O/U opinions?

[270man]

Fellow Scattergunners - A friend is considering the purchase of an O/U shotgun and has been eyeing some models under $500. One even sells for $350 + tax. I've had experience with a Winchester 101, a Browning Citori and a Ruger Red Label. All of these shotguns currently run around $1000 and more. The Winchester and the Browning are lighter in weight than the Ruger but they all perform well and are quality shotguns.

My question: Can one really get a quality O/U for under $500? I don't know anything about the qualities/features of the current crop (one is sold by Stoeger) of low-priced shotguns.

Your thougths and opinions?

270man

[skeet]

In a word..Nope..except you can find a nice used O/U made by the big names for a fair price. I just bought a really nice Winchester 101 for a friend at a gun show. It was a 28 inch 20 ga..no screw chokes..and looked pretty much new. Not like new tight but not shot much. Paid 700 bucks which I thought was a steal. 101s and Citoris..check the forends..they cracked easily on some.. Rugers are good guns..they do have a bit of recoil..and no matter what you buy..make certain it is 28 inches on bbl length. The Berettas are pretty good guns..but some of the cheaper ones had a few problems. So many of the cheaper O/Us imported today are from Russia and the old eastern block countries and some are the cheap Spanish junkers. If you buy an O/U nowdays..stick with the better names..Oh another decent O/U is the SKB..nice well made shotguns..Also sold in the US by Weatherby.

[Jack]

There's a reason the adage "you get what you pay for" has been around so long. Because it's true!

[skeet]

Well there is another way to look at it too. Think Remington 870 express. It sells for approx 350 bucks. And you would consider an O/U for the same price?? Not saying the 870 is junk..but it is infinitely harder(read that as more expensive) to make a quality O/U shotgun than an Express 870. I'm not saying that the cheap O/U is not an okay gun to shoot ocassionally..but we have a tendency to think of the O/U as an upscale product. We would want to be able to shoot the O/U fairly often. As Jack said..You DO get what you pay for

[Gil Martin]

I bought a lovely used Browning Citori 12 gauge last month for $500. You can pay more, or hit it lucky shopping the used gun racks. So it depends. All the best...
Gil

[skeet]

See if ya look around..good things can happen. I am not a fan of Brownings..not because of the gun..but because of their policies..They are far and away a much better gun than any 350 buck O/U. I know many people will disagree but in my opinion ..the Citoris are much better guns than the Older Belgian guns. The materials they are made of, are in my opinion, better than the Belgian guns. It seems to me good quality guns today are made of better materials than the older guns..and the newer CNC machining is better than most of the old hand work..I know it's Blasphemy...but tolerances are so much better...in quality made guns now. Bring on the boos..LOL...oh by quality made I don't mean guns with tupperware stocks...or receivers either.

[Joe Boleo]

There are a lot of great bargains sitting in the used gun racks of the shops that I visit. I got a mint used 12 gauge Citori a fews ago for $595. I should have followed Gil around and maybe got it for less. Take care...
Joe

[Rapier]

It is really not to difficult to find a shorter barrel, fixed choke, O/U of quality within the $500-$600 range.You just need an idea of what to look for and go about finding the gun you want, with patience. In general the two top clays guns today, in the reasonable price range, are the Citori and the Beretta with long barrels and most times one fits a shooter and the other will not, just depends on the shooter. The 101s you will see at the skeet range. With modern shells and hunting upland birds an IC choke is about all you need so a good combo would be IC and Mod in a fixed choke gun but mod and full is not a good choice. I sold a Citori last year, in the box, as described (fixed, IC & Mod) with 26 inch barrels for $600 but the gun was as new and I had bought the gun for $500 the year before as a project gun for a new set of barrels, just did not get to it, before I found a nice 30 inch gun. I sold the 26 inch gun to a bird hunter.

The cheap import O/U guns for the most part are not of quality and the major problem is that the internal parts may not be heat treated properly, this is a major complaint. With an O/U the presence of soft sears, hammers and firing pins will lead to a myriad of problems.

Once you buy a real nice shotgun, you wonder why you did not do it for yourself a long time ago. But you have to get over the dollar hurtles first. :D
Ed

[Adam Helmer]

270 Man,

As others have said, "There is a difference between Price and Value."

I bought my first O/U in 1995. It was a 12 gauge Citori with 5 choke tubes. I have bought others and all were well above $500. Although I have many pump and semi-auto shotguns, the 12 Citori choked IC and Full is all the gun I need here in the Big Woods of northcentral Pennsylvania. Second to the 12 Citori is the Browning Sweet 16 made in 1940. I suspect I have Browning product loyalty when it comes to great shotguns.

Adam

[270man]

Guys,

Thanks for all the good inputs. Almost all were in agreement with my thinking, and I will pass these comments on to my friend. Skeet, there is one thing that puzzles me -- why must the O/U have 28-inch barrels? All my O/Us and the ones I've given to my sons as gifts are 20-gauge and have 26-inch barrels. I might prefer the longer barrel in 12-gauge for pass shooting on waterfowl, but the shorter and lighter 20 is just the ticket for fast quail shooting -- IMHO.

270man

[skeet]

Well where to start?? First off let me say that a 26 inch bbl is fine..for a good bit of your shooting. I use 26 inch bbld shotguns all the time.. in pumps and semi autos. but when you get a 26 inch O/U it is approx 4 inch shorter. It is a proven fact that people on average shoot longer barreled shotguns better. The nicest shooting 20 ga O/U I have ever shot was a Caeser Guerini with 32 inch bbls. I was truly amazed..but the gun was much lighter than my K-80. It shot so well I had to buy it.and it was not cheap...almost 3200 bucks. If all you shot was close range quail it would be fine to shoot a 26 in gun. But for an all around shotgun..longer bbls will shoot better. I used a couple of 26 inch O/Us in the past..extensively. Literally shot an old er Charles Daly till the triggers needed to be replaced(The C Daly of old was made in the same factory as Winchester 101s same quality too) . It was a 12 ga..and I even shot it at pigeons when we were doing the pigeon shooting business. It really wore ya out but it was ok at in close birds around grain elevators..but was not much of a pass shooting gun. Since then the O/Us I have used all had 28 inch or more...except a Diamond grade 101 A Perazzi and a Rottweil which all had 27 1/2 inch lengths. I do use a K-80 at Skeet which has tubes and is 30 inches on the bbls. I have also used the same gun here in Wyoming for Pheasants..with the 20 or 28 ga tubes. I'm not a small guy but it is just as quick to get going as a 26 in gun..at least for me..I also used it to shoot a few ruffed grouse in the woods. At the same time as longer bbls shoot better..so do shorter stocks up to a point. LOL All those quail in Aridzona can't be close in shooting though..Don't those desert quail like running?? The Chukars sure do here.

[Adam Helmer]

270 Man,

A 26-inch barrel IS Enough on a Double or O/U gun. In my opinion, the days of 30-inch or 28-inch barrels went the way of buggy whips and high button shoes. I began hunting in 1958 and everybody "KNEW" we had to have FULL Chokes to "Have Enough Gun." Well, for pheasants and rabbits we SOON learned Modified or IC Choke was all we neeed.

All my doubles and O/U guns have 26-inch tubes. If a guy wants 28 or 30-inch tubes, that is OK and he is 2 or 4 INCHES closer to the bird. Happy New Year.

Adam

[skeet]

Unnecessary things such as High button shoes buggy whips 30 inch bbls and FLINTLOCKS!! Hahahahaha You left yerself wide open for that one Adam.. Don't get all pissy..Just pullin yer chain.. LOL Hope you can find a big'un with that flinter. Happy New Year to you..and to everyone here on Huntchat

[Adam Helmer]

skeet.

LOL my friend. IF you did not exist, well someone would HAVE to invent you. You are OK by me and I want you around here in 2012! Be well, happy and healthy in 2012. Happy New Year to you and yours.
Adam