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One thing you have to ask yourself ...if Beretta and Browning have set the standards for new entry level O/U's in the $1,500 price range ....what makes these guns selling for $ 350 worth the risk for your money ??
What happens if you have an issue - will the retailer take it back ? Will you have to ship it 1,000 miles away for warranty service ...and who pays / how soon will you get it back ?
What if the barrel locking mechanism between barrel and receiver fails ..is it fixable for under $ 300 ? What if one barrel has a point of impact 6" low at 21 yards / and the other barrel is 6" high and 3" right ( and I've seen it happen on Huglu's, Baikals, etc ) ....now what ? Is it fixable ?? and how much ?? Firing pin issues, spring issues - can a local gunsmith get parts / can they or will they work on the gun ?? Most any local gunsmith will work on a Beretta or Browning ...but for a gun under $500 ...you might be better off scrapping it / buying another gun ...
Now what if any of these things happens in the first 300 shells ??
The difference between the cheap O/U's and Beretta or Browning entry level O/U's isn't just fancy wood or finish ....sometimes its the quality of the steel and stuff you can't see.
Why is it that a Browning Lightning O/U bought new in 1988 for $ 750 ...in reasonable shape today ...is worth $1,000 on the "used market" today ....even if its had 10,000 shells thru it already ?? Stength of parts, durability, fit, finish ...longevity ...all pay off.
If you buy the Stoeger ...or Spartan, or Baikal, etc ... / I hope it turns out ok for you ...but if you find out in 2 yrs it was a waste of money and now its just junk ....I'll be sad.
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