Dave Parks-gun question for you
- Thread starter Joe Friday
- Start date
harry whitley
Well-known member
Hi Joe,
Have you seen our bud Peter B. lately ?
Not to step on someone else's question but I once owned an AyA. It was a double 10 guage and though fairly well made it killed on both ends and I traded it on a Mag 10 which has also been gone for years (too darned heavy). I've heard good things about AyA and the few smaller guage guns I've seen looked good as to stock to metal finish and overall appearance. Are you going to shoot the gun a lot or keep it back as an investment and to show your buds to hear them say wow and watch them drool. If so I might would check out Doc's guns here in Greenville and see if they could find you a higher grade Fox or an old LC Smith I say Smith because it is one of the true sidelock guns. I saw a 20 guage side by side Smith with a single trigger 5 or 6 years ago and the fellow who knew me said that I didn't have enough money to even discuss price but darn it was one sweet shotgun. Doc's had a few Merkels a year or two ago. I don't know what they have now but I'll just bet they'll be glad to see you
You can't have too many boats or shotguns.
Best Wishes,
Harry
Have you seen our bud Peter B. lately ?
Not to step on someone else's question but I once owned an AyA. It was a double 10 guage and though fairly well made it killed on both ends and I traded it on a Mag 10 which has also been gone for years (too darned heavy). I've heard good things about AyA and the few smaller guage guns I've seen looked good as to stock to metal finish and overall appearance. Are you going to shoot the gun a lot or keep it back as an investment and to show your buds to hear them say wow and watch them drool. If so I might would check out Doc's guns here in Greenville and see if they could find you a higher grade Fox or an old LC Smith I say Smith because it is one of the true sidelock guns. I saw a 20 guage side by side Smith with a single trigger 5 or 6 years ago and the fellow who knew me said that I didn't have enough money to even discuss price but darn it was one sweet shotgun. Doc's had a few Merkels a year or two ago. I don't know what they have now but I'll just bet they'll be glad to see you
You can't have too many boats or shotguns.
Best Wishes,
Harry
John Robinson
Well-known member
Hi Joe,
I think asking a group of dedicated hunters their opinions of guns is a loaded (forgive the pun) question. I bet we all heve pretty strong opinions on the matter, guns and dogs can lead to lively debate.
My two cents; first off, get a copy each of "Good Guns Again" by Stephen Bodio, and "Spanish Best" by Terry Weiland. Both books are fun to read, very educational on quility guns for using, not collecting. My taste have been influenced by both writers.
My standard duck gun is a 1993 Ruger Red Label Sporting Clays model. It shoots 3" steel, has 30" barrels with screw in chokes, nice wood and has never given me any trouble even thogh my gunsmith hates the investment cast parts inside the gun. I also have an old Parker GH, hammerless 10 ga. with 32" damasces barrels on a size 2 frame. It has beautiful wood, but the barrels are too pitted to shoot. I'm thinking about sleeving them down to 12 ga. to shoot once a year in memory of my Father in Law who gave me the gun.
I also have a Lefever DS grade 12 ga. in beautiful condition that I use for pheasant and occasionally take in the duck blind with bismuth shot. I would put it right up there with the Foxes, LC Smiths and Parkers. All of these old guns are classics, condition is important, length of chambers and shape of the stock. You can find an old gun built around 1910 with very modern stock dimensions or way too much drop at the heel.
I shoot my Lefever well hunting, it has a high comb, but it is horrible at sporting clays for me. Now I have only shot SC twice in a decade, but just last weekend I went with a friend. I used my Ruger for the first half of the course and shot 31 out of 50. Then I switched to the Lefever and shot 10 out of 50. Now to be fair the Lefever is choked mod and extra full, that plus the two triggers and the side by side look really effected my shooting. But like I said, it works very well in hunting situations.
Good luck in your quest, you can never have too many guns.
John
I think asking a group of dedicated hunters their opinions of guns is a loaded (forgive the pun) question. I bet we all heve pretty strong opinions on the matter, guns and dogs can lead to lively debate.
My two cents; first off, get a copy each of "Good Guns Again" by Stephen Bodio, and "Spanish Best" by Terry Weiland. Both books are fun to read, very educational on quility guns for using, not collecting. My taste have been influenced by both writers.
My standard duck gun is a 1993 Ruger Red Label Sporting Clays model. It shoots 3" steel, has 30" barrels with screw in chokes, nice wood and has never given me any trouble even thogh my gunsmith hates the investment cast parts inside the gun. I also have an old Parker GH, hammerless 10 ga. with 32" damasces barrels on a size 2 frame. It has beautiful wood, but the barrels are too pitted to shoot. I'm thinking about sleeving them down to 12 ga. to shoot once a year in memory of my Father in Law who gave me the gun.
I also have a Lefever DS grade 12 ga. in beautiful condition that I use for pheasant and occasionally take in the duck blind with bismuth shot. I would put it right up there with the Foxes, LC Smiths and Parkers. All of these old guns are classics, condition is important, length of chambers and shape of the stock. You can find an old gun built around 1910 with very modern stock dimensions or way too much drop at the heel.
I shoot my Lefever well hunting, it has a high comb, but it is horrible at sporting clays for me. Now I have only shot SC twice in a decade, but just last weekend I went with a friend. I used my Ruger for the first half of the course and shot 31 out of 50. Then I switched to the Lefever and shot 10 out of 50. Now to be fair the Lefever is choked mod and extra full, that plus the two triggers and the side by side look really effected my shooting. But like I said, it works very well in hunting situations.
Good luck in your quest, you can never have too many guns.
John
Geo Kaiser
Active member
There's always the other option of getting a decent "21" and having it re-stocked and have the barrel redone.
I have a friend who put $4000.00 just in wood on one
I have a friend who put $4000.00 just in wood on one
Thanks guys!
John, I have seriously looked at Ruger Red Labels, and for some reason everyone I handle breaks open like it is about to fall apart--loose feeling as thought the tolerances are too far apart. Maybe they are supposed to be like that, but comparing them against that SigArms and a few Berettas I handled, they just felt wrong to me. I don't know how else to explain it.
Hi Harry, I see Peter from time-to-time around town, although we haven't hunted together in a long time. I miss that, because he is a great guy to hunt with. Of course his boys are probably grown up by now, so he has a couple of buddies to pal around with.
I definitely want a shooting gun, not a "safe queen," but I'm also looking for something outside the norm. I personally don't do much business with the Pawn Shop you referenced.
I am emotionally split between a SxS and an O/U.
The Quest will continue....
John, I have seriously looked at Ruger Red Labels, and for some reason everyone I handle breaks open like it is about to fall apart--loose feeling as thought the tolerances are too far apart. Maybe they are supposed to be like that, but comparing them against that SigArms and a few Berettas I handled, they just felt wrong to me. I don't know how else to explain it.
Hi Harry, I see Peter from time-to-time around town, although we haven't hunted together in a long time. I miss that, because he is a great guy to hunt with. Of course his boys are probably grown up by now, so he has a couple of buddies to pal around with.
I definitely want a shooting gun, not a "safe queen," but I'm also looking for something outside the norm. I personally don't do much business with the Pawn Shop you referenced.
I am emotionally split between a SxS and an O/U.
The Quest will continue....
John Robinson
Well-known member
Joe,
Rugers are designed with an "easy opening" action. Unlike most other break open guns which start out tight and hard to open, then loosen with age, Rugers and some high end English guns are designed this way. I don't know if they are spring assisted or really how they do it, but I like it.
BTW, I'm not compairing Rugers to any high end English gun, I think it's just where they got the idea. I'm not pushing the Ruger on you, just pointing out that easy opening action is a good thing. I love my gun as a good working gun, but if I was starting from scratch and had the money, I would choose a mid grade Berretta over it.
S x S versus OU, thats a tough call. Like I said, for me the OU was clearly superior shooting sporting clays, but I like the looks and feel of a nice S x S better, and I hit game birds just fine with my Lefever. If I had the money , around $4,000.00, I would get a fine Spanish double (S x S) made for me. Get The Terry Weiland book, he explains it all, with really good compairisons of all of the noted Spanish builders.
Rugers are designed with an "easy opening" action. Unlike most other break open guns which start out tight and hard to open, then loosen with age, Rugers and some high end English guns are designed this way. I don't know if they are spring assisted or really how they do it, but I like it.
BTW, I'm not compairing Rugers to any high end English gun, I think it's just where they got the idea. I'm not pushing the Ruger on you, just pointing out that easy opening action is a good thing. I love my gun as a good working gun, but if I was starting from scratch and had the money, I would choose a mid grade Berretta over it.
S x S versus OU, thats a tough call. Like I said, for me the OU was clearly superior shooting sporting clays, but I like the looks and feel of a nice S x S better, and I hit game birds just fine with my Lefever. If I had the money , around $4,000.00, I would get a fine Spanish double (S x S) made for me. Get The Terry Weiland book, he explains it all, with really good compairisons of all of the noted Spanish builders.
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Lee Harker
Well-known member
Check out SKB's..I love my little 3 barrel set..that would be "out of the norm"..a 3 barrel SKB in 20,28 and 410..they can be had for under 4k..paid 1900 for mine about 10 years ago. One of the guys at the MLB clays shoot 2 years ago had a Browning grade 6 3 barrel set that he wanted 3400 for..looked like new and had the luggage box....it was sweet but it was skeet choked on all barrels or I would have been "working" on getting it. Gather your dollars and sit and watch..something will jump out at you.
Hey John,
Your explanation makes a lot of sense, because I could definitely feel the difference in the break action of the Red Label....speaks to my ignorance on the whole topic. I got some research to do. Thanks for that info.
Lee, My hunting buddy loves his Citori, too. You are right, I need to gather my dollars and be ready. I'll post a picture whenever the ship does come in, that's for sure.
Your explanation makes a lot of sense, because I could definitely feel the difference in the break action of the Red Label....speaks to my ignorance on the whole topic. I got some research to do. Thanks for that info.
Lee, My hunting buddy loves his Citori, too. You are right, I need to gather my dollars and be ready. I'll post a picture whenever the ship does come in, that's for sure.
Dave Parks
Well-known member
Joe, I tried to email you, but your did not enter your email address when you registered. Drop me an email by clicking on my name at the top of this post. I have some info on a coupel of guns you might be interested in looking at.
Dave
Dave
Geoff Pike
Active member
Yeah Joe the Rugers are supposed to feel like that. Their self-openers, a idea I never understood. My opinion on them is like yours, they just dont feel right. (Although I do like the28ga. with 28" bbls.)
Just a thought is the 16ga. I know they have been prdicting its demise for 50 years now but its still going.
I know the Kittery Trading Post has a nice Rizzini in 16ga imported for New England Arms at real reasonable money.
They also had (not sure if its still there) Arrietta for the cheap in 16ga.
Not too long ago I was talking with an importer and 70% of his custom ordered guns were 16ga.
Just my .02
Just a thought is the 16ga. I know they have been prdicting its demise for 50 years now but its still going.
I know the Kittery Trading Post has a nice Rizzini in 16ga imported for New England Arms at real reasonable money.
They also had (not sure if its still there) Arrietta for the cheap in 16ga.
Not too long ago I was talking with an importer and 70% of his custom ordered guns were 16ga.
Just my .02