Do higher quality coach guns exist?

mr00jimbo

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
25   0   0
Location
GVRD
I know there are the Stoegers and whatnot, but it seems like there's a lack of higher quality coach guns. Just short-barrel from the factory SxS shotguns that are tightly fitted, will last a long time and won't rattle themselves to death or have problems. Lots of high quality long-barrel bird guns but nothing with a short barrel like 20", it seems.
CZ has one for around a thousand bucks, but I've even heard mixed reviews about that.

Did a high quality coach gun ever exist throughout history, or did people generally buy bird guns and cut the barrels down?
 
depends on what you consider quality. There is a reason they call it a coach gun- it was used for defending coach wagons bringing gold to mining towns and banks. Wells Fargo used to make their own if I remember correctly. Just google coach gun and it will give you a writeup on wikepedia. Also where term riding shotgun comes from. They were purpose made by many company's for their purpose, however they were work guns. I am sure there are some gorgeous specimens out there tho. From what I have read, many used to be 10ga
 
If you can find one of the Rossi coach guns. The cowboy shooters just love them. They were simple, well made and reasonably priced, but not made any more
 
CAS guns tend to take a beating, compared to other guns. The stocks get dinged on props, against gun butts, rough surface gun rests, etc.

Watching a CAS competitor pussy-foot it thru' a stage (let alone a ten stage match) without risking damage to a gun is like watching a matron trying to keep her petticoats clean while crossing a muddy street dotted with horse apples. It can be done, but it takes a lot of time and effort.

I've supplied odd ball guns (pistol calibre Rolling Block, a Gallagher, P-H Musketoon, etc.) for the first shot in a stage (i.e. simulating a warning shot by a sentry) and every one of them has come back bearing marks that weren't there before. However, if you're that worried about it, the guns need to stay home as 'safe queens'.

A good solution is to buy a serviceable original with some 'hash marks', chop & channel it to your heart's content and have fun.
 
CAS guns tend to take a beating, compared to other guns. The stocks get dinged on props, against gun butts, rough surface gun rests, etc.

Watching a CAS competitor pussy-foot it thru' a stage (let alone a ten stage match) without risking damage to a gun is like watching a matron trying to keep her petticoats clean while crossing a muddy street dotted with horse apples. It can be done, but it takes a lot of time and effort.

I've supplied odd ball guns (pistol calibre Rolling Block, a Gallagher, P-H Musketoon, etc.) for the first shot in a stage (i.e. simulating a warning shot by a sentry) and every one of them has come back bearing marks that weren't there before. However, if you're that worried about it, the guns need to stay home as 'safe queens'.

A good solution is to buy a serviceable original with some 'hash marks', chop & channel it to your heart's content and have fun.

Hey, you're talkin' to a guy who shoots full-power .44 mag and .357 loads through my lever rifles, often dumping 10 rounds fast just for fun. I don't shoot CAS, but am not lookin' for a safe queen, just something that's of high quality and will hold up to being shot.
 
Hey, you're talkin' to a guy who shoots full-power .44 mag and .357 loads through my lever rifles, often dumping 10 rounds fast just for fun. I don't shoot CAS, but am not lookin' for a safe queen, just something that's of high quality and will hold up to being shot.

We see all kinds of SxS's being shot in CAS, and not everyone is shooting powder puff loads. From what I've seen, a good SXS in the hands of someone who can operate it is more than competitive against someone with a '97, hammerless or sidehammer.
 
I got an old long hunting Baikal about 7 years back and cut it down to coach gun length. It's seen probably 1200 to 1500 rounds of trap load and a few buck and slugs along the way and it still has a good solid lockup. If it is loosening up it's not enough for me to tell. It seems like it still locks up just as tightly as it did when I got it.

My experience seems to mirror the Baikal reputation as solid if somewhat crude lumps.
 
Back
Top Bottom