My Ideal Shotgun........possible???

Suka

Suka

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So I've decided I want to get back into upland hunting next fall and want a new or at least new to me shotgun, either a sxs (of which I've had a few older one's and generally liked, although some were bricks) or an over/under(which I've never shot).
I've searched this forum, read the bad reviews on the cheaper one's, looked at all the makes I can find online including the one's not in my budget, not sure if I've missed the one I'm looking for, or if it's even made.
Realistically I'll put maybe 300rnds per year shooting clays, then a couple boxes hunting pheasant.

I realize my wishlist is just that and I'll likely have to compromise.

My wishlist:
sxs or o/u
12ga
26" barrels
Under 7lbs (hey, I said it's a wishlist :) )
single selective trigger
selective ejectors
screw in chokes
a, "nice" looking gun; wood stock, maybe some checkering or engraving.
Under a thousand dollars, preferably under say 700.00

I've looked online at baikal, mossberg, stoeger, cz, yildiz, browning(of course), franchi, khan. I've also been searching the ee but just haven't seen anything that comes close to my wishlist.

Anything I've missed?

Thanks for your input, and by chance if you have what I'm looking for, I'm a cash buyer.
 
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The more you add, such as single selective trigger and selective ejectors, makes it very hard to find in a $700.00 gun if you want new. Plus I'm not sure I would want an approximate $700.00 gun with those features. More to go wrong if the quality isn't there for such features. If you are wanting new for around that price, I would be scrapping the single selective trigger and selective ejectors.
 
Suka said:
My wishlist:
o/u
12ga
26" barrels
Under 7lbs (hey, I said it's a wishlist :) )
single selective trigger
selective ejectors
screw in chokes
a, "nice" looking gun; wood stock, maybe some checkering or engraving.
Under a thousand dollars, preferably under say 700.00
Click to expand...

If you can settle only for the bolded items, the corwin-arms over/under fits the bill.
Double trigger, 14" barrel but other than that...
http://www.corwin-arms.com/product/ricol-14-short-over-and-under-screw-chokes

I don't own one personally, but they're being reviewed favourably (i'm still holding out in hopes Martin to produces it with a short and long 2-barrel set)
 
There are the odd SXS guns that come up occasionally for under. $1,000, but to find one with barrels under 28"can be tough
I don't think 2" makes a big difference however
Cat
 
Hello I would suggest a Fausti Conrad. There is one on the EE for 950. I have one it shoots well has nice wood good wood to metal finish and has interchangeable chokes. I paid 1400 for mine wish I was a member than :).
 
The Baikal O/U shotgun MP-27 has great reviews and is a solid Russian workhorse. I bought one and am thoroughly pleased with it. It's a real bargain at 350$, mine is the basic black receiver two trigger extractor model which is exactly what I wanted. When I'm swapping out loads based on the situation when I'm hunting I would rather not yard sale all of my shells so the extractor is perfect. The lockup is tight and seamless on my Baikal and despite the simple appearance it does not lack quality of construction.

I'd say the Baikal mp-27EM is what you are looking for with single selective trigger and ejectors, it also has a nickle plated receiver. They run about 6-700$.
http://www.baikalcanada.com/shot_guns_27nick.htm
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post-49737-0-84815000-1352995487.jpg
 
There are lots of O/U shotguns that would work , but the SXS offerings are a bit more limited
that being said , I would not turn down a CZ SXS if one came up.
Yes , when Huey first came put they had firing pin issues but that was a very long time ago
I have owned several and shot them extensively with no issues
Cat
 
Your list is compromise city, and also have to consider that even if the perfect model exists, it might not be *in stock* anywhere for you to buy. But the Baikal O/U line will satisfy everything except the weight and possibly the shorter barrel depending on availability. And yes it hits the lower target for cost. Now of course sub- $1.500 doubles are not worth owning, right?

We're not talking about a 20-year-old Baikal or TOZ that was rougher and didn't offer half of those features. I've got 10k+ rounds through a Baikal Sporting shooting clays, and it hasn't loosened, broken, or had a single failure. But it's definitely not my most refined gun!

I'd go for a 20ga. myself in your situation…
 
I love my baikals. Never buy khan.

However the closest I can think of is the marlin LC Smith sxs. 26" tubes. Case colors with gold inlays single selective trigger. However you will have to search hard and spend more. They are well built guns but I'm not sure if they're still in production. Can't remember if they came with Ejectors
 
I am a cowboy action shooter and everybody who has a sxs shoots a stoger or a stevens.
They are low cost, simple well built and easy to slick up and most of all light weight.
Tradex is a good place to look for used sxs.
 
Reading your criteria I would suggest an older SKB series shotgun with the screw in chokes. The Model 600/625 is the O/Us with replaceable chokes IIRC.
In a SxS the fixed choke models were the SKB 100, 200, 280 and I think the 150. However these had fixed chokes. I do not know if they made SxS with replaceable chokes.

It's not impossible to find them within your price range. But most prices hover right around 200-300 bucks more, in our present market.
 
You have to spend $'s to get quality sxs skb 100or 200 or browning bss $700-1500 o/u used win 101 or citori or superpossed or skb 500 and z view others $700-$1.500 forget about the screw in chokes and look for one of these used . Anything new is of marginal quality and certainly does not handle very well / steoger bakail savage and cost $500-800 . The CZ is about your best $ value for a new gun
 
If you hold strictly to your conditions, the weight requirement is going to be a little hard to meet.
About or around 7 lbs is possible with a shotgun and fixed chokes in a 12 gauge bore.

Once you specify changeable chokes this weight limit is considerably harder to manage. As there has to be enough barrel thickness at the muzzle end to safely accommodate the threading.
 
For what you are looking to do with it, a 12ga isn't necessary. The Turkish built SXS guns are all there is out there, with the options like chokes, in the 1000.00 range, that look decent. A 20 will do everything you seem to want to do with it. That will get the weight issue gone. Have to be patient to get a used one in the 700 range.
 
At least you phrased your original post correctly, "my ideal gun". You see so many posts of CGN wanting to know THE ideal or best shotgun or rifle for a given purpose, there is none. What is ideal for you might be totally useless for me and vice versa. Everything is a compromise, what you gain in one area you sacrifice in another. Light weight versus recoil, portability versus controllability, Short barrel versus excessive muzzle blast even price versus quality. I guess if there is nothing about a gun that really bugs you or you wish you could change you are getting close to "your" ideal gun.
 
Thanks again for your replies, guys. I've found new places to search and learned a lot along the way. I've got it narrowed to 4 different shotguns; quite frankly I think I'd be happy with any one of them, and that's a far cry from the confused myriad I started with.
Currently waiting for some email responses that will determine my purchase.

(I've actually found two I'd really like but while wife said, "If you want a new shotgun, buy a new shotgun", I don't think she meant two........at least right away :) )

Will post once I decide/find/purchase/get/shoot whatever it is I get just as a way of saying, "Thank You for your input".
 
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