In the Market for a Side x Side

[Thundarstick]

Who makes a descent double barrel a working man can afford no days? Say under $2000.

[eastbank]

if you can find a used browning bss doublebarrel, you should buy it. i have a browning bss 20 ga sporter that has been hunted by four generations of hunters since 1978 and as fired thousands of factory and reloads with out any repairs at all, only cleaning.

[M-Tecs]

Best for the money would be a nice used Browning or an SKB.

[dverna]

I just sold a Baikal I had used for CAS a couple of months ago for $600. That gun went through a lot of rounds with no issues at all. It was my main match gun for years and fired over 10k rounds . They come up once in while on GunBroker.

Unless you are shooting CAS, or just want to pay for the looks of a SxS, you will be better off with an O/U. Many more choices and a better gun for hitting clays and real birds.

If you are stuck on a SxS, look at the CZ doubles. Under $1000 and I have heard good reports on them

[Pinger87]

I have two old jc higgins sxs's. they are not pretty, but they are useable and fun.

I have been wanting to upgrade to a CZ though.

[HWooldridge]

I have a Husqvarna double that was made in the 40’s. Bought it from Simpson’s a couple years ago for about $350, I think they imported a bunch of them from Sweden, along with other makes. It’s choked Full/Full but has 2-3/4” chambers and great bores.

[rintinglen]

New, I'd go CZ. The Bobwhite is a pretty nice gun for the money. Used? There are a lot of them out there. Those Husqy's were a good deal, though some had the short 2 9/16 chambers

[schutzen-jager]

for what purpose ? - for field or defense useage a Savage/Stevens 311 or mdl. B can be found at reasonable prices in many gauges + configurations -

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I'd take a hard look at the CZ line, especially if you want a new gun. True, some of the older guns are good, but when you buy used you never know what it's been through.

DG

[centershot]

Who makes a descent double barrel a working man can afford no days? Say under $2000.

Check out CZ.

[Mk42gunner]

I haven't looked in a couple of years but CZ had some decent feeling guns, I just couldn't find the one I wanted.

IIRC there are two different grades/ models one was around $6-700, the other was about $5-600 more.

My biggest problem with any new shotgun is they all seem to come with choke tubes. Call me an old stick in the mud, but I really don't see the need for five or six different chokes for a double barreled shotgun.

Robert

[stubshaft]

I would keep an eye out for a used Beretta. I picked up this 20 gauge Silver Hawk for $1200.

312753

[cub45]

Parker

[Shawlerbrook]

If you don’t mind used look for an Ithaca or Fox.

[racepres]

If you don’t mind used look for an Ithaca or Fox.

Oh Boy... the eldest has a Stevens Fox...Yea Not the same... But in .410 it is the berries...awesome IMO

[curdog007]

There are quite a few Merkels floating around for well under 2k. Good solid guns, and quite a bit lighter than the newer guns are.

[Thundarstick]

I'm leaning real hard twards a CZ Bobwhite 12ga. My only shotgun is a 28ga Ruger Red Label and I'm stuck on a side x side for nostalgia. I keep reading mostly good things about the CZ, but it seems that there are a bunch of Stogers being used in CAS with no issues, although most are quite utilitarian looking and feeling too me.

[762 shooter]

There are quite a few Merkels floating around for well under 2k. Good solid guns, and quite a bit lighter than the newer guns are.

Curdog,

Please let me know where the sub $2k Merkels are!!!!

762

[Texas by God]

If you have Academy stores in Tennessee, check out the Yildiz shotguns.
Made in Turkey (like the CZ). I have one of their SxS 20 gauge doubles. Lightweight, great balance, beautiful walnut. Around $500 or so.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[koger]

Simpsons ltd.com, has a large selection of used European side by sides used at very reasonable prices. I saw a very clean Merkel go for $595 the other day. Most of their doubles are fixed chokes, no screw ins. A lot of them are choked full/full.

[Jedman]

If you have a 2 K budget you have a really large choice of guns from old classics to newer guns with screw in chokes. I think it would be all about the look and feel and gauge for what you intend to use it for. A fine fitting SXS is as good as it gets for most hunting in my opinion. Don’t buy one until it is just what you want.
Jedman

[dverna]

I'm leaning real hard twards a CZ Bobwhite 12ga. My only shotgun is a 28ga Ruger Red Label and I'm stuck on a side x side for nostalgia. I keep reading mostly good things about the CZ, but it seems that there are a bunch of Stogers being used in CAS with no issues, although most are quite utilitarian looking and feeling too me.

Be wary of what CAS shooters are using. I have been out of the game for over 15 years but none of the top shooters (who shoot a lot of practice) used Stoegers. Most CAS shooters are weekend warriors of advanced age, who shoot one or two boxes of shells a week. For a hunting gun a low round count is normal. If you will be shooting some games, reliability becomes more important.

[tja6435]

Not a SxS, but an over/under Stoeger Condor I bought for $300 around 2007. I have put at least 10 cases of target loads through it over a couple summers of shooting in a trap league. I also used ot hunt dove in sunflower fields in NE Kansas when we lived there—that was an awesome time.

I have never had 1 problem with it, I still occasionally use it to run off the starlings that pound our sweet corn in the garden every summer.

[GregLaROCHE]

If you are interested in a new gun. Consider checking out Pedersoli, if they are available near you.

[Thundarstick]

Bought a CZ Bobwhite G2.

[Thundarstick]

I'm so impressed with the 12ga CZ Bobwhite, I have a 28g on the way to match my old Ruger Red Label in 28g.

[StrawHat]

I am a terrible wing shot but I, at one time, had an extensive collection of Baker shotguns. baker Gun & Forge, Batavia New York, was an excellent producer of shotguns. W H Baker was a prolific inventor. He was a partner in at least 4 shotgun factories, Baker G&F, L C Smith, Ithaca and Syracuse Arms. At least two of them should be familiar to folks. He usually supplied patents and ideas and others supplied $$$. He had patents for doubles, drillings and introduced the first single barreled trap gun to the public. He and his brother founded the Baker G&F company but W H died a short time later. The Baker G&F Co continued under the leadership of Ellis Baker and William Hollenbeck until 1918 when the gunmaking portion of the business was sold to H & D Folsom. (B G&F had a contract with the government to make forged tank parts.)

If I were looking for a shotgun, SxS or SBT, the first ones I would seek would be Baker, followed closely by L C Smith. But, I am merely a lousy wing shot who likes SxS shotguns!

Kevin

[Texas by God]

Bought a CZ Bobwhite G2.

Got pics?
I think that you made a good choice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tatume]

My father bought a field grade, 12 ga. LC Smith while he was in the Navy, and before I was born. It's mine now, and I love it. There are several on Gunbroker right now, some in your price range and some penny auctions. Mine, of course, isn't among them. :-)