Valier or something like that ....but I know there are still some of them around.
If you're serious about this ...I might suggest you look for a Browning BSS as well....guys that have them and use them for some of the vintage shoots...think they're ok / and as far as I know they're still reasonably priced at $ 1,500 - $2,000 or so based on what I see in the used gunshops in my area.
Krieghoff Essencia is another gun out there ....but big money ...in the
$ 30,000 price range...or more...but a very nice gun / if you're really - really serious about a SXS...
but remember ...in all shotguns..its all about "fit" ...or its a waste of money !
Among decently built SxSs (read: not cheap), there are two general schools of thought. The English style that are built to be light and svelte, and handle like a magic wand. Not meant for heavy loads. great for quail or driven bird shooting for example. Then you have what I call the American style, best personified by the Winchester Model 21. Built heavier for heavier loads, but still handle extremely well in my opinion. I am a big guy and I have always tended to heavier loads and waterfowl. In the older guns, I found the stock dimensions weren't my style at all, Too much drop on a lot of them, and too short.
In the lighter guns, AYA makes some nice ones, and Bernadelli made some very nice ones, and there are several other European made examples. I had a little inexpensive Spanish made off brand 20 that was a quail hunter's delight I shot for many years with no issues, but it didn't see that many rounds either.
In the heavier guns, the Browning BSS is a favorite of mine, and the Winchester 23s, and the Parker Reproductions were very well made from what I have seen. The Beretta 470s with the post boat paddle stocks are still being made and are very nice, and I think Connecticut Shotgun builds or will build you about anything you want as nice as you want, including a reproduction 21 that may be better than the original.
In the lighter guns, AYA makes some nice ones, and Bernadelli made some very nice ones, and there are several other European made examples. I had a little inexpensive Spanish made off brand 20 that was a quail hunter's delight I shot for many years with no issues, but it didn't see that many rounds either.
In the heavier guns, the Browning BSS is a favorite of mine, and the Winchester 23s, and the Parker Reproductions were very well made from what I have seen. The Beretta 470s with the post boat paddle stocks are still being made and are very nice, and I think Connecticut Shotgun builds or will build you about anything you want as nice as you want, including a reproduction 21 that may be better than the original.
oneounceload
Moderator
CSMC owns the Model 21 name as well as the AH Fox name and build excellent guns - if you can afford them. Tony even has one with his own name on it and it starts about $75,000 give or take
I'm easy.....
There's few shotguns I don't like, and very few SxS ones. A couple stand out, though.
An A H Fox 16 gauge belonging to a long dead friend. On a quail hunt not long before he died, he lent me this long enough for a double on a covey flush and then a followup single. The thing seemed like a body part rather than a tool. A grade gun, this was pretty as a prom queen and lethal as hate.
A French/Belgian Guild gun, pretty as the above Fox and as lethal. Set up as a Game Gun,this was a labor of love by an unknown maker that shot where I looked and carried like a walking stick. Made to a level of care where all the screw slots lined up parallel to the bore.
A couple 311s are up in there, one is in the custody of a cousin now, the other traded off long ago.Not made to the level seen above but honest tools.
I've been fortunate to have people briefly loan me good guns to try for a few shots. I've handled Parkers, Purdeys, Elsies, Foxes, a Grant, some W&C Scotts and so on.
Shotguns get into some folks' blood worse than Hep C. SxS guns are a virulent form of that, but it's a wonderful though expensive malady.....
There's few shotguns I don't like, and very few SxS ones. A couple stand out, though.
An A H Fox 16 gauge belonging to a long dead friend. On a quail hunt not long before he died, he lent me this long enough for a double on a covey flush and then a followup single. The thing seemed like a body part rather than a tool. A grade gun, this was pretty as a prom queen and lethal as hate.
A French/Belgian Guild gun, pretty as the above Fox and as lethal. Set up as a Game Gun,this was a labor of love by an unknown maker that shot where I looked and carried like a walking stick. Made to a level of care where all the screw slots lined up parallel to the bore.
A couple 311s are up in there, one is in the custody of a cousin now, the other traded off long ago.Not made to the level seen above but honest tools.
I've been fortunate to have people briefly loan me good guns to try for a few shots. I've handled Parkers, Purdeys, Elsies, Foxes, a Grant, some W&C Scotts and so on.
Shotguns get into some folks' blood worse than Hep C. SxS guns are a virulent form of that, but it's a wonderful though expensive malady.....
bamaranger
New member
nobody
NObody ever mentions them much, but I've always had a soft spot for the Win Model 24. Not nearly as sleek as the high dollar numbers being touted here, they looked, "beefy", kind of the middle line backer of doubles, and were meant as better working man doubles. They were by gosh Winchesters too, made with walnut and good steel, and held up pretty well. Ironically, the two I've had a chance to buy, both 16 ga, had problems.
The other has been mentioned, the Savage 311. Nearly every kid I hunted w/ as a teen had one, a step above a single barrel, but not as expensive as a pump or auto. Most are now beat to death, junkers or barn guns.
Guys, $30,000 for a shotgun!?!??!! I didn't pay too much more for the house and 10 acres!
NObody ever mentions them much, but I've always had a soft spot for the Win Model 24. Not nearly as sleek as the high dollar numbers being touted here, they looked, "beefy", kind of the middle line backer of doubles, and were meant as better working man doubles. They were by gosh Winchesters too, made with walnut and good steel, and held up pretty well. Ironically, the two I've had a chance to buy, both 16 ga, had problems.
The other has been mentioned, the Savage 311. Nearly every kid I hunted w/ as a teen had one, a step above a single barrel, but not as expensive as a pump or auto. Most are now beat to death, junkers or barn guns.
Guys, $30,000 for a shotgun!?!??!! I didn't pay too much more for the house and 10 acres!
oneounceload
Moderator
OkieCruffler
New member
well, the 311 of course (Yeah I know, "Pig on a shovel", hardy har har). Starting to warm up to my grandad's Greeners. Sitting here kicking myself right now for passing on a sweet 20ga Winchester 24 today that was marked at $350. Blueing was a long forgotten dream but not a bit of rust. Stock was discolored by a slip on pad ( I hate those things with a passion) but there were only a few dents. And it locked up tighter than a bank vault. I think I was having a small stroke.
.300 Weatherby Mag
New member
Favorite Side by Side I've shot but have no hope of owning.... F. Rizzini R1E 
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=275024840
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=275024840
