I've gone and fallen in love with classy over unders.

greg11

greg11

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I've decided that I very much want a nice over under. I know NOTHING about them. My budget would be $1300 all-in for my first classy-over-under, and I would be willing to buy used.

Can you guys recommend me a shotgun that no man would be ashamed of bringing to his local trap range?

I am mainly looking for a deep, dark, glossy quality wood stock, with excellent and elegant finish on the metal parts. Again, I know nothing about them but I'd like something nice. Something I can also just take out of the gun room and enjoy holding in my hands while I'm not at the range.

I know it's a minor detail, but I really like the carrying case the Ruger Red Labels come with, the type where you break the gun down in half, and then put it away in its case. Maybe this is normal for O/U's? Trouble is, I've read that the Ruger has some issues? I do like the stainless receiver, and it looks to be a decent gun, but I'm thinking about something just a touch above that shotgun in terms of classiness...
 
You won't find a good 'classy' O/U for $1300. You might find a fairly well used Browning or Beretta for that.

A Kriegoff starts at $10,000. A Perazzi a bit less.

The B guns, Browning, Beretta, Benelli about $3,000.

Mind you, they won't see a gunsmith for hundreds of thousands of rounds either. Cheaper guns tend to break, or need attention.

I have a Browning ultra XS, 2 625s and a 725 who have only been to the gunsmith once in 14 years.

I clean them thoroughly if it rains, and I clean out the choke tubes from time to time with gunscrubber, but other than that, I get full time use of them. Sort of bullet proof you might say.
 
Hmmm, it appears your right. Just surfing around and it seems like these guns are either $650 (Stoeger, Stevens, Marverick) or they are $3000 (the B's) or more...

For this reason, I almost wonder if the Ruger isn't a decent buy at the $1300 range (if I can find one)?
 
Browning makes several nice O/U for various uses including sporting clays, skeet, trap and of course field guns for hunting. A budget of $1300 will not get you a new Browning but sometimes deals do turn up on the EE. I shot trap casually for years with a used Browning Citori field gun with fixed chokes and did just fine.
 
It depends on how old you want to go and how "classy" you mean. If you want a fairly new, modern over/under with choke tubes you won't find it for $1300.00 even used. If you want a little less classy, then yes you will. And the older you go the cheaper it will likely be. But older guns won't have choke tubes which is no biggie to me. I had an older Beretta S57E over/under. It was quite a nice gun with pretty much full coverage hand engraving. I traded it for a sxs but I figured value around $700.00. I have a Franchi Veloce 28 gauge but I don't know if that is your definition of classy. They can be had for $800.00 to $1300.00 used. There are a number of used over/unders like a Citori or Winchester 101 that can be had for under $1200.00 but do they fit your definition of classy? Also, what gauge are you after?

If you really want classy--go sxs!!!!
 
Just messing with you Greg....Look hard, don't be in a hurry and you can find some very nice O/U. Although I would encourage you to up your budget to the $1500-2000 range.
 
I like my Baikal IZH-94 O/U with a 12 gauge barrel over a 308 Win barrel.
The rifle barrel is very accurate.
I have a Leupold 2-7x33mm scope mounted on it with Warne QD rings so I can default to the iron sights when grouse hunting.
I don't have to re-zero the gun when I remount the scope (no tools needed) for a shot at a deer or moose 250 yards away.
I'm ready for any type of game when I'm carrying this gun.
Not exactly a Holland + Holland or a Westley-Richards but priced at less than $600 and fills the freezer and stew pot.
An accurate rifle and a shotgun all rolled into one.
 
Gunoholic said:
I like my Baikal IZH-94 O/U with a 12 gauge barrel over a 308 Win barrel.
The rifle barrel is very accurate.
I have a Leupold 2-7x33mm scope mounted on it with Warne QD rings so I can default to the iron sights when grouse hunting.
I don't have to re-zero the gun when I remount the scope (no tools needed) for a shot at a deer or moose 250 yards away.
I'm ready for any type of game when I'm carrying this gun.
Not exactly a Holland + Holland or a Westley-Richards but priced at less than $600 and fills the freezer and stew pot.
An accurate rifle and a shotgun all rolled into one.
Click to expand...

Not to take anything away from your gun because Baikals are good guns for the money, but I don't think it's what the OP had in mind. There are a number of over/unders on the budget end that work fine but I think the OP is looking for something with a bit more higher end fit and finish. At least that's what I gather from his question.
 
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greg11 said:
Franchi Instinct L seems decent enough...
Click to expand...

This. I bought a Instinct L in June for $1300. I believe they have gone up to $1500 now though. I absolutely love mine. I love the feel, fit, finish. It has a Satin finish which I love even though the OP is looking for glossy. I think for a new O/U the Instinct L is awesome. I bought mine for field hunting, mostly pheasant. The gun is fairly light, which for some is good, some is bad. Recoil is not bad at all. Extremely happy with the Franchi.

In the future I may buy a used Browning or Beretta, they simply can't be beat at their used price.

My Instinct L
IMG_6994_zps8ff02ebd.jpg
 
Any of the following O/U's can be had used for $700-900 and rival the quality of guns 4X the price:
-Ithaca/SKB 500
-Miroku
-Charles Daly (marked Miroku)
You just won't get removal chokes or steel shot compatibility.
 
Friend of mine does the skeet/trap thing and has a Baikal 12 gauge O/U.
A decent looking gun but not beautiful.
He likes it better than some if the "high end" shotguns he's shot and uses it all the time.
He owns a car dealership and a dry cleaning business so it's not as if he couldn't afford the high end stuff if he wanted it.
 
OP wanted a trap gun. One to add to your list IF you feel you can tell a worn out one from a good one and IF you are willing to do the research on the updates that were done, and IF knowing there are limited sources for repair doesn't bother you then a Remington 3200 would fit your price range.

Another option that might open up your choices is to import from the US through one of the outfits like Prophet River.

All that being said, if trap is what you are shooting then an older gun with fixed chokes might be found in your price range. Everybody wants screw in chokes and this lowers the price of guns without screw ins, but at trap you give nothing away by using a fixed full or IM. IMHO. Keep a sharp eye on the EE.
 
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