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Old December 1, 2011, 08:58 AM   #1
9ballbilly
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Stoeger condor outback ??

OK here it is.......
At the moment my only shotgun, a Rem 870 magnum, is at the gunsmiths for some work I requested (nothing wrong with the gun). And I started thinking, "Wouldn't it be nice to have another shotgun around for HD or a little fun shooting if the opportunity came up."

Anyway, I came across an ad for the Stoeger condor outback. Seems like it might fit the bill; 20"bbl, 3"chamber, screw in choke tubes, and inexpensive.
Plus always wanted an over/under.

keep in mind that I'm not talking about ANY high volume shooting, just home/camp defense and occasional fun trips to the range.

Looking back at older posts here it seems most of the complaints about Stoeger were for either the sidexside defense gun or the o/u with two sets of barrels.

I'm only interested in the 12ga. o/u which seems like it would bypass most of the problems people complained about, and being inexpensive it wouldn't break my heart to put a few scratches and dents on it at camp.

Do you guys think this sounds reasonable? Has the quality of these guns improved at all in the last couple of years? Or should I stay away from them completely?
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Old December 1, 2011, 11:38 AM   #2
BigJimP
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In my opinion - I still think their quality and durability are suspect, so no, I don't think they've improved.

The problem on all of these lower end priced guns ..is you can't look at them and tell much ...its the quality of the steel, the internal components, etc that really make a gun.

Is it worth considering - sure / can you be one of the 3 of 10 that will end up with a satisfactory gun ...maybe, maybe not...

Its expensive to mfg an O/U ...so at that price point / you have to wonder what they're not doing ...or doing on the cheap .../on the other hand they're owned by the Beretta Corp ...so they're probably trying to improve...
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Old December 2, 2011, 09:09 AM   #3
9ballbilly
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BigjimP,
Thanks for the info. I appreciate it. Do you really think only about 30% of these shotguns are any good? The reason I ask is that I read a couple of different reviews claiming that they are reasonably made, no frills guns for their price and to be honest I would expect better of a product having beretta as the parent company.

It's not that I doubt what you say, more that I'd love to try an O/U and pretty much everything else is out of my price range to begin with along with the added cost of having it cut down to Home/camp defense length.

Still I would not be interested in any gun with such questionable quality.
Do you have any further info regarding these?
Thanks, Bill
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Old December 2, 2011, 10:17 AM   #4
BrittB
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I've never had any problems with my Condor and I shoot it alot . It is a very accurate and reliable gun.
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Old December 2, 2011, 12:18 PM   #5
BigJimP
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No, I don't have any data to back up my opinion ...its just based on what I see at our local club ...guys having issues with guns, etc.../ where I see little, if any issues, on guns coming from companies like Beretta, Benelli or Browning.

I don't know why Beretta purchased Stoeger.../ corporations buy all kinds of companies for any number of reasons....but I don't think the quality issues at Stoeger reflect on Beretta - or other divisions like Benelli.

I think you have to ask yourself why you want an O/U ...and are you going to be happy with a Stoeger in the long run / or even short run - say 5 yrs vs saving your money and buying something else down the road.

I don't have an axe to grind with Stoeger ...if you decide to buy one - I hope it meets or exceeds your expectations. Some of my buddies and I have this discussion often ...for new shooters ...that want an O/U --- what can they buy that will hold up if they can't afford a Browning or a Beretta ...and the comments almost always come back to a used Browning or Beretta. I hope some of these less expensive guns - in companies making O/U's start showing they are "players" ...consistently in 9 out of 10 of their guns built ...but in the whole mix of Stoeger, Baikal, Huglu, Tristar, Ruger, Mossberg, Verona ....etc its hard for me to find one - or any - of those companies that are standing up and doing it right. Browning and Beretta have long set the standard for what good solid lower end costing O/U's ought to be ...but to get into that arena, in new guns today, is at least $1,000.

I wish I could tell you I see the Stoegers work out 90% of the time ...I do see some that guys say they're happy with .../ maybe its 3 of 10 ...maybe its 5 of 10 .../ its only my opinion ---but I can't recommend them to you.

You might look around and see what you find in the used market ...maybe even an SKB...or a Browning or Beretta. Remember, Browning makes about 28 different models of their Citori line of guns ( from $ 1,300 - $4,000 ) ....and Beretta makes at least 25 models in their field guns and competitioin O/U's ....so there are a lot of guns and models to consider. I just don't want to see you get burned on your purchase.
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Old December 2, 2011, 11:46 PM   #6
Sgt.Fathead
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I have had a Stoeger Uplander 20 gauge SxS for many years, purchased at Fin and Feather in Ohio for, I think, about $399. I am fonder of a traditional SxS than O/U double barrels but the Condor Outback intrigues me. I have owned two Stoeger Coach Guns in the past, one purchased new and the other used, and just picked up another, their Double Defense single trigger SxS.

I have no issue with the fit, finish and function of any Stoeger shotgun I have owned, horror stories aside. The Uplander has served me well from shooting clays to it's namesake upland bird hunting. It is a simple gun, to be sure, but not crude. It is well made and a great value for the price.

The Condor Outback is on my short list for handy truck (shot)guns. It looks as well made and useful as any of their other smooth bores.
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Old December 3, 2011, 08:57 AM   #7
BrittB
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I have yet to meet anyone with a Stoeger that has problems and because I own one, people I meet feel compelled to tell me about thier Stoegers. I'm only speaking of first hand experences that I've gone through. Mine is a keeper and the moment anything ever goes wrong with it, I'll post it here first.
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Old December 3, 2011, 11:33 AM   #8
k511
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the first stoger condor i owned refused to fire the top barrel, took it back and had it switch for another... worked well for a couple months ( probably around 400 rounds) then, the top barrel would not strike the primer hard enough to fire the shell....Sent it back to stoeger/ benelli, got it back after a month and sold it... After that i ended up purchasing a Remington Spartan O/U, made in Baikal Russia... fairly inexpensive, mine works great
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