Thoughts on O/Us
I seem to recall seing an ad for the HK O/U in one of the mags. I believe it is made in Italy by B Rizzini. There are a lot of guns made in Italy by smaller makers that are of good to excellent quality. The problem is that if you need service you may find that it does not exist.
Often major manufacturers like H & K will import guns from smaller makers to attempt to enter a market they do not currently have offerings in. Often the relationship does not last very long and people who need service on their guns are told that the importer no longer handles their gun. This has happened often with O/U's.
There are several makers of guns , mostly from Italy , who produce quality guns but have not been able to put a dent in the Browning/Beretta monopoly. Both B & B actively market their guns to clays shooters and parts are plentiful, with many gunsmiths having parts before the US importer gets them! Makers like Marocchi, Renato Gamba, and the several Rizzinis fall into this category. The Spanish made Kemen and the German Merkel and Rottweil makes also are having a hard time selling there wares in the US. All are quality guns.
You may be able to get a real bargain in a quality O/U from one of these makers as they try to establish themselves and gain a reputation.
Case in point, a buddy purchased a grade 2 Marocchi O/U for sporting clays. The gun was impressive and he shot it well. One day the gun blew up! Probably because the shells he was using were defective. Now B & B would have told him that he was out of luck, it wasn't the guns fault. They would probably have been correct and not liable as the shooter was using reloads. Marocchi loaned him a replacement and ordered a higher grade gun from Italy for him as a replacement for the destroyed gun. This is a class act in my book. He now has a grade 3 gun and loves it .
The moral of this story is that many smaller makers will treat you very well, and they have great guns. Don't assume that if it isn't a B & B gun that it is junk.
If you handle the H&K and it feels good, buy it and shoot it. It is probably a good entry level O/U
More drivel from me
Geoff Ross