Should I Sell My Perfect Shotgun for a Perazzi?

Falconflyer said:
The above post reminds me a bit of the old joke about the woman who goes to the husband store and while the husbands get better in each successive room she looks in she is intrigued by what might be in the next one but when she gets to the last the room it doesn't have a husband in it and she can't go back.

I'm not trying to talk you into or out of the Perazzi, or the CG for that matter.

It sounds like you feel you need that tram line rib so if that really is the case then you should stick with it however there are other ways to deal with cross eye dominance. On the other hand, you shouldn't even see the rib while you are shooting.

I'm a bit intrigued by CG's claim that the Invictus uses a "modular" design for more durability, when I look at pictures of it I see no difference from the Summit model for almost double the price. The cute little video on the CG website gives away nothing technically speaking and only shows off the shininess of the receiver.
In regards to the receiver, the CG uses a Browning Citori type lockup that while it is time proven is not as solid as the Boss style action used by Perazzi, Zoli, Purdey and a few others. It's entirely rebuildable though just like the Boss, a new locking block can be put into a Perazzi for under $500 so expense here is not even a consideration.
The 20 g Summit Sporting that I have fits me perfectly without an adjustable comb and I shoot it as well as any gun I own so I have to say that I really like the gun.
I honestly don't see almost double the value moving from the Summit to the Invictus but that's just me. If I had to shoot a Summit for the rest of my life I could certainly live with that!

Good luck with your decision, I'm glad I don't have to put myself through the agony you are! Lol
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I think the Invictus is actually quite an ingenious design, and that’s a big part of why it costs more than a Summit.

The most obvious feature is the ability to adjust the tightness of the barrels simply by turning a screw for if you want the gun to feel like its new or if you want it to feel like its broken in. But the design goes much further than that.

On a traditional over/under, the cam pins are located inside the receiver. Replacing them can therefore be a relatively involved job requiring a gunsmith with the appropriate knowledge and experience. On the Invictus, the cam pins are located on the monoblock instead, making them significantly easier to replace.

The Invictus also joints around a replaceable locking block at the bottom of the receiver. That locking block is essentially the wear component of the action and can be replaced simply by removing two screws.

The result is a shotgun that can, in theory, be rebuilt indefinitely. More importantly, rebuilding the gun doesn’t necessarily require a highly specialized gunsmith with decades of experience working on that specific type of action. A gunsmith with a relatively modest level of knowledge should be able to perform much of the work, and in some cases, owners may even be able to do it themselves.

So while the Summit is an excellent shotgun and offers tremendous value, the Invictus is not simply a Summit with nicer engraving or more expensive wood. It is a fundamentally different design intended to make the gun easier to maintain and rebuild over its lifetime.

That engineering is a big part of what you’re paying for with the Invictus.
 
Thanks for all the info MMM.

So when CG says the Invictus is a "million round gun", do they mean a million rounds with a rebuild or two in between or do they mean a million rounds before rebuilding? If they mean a million rounds with a couple of rebuilds then that isn't any different than any other high end gun. If they mean a million rounds before rebuild then I would expect they want to see the gun on a regular basis to ensure it gets there.

And as far as rebuilding a gun goes, there are documented examples of Mx8's with over two and three million rounds through them. I'm not sure how many times they have been rebuilt to get to that stage and I have no idea how many times more they could be rebuilt but in theory there is no real limit.
The adjustable receiver is innovative and I can see some usefulness of the system but it's not something the average shooter will ever worry about. The guy who shoots 50,000 rounds a year and keeps the gun for 20 years might find it useful. Someone who doesn't grease the receiver walls regularly might need it more.
A lot of shooters have no idea the time and money it takes to put a million rounds through a shotgun!

Cam pins are very easy to replace on an Mx8 when the stock is off, timing them properly does take someone who knows what they are doing though. I would imagine the CG cam pins need timing when they are replaced since they are a wear item, just a hunch though.

CG has a reputation for looking after their customers and it's well known that customers can send their guns to them for ongoing maintenance, in fact that's what CG prefers you do. The problem I see with that is the time it takes and the hassle of mailing your gun! Frankly I'd sooner just have a local guy that I can call and be without the gun for a couple f weeks. I know two close by that are good P-gun smiths.

The rebuild ability of the Invictus is neat but I'm not seeing much advantage to the system when I think most high volume shooters would send the gun out for a rebuild anyway.

As I said before, I'm not trying to talk anyone into or out of a new CG but rather I'm just trying to put it all into perspective.
 
As mentioned, Some brands of guns really benefit from having a yearly done on them.

There was a black cloud that followed the ATA circuit in Alberta this year. Attitudes sucked and for the most part so did the weather.
 
Flipping a coin can help difficult decisions where you don’t have all the information and both ways make sense. If you go with the coin toss at least a decision has been made. If you argue with your own coin toss thats a pretty indicator that deep down you already knew what you wanted.😄
 
I am afraid I will be of no help on this as I also am one who follows the code of I like it I get it damn the Browning's or CG it usually ends up at my home. Wanted a Ljutic so got one then two anything wrong with my Beretta combo no but wanted a Ljutic. Needed a new doubles gun 725 fit pretty nice so along it came anything wrong with my 682 no. So the story goes had a Perrazi MX 2000 on loan to buy but just could not get it to work for me so, now the F3 shows up at a demo day and yes it worked so it came home.I guess life is too short sometimes and if you want it and can afford it WTF why not :)
 
reddog said:
I am afraid I will be of no help on this as I also am one who follows the code of I like it I get it damn the Browning's or CG it usually ends up at my home. Wanted a Ljutic so got one then two anything wrong with my Beretta combo no but wanted a Ljutic. Needed a new doubles gun 725 fit pretty nice so along it came anything wrong with my 682 no. So the story goes had a Perrazi MX 2000 on loan to buy but just could not get it to work for me so, now the F3 shows up at a demo day and yes it worked so it came home.I guess life is too short sometimes and if you want it and can afford it WTF why not :)
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Why not indeed. It's always amusing when someone says, "You spent how much on a gun!!!" and they have a far more expensive fishing boat or RV sitting in their driveway that they only use a few months each year. After ten years my shotgun will retain a lot more value than their bass boat.
 
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Arietta said:
Why not indeed. It's always amusing when someone says, "You spent how much on a gun!!!" and they have a far more expensive fishing boat or RV sitting in their driveway that they only use a few months each year. After ten years my shotgun will retain a lot more value than their bass boat.
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Absolutely, a nice shotgun costs a fraction of what a new boat costs that gets used a couple of times a year! Comparing the cost of a new quad, side by side, boat or motorcycle makes a nice shotgun look like a deal!
My most expensive shotgun purchase cost me less than a motorcycle that I purchased around the same time and now is worth a lot more than the motorcycle.
 
Just a little FYI Tom Seay is the 2026 World fitasc champion as well as the North American fitasc champion and he shoots a Perazzi. George Digweed also shoots Perazzi shotguns and is a26 time world champion as well as 19 other major titles and arguably the most decorated clay shooter ever! George has Perazzis with over 500,000 shells and won’t shoot a new gun but shoots his MX 2000S and his MX8. They’re apparently reliable for them.
 
I got to borrow the Perazzi MX8 this weekend. Unfortunately, the rain showed up today, so I didn't get the chance to shoot it. Hopefully they'll let me borrow it again next weekend.

Even without shooting it, though, I was able to mount it repeatedly and compare how it feels against my Caesar Guerini and the differences were surprisingly noticeable.

The barrels on this Perazzi are considerably heavier than those on my Guerini. The result is a gun that takes a little more effort to get moving, but once it is moving, the momentum makes the swing feel almost effortless. The movement also felt noticeably smoother, with virtually no barrel wobble up or down.

By comparison, the much lighter barrels on the Guerini seem to require more input from me to get the gun moving, and I noticed some noticeable vertical barrel wobble during the swing. This is something I had never really noticed with my Caesar Guerini before. It was only after mounting and comparing the two guns side by side that I became aware of it.

The Perazzi also feels more natural during the mount. Despite being the heavier gun, it somehow feels more intuitive. I compared the length of pull to the Guerini and found that the Perazzi is about 1/4" shorter. The stock pitch is also angled slightly more forward.

The result is a gun that I simply couldn't seem to mount incorrectly.

It never once snagged on my clothing, and I never felt the need to make an adjustment after mounting it. With the Guerini, I occasionally find that the stock catches on my clothing, and every once in a while I feel like I need to make a small adjustment after the mount.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to shoot the Perazzi today, so I can't say yet how it actually performs on targets. But this comparison really highlighted something interesting: while I fit my Caesar Guerini very well, the Perazzi's slightly different dimensions, combined with its increased weight and balance, seem to make it feel that much more natural to me.

Hopefully, I can borrow it again next weekend and actually put it through its paces starting with the pattern board, followed by a round of sporting clays, skeet, and possibly trap.

This experience definitely has me leaning toward buying the Perazzi.

But I should probably shoot it first. 😅
 

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Falconflyer said:
Hey MMM, did you ever get to try out that MX8?
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Yes, I did, and it shot amazingly well. Unfortunately for the Caesar Guerini, I tried my best to get over how much better the Perazzi felt, but I just couldn’t do it. Every time I picked up the Caesar Guerini, that damn Perazzi would start whispering in my ear, “You know you liked me better…” :ROFLMAO:

Eventually I realized I was fighting a losing battle, so the Perazzi finally came home with me today. I guess it was only a matter of time.

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I’m concerned I’ll be heading down this same road one day. CG feels good and working well. But looking at Parazzi and how easy it’s can be to get parts if needed and have on hand to fix small things sure is appealing.
That’s a great looking gun that appears to be well cared for.
 
Mumbles Marble Mouth said:
Yes, I did, and it shot amazingly well. Unfortunately for the Caesar Guerini, I tried my best to get over how much better the Perazzi felt, but I just couldn’t do it. Every time I picked up the Caesar Guerini, that damn Perazzi would start whispering in my ear, “You know you liked me better…” :ROFLMAO:

Eventually I realized I was fighting a losing battle, so the Perazzi finally came home with me today. I guess it was only a matter of time.

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Once the bug got in you, it was bound to happen. lol
 
Mumbles Marble Mouth said:
If your answer is anything other than “YES! You should own a Perazzi!” then I’m not interested in hearing it. 😂

I never thought I’d own a shotgun more expensive than a Beretta 686 or Browning Citori. Then, a couple of years ago, I bought a Caesar Guerini.

It has been an absolutely fantastic shotgun. Honestly, it may be the perfect shotgun for me.

But I still want a Perazzi.

And now, I may have a problem.

A pretty incredible opportunity has come up: a 2010 Perazzi MX8 with SC2 wood and a very low round count. I have the opportunity to shoot it next week before making any serious decisions, but I already know I’m in trouble.

I love the way this gun feels. The balance is incredible. It feels as though the weight is planted perfectly between your hands. It mounts just as naturally as my Guerini, and the way it swings feels completely effortless.

So now I find myself in a rather ridiculous situation.

In order to fund the Perazzi, the Caesar Guerini would probably have to go. And honestly, that thought gives me a bit of dread. I could be selling what is already the perfect shotgun for me… to buy something that may shoot just as well, simply because it says Perazzi on the side.

And yet…

I still really want the Perazzi. 😂

I never thought I would become the kind of person who gets this excited about a shotgun. But here we are.

So, Canadian Gun Nuts: convince me that I absolutely need to own a Perazzi. 😅
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Shooting it will make the decision for you!
 
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