Side by Side questions

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BigBraz15

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I’ve been a bit all over the place pondering shotguns lately. Mostly looking at over unders, but then started thinking about a side by side. I am interested to hear from those that have used both on the pros and cons to each type and why you would choose it.

I’m not looking to break the bank, and I am a bit set on a pistol grip rather than the English stock, and would prefer the double triggers on a side by side. Currently throwing around the ideas on gauge and it will be either a 12,20 or 28. Use would be for hunting and the odd trip out for clays.
 
It boils down to preference. I like double triggers, extractors, straight grip and side by side. Others like over/under guns. Best to shoot one of each and see what you like. Lovers of each style can give you lengthy list of why they like one over the other.
Darryl
 
There are lots of pistol grip, double trigger sxs available. I’ve had many and still have one. Also have a couple single trigger with pistol grip. My preference is definitely a pistol grip over English grip and I prefer hunting with a sxs over an O/U
 
Personally, I prefer a lightweight SxS with English stock and two triggers for hunting upland. I like two triggers to provide an instant choice of chokes, and I prefer the English stock with two triggers. For clays, I prefer a heavier O/U , more for less felt recoil, and more durability than a lightweight SxS. I have both a 16 gauge and a 28 gauge SxS, and the 28 gauge sees the most use.
 
I prefer dual triggers and straight stock but I have several varying featured guns. Prince of Wales or round knob stock is another option. It's kinda between straight and full pistol grip. It's my preference for an ou gun

A true advantage of a sxs is the opening angle is much less to load and unload. Barrels don't get close to the ground like an ou gun when open and in a blind or duck boat a sxs is much nicer.
A sxs doesn't catch as much wind on the swing as an ou. Some would argue that point but I've used both in high winds and the sxs is much less affected.
Sxs are generally lighter. Not always but a trim lightweight well fitting sxs is a true gem to hunt with
Dual triggers give you instant choice if choke and or load which is what I prefer. My waterfowling sxs is of single trigger but the chokes I use are similar and both barrels get the same load so I don't worry about having to flip the switch when mounting the gun
Many say a sxs has too wide a profile but I've never noticed a difference between a sxs or ou or pump or semi. I focus on the target and gun speed

A negative of sxs is with the splinter foreend which I greatly prefer is with extended fast use the barrels get hot and can burn your fingers. Not an issue while hunting but on the skeet field in the summer heat those tubes can get hot
I've come to enjoy subgauges for hunting and love to 20ga. With the exception of buck shot a 20ga will do everything a 12 will do. Maybe not pass shooting large Canada geese but inside 35 yards I haven't noticed a difference in kills between a 12 and 20
 
Give the SxS a try.

Stoeger SxS come in double trigger or single trigger trims. They are relatively cheap and built like a tank. The action is always rough and requires break-in and/or polishing. A double-trigger variety is more reliable.

Huglu SxS are a step-up in quality, many options including a double-trigger pistol grip. Probably, the best choice to try out the SxS without compromise and without breaking the bank.
 
I don’t have much to add except a couple points relating to vintage SxS. The majority of vintage American SxS and vintage Continental (Belgian, German, Austrian & French) SxS have pistol or half pistol grips. And double triggers. And you will pay a very hefty premium for a vintage 28 ga from anywhere. Same maker, same grade, same condition, think between 2 and 4 times the cost of a 12 ga.
 
Where I live, where they are too wary to even hold for a dog, wing shots at a grouse are often a matter of split seconds of opportunity, so double triggers, which give you an equally quick chance at the ideal barrel, would be ideal. Would be, because I've never come across what I thought was a decent double that wasn't vintage collector priced and didn't have a single selective trigger. I dislike them, I really do, especially after having one fail after sitting idle in the safe for a few years. That leaves you with a double heavy and quintuple expensive single barrel and a lot of frustration until you can get it to and back from a decent gunsmith. "Single selective triggers are a triumph of technology over common sense."
 
IvoB said:
Double triggers are old school doubt you will find a SxS double trigger pistol grip (could be wrong) but all SxS I have seen/had were double triggers
Click to expand...

Picture below is likely "way down" the scale of desirable shotguns - but has pistol grip and double triggers. Is "Imported by Stoeger Ind, Canada" on right side chamber - "E.R. AMANTINO" on left side receiver - "GAUCHA - IGA MADE IN BRAZIL" on right side receiver - 3" chambers, 20 gauge "coach gun". It has its purpose / place here - does not get used much.

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If you pay attention, don't rush things and know what you are looking for, gems like this show up. This is a double trigger, pistol grip 16 gauge made in Ferlach Austria in the late 1920s. It can handle 2 3/4" modern shells, has fine condition 29" barrels with plenty of barrel wall thickness and mirror bores, completely modern stock dimensions of LOP 14 5/8, DAC of 1 1/4" and DAH of 2 1/4". These pics are from the day I received it. It's clear given it's 90 year life span, that this gun has been lightly used and stored well. You can't touch the quality in a new SxS for less than $4K and there are many $5k USD new guns that don't measure up. I paid under $700 for it.

Admittedly a good deal, but it's not like they aren't out there on a regular basis....you just have to know what you are looking for and act when you see it.



 
While there nothing wrong with O/U... I really do prefer SxS.

Maybe folks with better motricy than me can do Ok with selective triggers, I just haven't gotten used them... and gets worse later in the season when hunting with gloves on. So given the option, I'll go with 1x trigger per barrel.

Seems like there a number of BRNO shotguns floating around that would fit the bill. Nice quality, not really expensive...
 
lots of good advice being posted. I'll second the prince-of-wales grip for double-triggered gun as a common alternative to conventional pistol grip. Also, although I prefer 28 gauge for almost all my shotgunning, the 20 gauge options (or 12, if you must) for big game (slugs) and waterfowl (commercially available non-tox shot) are much better.
 
Well I went and had the ability to handle a few different options today, and have to say the right O/U feels a lot better than any of the sxs I was able to find. Still digging for the right one.
 
I've shot both though I've only owned over/unders as in my experiences I did not care for the sighting plane of a SXS nor the feel of the double wide set of barrels in my forend hand. I prefer the slimmer sighting plane of a stacked set of barrels and imo the handling characteristics of such. I do like the shorter throw of a set of SxS barrels when reloading, it's the same as the single shot trap guns I use. I have shot both single selective and double trigger configurations in both o/u and sxs guns and I much prefer a single selective trigger but like anything else it all comes down to personal preference and what one is more accustomed to.
 
I once had the youthful snobbish opinion that riflemen preferred single barrel and over-under shotguns because they really wanted to be shooting rifles, whereas true shotgun people preferred a side by side because they were the ideal shotgun. I think I picked this up in my readings about shotguns and from Brits who owned traditional English weapons and actually radiated the attitude like some sort of telepathy. Now I sort of know it's nonsense but still, on the increasingly rare occasions when I see someone toting a good old side by side I think, 'There's a person who really knows shotguns.'
 
Hello. You'll find one out there. I love the double triggers, a must have for me, and barrels choked to suit what I do (no full choke required). The selector/safety found on many shotguns drive me crazy.

Find one that fits, or adapt it to fit you. I like to the older guns that have cast built into them and I often use a butt extender/recoil pad on short stocks.

Pick you that is light in hand, well balanced.

The gauge can be any of your choices, to suit budget and game. The 12 will likely be heavier, and the pistol grip will help with recoil.

I also use guns with hammers and like them a lot. Modern cheaper SXS can be poorly balanced, and heavy. Older SXS need to be checked out to ensure they have life left. If esthetics of SXS are not a must, then modern O/U are fabulous - well engineered, light enough, well balanced, multi-choke. For these guns the trigger mech would be the main thing to understand. Hate that thumb selector...
 
Speaking of shooting/hunting with a SxS, unless it's something like a Winchester 21 with a somewhat big beavertail forend...

Winchester-Model-21-Tournament-Skeet-20-Gauge-26-Barrels-Pistol-Grip-Stock-Beavertail-Forearm_101069115_72668_1B10E8954F07C498.JPG


Your fore hand will not be on the shotgun forend, specially with a splinter forend ... Trying to do would most likely feel funny.
(Gee, that sure is a lot of forend in one sentence)

double-gunning01.jpg
 
I've always liked the semi beavertail forend on my Browning BSS because it allows me to keep my nasty acid bearing fingers off the old style blued steel. When I was using it intensively, I often used to go all day without touching it once.
 
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