Traditions o/u

bergie · April 8, 2000, 09:34 PM

Anybody know anything about them? Saw one in a shop and it looked an awful lot like the American Arms Silver II it was sitting by. Opinions on either of these guns would be appreciated.
bergie

Dave McC · April 9, 2000, 05:44 AM

O/Us require tight fitting,good steel, and excellent machining to make a weapon that will hold up. All of these are expensive. Cheap ones are faux shotguns and will shoot loose in short order.

My suggestion, forget the stuff built by lsave labor in dictatorships, and knock offs made in the Third World,and save up for a good used O/U...

K80Geoff · April 9, 2000, 08:48 AM

The other day I was in a local gun store. A customer was looking at the new Baikal O/U. I wanted to tell him to forget about the gun as it is not up to the standard of Browning And Beretta. But the guy told me he cannot afford $1200 for a gun and the Baikal was the only thing in his price range etc.

I did handle the gun, it appears to be solid and to an O/U newbie must look like a bargain, but the gun will not hold up to sustained shooting at the Trap and Skeet range. The triggers are the weak point of any double, if they are not made well the gun will cause problems. And good triggers are not found on cheap O/U's.

I kept my mouth shut and did not try to discourage the guy. The shop owners would have thrown me out anyway and I like browsing in the shop and listening to the BS that goes on there, and they do have ammo that I cannot get anywhere else. But I know that this guy will have problems with the gun and like me will end up buying a better gun eventually and will eat the cost of the Baikal (only about $400, unlike the 1200 I spent on my first O/U).

The moral here is that double guns are expensive, ask others before you buy and find out what works and what doesn't before you plunk down your hard earned cash on a klunker.

I ramble too much!

Geoff Ross

bergie · April 9, 2000, 12:39 PM

Hi guys,
I appreciate the comments and warnings to stay away from poorly made junk. I've been shooting shotguns for about 35 years, so I think I can tell what is crap and what isn't. These are not Russian Baikal, or cheap Chinese junk. They also are not a Merkel or a K80. I was wanting to know if anybody had any PERSONAL EXPERIENCE with these guns, but it doesn't look like it, so I will tell you what I do know about them.
Both the American Arms Silver series, and the new Traditions line of o/u shotguns are poor quality knockoffs made by slave labor in the third world dictatorship of Brescia, Italy. American Arms (N. K. C. MO) has been importing these for at least 10 years. Traditions just started.
The Traditions Sporting Clays II features automatic ejectors, is back-bored, lengthened forcing cones , ported barrels, hand-cut checkering on high grade walnut, choke tubes, etc. but suggested retail is only $879. There is an ad with a picture on page 54 of the May Guns & Ammo if you want to look at it. I know a picture won't tell you a whole lot, but at least you can get an idea what it looks like.
The shop that I was in had both the AA Silver II and the Traditions in a standard field model (whatever they call it) without the porting, and with a plainer (but still nice) matte finish walnut stock, choke tubes (only on the AA not the Traditions but they are available), single trigger, auto ejectors. Nicely engraved silver reciever, blued barrels. My impression of it was that the quality of manufacture, fit and finish of the one that I looked at was on par with the lower priced SKB field models that the shop had, or with Red Labels, gradeI Citoris or any other o/u in the $1000 -1400 range. The price tags were around $700 (marked down $100) for the AA, $600 for the Traditions, (choke tubes brought it up around the same price.)

don't mean to be a smartass but,
Make sure of your target before you shoot.
bergie

newbirdhunter · August 6, 2002, 09:52 PM

Bergie,

Sorry but am not sure what you mean. Do you mean that the Traditions O/U was well built and surprised you so you'd recommend it or was it crap?

I am looking for a cost-effective O/U and the $499 Fausti model at Walmart looked like a good piece of hardware. (Fausti and Traditions are the same thing).

Please advise.

Thanks.

Romulus · August 6, 2002, 10:08 PM

None other than one of Perazzi's makers in Azusa, CA told me not to worry about the Fausti shotguns...good shotguns...like a Lancia it will get you from A to B in relatively high style

Perazzi's of course are Lamborghinis

stinger · August 6, 2002, 11:17 PM

I have never understood the fascination with the HIGH $ shotguns. Sure, they look purty...but looks aren't everything, or at least that is what my wife keeps telling me

For the price of some of the more expensive models I could buy 4 or 5 870's or Mossies, and 4 or 5 autos. And then I would have enough money left over to buy a case or two of ammo for each.

I guess I'm just uncivilized.

Stinger

Romulus · August 7, 2002, 12:37 AM

My wife says the same thing...and I agree with you.

If I decided to go with an O/U it would be a Fausti

BigG · August 7, 2002, 09:28 AM

I got the $499 Traditions/Fausti from Walmart and I highly recommend it for skeet or trap shooting. The stock is made of a piece of the most gorgeous stumpwood you have ever seen. An acquaintance has a Fausti SXS 20 ga that he gave $800 for and he raves about it. This is a guy who shoots original Lefevers, btw.

I also have a Belgian Browning Superposed and feel the quality is better than the Fausti (but not by much) but the gun is 5 times the price.

I don't feel I will ever wear out either O/U but I don't shoot 20,000 rounds a year like some members apparently do. HTH

newbirdhunter · August 7, 2002, 07:40 PM

So does everyone agree that the Fausti is a good deal for the price? I want to hunt and shoot trap with it.

Popsicle · August 7, 2002, 09:55 PM

I have a friend who bought one when traditions first started importing them. He also paid 499.00 at wal mart and the gun has been perfect. I tried to talk him into buying a B gun, but being the thrifty dude he is, he bought the fausti O/U anyway. I totally expected the gun to quit within the first 6 mos., as we were shooting sporting clays pretty heavily back then. It has been 2 years with no problems, and the gun still looks new, although it did break in a LOT faster than my last Browning O/U, which never really got to the point that the barrels were easy to break open.Anyhow, I think the Fausti is a very decent gun with nice looks for the price. Will it hold up for 10 years of heavy clays use? Only time will tell. I do think it is a good gun to get your feet wet with an O/U. That way if you don't like them, you can always go back to a good old pump, as I have done twice now.

Pat Brophy

BigG · August 7, 2002, 10:05 PM

If you can shoot trap, you can shoot game, too. I would say yes.

old boar · August 8, 2002, 05:45 PM

Wife won a Fausti 12ga field model a few weeks ago at a N.R.A. dinner. Used it several times on trap and sporting clays. Fixed chokes, full and modified, not the best for the course but the gun performed well. Doesn't heel as well as my Beretta but isn't bad. Think it will last quite a while with any kind of care. Hopes this helps with direct input.

Gumbo · August 9, 2002, 02:16 PM

I love my Fausti. Being a GI with a family, I don't have a big wad of disposable income. I wanted to try an o/u and being my first of the type I did not want to spend almost a years worth of fun money. I bought the Walley World special with some trepidation. My fears were totally off base. The firearms has nice wood but it also has alot of sharp edges. I expected this and it really is not too bad.

Up to the point of the Fausti purchase, I had been using a Beretta 390 for trap, skeet and sporting clays. The poor 390 has not been fired since. I love this shotgun. The recoil took some getting used to. I just started shooting lighter loads. I was using 1 1/8 but now I shoot 7/8. Both barrels pattern in the same spot. This was another factor that I was worried about. Again the point was moot. The only thing that still remains to be proven is whether it will stand up to heavy use. I see no sign of excessive wear after 800 rounds.

August 6, 2002, 10:08 PM	#6
Romulus Senior Member Join Date: January 18, 2001 Location: Kettle Moraine country Posts: 897	None other than one of Perazzi's makers in Azusa, CA told me not to worry about the Fausti shotguns...good shotguns...like a Lancia it will get you from A to B in relatively high style Perazzi's of course are Lamborghinis __________________ I knew Thomas Jefferson, he was a friend of mine...Governor Clinton, you're no Thomas Jefferson Ti faccio vedere come muore un italiano

August 7, 2002, 12:37 AM	#8
Romulus Senior Member Join Date: January 18, 2001 Location: Kettle Moraine country Posts: 897	My wife says the same thing...and I agree with you. If I decided to go with an O/U it would be a Fausti __________________ I knew Thomas Jefferson, he was a friend of mine...Governor Clinton, you're no Thomas Jefferson Ti faccio vedere come muore un italiano

August 7, 2002, 09:28 AM	#9
BigG Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 1999 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 4,334	I got the $499 Traditions/Fausti from Walmart and I highly recommend it for skeet or trap shooting. The stock is made of a piece of the most gorgeous stumpwood you have ever seen. An acquaintance has a Fausti SXS 20 ga that he gave $800 for and he raves about it. This is a guy who shoots original Lefevers, btw. I also have a Belgian Browning Superposed and feel the quality is better than the Fausti (but not by much) but the gun is 5 times the price. I don't feel I will ever wear out either O/U but I don't shoot 20,000 rounds a year like some members apparently do. HTH __________________ o "The Earth is degenerating today. Bribery and corruption abound. Children no longer obey their parents, every man wants to write a book, and it is evident that the end of the world is fast approaching." Assyrian tablet, c. 2800 BC o "In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man brave, hated, and scorned. When his cause succeeds, however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." Mark Twain o "They have gun control in Cuba. They have universal health care in Cuba. So why do they want to come here?" Paul Harvey o TODAY WE CARVE OUT OUR OWN OMENS! Leonidas, Thermopylae, 480 BC

August 7, 2002, 09:55 PM	#11
Popsicle Senior Member Join Date: August 2, 2001 Location: Las Vegas,NV Posts: 166	I have a friend who bought one when traditions first started importing them. He also paid 499.00 at wal mart and the gun has been perfect. I tried to talk him into buying a B gun, but being the thrifty dude he is, he bought the fausti O/U anyway. I totally expected the gun to quit within the first 6 mos., as we were shooting sporting clays pretty heavily back then. It has been 2 years with no problems, and the gun still looks new, although it did break in a LOT faster than my last Browning O/U, which never really got to the point that the barrels were easy to break open.Anyhow, I think the Fausti is a very decent gun with nice looks for the price. Will it hold up for 10 years of heavy clays use? Only time will tell. I do think it is a good gun to get your feet wet with an O/U. That way if you don't like them, you can always go back to a good old pump, as I have done twice now. Pat Brophy __________________ fear the government that fears your guns!

August 7, 2002, 10:05 PM	#12
BigG Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 1999 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 4,334	If you can shoot trap, you can shoot game, too. I would say yes. __________________ o "The Earth is degenerating today. Bribery and corruption abound. Children no longer obey their parents, every man wants to write a book, and it is evident that the end of the world is fast approaching." Assyrian tablet, c. 2800 BC o "In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man brave, hated, and scorned. When his cause succeeds, however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." Mark Twain o "They have gun control in Cuba. They have universal health care in Cuba. So why do they want to come here?" Paul Harvey o TODAY WE CARVE OUT OUR OWN OMENS! Leonidas, Thermopylae, 480 BC

April 8, 2000, 09:34 PM	#1
bergie Senior Member Join Date: April 19, 1999 Posts: 567	Anybody know anything about them? Saw one in a shop and it looked an awful lot like the American Arms Silver II it was sitting by. Opinions on either of these guns would be appreciated. bergie

April 9, 2000, 05:44 AM	#2
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	O/Us require tight fitting,good steel, and excellent machining to make a weapon that will hold up. All of these are expensive. Cheap ones are faux shotguns and will shoot loose in short order. My suggestion, forget the stuff built by lsave labor in dictatorships, and knock offs made in the Third World,and save up for a good used O/U...

April 9, 2000, 08:48 AM	#3
K80Geoff Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 1998 Location: NE Pennsylvania Posts: 3,639	The other day I was in a local gun store. A customer was looking at the new Baikal O/U. I wanted to tell him to forget about the gun as it is not up to the standard of Browning And Beretta. But the guy told me he cannot afford $1200 for a gun and the Baikal was the only thing in his price range etc. I did handle the gun, it appears to be solid and to an O/U newbie must look like a bargain, but the gun will not hold up to sustained shooting at the Trap and Skeet range. The triggers are the weak point of any double, if they are not made well the gun will cause problems. And good triggers are not found on cheap O/U's. I kept my mouth shut and did not try to discourage the guy. The shop owners would have thrown me out anyway and I like browsing in the shop and listening to the BS that goes on there, and they do have ammo that I cannot get anywhere else. But I know that this guy will have problems with the gun and like me will end up buying a better gun eventually and will eat the cost of the Baikal (only about $400, unlike the 1200 I spent on my first O/U). The moral here is that double guns are expensive, ask others before you buy and find out what works and what doesn't before you plunk down your hard earned cash on a klunker. I ramble too much! Geoff Ross

April 9, 2000, 12:39 PM	#4
bergie Senior Member Join Date: April 19, 1999 Posts: 567	Hi guys, I appreciate the comments and warnings to stay away from poorly made junk. I've been shooting shotguns for about 35 years, so I think I can tell what is crap and what isn't. These are not Russian Baikal, or cheap Chinese junk. They also are not a Merkel or a K80. I was wanting to know if anybody had any PERSONAL EXPERIENCE with these guns, but it doesn't look like it, so I will tell you what I do know about them. Both the American Arms Silver series, and the new Traditions line of o/u shotguns are poor quality knockoffs made by slave labor in the third world dictatorship of Brescia, Italy. American Arms (N. K. C. MO) has been importing these for at least 10 years. Traditions just started. The Traditions Sporting Clays II features automatic ejectors, is back-bored, lengthened forcing cones , ported barrels, hand-cut checkering on high grade walnut, choke tubes, etc. but suggested retail is only $879. There is an ad with a picture on page 54 of the May Guns & Ammo if you want to look at it. I know a picture won't tell you a whole lot, but at least you can get an idea what it looks like. The shop that I was in had both the AA Silver II and the Traditions in a standard field model (whatever they call it) without the porting, and with a plainer (but still nice) matte finish walnut stock, choke tubes (only on the AA not the Traditions but they are available), single trigger, auto ejectors. Nicely engraved silver reciever, blued barrels. My impression of it was that the quality of manufacture, fit and finish of the one that I looked at was on par with the lower priced SKB field models that the shop had, or with Red Labels, gradeI Citoris or any other o/u in the $1000 -1400 range. The price tags were around $700 (marked down $100) for the AA, $600 for the Traditions, (choke tubes brought it up around the same price.) don't mean to be a smartass but, Make sure of your target before you shoot. bergie

August 6, 2002, 09:52 PM	#5
newbirdhunter Member Join Date: September 13, 2001 Location: Texas Posts: 49	Bergie, Sorry but am not sure what you mean. Do you mean that the Traditions O/U was well built and surprised you so you'd recommend it or was it crap? I am looking for a cost-effective O/U and the $499 Fausti model at Walmart looked like a good piece of hardware. (Fausti and Traditions are the same thing). Please advise. Thanks.

August 6, 2002, 11:17 PM	#7
stinger Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2001 Location: west texas Posts: 772	I have never understood the fascination with the HIGH $ shotguns. Sure, they look purty...but looks aren't everything, or at least that is what my wife keeps telling me For the price of some of the more expensive models I could buy 4 or 5 870's or Mossies, and 4 or 5 autos. And then I would have enough money left over to buy a case or two of ammo for each. I guess I'm just uncivilized. Stinger

August 7, 2002, 07:40 PM	#10
newbirdhunter Member Join Date: September 13, 2001 Location: Texas Posts: 49	So does everyone agree that the Fausti is a good deal for the price? I want to hunt and shoot trap with it.

August 8, 2002, 05:45 PM	#13
old boar Junior Member Join Date: July 4, 2002 Location: northern Michigan Posts: 9	Wife won a Fausti 12ga field model a few weeks ago at a N.R.A. dinner. Used it several times on trap and sporting clays. Fixed chokes, full and modified, not the best for the course but the gun performed well. Doesn't heel as well as my Beretta but isn't bad. Think it will last quite a while with any kind of care. Hopes this helps with direct input.

August 9, 2002, 02:16 PM	#14
Gumbo Senior Member Join Date: May 26, 1999 Posts: 150	I love my Fausti. Being a GI with a family, I don't have a big wad of disposable income. I wanted to try an o/u and being my first of the type I did not want to spend almost a years worth of fun money. I bought the Walley World special with some trepidation. My fears were totally off base. The firearms has nice wood but it also has alot of sharp edges. I expected this and it really is not too bad. Up to the point of the Fausti purchase, I had been using a Beretta 390 for trap, skeet and sporting clays. The poor 390 has not been fired since. I love this shotgun. The recoil took some getting used to. I just started shooting lighter loads. I was using 1 1/8 but now I shoot 7/8. Both barrels pattern in the same spot. This was another factor that I was worried about. Again the point was moot. The only thing that still remains to be proven is whether it will stand up to heavy use. I see no sign of excessive wear after 800 rounds.