O/U Prices

[Sphawley]

I really would like to own an O/U, But all the ones I see are so damn expensive!!

Why is this? Yeah they are cool but other than that why are the so expensive?

[S&W Kinda Guy]

If you are looking for an o/u, perhaps Mossberg or CZ has something that might interest you, without being to hard on the wallet.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/a...R_list%5B0%5D=

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/a...st%5B1%5D=1854

[Sphawley]

That helps, those prices are better...I want a 12g O/U for sure

What makes these guns so expensive in the first place?

Any other good places to look?

[oneounceload]

Expensive is a relative term - for those of us who shoot them on a regular basis for clays, bottom price guns are 2-3000, mid priced are 4-7,000, decent target grade run 8-15,000 and expensive go up from there.

Why the expense?

2 barrels to regulate, trying to slim the action, trying to make an action that will last 100,000 - 250,000 rounds before major overhauls, making the balance ideal, having a trigger that doesn't feel like sand paper, and the reasons go on from there

What budget are YOU talking about being expensive?

[Sphawley]

I'm a college kid...so my limits could be higher but I have to pay for school for now. I could see myself in the future putting out around 3000 but right now no more than like 1500 at the most...

[eddyb74]

A used Browning Citori can be had for around $1000.

[Sphawley]

That would be ideal for me...I will keep my eyes open

[oneounceload]

Vegas has a gun club or two - go visit them, explain your situation, see what they have to rent or better yet, borrow - find what FITS the best, then look for used on their bulletin board - there is always someone retiring, or giving it up where you can get a deal

[l98ster]

As a high school student back in 1993, I bought my first O/U for skeet shooting. It is a stoeger condor. Single trigger, removable chokes (uses browning invector chokes) and cost NEW $400.

I have over 100,000 rounds through mine and it shoots like the day I bought it.

These prices are on that gun have not changed much. They did come out with a competition model thats a little more expensive, but for your budget, you cant go wrong.

I liked it so much, that I JUST picked up a beretta 686 white onyx a couple of weeks ago. I had been using the condor up until then!!!

-George

[Doyle]

I'll tell you why they are so expensice. You can set up a CNC (automated router) machine to make almost every part of an auto or pump and have some marginally trained person take those parts and assemble them into a saleable working firearm.

With a SxS or O/U, that just isn't possible. The machined parts have to be hand fitted to each other to get that final assembly to work right. Then, the barrels have to be hand assembed and regulated (regulation is the process of aligning the barrels so that they both shoot to the same point of aim). All that hand fitting requires a skilled worker and time. That is where the extra cost comes in.

[LynnTX]

Academy Sports markets a turkish made o/u as Yildez brand. The cheaper one is about $400 and a little nicer version is only $500. You will get mixed opinions on these, but I have read a number of posting by users that are quite happy with their guns. If you are only going to shoot a few hundred rounds a year, it might be a viable option until you can afford a higher-end gun. Not everyone can start out with a $1,000+ gun.

[tye]

For a cheap budget O/U I'd get a CZ Canvasback of a Remington Spartan or even a Biakal. Those things are tanks, stay away from Mossberg Silver Reserves. They are junk.

[BigJimP]

There is a reason Browning and Beretta have set the pricing standard for O/u's on the low to medium price levels. But not all models of Browning or Beretta are created equally - nor will they all fit a shooter.

I'm a big Browning O/U fan - but most of the Browning models will not fit me / requiring some alternations in the comb and/or stock in general. So it isn't just about buying a brand name / its about fit - so the gun hits where you look. So you need to try a lot of guns / to figure out what stock dimensions you need - length of pull, drop at comb, drop at heel - or a parallel comb. Buying any gun / regardless of who made it may be a waste of money. The Browning 625 series is a good example for me -- beautiful guns - but they have way too much drop at the comb for me --and they shoot way too high for me ( like 10% high ) and they beat the daylights out of me because the angle on the comb presses the meat in my face against my cheek bone ...rather than recoil under the cheek bone. I need a gun like the Browning XS Skeet, XT, XS Special - and virtually none of the Beretta's fit me ( but none of them are poorly made or bad guns ).

Problems with the other inexpensive O/U's like Stoeger, Mossberg, Baikal, CZ, Remington, etc ....are pretty well documented on this and other forums. Honestly, you might find 3 of 10 that are ok / and the other 7 are fairly suspect -- with barrrel regulation problems, spring problems, ejector problems, etc ... The problem is you can't look at them and tell which ones are good / and which ones will drive you nuts .... Remember, when you buy a gun, the store doesn't do the warranty work ( except in very rare cases / especially on most common gun ) so part of the issue is if you have a problem where do you send it ...or can your local gunsmith, if you have one you trust, get parts from that mfg. Almost anyone can work on and get parts for Browning and Beretta ....not so much on the others.

Saying buy a Browning ...( when in the Citori line alone they have about 25 models isn't quite enough ) ...but the lower end of the Citori lineup, the Lightning series, is a solid gun ( I have 2 of them ) -- one I bought new / one used. Browning XS Skeet model is a solid gun / and very much sought on the used market - especially with an adj comb in 28" or 30" barrels ( you have to get past the marketing name "skeet" because its not just a Skeet gun - its a great all purpose gun for hunting, skeet, sporting clays, etc ...

Don't buy just on price / try some guns / talk to some shooters on what they bought - and ask about adjustability and would they buy it again / and how many shells they have thru a gun with no issues ...and search the bulletin boards for a number of good used guns. You really need to figure out what "fits" first .... one guy will tell you a Mossberg silver reserve is junk, the next will tell you Baikal is junk, the next one will say Rem spartan is junk ...and I will tell you all 3 are suspect ...(but you will rarely, if ever, hear that a Browning or Beretta are junk ) and that has to tell you something.

[zippy13]

If you're going to protest high gun prices, forget about the O/Us and have a look at some of the pistols available. How much time and material expense do you think is involved in making the polymer based Glock 17? The night sighted version has a MSRP of $690. That's $230 per pound for a plastic gun. In comparison: a Mossberg walnut and steel 7.7 pound O/U at $672 comes in at $87.27 per pound.

[Sphawley]

Any fans of the Winchester O/U's?

I picked one up the other day and it fit me damn near perfect, or so it seemed. I'm going to try and see if I can shoot one. Hopefully someone at my local park has one and they are feeling nice enough to let me try theirs....

[zippy13]

Originally Posted by Sphawley

Any fans of the Winchester O/U's?

When we think of the least expensive "decent" O/Us available, most of us think of the B-guns: Brownings and Berettas. Winchester is making an effort to get back into the O/U game with the new Belgian made M-101's. For now, these guns are priced below similar B-guns.

Like Sphawley, I'm curious... any members have experience with the new FN 101s? Are they are a sleeper deal or a rip-off?

[ww2freak27]

I would look at a stoeger condor or a marlin model 90. They're a lot cheaper than the citori and they're both very reliable and fairly decent looking. I've had very good luck with my model 90 (it works like a charm and breaks clays with ease). My friend has the condor and he's had very good luck with his gun. I'm just trying to prove the point that you can buy a very decent gun for not a whole lot of money.

[Ricklin]

CDNNinvestments.com is a good place to find bargain shotguns and lots of other guns as well.

I bought my Charles Daly diamond 3 from them, 599 and very pleased.

CDNN buys "distressed" inventory overruns, etc, etc.

No interest in the Co. Just a satisfied customer.

[oneounceload]

I have purchased a SxS from CDNN, but I did research and was able to shoot the model I bought before I did. Many of those overstock/discontinued models may be guns of dubious quality, especially in the under $1,000 range. There are a LOT of "cheap" guns (meaning the quality) out there from Turkey, China, Brazil, Philippines, etc. - so do your research.

IMO, a person would be better off buying a high quality semi, even used if that's all the budget allows, than a new or used low-quality over-under.

Buy once, shoot forever. (Read my sig line until you have it memorized)

[BigJimP]

OneOunce speaks the truth ....

on those lower end guns / for every guy that is happy with them ---there are several horror stories as well. You don't hear those same stories about Browning or Beretta O/U's ...and you have to ask yourself why ?

[RoscoeC]

I don't think I have ever heard of a Lanber "horror story". I'm sure there are some, but the vast majority of comments I have seen have been quite positive.

I know it is the new kid on the block, and some find the Euro version to be stylistically offensive, the Cynergy has been very good for me. It is more "Berreta like" in feel and handling than the Citoris, and there are some very good buys out there on this gun.

New design that certainly doesn't have the reputation of the Citori, yet, but I certainly like mine and it has been solid since I got it in February. I have ~6000 rounds through it so far, not a lot, but it seems very solid. The only complaints I have heard is that there have been some issues with the ejectors particularly on the smaller gages, such as the .410.

Just another $.02 worth, you should have a bout a buck and a half's worth now.

[Rampant_Colt]

Ruger Red Labels aren't going to break the bank either

[oneounceload]

Ruger Red Labels aren't going to break the bank either

They're just going to break!................

[mike6975]

i like the idea of having a 18" or shorter O/U as a home defense shotgun,nothing against SxS but i think the O/U would look just as intimidating as a SxS. and do the same job,i'm also talkin about a "cheaper"
O/U not a ruger or browning.

Respectfully,


mike

[.300 Weatherby Mag]

Any fans of the Winchester O/U's?

Not the newest ones... I looked at some of the brand new 101s that had just arrived at one of the local shops and I was less than impressed by the quality of the wood and the finish... They may shoot great but for the $$$ they should be better finished and have better wood..