Anyone else love Over and Under Shotguns?

[H Richard]

I have a couple. When I finally started shooting at clay birds, I was in my 50's, and having been a rifle and handgun competitor for over 25 years, I had my problems learning to not stop the gun. I started with an 870, but liked the looks of the O/U, and you don't have to bend over to pick up your empties. I found an older SKB 12 ga, choked IM/F and did fairly well on trap. Thinking I needed a New gun, I traded the SKB for Remington Peerless, 12 g. which I shot for about 5 years. It just never really fit me. One weekend there was a Browning rep at our range, with several nice guns. I tried the Browning O/U he had and it just seemed to fit me. Since I had begun to start shooting some Sporting Clays also, discussed options with our local shop and wound up with a Browning Citori Special Sporting Clays . It fit, and I am still shooting it, although I did go to a BT99 for Trap. The Citori is my on and off skeet gun, as I found a 20 ga SKB 500 choked IC/M which weigh's just about 6 lbs. That gun was made for me. Light and swings like a dream, with a hard butt plate it does kick nearly as hard as the Cotori 12 which is ported and weigh's a lot more, but I enjoy it more.

 

[2152hq]

I've never personally owned one, though of recent have found myself looking at the Merkel,Simson types. Nothing fancy needed,,I just like their style. I remember seeing a few Belgian made examples on the same design some years back at shows but wasn't interested then.
The OP's gun is a perfect example of what I have in mind.

The Brownings, Winchester 101, Ithaca SKB are all great guns but for some reason don't appeal to me.
Maybe even a decent Marlin 90 would feed the need at this point!
SxS's I got.

 

[arjay]

Bought a used 30" Citori when I was shooting trap in the mid 80s.Had it fitted for choke tubes so I could shoot skeet too [emoji2].It sat for about 15 years until I used it for sporting clays.Its a great gun for for those games,but the last time I hauled it afield I realized what a tank it was.The same gun in a 20 would be great for hunting.

 

[tops]

I own several O/Us and they are all Berettas and I can break targets better with an O/U. I also own Merkel, JP Sauer, LC Smith and M21 Winchester SXSs and grannie said and I believe her that Southern Gentlemen hunt with SXSs. Larry

 

[Pig Hunter]

Andyd, sorry if I offended you. I get enough good natured ribbing for shooting sxs, that I couldn't help myself. Each type has it's place. I find I look classier when I miss with a sxs , than when I miss with any other type of shotgun. ( I do it often, but still have a blast)

 

[Gamecock]

Oh, I've got a Beretta 471, too, my hunting gun for later season doves. Love the quicker reloading of the S X S. Just for giggles, I shot sporting clays with it at The Fork a few years ago . . . shot 69 of 100. Better than anyone else in the group shooting their whatevers.

I've got pumps and autos too. I find O/Us best for target games (while retaining cases for reloading). My ol' Remington 1100 works fine for just shooting.

 

[67tempest]

I always liked the look and feel of a good O/U. I have a Browning Citori Sporting Clays O/U that I purchased years ago when I was a member of a trap club. It was the most expensive firearm I had purchased up to that time. Don't shoot it near as often now but it has to have 30k+ rounds through it. Still locks up tight as a drum.

Have also have a Browning Auto 5 from the 1920's that's been in the family for 70 or so years. Have numerous variations of the 870 in 20ga and 12. Hunt exclusively with an 870.

 

[Gulfecho]

You haven't watched the Olympics and probably can't hit a brick wall. Did you take Logics 101 in school?

I think the quotes on the juxtaposed eyes are quite funny. They are obviously joking. Maybe a side by side makes sense after all.

 

[Andyd]

Whether someone chooses a side by side or an over and under for hunting is largely personal preference. I had looked at a few side by sides and am not at all against them and find them appealing but find the O/U more practical and easier to shoot well.

A few years ago I was a guest in the house of a British doctor in Southampton and we went visiting his gun store in Winchester. My son immediately fell in love with one finely made side by side shotgun and it fit him perfectly - until he saw that the price was around 23,000 GBP.

For classic appeal a SxS is great, for shooting I prefer the O/U.

 

[sigp220.45]

I've always wanted a nice O/U shotgun, and when this Beretta Silver Pigeon 20 gauge presented itself at a fair price for once I didn't dither. I love it.

 

[model70hunter]

I being of sound mind and body, with a slight affliction for firearms, have owned many shotguns. All can and will do the job if you do yours.

I was really into side by doubles and had 11 Parkers and Philadelphia AH Foxes along with a Westly Richards and some more. P.S. Among the others, were Win M-23 in 20 and 12 gauge, a browning, an Ithaca and several Spanish ones. I did lots of bird hunting, quail and Pheasant.

I also did Skeet and Trap with Model 12's or a Beretta 303.

I sort of tried a little Sporting clays and it stole my mind. I had a higher grade Rizzini SC OU, a Browning sporting clays OU. The Browning action opens on a pin and is higher than the Italian OU's I found a Beretta OU and was in heaven. It was the same when I tried a Browning Citori for birds, it just does not fit me well. I bought a Beretta Onxy light weight 12 and it was a pure light weight joy to carry hunting.

I went thru a period in my life, some call it freedom others might call it a divorce, and ended up selling all my guns in a child custody battle. Wrong attorney he bled me out.

I ended up with a Rem 870 in 20 and one pre 64 M-70 in 270 Win. After the financial dust settled I bought a Benelli SBE and used it for ducks along with Pheasant and a little sporting clays. I had M-12 for trap and used a Browning B80 someone had added chokes to for skeet.

If I ran a cross a Beretta Onyx lightweight 12 fairly priced I would be all over it. I probably will never own another Parker or AH Fox, all are too pricey and all I see in Parkers are #2 frame heavy full and fuller choked well worn guns which were some ones duck gun back in the day.

I would probably look closely at any Italian OU. The hinge is low in the action and it does fit me well.

Again being of sound mind and an over worked brain I like all shotguns. Right after I win the lottery I am getting some light SxS for bird hunting, some OU's for trap and skeet, not sure on sporting clays, maybe just keep on using my SBE as it shoots and ejects light 2.75" thru 3.5" loads.

Right now my fun guns are a Benneli Montefeltro in 20, Win M-12's in 12 and 16 for doves and this year my opening day dove gun will be a basket case ithaca M-37 I bought last year and rebuilt.

Mr. OP I love OU shotguns, but no more than SxS or autos or pumps or single shots. Now why did I trade off the Browning 99? I have a sound mind but don't remember why???

 

[OLDSTER]

Over-Under

Admire the over-under and have owned many over the years ( SKB 500, Beretta BL4, Superposed, Winchester 101, Citori, Perazzi, Remington 3200, Ruger Red Label), but due mainly to eye issues switched to the venerable Remington 1100 semi-auto over 20 years ago. But to answer your question; if there is one I wished I had kept, it would be the old Beretta BL4

 

[Andyd]

model70hunter,

this whole thread is going the wrong way, dramatically. I am a gun addict and have bought several Korths this year, also an Anschutz 1710 and the Merkel 200E is very pleasing. It makes me wonder if I shouldn't get another shotgun.

I am tempted to look for a Merkel 40E SxS or a Simson, Suhl, which is basically the same gun but differently branded. I am spending way too much money on guns but do not feel unhappy doing so.

Oh, I wouldn't do it for myself but for the children! And my oldest son would appreciate and care well for a luxury model while his younger brother is more into "black tactical" guns.

 

[loc n load]

I didn't own a O/U until I was in my 50's. I hunted birds for 40 years with a Browning A 5, then a Merkel 16 SxS. I began crunching clays in 01 with a Fabarms O/U 12 ga., it is a beautiful shotgun and it fits me perfectly. I have a weakness for 16 ga. Sgn's and bought a couple Browning Citori's with upgraded wood and a 28 ga. browning that matched the 16's. These are all 6 lb guns and are a joy to carry and shoot. My bird hunting partner passed in 05 and I ended up with his Browning Citori in 410, which he had downed hundreds of birds. Don't hunt birds anymore, but I shoot clays regularly and all of these guns get their day at the range.

 

[josywales]

I don't choose my shotguns, they choose me.

When handling a shotgun, I turn myself in a direction that i won't "sweep" anyone. I position myself as I would on the trap line, close my eyes and raise the gun to my shoulder. When I open my eyes, if i'm on target, she's a winner If not, then the gun doesn't fit me. That's not to say it couldn't be made to fit, but I've never taken it to that extent.

I'm fortunate that Brownings fit me, as do most Remingtons (870 and 100). I have a Citori for the field and a Broadway for trap. I don't claim to get perfect scores, but looking down a Broadway is almost cheating!

 

[tekarra]

I had a Browning Citori and several Valmets. The Valmets were sweet guns.

 

[italiansport]

I'm a side by side guy by nature but I do keep one O/U around. It a Fausti in 28 ga and is a sweet handling little number. I used to have these in all gauges(12,16,20,28,410) but wasn't unsing them enough to justify keeping them.
Jim

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Actually, I do love them and have never owned one. But my LGS has a bunch of them for sale, some really gorgeous used ones under 1500 bucks, so, yeah, I'll probably get one!

 

[fclef]

Here`s my 12 ga Browning XS Special Low-Rib w / 32" Pipes.
Regards , Pete

 

[fyimo]

I owned 3 Over/Under shotguns a Citori, a Renato Gamba, and a Franchi. All were 12 gauge and only the Citori had screw in chokes. So I gave them to my two sons with each getting one free. My older son bought the Citori from me. Today I have a Remington 870 SP and a Remington 1100 Skeet Model with a Skeet barrel and a full choke barrel. At 72 years old I don't do any bird hunting anymore.