Stoeger Shotguns?

[Contenderizer]

Have any of you had experience with Stoeger shotguns? Bass Pro currently has the Condor Combo (an o/u gun with two sets of barrels - 12 and 20 ga) on sale for $450. Seems too good to be true. At those prices I wouldn't expect great fit or finish, but do they get the job done?

[tjwatty]

I believe Petersons Hunting reported that Stoeger was bought by Bennelli, basically because Stoeger "borrowed" the Bennelli inertia recoil system and was having less failures. In order to lessen the legal battle the just bought them.. With that said I don't know if that was just their auto line or the whole shootin' match but I did look at a couple o/u at the dealer on Wed. and I thought they looked pretty decent for the money. I have a friend who has the auto and he likes to tell people it's just the same as my SBEII but cheaper. It's not, but it makes him feel good saying it. The inertia bolt is basically the same but there are several other big differences.
From wht I saw of the o/u I wouldn't be afraid of one for a field gun, it was a little light for targets,IMHO,and I don't know about long term heavy use but it does seem like a decent gun.

[skeet]

Just remember the old adage. You gets what you pays for. 450 bucks is very cheap for an O/U with an extra set of bbls. In my opinion I would go look for a used Beretta (gag)Browning or Ruger O/U and go with one of them. All O/U's have a tendency to have quite a bit of recoil and the lighter they are they more they kick. These statements presuppose that you have high expectations for having an O/U. Most people do have such expectations

[fabsroman]

A friend of mine bought a Stoeger because he couldn't afford a Browning or Beretta at the time. He was an awesome shot with his Remington 1100, but he couldn't hit the broad side of the barn. One day, we were out in a field throwing clays for one another, and he could barely hit anything with his new o/u, but he was dead on with his 1100. So, we decided to check the point of impact. The point of impact was about a foot higher than where he was aiming, and this wasn't a trap gun. This was 9 years ago and he ended up getting rid of it after using it for a year. He bought a Browning GTI after that, only to have the GTI rust up in its case one summer. Told him he should have bought a Beretta. LOL

In 9 years, their guns might have improved, but how much better can they be for $450?

[DelDuck]

Originally posted by skeet
Just remember the old adage. You gets what you pays for. 450 bucks is very cheap for an O/U with an extra set of bbls. In my opinion I would go look for a used Beretta (gag)Browning or Ruger O/U and go with one of them. All O/U's have a tendency to have quite a bit of recoil and the lighter they are they more they kick. These statements presuppose that you have high expectations for having an O/U. Most people do have such expectations

I agree, I bought a Church hill about 12 -15 years ago or something like that and I could not shoot that thing for love money nor hate. It was cheap $250 and it showed. Would rust at the drop of a hat, kick like a mule, and Lord knows when the pellets went after they left the barrel.

[wrenchman]

I had there coach gun for many years i hunted grouse and rabbit with it and it was my bear baiting gun i wish i still had it.
I have lots of nicer guns i wouldnt do the same things with.

[Contenderizer]

As luck would have it, several hours after posing this thread I saw a bit on Guns and Ammo TV (or another similar show) that visited the Stoeger plant which is located in Istanbal, Turkey. tjwatty is correct, Stoeger is a member of the Beretta family of companies and makes shotgun barrels for their own guns as well as for Beretta. Their plant is a modern, state-of-the-art facility and most of their machining is done with computerized milling machines. The show seemed to stress that any needed handwork was accomplished at reasonable cost due to the low labor expenses in Turkey. Of course, none of this addresses quality.

To answer Skeets question, I am not looking for a $450 gun to fulfill my desire of owning a dream $3500+ gun. But, I would like it to shoot where it is pointed and be reliable. All of my shotguns are 16 ga (and very old so I only fire target loads through them) so I feel a need for a 12 for hunting and a 20 for clays. A simple knock-around gun will fit the bill.