Well, since we have not heard back from Abbydog with his budget for this shotgun and since he mentioned S/S and O/Us I'm assuming that his budget allows for a decent one.
My preference has been for O/Us cause I like doubles, for their handling characteristics and their reliability, but also prefer a narrow sighting plane rather then the wide SXS. While I learned to shoot clays with an 1100 and hunted with both a Model 12 and a 870, I transitioned to an O/U when I tired of chasing spent shells around a skeet field and liked their handling so much more. A number of years ago I went to a gun store looking for an O/U that was light enough to comfortably carry for long periods and which, more importantly, fit me and had a nice balance. I told the salesman I was interested in a light 12 ga. O/Us and to just start handing some to me. Brand or price were of lesser importance to me. The one that pointed to where I was looking and which had nice handling characteristics was a Franchi Alcione. I wanted a 12 gauge as I also hunted ducks and geese.
I would suggest that everyone do similarly, do not decide on a make or model without getting your hands on a number of shotguns and seeing what fits and feels right. O/Us from Browning, Beretta, Franchi the new Benelli, Weatherby etc should all be of sufficient quality.
Last edited by cooper57m; 01/26/16.
