I'm looking to buy a quality double barell shotgun for my Uncle for Christmas, he's 70 years old and fondly remembers a collection of double barrel shotguns he owned in the 1970's and 1980's, Parkers, L.C Smith's, etc.

My Aunt and I have determined to go in cahoots and get him a good double for Christmas, what do quality double shotguns go for these days? What is the difference in price between an L.C Smith and a Parker for instance?

I know he also likes .410 pump Winchesters, having been with him on a Winchester Pump Hunt in the ealry 1990's...

Shotguns are a totally different breed of cat for me, rifles and pistols I know, shotguns, not so much....

Get ready to be shocked . . .

Look at the CZ line of shotguns. All CZ products that I have seen are good quality. Don

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"Don't worry be happy"

i have a few Winchester 42 pump .410's. They used to be fairly economical. The prices on them have really skyrocketed. i went to a local auction 2 weeks ago and bid on a decent field gun. it sold for $1350.00....not too bad BUT it was hard for me to determine condition when the guns were sitting by the entrance to the tent and were getting rained on

ever since that auction i have put my searching for S&W's on hold (or at least lessened my searches) and have went 42 hunting....i bought a nice one last week for $1250 and stumbled upon one last night for $849 ...it does need the buttstock replaced, it was cut down.

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Kris
OGCA, NRA LM

Take a look on Gunbroker. Both guns are pretty pricey in decent condition. You can get a Browning for less money.

1K>
In field grade SXS the Smith will be cheaper than the Parker and a NID shoulde be cheaper than either.

I have a 20 gauge Fox Sterlingworth I inherited from my grandfather. Its a high quality shotgun and I'd never part with it, but you could probably find a nice one for around a grand.

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Rule of law, not a man.

Budget for a nice used car. I have a couple of Ithaca doubles. For the money, I'm really pleased with them.

I he doesn't just have to have an old American double, check into a used Browning BSS or an SKB 100 or 200. There are still a lot of them out there at reasonable prices and while not exactly trim and all that, they are perfectly serviceable and should make all but a dedicated doublegunner reasonably happy.

If you have to have something slim and trim, and are still on a budget, you might look around for a used Spanish double made by one of the better known firms. The Beretta is not exactly slinky, but it is a little livelier than the Brownings and SKBs, and it is still in production, so repairs should not be a problem.

If you find a nice Browning for less than $1000, you are doing OK - maybe great. SKBs should be comparatively less. A used 470 Beretta should run maybe $1800 in nice shape. An older American double... ? Reproduction Parkers and LC Smiths are going to be a lot more. I am not a double-gun purist, but I think of the Browning as the price/value leader in a using gun - as opposed to an "investment" type of gun.

You might look at Rugers or the low end Berettas. CZ is solid, but I'ne never seen their shotguns, which seem to be pretty utilitarian. Weatherby may still bring in Italian doubles (O-U) made for them by one of the Zoli families.

Your best bet is to find a Miroku-made replica of the M-42 pump. Some were marketed by Browning, some by Winchester. If you can get past the need for a .410, you'll more likely find a 20 ga., which is a better deal, anyway.

Alas, quality double guns are very expensive for what they are. Many literally cost more than most cars. Same for double rifles.

I was in the Beretta Gallery in Dallas one day, and liked a .470 they had. But they wanted $45,000 and I wouldn't have had enough left over for lunch, and I was hungry that day, so passed on it. The other Italian makers of marque and the London guns are even higher.

Oh: for a time, Browning had a SXS double (the BSS) with sidelocks made for them in Korea. The mystery author Victoria Houston has one, and she told me that she likes it very much. But they were made for a short time and are hard to find.

While I dont know much about double barrels, I do have this BSS I lucked into in the late 70s or early 80s. It`s nice, I was only out with it once. Here is what they look like.

The best deal for a quality .410 pump right now is likely the Browing BPS- which will be found for less than even the reproduction Miroku 42's. I'd also look at a Remington 870 Wingmaster in .410, but I think they'll be more money.

I've got one of the Browning model 12's in 28ga, and I do like it a lot better than the .410 version, but to each his own.

If you want a good quality double without spending a whole lot of money, try looking at an older Merkel, Sauer or even a Husqvarna. Some are being imported right now for a fairly good deal and are a bargain compared with what other dealers are wanting for overpriced worn out pieces.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

the 870 wingmaster 410's are in the $600+ range and the browning 42's are $900+. i would guess a BPS .410 is around $550.00.

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Kris
OGCA, NRA LM

I'm not clear on whether you're looking for a side-by-side or an over-under double barrel. Also, what do you mean by "good quality?"

Are we talking "heirloom quality," or are we talking "won't-blow-up-in-my-face quality?"

If it's the former, get ready to spend at least a few thousand dollars, with the sky being the limit. You might feel bad actually shooting it, too.

If it's the latter, Stoeger makes a pretty decent quality side-by-side that would be plenty of fun for your relation to shoot off the back of his porch. One can be yours for as little as $500-$600 bucks.

Myself, I'm a "why own it if you won't shoot it?" kind of guy.

I got a line on a honest wear model 42 Winchester pump. Drop me a PM if interested and I'll get you some info.

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Go big or stay home

I have been using an SKB 100 20bore for everthing up to pheasants since about 1970...nice wood, 3inch chambers, chrome lined bore, no screw ins though....last year I was followed home by a little Stoger .410 coach gun bored full and modified, really nice wood...just the ticket for tree rats....

I'm assuming you're looking into the older, classic American mfg'r names from the posting,,

If you stick with a 12ga, you should be able to find a good condition SxS (in and out) LCSmith field grade, Fox Sterlingworth, Parker VH or Ithaca NID Field grade for around 1K.

The Parker will probably be the highest of the lot,,the Ithaca the least. That in no way reflects the quality of each,,just what the market of shooters and collectors has demanded.
Earlier Ithaca 'Flues' Model steel bbl'd SxS can be found at half that in nice condition.
I wouldn't get into any that are 'off-face'. That's a costly fix for any of them..

Keep in mind early guns will most likely have short chambers. Many have been lengthened to 2 3/4" over the years. Some of the work well done,,some not so well done and some should not even have been done at all from a safety point.


Small bores,, 16 and 20ga. instantly skyrocket the prices. Add ejectors, straight grip (english grip), you can spend many more dollars on one. Five figure prices aren't out of line for some of the high grade guns.

Stay away from damascus bbls unless you really know the limitations and how to feed them,,that's assuming this is going to be a 'shooter'.
No damascus on AH Fox or the Ithaca NID, but you'll find them on the other brands/models.

Winchester 42's have gone to the $1500 +/- price range for a Field grade gun.
Occasionally they can be found for 1K or around that, especially with some haggling. Times are not good right now for the shotgun market either.
The days of a $300/400 used Mod 42 are over unless someone really doesn't know what they have.

The Browning Model 42 is a very nice repro of the Winchester. With it's vent rib and checkered stocks as standard, they are quite nice to shoot. An original Winchester mfg 42 with those options would be a pricey gun for sure.
No so called 'slam fire' feature on the repro 42 (probably a liability issue,,maybe an import issue). Not a big deal, not used too often in Skeet. Otherwise the gun operates the same as the original mfgr.
I had a Browning 42 for about 10years. Sold it for what ever reason. Nice gun, never a problem. The repro M12's are well liked by their owners too. I've never had one personally.

It all depends on your budget, of course. The sky is the limit when it comes to SxS guns. My main hunting gun is an AyA 16 ga.--the model has almost doubled in price since I got mine.

AyA's lowest level model is going to run you around 3200 now. Ugartechea has some less expensive guns that are pretty nice.

The best deal out there right now is the discontinued S&W Gold Elite. I've had my hands on a few and they are very nice. Trigger plate action (like a Dickson), real bone charcoal case colors, and most have very nice wood. The guys on the upland site I go to who have them have been very pleased.

If you hunt around you can find them being closed out for around a grand. Nothing in that price range comes close. The CZ guns are very utilitarian in comparison.

Since he fondly remembers L. C. Smith and Parker I would think that those two and maybe A. H. Fox and the old Ithacas will be the only thing that he would be happy with. A M21 Winchester is a great gun but but you can buy several of the other 4 for what one M21 will cost. $1000. should get you started on everything but the M21. Larry

Check with Simpson's in Galesburg, IL. They have quite a selection of Husqvarna side by sides. They are very high quality, and you would be able to pick from several.

Wow, I am amazed by the responses.....

I have only seen two doubles that I would consider so far, a Parker
"Trojan" and an L.C Smith Field Grade, wich I will examine next Tuesday...

Lots of money, but Auntie and I will split the cost...

My Uncle loves 20 gauges and .410's for some reason, can't beleive the difference in cost!

I, being a Winchester fan, would lean to a small bore Winchester repeating shotgun, 20 gauge or .410, but I know Unk loves doubles....

Have you looked at the S&W shotguns CDNN has in their current catalog? 20ga bone case colored for $1299. It's a new gun made in the old school tradition. CDNN also has a new LC Smith 20 ga for $899.

Download Catalog

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God spelled backwards is dog.

I killed my first quail with this Parker Trojan Model about 50 years ago. I remember it like it was, oh, only 40 or so years ago. Mine is a 20 gauge, bought by my Great Uncle Perk before he went off to WW1. If I'm not mistaken, the innards of the Trojan, Parker's field grade gun, are the same as in the expensive, high grade guns. I have to say the Parker is the sweetest shooting firearm I have ever fired. I would guess you would have to pay at least $2000 for a 20 gauge Trojan in good shootable condition. Maybe a little less for a 12 gauge. I use mine sparingly now, with 2.5" low pressure shells.

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Georgia On My Mind

The Parker Trojan grade is the same gun inside as any other Parker.
While the V (Vulcan) grade is considered by some to be the Field Grade of hammerless Parkers,,the Trojan was actually below that in price. You really don't see that many around.
Parkers attempt to capture some of the Fox Sterlingworth market so to speak.
Great shotguns though and no less the Parker quality.

One small difference was that the earlier Trojan grades had a small straight dolls head extension on the breech end of the bbls that fit into the receiver. The later mfg ones had no dolls head at all,,just a flat faced breech.
That dolls head is on all the V grades and up and is T shaped instead of being straight.

The receiver/frame is profiled a little different in front of the the side panels. Not rounded like the V grades and up,,a simple effort to create a gun for less money.
No border engraving like the V grade, but it still has Parker Bros hand cut on both sides.
Another difference is the Trojan uses a snap on forend instead of the latch method the rest of the line used.
Inside,,they're the same.

In like condition and gauge, a Parker Trojan will out price an LCSmith Field grade in most markets, but not by a whole lot.
You should still be able to buy a nice condition 12ga gun in either model for $1000 +/-.

Nice 20ga Parker redlevel!
I've got a 20ga Trojan, but the left tube is blown open like a bird cage just forward of the forend. Good for parts,,maybe a re-sleeve to 20ga or 30-30