What are the best doubles under $750

3

300magman

New member
I'm not a big volume shooter, just a few skeet and some upland birds, so a $1000 plus gun isn't what I want.
I would just like to get an idea of a good SxS 12a and an O/U 20ga that can be had cheaply and counted on to have a half decent fit and last for some light/moderate use.

A lot of people knock them...but there was actually Rem SPR210 at the range the other day that came right out of the box and looked fantastic in the fit and finish department....I'm officially tempted.
 
Under $1,000 put you in the " guns made in Turkey " arena ...and its an often debated issue on this forum.

There is another discussion - a few topics down ..."European guns ..??" where I think I rated various mfg's on a 1 - 10 scale and I put the Turkish made guns at a 3 - 5 range / and that is only my opinion remember.

We all have budgets ....and if the $1,000 limit is where you're at ....honestly I would tell you to spend the money on a good semi-auto and you'll be a lot happier 10 yrs from now .....but if you have to have an O/U for some reason ... I'd say take a look at the TriStars ...sold by Cabelas and others ..for under $ 800 ...and at least they come with a 5 yr warranty. Now I know Cabela's doesn't do the warranty work / so you'll have to send it somewhere ....but 5 yrs is pretty good / if where you have to send it is reasonably convenient / and it doesn't 6 months to get it back ... !

I don't see many TriStars around ....so maybe its worth a try ?

but I see a lot of Mossberg, Stoeger, Baikal, etc with all kinds of problems ...so I wouldn't go there...
 
From what I understand the Rem 310 and 210 are actually just a Baikal in new cloths...and the reviews on those are pretty mixed.
But I'm going to ask my dealer today about what kind of warranty they have, if remington is selling them, perhaps they have some kind of warranty or service contract.
 
don't do it .....even if all they have is a distant cousin relationship with Baikal ......( on my scale of 1 - 10 ) I rated them a minus 2 ...

pour the money down a rat hole instead .....

you would not be the first person to get sucked into it ...because it says Remington on the box ... its sad, but Remington isn't the same quality we thought of 30 yrs ago ....
 
For a SxS or O/U under the 1,000 mark, look for used, look for Spanish or Belgian, look for guns made in the 20s, 30s, 50s, 60s, or 70s. That being said, there are some models to watch for, and other to watch OUT for. AyA, Browning, etc. from that era, typically made for other companies like Sears, are well made, under valued and a good buy
 
I have to eat my words / comments on TriStar ......

on another Forum --- guy claimed he worked at Cabelas .... and for every 3 they sold, 2 came back in the first week .....and the other one showed up by the end of the month !

Now I have no way to verify what he says / or if he ever worked at Cabelas ...but in hindsight .... I'm back to my, the best score I'll give any Turkish made gun is a 3 - 5 out of 10 .....and there is no way to know if you're getting the 3 or the 5 by looking at them. Maybe it shouldn't be this way ...but its probably a waste of good money !

If you pay the better part of $1,000 for that gun ....and one barrels shoots a foot left at 21 yards ....what the heck are you going to do now ( hope they take it back I guess ...)...
 
Now about a CZ Redhead Deluxe (103DE) 20ga, 28" barrel 6.9lbs - $800 at my local dealer.
Any oppinions on this one? I now thier .22's have a Very big following, but I haven't heard anything about thier shotguns.
 
Charles Daly

CDNN has the Charles Daly NRA 12 ga. @ 600.00 bucks. It's an O/U 12 ga. 28" barrels. Made in Italy by Marocchi, I love mine and I have about 1000 rounds through it.

Downside is Charles Daly is out of biz, so you don't get a warranty. Considering that this is a 1,300 dollar shotgun I think it's worth the risk, the gun is an awesome value. I think it's the best bang for the buck out there, even without the warranty. There's a great online review over at shotgun world about it.
 
Stoeger Condor looks to be a decent O/U gun.

I have no personal experience with it myself, but it might be worth a look for you.
 
There are no good regularly priced, widely available doubles under $750. Occasionally you can find a bargain at clearance at CDNN, but the Mossberg SR, the Stoegers and the Baikals are crudely made and asking for trouble. Get a good pump gun that will last you until you can save enough for a good double instead of throwing it away on the chance that you will get a cheap double that actually works.

The CZs are Huglus made in Turkey. They are decent enough for the money, but when I went double shotgun shopping last year I bought a "used" Franchi Renaissance from a duck banquet winner for $900. There are lots of good used guns out there.
 
Stoeger Condor looks to be a decent O/U gun.

I have no personal experience with it myself, but it might be worth a look for you.
Click to expand...

I know one sample doesn't make a rule, but it is enough for me to stay away from the Stoeger Condor. A friend bought a .410 condor to shoot skeet while he rehabbed his shoulder. After patterning it, we both had the same issue. The top barrel shot to point of aim, but the bottom barrel patterned a foot low at 20 yards. Just recently, it needed to be sent in for repairs because it would pop open after firing. I was not impressed with the condor.

Like others have mentioned, there are lots of good quality guns that can be had at very reasonable rates used. A used SKB is a lot of gun for the money. They typically don't hold resale value very well, but are well made and with proper maintenance, will last the owner decades. Beretta, Brownings, Daly's made by Miroku, and FAIR guns all come to mind as being good values on the used market. Find one that feels good and shoots where you look.
 
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