Originally Posted by czech1022
What do you think? I want a field-grade 12ga SxS for quail, grouse and pheasant and my budget is not a cent over $900 all up...including tax, shipping and Brady.

Where do I go with this? Ithaca Flues? LC Smith? Ithaca/SKB 100/200/300? Charles Daly/Miroku Model 500? An old Simson Suhl? One of the many brands from Turkey?

I don't like heavy shotguns and I don't mind loading light 7/8 oz loads for quail and the occasional clay target, so I'm thinking max weight 7 lbs.

In addition - it either has to have choke tubes or be bored IC/Mod or, if one of the typical older shotguns with Full/Full or Mod/Full, have a low enough purchase price so I can pay my gunsmith open up the chokes. Or as I did with a Miroku 20ga O/U a couple of years ago, have someone machine the barrels to add thin tube chokes.

There it is - what do you think?


Several folks have mentioned the SKB doubles, and I've shot a couple of M100s - a 20 and a 12. In fact, I probably have fired over a thousand rounds thought my wife's 20ga which was originally choked M&F. Soon after she got it, I had the chokes opened up to IC & Mod. This double has held up extremely well and seems to be very well built - my main complaint with the SKBs is that they're missing the second trigger. grin Another thing to consider, IIRC, is the bores are chrome lined and some 'smiths may not want to work on chromed bores.

Others have mentioned some of the older, less prestigious European doubles and IMO they can be good deals if you shop around. Besides the ones mentioned, I suggest you keep an eye out for one of the Husqvarna 310 doubles, either the A version or the slightly fancier AS model. These doubles were very well made, especially those from the earlier 1900s up until WWII. I have a 16ga 310AS that still locks up like a bank vault and it was made in 1914! Yes, they were built choked tight and tighter with the short & steep forcing cones typical of that era, but a competent shotgun smith, like Mike Orlen, can open up the chokes or install tubes, plus lengthen/polish the forcing cones so it patterns better with modern shotshells. That's what was done to my 16ga 310AS and it works great! Here's a pic of my Husky taken on a pheasant hunt last year:
[Linked Image]

BTW, there is a 12ga Husqvarna 310AS currently for sale on GunBroker. It seems to meet several of your criteria. Disclaimer: it's NOT my sale, nor do I know anything about the seller or the particular gun, but if you want to check it out, here's the link:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=369446183

Good luck with your search!

Pursuit may be, it seems to me, perfect without possession.
Robert Kelley Weeks (1840-1876)