I'll play....My '61 model 12 trap is real nice, wish I had a pigeon12 to post!!!! that Side by gives it a run!
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Best looking shotgun?
- Thread starter bushmaster1313
- Start date
The old SxS shotguns do have some very fine detailed weapons out there and I myself own a few in 20 and 12 Ga. that have gone into the field and also used for clays.
My first shotgun was a single 20 Ga. and then I finally worked up to a Winchester Model 12 pump that held three shells !!
As I got better at shooting clays I managed to get a Beretta and a Browning O/U for my clay games that had different chokes, instead of a fixed barrel..........
and yes, I also have a old A-5 "Humpback 12 Ga. for field work that shoots quite well from Quail to big Honkers, in it's day, with lead shot.
I now have a Beretta 391 for the steel loads for D&G.
I have "Workers" and "Lookers" that I use in my love of shooting shotgun loads from the tiny .410 up to the large 12 Ga., that I reload or buy.
I love them all............. they are all #1 on my list.
Even the ugly old Original 12 Ga. Black powder, Wells Fargo SxS , stage coach shotgun.
My first shotgun was a single 20 Ga. and then I finally worked up to a Winchester Model 12 pump that held three shells !!
As I got better at shooting clays I managed to get a Beretta and a Browning O/U for my clay games that had different chokes, instead of a fixed barrel..........
and yes, I also have a old A-5 "Humpback 12 Ga. for field work that shoots quite well from Quail to big Honkers, in it's day, with lead shot.
I now have a Beretta 391 for the steel loads for D&G.
I have "Workers" and "Lookers" that I use in my love of shooting shotgun loads from the tiny .410 up to the large 12 Ga., that I reload or buy.
I love them all............. they are all #1 on my list.
Even the ugly old Original 12 Ga. Black powder, Wells Fargo SxS , stage coach shotgun.
bigolddave
Member
Michael McIntosh had the right idea with his book "A. H. Fox, the Finest Shotgun Built in America". He was a student of side by side doubles, and wrote another book on fine American shotguns; Parker, L. C. Smith, Ithaca, Winchester, Fox, and Remington. The Remington was the only over under of the group. I have owned an example of all but the Remington, and I agree with McIntosh. Most know only of the Fox Model B, which is just a gussied up Stevens 311, but the Philadelphia Fox and the guns later built by Savage are strong, simple, and elegant. YMMV
Definitely SxS.
The Famars "Castore" is IMO the all time winner:
The Famars "Castore" is IMO the all time winner:
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Ole Joe Clark
Absent Comrade
A nice side by side shotgun is the prettiest long gun around, in my opinion. I looked at a L. C. Smith recently at a gun show, in 20 gauge and it was a thing of beauty, and just about pointed itself.
Have a blessed day,
Leon
Have a blessed day,
Leon
italiansport
Member
As far as I'm concerned the ultimate in good looks go to the high-grade English doubles. Very beautiful doubles were made in various Countries including the U S but I don't think the British have ever been topped. Look at a few Purdeys etc. and you'll see what I mean!
Jim
Jim
Farmer17
Member
I have a SXS 20 gauge Yildiz Turkish made gun that has many thousands of rounds through it and dropped many pheasants, quail, dove, and turkey. It's my favorite shotgun and has beautiful wood and nice laser engraving and I'm very happy with it's looks and function and it was under 500 bucks at Academy Sports.
Yildiz 12 Gauge Side-By-Side Shotgun | Academy
Yildiz 12 Gauge Side-By-Side Shotgun | Academy
I am more partial to an O/u than a SxS for shooting. There is no denying the svelte looks of a nice SxS though.
My hands down favorite is the 20 gauge Superposed..
The lower gun is a very nice Citori Superlight (not feather, but steel framed) in 28 ga with 26” barrels.
The upper gun is my 1953 26.5” solid rib, double ivory bead (factory) 20 gauge.
I am so enamored with the early 20 ga Supers that I have a spiffy little 1958 with factory IC/Mod 28” barrels on it’s way to me within the next week.
If I could find another, it would be on it’s way to me as well.
Strangely, I have no love for the Superposed in 12 gauge
My hands down favorite is the 20 gauge Superposed..
The lower gun is a very nice Citori Superlight (not feather, but steel framed) in 28 ga with 26” barrels.
The upper gun is my 1953 26.5” solid rib, double ivory bead (factory) 20 gauge.
I am so enamored with the early 20 ga Supers that I have a spiffy little 1958 with factory IC/Mod 28” barrels on it’s way to me within the next week.
If I could find another, it would be on it’s way to me as well.
Strangely, I have no love for the Superposed in 12 gauge
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white cloud
Member
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When I was young and retarded I sold a beautiful 1100 Skeet Grade. I think the most business looking shotguns are the 1897 trench guns and the Mossberg 590A1s. I have my grandfather's Model 12. It is still a nice gun. My field gun is a Ithaca Model 37. But if you really really want beautiful it's hard to beat a high end Holland & Holland.
Some have said this is the best looking shotgun they've seen:
Nope. Like sighting down a 2x4. That extra bbl could a magazine holding more shells. Plus the only gun with 2 triggers should be a machine gun.
SAYING THAT.........Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Be it guns, "wimmin" or trucks.
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I wouldn't pick the Winchester 21 as the most graceful looking shotgun around.
I spent about 30 yrs full time in the restoration biz mainly on sxs shotguns and had just about everything pass through my hands for some kind of work including full restoration.
Maybe I've seen too many different SxS's but the Win21 never struck me as anything special inspite the mfg'rs claims.
They can be made into a nice shotgun but generally how they came from the W factory was nothing outstanding when compared to other mfg'rs offerings.
They did put some nice AmWalnut on them in most instances I will say that.
The older classics like Fox, Parker & Lefever stepped up to Euro Walnut as the grade went up.
Fox can be criticized for down grading it's engraving quality after WW1 to save $$ with those crazy save-time designs by Gough.
Winchester 21 engraving was always crippled by the extreme hardness the frames and forends were heat treated to. An engravers nightmare to cut even when carbide tools came one the scene.
Annealing was not an option for factory engravers but outside workers often did and their work will show fine quality detail the factory cutters never seemed to achieve trying to carve the near impossible to cut HT's steel.
The Win21 is nothing special as far as design,,and neither is the AH Fox or Parker. They all have their quirks and flaws.
They all break and wear out and need repair.
The 21 is the easiest to repair right now because of the availability of parts from CSMCo who continues to mfg the Win 21 under license.
Problems with the ejectors on a Win21?,,buy every part in there if you need to (and can foot the bill). Try that with an elderly Parker or Fox and it's hunt for parts time. Though orig Fox parts are in pretty good supply now from a source in the NY Adirondaks. Many are in rough out form so be ready to file,,then file and fit some more to end up with a part. But it's a good source.
I recently made up an ejector forend complete to fit an existing AH Fox 16ga SPE that was a 2 bbl set and the second bbl was located. The extra ejector forend iron and forend were made up of rough orig Fox parts to fit the old newly located second bbl.
My pick for the 'nicest looking' SxS's would be the pre WW1 German &Austrian made guns.
They are everything as far as quality that the Brit guns are in the mid and high grade guns and the styling is what I would call exactly what I would want.
That comes after just completely restoring a 1896 Purdy 16ga self opener SxS 2 bbl set.
Killer wood under all that grunge,,but I still favor the German products of the era.
But like Mike, SC Hunter says,,,Beauty is in the eye of the beholder....
....I go to the Skeet range and shoot a 1925 Marlin Model 43T (Trap)
and a Remington Model 10T (Target V/R).
I like vintage pump guns too!
I bring the Lindner/ Chas Daly 1912 SBT out too for a run.
Too many to say which one is the best looking.
Maybe it's the Marlin!
I spent about 30 yrs full time in the restoration biz mainly on sxs shotguns and had just about everything pass through my hands for some kind of work including full restoration.
Maybe I've seen too many different SxS's but the Win21 never struck me as anything special inspite the mfg'rs claims.
They can be made into a nice shotgun but generally how they came from the W factory was nothing outstanding when compared to other mfg'rs offerings.
They did put some nice AmWalnut on them in most instances I will say that.
The older classics like Fox, Parker & Lefever stepped up to Euro Walnut as the grade went up.
Fox can be criticized for down grading it's engraving quality after WW1 to save $$ with those crazy save-time designs by Gough.
Winchester 21 engraving was always crippled by the extreme hardness the frames and forends were heat treated to. An engravers nightmare to cut even when carbide tools came one the scene.
Annealing was not an option for factory engravers but outside workers often did and their work will show fine quality detail the factory cutters never seemed to achieve trying to carve the near impossible to cut HT's steel.
The Win21 is nothing special as far as design,,and neither is the AH Fox or Parker. They all have their quirks and flaws.
They all break and wear out and need repair.
The 21 is the easiest to repair right now because of the availability of parts from CSMCo who continues to mfg the Win 21 under license.
Problems with the ejectors on a Win21?,,buy every part in there if you need to (and can foot the bill). Try that with an elderly Parker or Fox and it's hunt for parts time. Though orig Fox parts are in pretty good supply now from a source in the NY Adirondaks. Many are in rough out form so be ready to file,,then file and fit some more to end up with a part. But it's a good source.
I recently made up an ejector forend complete to fit an existing AH Fox 16ga SPE that was a 2 bbl set and the second bbl was located. The extra ejector forend iron and forend were made up of rough orig Fox parts to fit the old newly located second bbl.
My pick for the 'nicest looking' SxS's would be the pre WW1 German &Austrian made guns.
They are everything as far as quality that the Brit guns are in the mid and high grade guns and the styling is what I would call exactly what I would want.
That comes after just completely restoring a 1896 Purdy 16ga self opener SxS 2 bbl set.
Killer wood under all that grunge,,but I still favor the German products of the era.
But like Mike, SC Hunter says,,,Beauty is in the eye of the beholder....
....I go to the Skeet range and shoot a 1925 Marlin Model 43T (Trap)
and a Remington Model 10T (Target V/R).
I like vintage pump guns too!
I bring the Lindner/ Chas Daly 1912 SBT out too for a run.
Too many to say which one is the best looking.
Maybe it's the Marlin!
ancient-one
US Veteran
I still hurt when I think about the 20 ga. Ithaca double that I just couldn't afford. It was around 1948 and I was trying to get furniture and things you needed to live. Marrying young and in the service, I don't regret, but it took some doing for several years to get even.
The Ithaca was light weight and strictly made for a fast pointing quail gun. The price was $80 dollars and there was no way that I could do it. I looked at that gun so many times I can still see it.
I finally got a LeFever Nitro Special in a 20ga. but there was no comparison.
The Ithaca was light weight and strictly made for a fast pointing quail gun. The price was $80 dollars and there was no way that I could do it. I looked at that gun so many times I can still see it.
I finally got a LeFever Nitro Special in a 20ga. but there was no comparison.
I agree with that but I own 2 and for strong and durable and not worry about what loads are safe I don't think they can be beat. I don't shoot steel shot. I think the best looking boxlocks are A H Fox guns but sidelocks are the best looking SXS guns.
For looks and workmanship London Best guns can't be beat but poor people like me will never be able to own one. Larry
