Lightest O/U 20 gauge

iron cat

iron cat

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Was talking with a friend yesterday about lightweight 20 gauge O/U field guns.
A couple come to mind over the years, Franchi Falconet, and a Berreta BL2 are two.
Many of the guns these days hover around the 7 pound mark and it's getting harder to find one at around 6.5 pounds or so.
Field guns need not weigh on the heavy side IMO because they get carried more than shot .
What is everyone's experience with light weight 20's?
Cat
 
So my Beretta 686 silver pigeon 20 with 30” barrels weighs 6lbs, 1 3/4 oz. Which carries well enough.
I feel an ideal weight for field use might be 6 or 7 oz lighter, but I haven’t tried 3” shells in it yet.
 
The absolute nicest 20 gauge I ever handled was a Purdy side by side back in 1969 at Uptown Sporting Goods in Calgary. The owner bought it at Abacrombie and Fitch in NY... I don't know it's actual weight... I think it was less than 6 pounds...
 
guntech said:
The absolute nicest 20 gauge I ever handled was a Purdy side by side back in 1969 at Uptown Sporting Goods in Calgary. The owner bought it at Abacrombie and Fitch in NY... I don't know it's actual weight... I think it was less than 6 pounds...
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Yeah, I have owned a couple of really nice 20SxS English guns. One was a Bland and Sons that wads extremely light, and the FAIR Iside is lightweight, but I was thinking of O/U guns 🙂
Cat
 
I have a 12 gauge Franchi Renaissance that weighs 6 lb so I guess the new 20 gauge Instincts would be significantly less. The Beretta Leggero ?? sp looks reel interesting but costs a bit more than the 686.
 
Picked up a FAIR Diana 20 gauge on here for a project. It suffered some abuse but the price was right and it cleaned up really decent. I haven't weighted it but I would guess really handy 6 lbs. It has a straight English stock, is without choke tubes and has a 26 inch barrel. Can't find much information on it but it is lighter than the other FAIR OU 20s I have kicking around and is extremely nice to carry.
 
As much as I like O/U shotguns, as mentioned when upland hunting for grouse, I definitely do far more walking than shooting and opted for a Benelli Montefeltro in 20g, 5.5 lbs, sweet, no regrets. Don’t even use my 20g SxS anymore, as you get older even 5 lb guns get heavy after a while.
 
Good topic Cat, hope you get your answer
my 20g. is a single so can't help, but knowing a second round might come in handy sometimes, an o/u is in the wish list.
 
boxhitch said:
Good topic Cat, hope you get your answer
my 20g. is a single so can't help, but knowing a second round might come in handy sometimes, an o/u is in the wish list.
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It's more of an inquisitive thought than anything, my 20 gauge Iside Vintage is pretty danged light and in. Fact so is my 16x6/9.3x72R drilling , even though it has three barrels and external hammers!
Cat
 
I had a beretta Bl3 26 inch 20 g a number of years ago, it was very light and it kicked the ever loving daylights out of me. I was shooting a lot of sporting clays in those days and I was not recoil sensitive at all but I couldn't take the recoil of that gun and I got rid of it pretty quick. I realize that it was the fit more than anything else but I've been Leary of really light guns ever since.
 
I bought a Rizzini BR110 Light Luxe in 20 ga. It weighs in at 6 lbs even. It's an attractive gun and a joy to carry but, for reasons yet undetermined, I don't shoot it nearly as well as my 20 ga sxs.
 
I have two 20 gauge guns that each weigh 5 pounds 15 ounces -
Pre Silver Pigeon fixed choke Beretta 687 with 28 inch barrels, double triggers.
AyA No. 2 with 26 inch barrels.
 
saskbooknut said:
I have two 20 gauge guns that each weigh 5 pounds 15 ounces -
Pre Silver Pigeon fixed choke Beretta 687 with 28 inch barrels, double triggers.
AyA No. 2 with 26 inch barrels.
Click to expand...

Good point. The Rizzini is single triggered. That's enough to give me pause in the field (I've always preferred double triggers on hunting guns and singles on competition guns.)
 
My Fair Prestige Tartaruga Gold SxS in 20ga weighs in at 6.16 lbs...

It's light & nimble in hand, but snappy in recoil with hunting loads!

Cheers
Jay
 
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