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Im new to combination guns. Never owned one and have only seen a couple in my lifetime. There is a company here in Canada that sells both new and used combo guns, and usually has a pretty good selection. Im interested in getting one as I think they would make a great all around bush gun. Does anyone know anything about the Angelo Zoli or Verney Carron ? What kind of accuracy can I expect with the rifle barrel? Are they rugged and reliable? The Verney Carron would be easier for me to get NIB, most of the AZ I've seen were used.

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Angelo Zolis are of lesser quality. The two Zolis you'll encounter commonly are Antonio and Angelo. The Angelo Zoli guns are of far less quality than the Antonio Zoli guns, which are on par with Verney Carron IMO.


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Accuracy has been pretty good in my combo guns. All the O/U guns would shoot sub-MOA groups with handloads except a Sav. 24. I use them for coyote hunting in 222 Rem, 5.6x50R and 22 Sav. HP(5.6x52R) and that is with 1-4x20mm scopes on them. Two of my drillings will shoot like that also, the other is 110 yrs old and the barrel looks a lot like a sewer pipe but has very tall rifling so the jury is still out on that one, I have to work on it more since I have repaired it, it does shoot well on the trap field though.


After the first shot the rest are just noise.

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I'd go V/C in a heartbeat. My experience with one Zoli was offputting Accuracy....I have several drillings and a couple combination guns. All are pre-WWI or between the wars. Once the barrels start to heat up, usually after 2-3 rounds, depending on the intensity of the cartridge, all of mine will walk. I suspect some of the newer designs where the barrels are not firmly soldered together might alleviate that propensity of hard soldered barrels. Accuracy for the first 2-3 rounds out of my old pieces is quite good. Most holding MOA or better for those first rounds.


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Originally Posted by sharps4590
I'd go V/C in a heartbeat. My experience with one Zoli was offputting Accuracy....I have several drillings and a couple combination guns. All are pre-WWI or between the wars. Once the barrels start to heat up, usually after 2-3 rounds, depending on the intensity of the cartridge, all of mine will walk. I suspect some of the newer designs where the barrels are not firmly soldered together might alleviate that propensity of hard soldered barrels. Accuracy for the first 2-3 rounds out of my old pieces is quite good. Most holding MOA or better for those first rounds.



Which Zoli? It makes a heuuuuggg difference.

And, yep, soldered barrel drillings walk up and to one side or the other as they warm up. It is usually noticed by the third shot and much more noticeable after four in moderately rapid succession. I have some starting fluid I use when working loads or sighting in. I take the barrels off after each shot as they warm (3rd) and spray them with the starting fluid to cool them. It works pretty well, but DON'T get any on the wood or in the scope! Take both off.

Last edited by luv2safari; 01/03/19.

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What do you guys think of the Bruno combination guns? Im torn between a combination gun and an over under rifle. The combination would be really really handy for what I do, but the double Im looking at is a V/C and its short and handy. Would make a really nice guides rifle. Both guns use the 8x57 caliber. How do the combination guns handle slugs??

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BRNO o/u and combo guns are sturdy and accurate, but you pay a price in weight and "feel". They're not exactly "snappy:.


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The BRNO's are built like a tank, I shoot one in 22 Sav. Highpower(5.6x52R)/12ga, it is one of my favorite coyote guns and it has a spare set of 12ga O/U barrels. Svelte it's not, a coyote killing machine it is shooting Sub-MOA groups to 300 yards with the 1-4x20mm Leupold scope on it. It is nice with the shotgun barrels on the skeet and SC fields, a little extra beef feels good there.

Pic's

https://imageshack.com/a/img923/332/XG9jHC.jpg

Last edited by erich; 01/03/19.

After the first shot the rest are just noise.

Make mine a Minaska

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Originally Posted by erich
The BRNO's are built like a tank, I shoot one in 22 Sav. Highpower(5.6x52R)/12ga, it is one of my favorite coyote guns and it has a spare set of 12ga O/U barrels. Svelte it's not, a coyote killing machine it is shooting Sub-MOA groups to 300 yards with the 1-4x20mm Leupold scope on it. It is nice with the shotgun barrels on the skeet and SC fields, a little extra beef feels good there.

Pic's

https://imageshack.com/a/img923/332/XG9jHC.jpg


Very nice. Do they still make them? The Brunos on the site Im looking at are all used. They seem to only have the V/C in new guns.

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Here is a link to the store that Im shopping at.

https://www.tradeexcanada.com/produits/69

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yukon254,

ImVho, the German/Austrian combination guns of the post-WWII era to about 1975 are BETTER than any other the similar arms that are commonly available in 2018, with the exception of the VERY expensive custom-made ones.

ImVho, a DRILLING in 12 x 12 x 9.3x74mm, topped with a good German scope would be great for the one-gun Worldwide hunter.

yours, tex

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Like this one I ordered today? wink Sauer sidelock in 12/12/9,3X74R. It is supposed to lock up tight, and it hasn't been molested, other than a forend crack repair. The set trigger and safety need some work, but that's minor.

[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

It needs a little mechanical sprucing up; Lee LeBas will tune it up for me...just talked to him today about it.

This is a pre-war gun and has 65mm chambers, so I'll be shooting moderate field loads in 2 3/4" in it, as I do with my other drillings and combo guns. I have a wonderful pre-war Sauer cape gun 2 bbl set in 12/8X57JR and SXS 12ga that has 65mm chambers, as well as a Sauer/Charles Daley SL 12/12/30-30 with 65mm. I shoot 1oz-1 1/8 oz loads in them.

I might not have it scoped. I do ok out to 125-150 yards with open sights. I have an older longer tube Loopy 3X that would be a good choice, should I decide it needs a scope. They're nice and light.

Last edited by luv2safari; 01/03/19.

Hunt with Class and Classics

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Originally Posted by erich
The BRNO's are built like a tank, I shoot one in 22 Sav. Highpower(5.6x52R)/12ga, it is one of my favorite coyote guns and it has a spare set of 12ga O/U barrels. Svelte it's not, a coyote killing machine it is shooting Sub-MOA groups to 300 yards with the 1-4x20mm Leupold scope on it. It is nice with the shotgun barrels on the skeet and SC fields, a little extra beef feels good there.

Pic's

https://imageshack.com/a/img923/332/XG9jHC.jpg



That is a sweet combo set, erich! Rates a definite two-cool. I wish I owned it, and you had one better.


cool cool


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It's funny that combo gun was pretty inexpensive, I stopped at the dealer in Ill. on my way through there and bought 3 guns, this one came with the scope mount(expensive to replace) and I picked up the shotgun barrels from a guy in Canada. It took me six months to get the import license for the barrels being a non-FFL importer. The Tula choked barrels pattern exceptionaly well with my 2 1/2" 7/8 oz of 8's that I shoot in my other short chambered shotguns even though this one is 2 3/4"


After the first shot the rest are just noise.

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Originally Posted by yukon254
What do you guys think of the Bruno combination guns?


The Brno 300 series are very strong and work well, though the design's a little quirky. They are a little heavier than some but IMHO handle well. One of the big advantages is that the barrel sets were made to be interchangeable, so you can sometimes pick up a gun with more than one set of barrels or, of you are especially lucky, pick up spare barrel sets. They were made in various combinations, but 5.6x52R/12 and 7x57R/12 are most common, as well as 12/12 in field or skeet. I had one with 7x57R/12 and 12/12 field sets for a good while, and was very happy with it until a Krieghoff drilling replaced it. A mate of mine has one with 5.6x52R/12, 7x57R/12 and 12/12 field, and he's very happy with it too. I'd happily recommend them.

There's also the 500 series Brnos, which are a bit more conventional in layout, and were made in more US friendly calibres such as .243/12 and .308/12. I've only handled them, not shot one, but they seem sound.

Neither's currently in production.

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This might be a dumb question but does it make any difference which barrel is on top? Tradex has a Brno ZH104 and its one of the only ones they have with the rifle barrel on top.

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Originally Posted by yukon254
This might be a dumb question but does it make any difference which barrel is on top? Tradex has a Brno ZH104 and its one of the only ones they have with the rifle barrel on top.


Most others have the rifle barrel on the bottom because they hinge and lock up under the bottom barrel, so having the higher pressure of the rifle barrel closer to the hinge pin means it places less stress on the locking mechanism. The Brno 100, 200 and 300 series have a massive crossbolt at the top, and a hinge up at about the midpoint between barrels, so there's no benefit to the rifle barrel being on the bottom. Having it on the top means that it is closer to the sights, which some may prefer. Having tried both configurations I think it makes little to no difference to the handling and shooting whether the rifle's top or bottom. .


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