22lr combination guns

Logan370

Logan370

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Good Evening friends,

I recently made a thread on here about .280 rem rifles and got so many great and helpful responses! excited to buy a new rifle for next season and I really appreciate the help. Anyways my 20 gauge I have been using for game birds is broken and got the word there are "no parts available in canada". Im looking for a replacement and I think I want to go with a little combo gun. The two main ones im seeing are the cheaper chiappa double badger and the more pricey (in comparison) savage 42. When I look a little harder I see a few maybe discontinued or older models. Im wondering if anyone has one and what they think of it and or their recommended choice in this configuration (22lr over/under .410)

Cheers, Logan
 
The stevens and early savage 24 in 22/410 is a gem. They were usually well regulated and just a nice little combo gun. Where and how I used to hunt grouse, there was no nicer gun in my opinion. The early ones that I liked had both barrels joined the full length, and a barrel selector on the side of the receiver. Things to watch for are loose rear sights, and cracked/broken trigger guards.

There was also the M6 scout, which was all metal available in blued, camo, and stainless. 22/410, 22mag/410, and 22 hornet/410. These bring considerably more money, are lighter and smaller.

I have had both, and the stevens is a much nicer gun - the m6 is a cooler gun.

TPS arms in the USA makes a M6 copy with some pretty nice features, and in more cartridges. But I haven’t personally had or even handled one so I can’t comment beyond that.
 
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Just my opinion, but I’d keep an eye out for a 22LR/20 gauge combo. One of my buddies had one and another had the 410 version(I was never lucky enough to have either), just a bit more range for the 20 gauge. And you’re right, bout the best chicken gun going
 
What is broken on your 20 gauge? Never say never!
I can't say I'm a fan of the combo guns. Other than the 22/410 offered by Savage, I found them too heavy and clunky for the bush.
 
The Stevens/Savage guns are outstanding for small game.
Given the prices they command, a lot of folks must agree.
 
Combo guns are great... in theory.

In practice in the field, meh... not so much. You usually end up carrying a barrels-worth of something you don't want and they are clunky to carry. When I want a .22, I want an accurate repeater, and when I want a shotgun, I want a trim easy swinging gun... with the combo gun you end up with a heavy and not terribly accurate .22 and a clunky, heavy and not easy to maneuver shotgun. Personally I would buy a nice bolt action .22 and scope it to shoot dimes at 30 yards, and get a trim O/U or SXS 20 gauge. Either one of those will serve well until you find the other.

I have gone the combo gun route many, many times, but it never sticks.
 
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double gun said:
The stevens and early savage 24 in 22/410 is a gem. They were usually well regulated and just a nice little combo gun. Where and how I used to hunt grouse, there was no nicer gun in my opinion. The early ones that I liked had both barrels joined the full length, and a barrel selector on the side of the receiver. Things to watch for are loose rear sights, and cracked/broken trigger guards.

There was also the M6 scout, which was all metal available in blued, camo, and stainless. 22/410, 22mag/410, and 22 hornet/410. These bring considerably more money, are lighter and smaller.

I have had both, and the stevens is a much nicer gun - the m6 is a cooler gun.

TPS arms in the USA makes a M6 copy with some pretty nice features, and in more cartridges. But I haven’t personally had or even handled one so I can’t comment beyond that.
Click to expand...

My trigger guard literally crumbled apart
 
Myself I enjoy overlapping seasons that I cannot ignore the differing harvest. Also I want more than just a 22 rifle with bears about in the fall & into later winter months the ability harvest a coyote or possibly a wolf.
Myself intimate security derives from at least a 22 centerfire and something with close range clobber in the shotgun chamber be it for something I want to eat (flying or not) or something wants to eat me. Lol....

And I know it's certainly a compromise because a flock of something yummy will mostly get away unscathed.
And that's fine by me.
 
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I found combination guns to be simply the best thing there is for just keeping people fed, whether it’s fresh grouse and hares in the frying pan every meal on a week long bison hunt, or being able to shoot both predators and meat animals out on the trap line or whatever. They are a compromise firearm generally speaking, so slapping a high-powered scope on your centerfire combo gun, is not likely to result in an honest 400 yard sharpshooter; but if you just want to fill your freezer with game taken at common hunting ranges without caring multiple firearms all the time they are very hard to beat.
 
Just look at various aircrew survival arms within last 85 years: Luftwaffe WW2 over Africa, USAF in Pacific theatre then Vietnam, RCMP in thier aircraft, Russian cosmonauts.
Even to a lesser degree the Italian Airforce issues 410 pistols. These will keep u flush in squirrels and rabbits until the rescue chopper
shows up.
 
hoytcanon said:
Combo guns are great... in theory.

In practice in the field, meh... not so much. You usually end up carrying a barrels-worth of something you don't want and they are clunky to carry. When I want a .22, I want an accurate repeater, and when I want a shotgun, I want a trim easy swinging gun... with the combo gun you end up with a heavy and not terribly accurate .22 and a clunky, heavy and not easy to maneuver shotgun. Personally I would buy a nice bolt action .22 and scope it to shoot dimes at 30 yards, and get a trim O/U or SXS 20 gauge. Either one of those will serve well until you find the other.

I have gone the combo gun route many, many times, but it never sticks.
Click to expand...

This is generally what I think. If I go bird hunting, I carry my 20ga. If I need my .22 I want one of my nice accurate ones with a scope.
I do have a baikal 22/410, with my original intent on carrying it while trapping for dispatching and for chance grouse encounters.(not allowed using a 22 on grouse here)
Since I'm not doing any trapping, the gun doesn't get used.

Ideally I'd rather be carrying a shotgun with a pistol on my hip...
 
One issue in Ontario

I have 20ga / 22mag combo.

I cant carry it for grouse when deer season is open.

TBH i've only ever put a few 22mag just to be sure it worked. Its usually just a heavy 20ga

EDIT:
i was message by fellow CGN asking for clarification so here goes

I didn't put the fully story in my OP.

Example:
You have both small game and deer tag. You are hunting grouse in deer season but your gun also has has 22WMR.

The issue is that 22WMR is not legal to hunt deer with.
So even though you aren't hunting deer MNR can accuse you of hunting deer with a non eligible caliber.

im sure that with enough money and time this could be fought in court, but its easier to just leave that gun in the safe for November.
 
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I bought a brand spankin' new Savage 24H-DL .22/20ga circa 1967, and have used it every year since for upland. Best of both worlds for hunting in my part of the country. I've smoked some chicken at a good distance with the .22. Great little gun. Other than cleaning it every once in a while, I've only ever had to clean the extractor mechanism a couple of times. Not bad for a million miles and 50+ years.
 
I have a 20ga coach gun that I often carry for grouse and rabbits when there is open season for bear or moose. A slug in one barrel makes it a combo gun out to 50 yds or so (limited by accuracy). I also have a 45/70 single shot that is capable of firing .410 shotshells. Accurate enough for grouse out to about 20 yds where I hunt moose. It does ruin the hulls for reloading purposes though. If I was to buy a true combo gun, I would want something like a 30/30 or 308 (or similar) paired with a 20 ga. Having the ability to take small game and large game while carrying one gun makes sense to me. A rifle barrel and shotgun barrel, both intended for small game does not appeal to me.
Jim
 
I always wanted something like 7x57 or 308 over 20 or 16 or 12 gauge(20 would be my preference) it would be great during moose season or just about anytime you are in the bush!! I have a friend that have a Baïkal 308/12 gauge that I might get from him in the spring!
 
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double gun said:
Yes, unfortunately they are pot metal and commonly broken. I machined one (and a pair of sights) from steel for my last 24.
Click to expand...
The trigger guards are made from sintered metal (epoxy and powered steel) if you reblue them using the hot bluing salts method all you will be left with is an out line of the part.Don t ask me how I know��
 
The ones I’ve had and replaced were definitely die cast pot metal, and yes they don’t like bluing salts. Luckily I had the foresight to keep the trigger guard and sights I machined when I sold the gun - just in case I buy another someday. My only real gripe with the early 24’s is the small and shallow rear sight dovetail.
 
The old .22/.410's have their barrels regulated none of the other 24's are even close so useless IMO .I had two 30-30/20ga and they were crude junk.Baikal is even worse.
 
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