Are Shotguns Overpriced?

stubblejumper said:
The velocity could be a huge factor. I have seen some loads that were so weak, that they wouldn't even break clays properly
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Yup, I have seen some hand loaded low pressure smokeless loads with brass cases break clays, but be so light that they won't reset the trigger on a Superposed!:p
Not enough pressure = low velocity = broken clays , but not good , even breaks!
Up the pressure a bit and they reset, and break them cleanly every time!:dancingbanana:
Cat
 
Yes.

I have laid my hand on the M134 mini-gun Arnold Schwarzeneggar used in the movie Terminator 2 (a registered transferable MG in the US). I have seen an original Colt Walker pistol on display, and handled a first generation FG-42. But the most expensive firearm I have experience with was an over/under Perazzi that was custom built for a sheik but never delivered. On display and for sale at the ATA Grand American 15 years ago for $250,000.

Walk around a high end shotgun event and you will see lots of guns in the $15,000 to $80,000 range. When you realize that a shotgun has all the technical sophistication of a tube to throw a handful of pebbles, you will realize how utterly ridiculous this is. I have a Beretta 686 and love it, but I will never argue against the fact that compared to my Remington 870 Express, there is about $1700 extra dollars spent for no more reason than to look pretty and make me feel special.
 
Hard call. I have a Winchester 870, and a Benelli Super-90. Huge price range there. The Benelli reminds me of my Ducati. You can "feel" the difference shooting it. Hard to explain unless you own one. Excellent shotgun. My 870 is my hunting work horse, and I also own one in a tactical configuration. Do they all throw lead at the target? Yes.

That being said, I have a Winchester 1300 Defender. I have had this gun for almost 20 years, and I have put over 10,000 rounds through it. Yes, I have been keeping track. I bought it used for $300 or $350; I can't remember. I have had the barrel checked and it is still fine. I use that shotgun for everything and I have had only ONE jam with it that I can remember, and it was while trying to fire old green-mouldy ammo through it to see what would happen - the shell got hung up on the extractor.

I don't know what to add here. If you want it, you'll pay for it. Guns are really a long-term investment because the good ones last a long time. Difficult to make a car last 30 years these days.

Cannon
 
Jonny_Cannon said:
Hard call. I have a Winchester 870, and a Benelli Super-90. Huge price range there. The Benelli reminds me of my Ducati. You can "feel" the difference shooting it. Hard to explain unless you own one. Excellent shotgun.
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Exactly right. Some people are simply too unknowledgeable to appreciate the qualities of a more expensive shotgun. The same applies to a good watch, a fine car or great wine.

These sad people are destined to plod through life being satisfied with the mediocre and oddly feeling superior as a result.

When it comes to these people and quality shotguns no explanation will ever suffice.

For the rest of us no explanation is ever needed.
 
Agreed with Jonny and Claybuster! I own a very differing pair of antique 10 gauge shotguns that give me big smiles, each and every time I take them to the gun range.
I love the superior quality that went into their hand made manufacture by gentlemen with wonderful tooling skills from an ancient guild fostered in the Old World.

Now I cannot afford a H&H or even a Boss, most certainly. But these two of mine, serve me very well indeed.
 
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Brutus said:
Now I cannot afford a H&H or even a Boss, most certainly. But for now, this pedigree Parkhurst and Prussian Sauer & Son will suit me just fine.
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I can't afford them either. But we can understand what goes into them, appreciate why they cost what they do and admire the result.

As a man once said, "A love of fine shotguns is God's way of telling you that you don't make enough money."
 
Target shotguns can't be compared to regular shotguns that are designed for field use. In a slow year, I shoot 15,000 shells through my Kolar. So, in the 6 years I've owned it, that is around 100,000 shells. I've had to clean it a few times, but no breakdowns or repairs required yet. Quality and dependability cost money.
 
Beretta687EELL said:
Target shotguns can't be compared to regular shotguns that are designed for field use. In a slow year, I shoot 15,000 shells through my Kolar. So, in the 6 years I've owned it, that is around 100,000 shells. I've had to clean it a few times, but no breakdowns or repairs required yet. Quality and dependability cost money.
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I have to agree with this wholeheartedly, target shotguns are made heavier and this comes down to different metals more often than not.
two guns of the same brand,will not be made of the same materials- engraving and such other niceties as upgraded wood aside.

A field gun will be carried more than shot,so needs to be lighter weight and a target gun will be shot a heckuva lot more than a field gun, and carried from the rack to the line!
Many of the really nice European drillings are meade with alloy receivers like duralloy, a very lightweight alloy .
It's got tremendous strength, but nowhere near that of steel.
However, make a drilling with a heavy steel receiver and you need to join a gym to be get in shape to pack the thing around!!Laugh2
The quality is there in both types of gun, but with different features for different reasons.
Cat
 
catnthehatt said:
I have to agree with this wholeheartedly, target shotguns are made heavier and this comes down to different metals more often than not.
two guns of the same brand,will not be made of the same materials- engraving and such other niceties as upgraded wood aside.

A field gun will be carried more than shot,so needs to be lighter weight and a target gun will be shot a heckuva lot more than a field gun, and carried from the rack to the line!
Many of the really nice European drillings are meade with alloy receivers like duralloy, a very lightweight alloy .
It's got tremendous strength, but nowhere near that of steel.
However, make a drilling with a heavy steel receiver and you need to join a gym to be get in shape to pack the thing around!!Laugh2
The quality is there in both types of gun, but with different features for different reasons.
Cat
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The drilling does not bother me iota, same with the ASM Walker. People might complain about weight. Never been me. Same in my army days, I was often the one saddled wit the FNC2.

Zero complaints here.
 
Some people can carry heavy guns and some can't
even my 870 TB gets heavy halfway through a round of trap if I have to hold it one arm .
My Field guns generally weigh about 5.5-6 pounds and even they get slung or carried over my shoulder.
Cat
 
Two years ago I paid $2200 for a Silver Pigeon field gun and I loved the idea of having my own basic but good quality O/U shotgun. All the gun stores staff i talked to told me that $2K was my minimum cost if I wanted to shoot clays, reliably. I bought it because it just felt and looked better than the Turkish and Czech guns. The SP sport version wasn't available in my town and I was impatient but I have found great comfort in clearing the skies of those pesky clay pigeons and some degree of peace when it comes to cleaning and lubricating it. It doesn't fit as well as it should however but one of my buddies just melds with it when he shoots my SP. If I had to do it all over again I would have been more patient, pestered a few people at the range to try their guns and hopefully made a better choice about fit. I also have couple Swiss rifles that are just a joy to shoot but relatively dirt cheap compared to a shotgun. All that to say that my perspective on price is relative to my level of satisfaction. If I'd paid another $1K for a shotgun and had a better fit then it would have been worth it IMHO.
 
I posted this in another thread but feel I should post it here as well.

Since this post was originally put up I acquired a Rizzini Fierce 1 Trap. Price point was about the same as my Browning XT Gold Trap. Gun value IMO exceeds the "B" guns dollar for dollar. The fit and finish are absolutely incredible, quality is second to none. The gun weighs in at 8lbs 13oz but is so well balanced you feel like you are swinging 6 pounds of gun. Adjustabilty features are A+++.
Receiver is colour case hardened, real not chemical coloured. Stock is a beautiful piece of furniture with a just right amount of palm swell. It does not even have a recoil pad but instead a beautiful wood butt plate with a hole drilled in the end to allow removal of the stock without unscrewing the butt plate and marring your screws or ruining your screw holes over time. The adjustable comb has a set of drop down screws that fit in a slot between the posts to prevent the comb from moving should it ever come loose while shooting. The rib is fully adjustable POI from 0" - 24".


Barrels on my particular gun are 32" length backbored and hard chrome lined, comes with 5 chokes the quality and finish of which are incredible and throw the nicest patterns of any gun I have ever owned. No porting. Vented side plates between the top and bottom barrels. The trigger pull is adjustable with a small allen screw located just behind and to one side of the trigger between the rear of the trigger and the trigger guard. It came with a Negrini hard case and all associated tools needed to make any necessary adjustments. And the choke wrench even has a built in thread cleaning tool. It is a very well designed gun and package.


Oh and how does it shoot? Like a dream. As I said it has a wood butt plate, my first thought was I will have to get a recoil pad installed but not necessary at least not from a recoil perspective. As it is from the factory it has an equal felt recoil to my XT Gold Trap and the XT has the built in Gracoil system. The Rizzini's felt recoil is less than a 4.10. Rizzini has done their homework with these new entries into the target gun realm. If I ever trade up it will be for the new Rizzini BR 440 and I will order it with the same adjustable rib and in an unsingle combo.
The Fierce 1 model falls outside the Op's budget I realize but Rizzini offers target grade models under 3K and they are built on the same platform but with fewer options. Definitely worth looking into. Talk with Clay at Prophet River. He gave me a great deal on mine and was a great source of info. I have come full circle back to the "R" guns but in a whole new "R" gun company.
 
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