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Shotgun recommendation


Yukon Terror

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All... going to try once again. I had posted prior for some guidance being new to the game, and was considering a hammered double for potential CC in the future. I have decided to ditch the CC Category for now.

 I want to go with a hammerless double. Would like to be under the $1k range, double trigger and I’m not opposed to used. Just looking for input on a gun that is going to be reliable.
I’ve used the “search” and have read every article out there (maybe not every, but a lot!!!!) seems like everyone has an opinion that contradict’s the other.  (I have shot a couple borrowed Stoeger’s at my local matches).

 

Appreciate any guidance you can give.

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I shoot a Stoeger and haven't had any issues in 9 seasons. I did do some slicking up when I first got it via an old article from Larsen Pettifogger in the Chronicle. Mine is the Stoeger Supreme with a stainless action and blued barrel. Under $500. If you get a Stoeger and want the article info, contact me and I'll look it up for you. Good Luck in your search.

 

Welcome to the best and folks goin Yukon Terror. Hang on for the addiction!

 

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Hello Yukon, 

 

     My suggestion is to buy a quality slicked up shotgun from one of the numerous "cowboy action gunsmiths" out there, maybe a gunsmith close to home, and use that for enjoyable, hassle-free shooting.  A slicked up shotgun will make you a faster shooter.  Faster and hassle-free = more fun. 

     

     The important thing is to buy what you like and enjoy the first time around.  Keep looking in gun shops for spare/backup shotguns too.  

     I hope this helps.

 

     All the best, 

     Mo

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Like Eyesa Horg I shoot a Stoeger that I bought used and had been slicked up.  It’s a good gun, and thankfully I haven;t had a problem.  From what I’ve read/heard the double trigger coach gun is supposed to be more reliable than the single trigger.  Another option might be a CZ Sharptail, I had the hammered one and it was a beautiful gun.  You may want to put a WTB post in the classifieds section, you may get lucky and get a pard who’s willing to let one go.  Good Luck and welcome.

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I have had good luck with 4 Stoegers and 2 Baikals. Both brands are very rough out of the box, but the only repairs ever needed so far was when one of the Stoegers quit reliably cocking one side after 10-15 years use, and it was a cheap fix at a local smith. 

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I have had good luck with Stoeger. As others have said, buy one that is already slicked up. I recommend Longhunter. He does excellent work, and you can get it for under a grand.

 

Irish Tom

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Has anybody mentioned getting it slicked up yet? :ph34r:

 

Seriously, that can be over emphasized.  You can have fun with a box stock shotgun of any make and model.  But you'll have MORE fun if you're not constantly fighting your equipment.  On a SXS one of the most basic and necessary things is to get the chambers polished.  Since SASS doesn't allow ejectors, getting spent hulls out is a major portion of shooting the shotgun.  Polished chambers makes that MUCH quicker and easier.  

 

When getting the chambers polished most folks also chamfer the mouths of the chambers.  Just sort of breaking the sharp edges makes loading new shells easier.  Be VERY careful with that though.  Remove too much metal and you'll ruin the headspace. There are other things that can be done but in my ever so humble opinion those are the two most important. 

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At the risk of sounding like a wise-ass, if you've read previous posts, I doubt that you're find any new info here. the wife and I both shoot Stoegers and have never had a problem. But then, we are not hard on them. We will never be top shooters and for us, the Stoegers work just fine. 

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I like my Stoeger . Been shooting it for 25 yrs, 

Replaced springs, put in stainless steel firing pins.

Cutback the Safety going on when it is opened. Now it is a Manual Safety.

If you are a younger shooter it mite be , to your advantage to get a high priced shootgun. 

Even high priced shotguns will need something done to it if you shoot enuff.

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Based on my experiences & IMHO a Baikal smoothed up by Johnny Meadows or Three Cut is the most economical, but a Lassiter-worked Charles Daly is also a wise choice.  You can stay within your $1000 budget either way.  My experience with Stoeger isn't nearly as good as with Baikals or Dalys.

 

Holler

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Unfortunately, at press time, most everything is in "short-supply."  I still think you should opt for a good quality Hammer Double.  Best of luck in your endeavor.

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Buds Guns has Cz Sharptail 12ga for $972. They are great guns but like everything else need a little tweaking for our game. I got one done earlier this year for just under $1300 from Longhunter and love it. Jersey Bratt shoots a Stoeger Uplander that I have had for 12-14 years and loves it. Stoeger costs less for a reason, feels like a club (IMHO) compared to some others. Availability may affect your purchase decisions. Backup guns are encouraged by those of us with steel and wood addictions.

 

Imis 

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Stoeger or Stoeger Supreme ($100 difference) get it slicked up by a good gunsmith.

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I'll be the wet blanket, and the absolute cheer leader for buying the gun after TLC by a cowboy shotgun smith.
My brand new Stoeger broke the barrel lug and destroyed the gun on its 12th shell.

Here in CA, the 5-year warranty is worthless.
Stoeger will replace the gun, CA will charge another $50 FFL fee, another $40 background check fee, another 10-day waiting period.
You will wait even longer for shipping in both directions.

After all this, you will have a new Stoeger with potentially the same bugs and without any slick work done.

Buy your shotgun (any make) from a reputable cowboy smith.
He will have gone through the gun and make sure all it does it work properly.
And not break.



 

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Find one of your fellow competitors at a match who uses a Browning BSS and shoot a stage with it.  Do the same with an SKB.  They will be closer to &1200 than $500.  At least you will then be able to make your decision based on experience rather than opinion.

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I paid about $500 for a used slicked Stoeger SxS double-trigger coach gun. Not fancy, has patina, no fails so far.

 

So much better than whatever coach gun my lady let me borrow (she paid $275 new IIRC).

 

Almost as good as the SKB a pard loaned me at a match. OK, "slight" exaggeration :lol:, I noticed things about the SKB that the Stoeger does not offer. Also noticed her (the pard's) ammo was very soft compared to what I was shooting.

 

Ammo is another consideration... 3 Gun competition (Fiochi) shells are hot! Winchester AA feather weights are much softer. I'm going to load some even softer rounds soon, the power factor requirements in this sport are pretty light. The SKB I was loaned came with ammo and it really makes a difference between Bang ... ... Bang versus Poof Poof. 

 

For the gun, depending on your thumb strength, has to have an easy open. Having to then pry it open across your knee is a huge fail (reference $275 gun above), polishing the bores to aid shucking rounds helps as does choosing easily-shucked hulls for your rounds. And finally, a slight beveling of the entry to the chambers speeds getting the set of shells into the gun. Most of the slicked guns I see have the entire entry beveled and going just a bit too far with this will create an unreliable (sensitive to certain hulls) firearm.

 

Mine is the first I found where the smith just beveled the tops of the chamber's, not all around. And that is where I naturally place my rounds before tilting them vertically and dropping them in. The smith who reworked mine maintained the reliability of this firearm.

 

Next up for me with my Stoeger is Magtech brass hulls hand loaded. Still need a few items including a chronograph so I know what I am actually producing.

 

Anyway, this gun is faster than I am. Give me a couple years and you will likely see a post in the classifieds where I am looking to step up again. Since you are considering a firearm at this level, I suggest a WTB here and on every local club page within a 100 miles of your home. But as a price point, a used Stoeger can be had for about half your budget (as long as you don't need pretty), so you could put the other half towards learning about and developing ammo for it.

 

 

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Thanks all I really appreciate this & I know it seems to be a reoccurring topic & sorry for beating this horse. Availability will probably be a huge factor (these days). 
As recommended I’ll be posting a WTB ad

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17 hours ago, Yukon Terror said:

Thanks all I really appreciate this & I know it seems to be a reoccurring topic & sorry for beating this horse. Availability will probably be a huge factor (these days). 
As recommended I’ll be posting a WTB ad

I shot a Stoegar for several years, slicked it up myself and never had any trouble with it. I reversed the triggers and that helped my splits. I also had a Charles Daly 500 for a little while and it was a well made gun. I tried a Browning BSS once and it just didn't feel good to me, it just felt too blocky.  I eventually bought an SKB 100 and later an SKB 200 both with splinter forearms and they just feel right. I sold my Stoegar and have never looked back.

 

Randy

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realize im late to this discussion , but wanted to add a +1 to the stoegar , not that there is anything wrong with any other , im only doing so because ive owned mine - hammerless double trigger , since 2006 bought new through my LGS and had him slick it , i have had two issues in all that time - both were crud that a bit of quick cleaning solved , it has served me well , 

 

last winter i bought an old stevens hammered double but this year was not the year to start new things i guess , 

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On the Stoegers, I picked up one of their 26" barreled 20 Gauges and it will actually fall open on it's own. It looks unfired and I don't think anyone has opened it up as the automatic safety is till operational [at least til we get done moving].

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Old West scrounger has zastava m75 and I think TOZ arsenal 16ga and 12 ga  coach guns for sale. Internal and external hammer 369.00

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I have enjoyed shooting 10 gauge Magnum AyA Matador doubles using Holy Black, two have legally minimum barrels and one has a long barrel for cowboy trap and occasional duck and goose hunting with smokeless powder. The short ones have a cylinder bore and the long one has an extra full choke bore.  I load my own into brass shell cases. The AyA guns have NEVER failed me. They are of the highest quality and, if you ever need parts, they are available.

 

FWIW, I also have a 10 gauge 3-1/2" Ithaca full choke semi auto that I use for waterfowl and turkey with slugs for hunting in the jurisdictions that only allow shotguns.

 

 

 

 

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bgavin; I think your gun dealer is ripping you off. Dros fees are 25.00, and if you have the Firearm Safety Certificate you don't have to pay the background check fee again. I last bought 2 Remingtons in December last year, so this info is pretty recent. The 40.00 might the fee the dealer charges for his time, and he just calls it a background check.

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Perhaps, but perhaps not.

All my guns came in as FFL transfers, not local purchase.
The LGS has to make income to justify the paperwork, or he is working for free.
He has to carry these guns on his FFL registry, so I have no doubt he charges for this.

Sacramento Black Rifle charges $100 for this.. I pay $50 at the shop I use in Placer County.
My former (read: unreliable) FFL charged $35.. but he was never available to accept deliveries, so two went back to the seller out of state.
This was not worth a $15 savings.

I have a valid FSC, and it means nothing anymore.  They don't even ask for it, but I present it anyway.
The only time I save money on the background check is when I had multiple guns come in at the same time, on the same background check.

In 2019, I accumulated 170+ California waiting period days for my guns.
Matched sets (SASS Vaqueros) are unique serial numbers, and require separate paperwork.
There is a 30 day waiting period for the 2nd handgun of a matched set.  This really adds up.

I am told that Emperor Nuisance is now pushing a 30 day wait between any type of gun.
As of this writing.. all water under the bridge.
Even if I'm being ripped off... it is still far less expensive than Sportsmans or Bass Pro.
An extra $25 on a $1,000 gun isn't much of an irritant for me.

 

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All handguns have unique serial numbers. You didn't wait 30 days because of the serial number, you waited that long as you are only allowed to buy 1 handgun in any 30 day period. I bought 2 mismatched Remingtons last December, and I waited the same time you did.

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I have a Stoeger and have enjoyed it OK.  However, I always wanted a Hammer Double.  Historical fit is always important to me, and there wasn't a gun just like the Stoeger in the late 1800's.  There were a few hammerless shotguns very late in the 1800s, but they were not very common in the West.  

 

So two weeks ago I bought a used TTN hammer double.  It arrived at my FFL last week.  But due to the crazy Black Friday and post-election buyers, they were swamped and can't process my background check until at least tomorrow.

 

BTW, I'll probably keep the Stoeger and use it when I'm shooting Smokeless and use the TTN when I shoot BP.

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1 hour ago, Springfield Slim SASS #24733 said:

All handguns have unique serial numbers. You didn't wait 30 days because of the serial number, you waited that long as you are only allowed to buy 1 handgun in any 30 day period. I bought 2 mismatched Remingtons last December, and I waited the same time you did.


But, of course.
I've never seen a single serial number on two separate guns, so it is pretty obvious they are two different guns.
 

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On 11/27/2020 at 9:14 AM, Texas Joker said:

Old West scrounger has zastava m75 and I think TOZ arsenal 16ga and 12 ga  coach guns for sale. Internal and external hammer 369.00

I bought one because the price was right and I wanted a long barrel double.  Whether or not it is unique to that gun or not I don't know - but for SASS the gun will not open wide enough or stay fully open which is going to interfere with loading and shucking quickly.  Yet another example of cheap ain't always good in this sport.

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Try a Stoger, Baikal, Charles daily and anything else you can get your hands on to see what fits you.  I tried a Stoger but it did not fit me. It felt awkward when manipulating the locking lever. Tried a Baikal and it fit much better.

 

Tried an 87 and liked it so much that it became my main match shotgun.

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I have 2 stogers Cause the rib blew off my first one and hit me in the forehead 

Cowboy God watching over us is the only reason I am  not a Pirate 

Everyone at work sez that sure looks like she hit you with a High Heel

I have Longtail CZ  with 28" barrel for sporting clays and trap 

IMG_0557.JPG

IMG_0558.JPG

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On 11/25/2020 at 2:06 PM, bgavin said:

I'll be the wet blanket, and the absolute cheer leader for buying the gun after TLC by a cowboy shotgun smith.
My brand new Stoeger broke the barrel lug and destroyed the gun on its 12th shell.

Here in CA, the 5-year warranty is worthless.
Stoeger will replace the gun, CA will charge another $50 FFL fee, another $40 background check fee, another 10-day waiting period.
You will wait even longer for shipping in both directions.

After all this, you will have a new Stoeger with potentially the same bugs and without any slick work done.

Buy your shotgun (any make) from a reputable cowboy smith.
He will have gone through the gun and make sure all it does it work properly.
And not break.



 

kind worse than useless  if the gun has been slicked up they wont warranty anything 

see the pic of my barrels 

I was going to say no waiting period if you your old gun back but if they give you brand new gun with  new serial number yes $40 and 10 wasteded day  

 jan 2020 DROS fees did go up 

OK time to stick up for stoger rep I called for chip in my wood stock 

"it must be FFL shipped back to use since you are in CA "

Can you just sent me the stock .... " sorry no they must be fitted '

 but your wed site has them for sale .. he checks his own website  ..." let check on this "

3 hours later he calls and sez  can ship you a stock but no warranty on this one

Good deal  thanks for good service 

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