High quality SASS double shotgun?

[Currahee]

I see that SKB is now made in Turkey.  What should I shop for if looking for a high quality 12 ga. double (used)?

thanks,

C.

 

[Beartrap SASS#57175]

BSS. Built like a tank. little heavier than an SKB but that lessens recoil. They'll last your lifetime and have mechanicaly reset triggers.

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

Depends (No, not the ones in the plastic packaging)

 

Highest quality Hammer Doubles onna market are Pedersoli and/or Pietta.  If it ain't got exposed hammers, it ain't COWBOY.  I'll let ya know about the Heritage CoachWhip after I get to play wit mine (believe it to be Turkish).

[Currahee]

Hammerless, please.

[Currahee]

I see for sale:

ITHACA NID STAR MODEL FIELD GRADE 12 GAUGE.

 

[Choctaw Jack]

The CZ hammerless are becoming quite popular, gauging by the comments here on the wire.

[July Smith]

The older Japanese made SKBs and Charles Daly model 500s are very high quality.  The Browning BSS will also often be mentioned.  Problem is all these guns have been long out of production.  The current production SKBs and CZs are probably the best options for currently produced SxS.  I've handled a few of the CZs Longhunter sells already slicked up, very nice guns for the money in my opinion. 

 

Edit:  Just checked Longhunter's website and it appears they are no longer selling already slicked up shotguns.  That being said I would still consider the newer CZ a great base to start slicking up for SASS if an older Japanese SxS is not an option. 

Edited December 4, 2024 by July Smith

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

I have an Ithaca NID - it's not a cowboy match suitable double.   IMO.  It's well made, for a gun made in the 1930s.  Doll's head projects between barrels (so a little slower to load), heavy, stiff action, and where's any spare parts?  Parts will have to be made, and few smiths will want to do that. 

 

good luck, GJ

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

My wife has SKBs and likes their light weight.  I shoot a CZ sharptail and prefer its heavier weight.  Ken Griner stocks and sells the CZs.  All these shotguns clean up easily after shooting black powder with plastic wads.  I also shoot a Browning SxS with longer barrels in Cowboy Clays.  It performs well on a clays range.

[Eyesa Horg]

39 minutes ago, July Smith said:

The older Japanese made SKBs and Charles Daly model 500s are very high quality.  The Browning BSS will also often be mentioned.  Problem is all these guns have been long out of production.  The current production SKBs and CZs are probably the best options for currently produced SxS.  I've handled a few of the CZs Longhunter sells already slicked up, very nice guns for the money in my opinion. 

 

Edit:  Just checked Longhunter's website and it appears they are no longer selling already slicked up shotguns.  That being said I would still consider the newer CZ a great base to start slicking up for SASS if an older Japanese SxS is not an option. 

Griner Gun works does them now!

[Currahee]

40 minutes ago, Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 said:

I have an Ithaca NID - it's not a cowboy match suitable double.   IMO.  It's well made, for a gun made in the 1930s.  Doll's head projects between barrels (so a little slower to load), heavy, stiff action, and where's any spare parts?  Parts will have to be made, and few smiths will want to do that. 

 

good luck, GJ

 

Thanks, Joe, your advice is always appreciated.

[Boggus Deal #64218]

1 hour ago, Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 said:

I have an Ithaca NID - it's not a cowboy match suitable double.   IMO.  It's well made, for a gun made in the 1930s.  Doll's head projects between barrels (so a little slower to load), heavy, stiff action, and where's any spare parts?  Parts will have to be made, and few smiths will want to do that. 

 

good luck, GJ

This. I have one as well and love the gun but would NOT use it for this.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

2 hours ago, Choctaw Jack said:

The CZ hammerless are becoming quite popular, gauging by the comments here on the wire.

Love mine! 

[Randy Saint Eagle, SASS # 64903]

I don’t think you can beat the SKB’s made in the 70’s to early 80’s but they are getting harder to find. They will then need to go to a good SKB, Cowboy gunsmith.

 

I personally didn’t like the feel of the Browning BSS.

 

Randy

[Baraboo Bluffer]

I am new to this sport. My SKB 20 ga, which weighs in at 5 lb 11 oz, I am determined to shoot.  It was my dad's: I carried it afield often in the 70's and shoot it well.  My bony shoulder gets pretty bruised up from a box of Gun Clubs, so I am going to try 3/4 oz shot and slowing velocity a bit.  Anyone else faced this and found a solution? 

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

On 12/5/2024 at 6:16 AM, Baraboo Bluffer said:

I am new to this sport. My SKB 20 ga, which weighs in at 5 lb 11 oz, I am determined to shoot.  It was my dad's: I carried it afield often in the 70's and shoot it well.  My bony shoulder gets pretty bruised up from a box of Gun Clubs, so I am going to try 3/4 oz shot and slowing velocity a bit.  Anyone else faced this and found a solution? 

You just listed much of the solution.  Also, install a quality recoil pad if there is not one on the shotgun.  You can cover it with a leather butt cover if you do not like the appearance.  A Dead Mule recoil reducer is also an option.  Loading with APP instead of smokeless powder is another option as the felt recoil from APP is lower.

["Big Boston"]

On 12/4/2024 at 9:05 AM, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

Depends (No, not the ones in the plastic packaging)

 

Highest quality Hammer Doubles onna market are Pedersoli and/or Pietta.  If it ain't got exposed hammers, it ain't COWBOY.  I'll let ya know about the Heritage CoachWhip after I get to play wit mine (believe it to be Turkish).

 

AFAIK, they are built by Huglu. Same shotgun as the CZ and others. I only know of one supplier in Canada that has some on order, at about 1,300 CAD. 

 

BB

[Silver Creek Jack]

SKB mod.100, got this one from Roys Creek Dan, he also did the slick as glass work on it, great gunsmith great shotgun!!

[Tall John]

Sent you a PM

Edited December 7, 2024 by Tall John

[Whitey James]

On 12/4/2024 at 9:05 AM, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

Depends (No, not the ones in the plastic packaging)

 

Highest quality Hammer Doubles onna market are Pedersoli and/or Pietta.  If it ain't got exposed hammers, it ain't COWBOY.  I'll let ya know about the Heritage CoachWhip after I get to play wit mine (believe it to be Turkish).

Have you got a good enough feel for the Heritage Coachwhip to give a good opinion? I just bought a Cimarron 1878 but was torn between it and the new Heritage. 

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

W James,

 

Nope.  Not yet.  Here in my end of the swamp, everywhere I could/should shoot has been calf deep in snow and really really COLD.  I don't do SNOW and I don't do COLD.  However, I did pull the OEM microscopic front bead and replaced it with a Door Knob sort.  Studying the schematic that came with the gun, The Main Springs are coil springs and I haven't been able to source a replacement set of springs as of yet and until I can score some "oops" springs, I ain't gonna attack the springs.

 

It is a really well made shotgun.  It is of course "new gun" tight and the hammer springs are way over sprung.  I'm hoping for an early Spring so I can get out and play with the thing.

 

Any body hear whether anyone else has acquired one??  Curious about their Opine too.

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

On 12/4/2024 at 9:47 AM, Currahee said:

I see that SKB is now made in Turkey.  What should I shop for if looking for a high quality 12 ga. double (used)?

thanks,

C.

 

High Quality
Used.

Parker.

And you don't have to spend $10,000 plus.

If you look hard enough, you can find a good shooter for less than $2000.   Maybe less than a $1000.   I got a 12 gauge for $800 in 2019 and an 20 gauge for $1800 in 2022.   Both were Trojans.   Both are in excellent mechanical condition.  The 12's barrels are still blue, but the receiver has no finish left.   The 20's finish is better, with some good remnant of the case hardening on the frame and faded, if still blue, barrels.   

Neither is a "museum piece," but both are honest shooter.

Some will say Parker's are "too nice" for our game.   I say hogwash.   Sure, you would not want to take a 10 grand+ valued gun out to a match, but ones like mine still get used for hunting and general shooting all the time.   You just can't go wrong with a Parker.

Edited February 9 by H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619

[Randy Saint Eagle, SASS # 64903]

For our game I still think a properly setup SKB would be hard to beat. Since they are getting much harder to find I wanted to try a CZ Sharptail and see how they were? I found a good used one tuned by a popular Cowboy Gunsmith and bought it. It was a lot harder to open than my SKB’s but it was doable so I shot a match with it and in the middle of one stage I inadvertently engaged the safety and didn’t know it. To be fair I’ve done the same thing with an SKB before I stiffened up the safety. At home I took the CZ apart and changed the spring on the safety and now it almost takes both thumbs to activate it so that should cure that problem. While I had it apart I decided to change the hammer springs and now you can open it with one hand. I haven’t had a chance to shoot a match with it yet but I did shoot some KD’s and a pigeon flipper and it works pretty good. I think it will be a good gun if you don’t want to spend $2200 for an SKB.